On Mon, 2 Apr 2007 20:23:59 +0100, "gn gnu d" wrote:
>Ken Ehrett wrote in message ...
>>On Mon, 2 Apr 2007 12:46:20 +0100, "gn gnu d" wrote:
>>
>>>On Apr 1, 7:10 am, Ken Ehrett
olg.com> wrote:>>>>a Royal Navy Frigate
>>>>> being completely intimidated and frozen with fear over six tiny motor
>>>>> whale boats with puny machine guns
>>>
>>>Nope.
>>
>>Nope? Where are the 15 crewmen right now Gnu?
>>>
>>>>> the Iranians [...] pulled off this blatant
>>>>> criminal act practically in front of the HMS Cornwall
>>>
>>>Nope.
>>
>>Nope? Where are the 15 crewmen right now Gnu?
>>>
>>>>with its
>>>>> helicopter flying over the scene reporting back all the details of the
>>>>> attack against its 15 crewmen
>>>
>>>Nope.
>>
>>Nope? Not even according to your own Limey press Gnu?
>>>
>>>You dope.
>>
>>We don't have 15 crewmen sitting in front of video cameras with guns
>>to their heads denouncing their own country right now Gnu. Something
>>that would have never occurred had HMS Cornwall acted to protect its
>>shipmates.
>>
>
>AFAIK, Cornwall was c. 10 miles away and the helo was on its way back to
>refuel. It was rank complacancy and incompetance (at operational and
>tactical level), not cowardice, which allowed the 15 to be captured -- they
>were left on their own.
That frigate should have never been that far away from its inspection
force on those RIB boats.
>
>The fuggen Iranian pirates may have had small boats, compared with
>Cornwall, but the two British inflatables were genuinely miniscule in
>comparison. And it was at least six or so persian 50 cal-type weapons
>against 5.56 assault rifles.
I have never argued otherwise. BTW, the term RIB means rubber
inflatable boat.
>
>To sum up, the British have been silly on this, but no one here can blame
>the actual hostages (Dubbya is right for once) for choosing not to commit
>suicide.
Once again, I shall state that I never suggested the inspection team
should have resisted overwhelming force. However the Cornwall should
have hauled ass to their assistance the moment that helicopter
reported the impending arrival of those Iranian motor whale boats.
Cornwall is a gas turbine powered frigate with a top speed of over 35
knots and could have easily overtaken those Iranians before they got
away with the 15 crewmen.
