The Marmot’s Hole

7 Comments

1. Hwarang
   Posted November 14, 2007 at 11:14 pm | Permalink

   How could one man have been Captain of two vessels at the same time?

2. Breaktrack
   Posted November 15, 2007 at 7:13 am | Permalink

   They were armed with canons? Does that mean canons of the 20mm or 30mm type or the “Pirates of the Caribbean” type? Pirates have been a problem in that neck of the woods for a long time, it’s not a secret. As far as I’m concerned, the captain and/or fishing company is responsible for the debacle.

3. Paul H.
   Posted November 15, 2007 at 8:37 am | Permalink

   He probably meant RPG’s. Cut him some slack, to allow for the difficulties of transcription of the story across time, space and the language barrier. There’s always a great variety of weapons that can be described by the uninitiated when they use these generic military weapons terms.

   Repeating cannon of the type you’re thinking probably can’t be mounted in the small boats the Somali pirates use. The more interesting observation in the linked story is the one concerning probable Somali government connivance (or the connivance of various “moonlighting” Somali “govt” officials). Now that is a connection that should be readily susceptible to western naval/amphibious attack.

   Such as the radio traffic center onshore that vectors the pirate craft into position to intercept their targets. A precision airstrike while they are transmitting ought to put a stop to that nonsense for a while.

   Small “assault” type carriers in the area, ones with helos and small fast attack craft should do the job nicely. How about setting up a rotation schedule for a permanent presence there — and a turn for the “Dokdo” will provide the ROK navy with valuable “live-fire” experience.

4. Breaktrack
   Posted November 15, 2007 at 12:39 pm | Permalink

   HA! HA! Hey Paul. I actually though RPGs myself but couldn’t resist being sarcastic. Now that I think of it, a Carl G looks more cannon like in terms of looking cannon like. I was going to say that maybe a pirate had a 20mm strapped to his back, but thought that would be pushing the sarcasm too far!

5. Breaktrack
   Posted November 15, 2007 at 12:40 pm | Permalink

   That is thought RPGs…

6. mins0306
   Posted November 15, 2007 at 12:47 pm | Permalink

   Or they could be talking about the Russian made DShK 12.7mm machine guns that the Somali pirates also use. To the untrained eye it looks like a big ass cannon.

7. Breaktrack
   Posted November 15, 2007 at 4:14 pm | Permalink

   I’ve fired the .50 and it might as well have been a cannon. Not a very big diff between the two. The boys loaded it with tracers and it looked like a laser. Made it dirty as crap too.