Re: Air Force Seeks Bush's Approval for Space Weapons Programs



Andre Lieven wrote:

Pat: On this point, Derek and I are correct, and your statement simply
wasn't. Give in to that truth with grace. :-)



I said the crew knew that if a cruise missile hit the ship they were doomed- look:
"But of course you never tell the crew "Oh, BTW, if we ever do take a direct cruise missile hit, it's all over- pronto" although I did talk to a destroyer crewman who knew that was the case, as oddly, the topic kept coming up in the crew's conversation, especially when they were within range of Iran's Silkworm missiles."
I meant the officers don't go around reminding the crew that they are toast if they ever get hit by a cruise missile, as the crew knows that is the case already. The guy I talked to served on a destroyer in the Gulf, and he said that was the major concern anytime they got near the Iranian Silkworm sites- that they were going to get one inbound that would get through their defenses the way the two Exocets got through the Stark's defenses, and use its infrared homer to zero in on the ship's funnel, after which the ship would be fatally damaged. I'm sure the crew knew that a Silkworm is an upgraded Styx, and that Styx missiles sank the Israeli destroyer Eilat in 1967. The first two Styx hits nearly ripped that ship in half, the crew somehow managed to keep it afloat for two hours, only to get hit by another Styx that finished it off...followed by yet another Styx that blew up amid the survivors in the water. Stuff like that would tend to keep one on edge.


Pat
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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Air Force Seeks Bushs Approval for Space Weapons Programs
    ... > I said the crew knew that if a cruise missile hit the ship they were ... > direct cruise missile hit, it's all over- pronto" although I did talk to ... > knew that a Silkworm is an upgraded Styx, ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: Air Force Seeks Bushs Approval for Space Weapons Programs
    ... >>much of the rest of the crew. ... > large cruise missile. ... after which the ship would be fatally damaged. ... >>>knew that a Silkworm is an upgraded Styx, ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: Air Force Seeks Bushs Approval for Space Weapons Programs
    ... much of the rest of the crew. ... I meant, that during training you probably don't go gleefully jumping up and down while pointing out to the crews that the ships they will be serving on will be about as survivable as a beer can if they ever get clipped by a large cruise missile. ... Gulf, and he said that was the major concern anytime they got near the Iranian Silkworm sites- that they were going to get one inbound that would get through their defenses the way the two Exocets got through the Stark's defenses, and use its infrared homer to zero in on the ship's funnel, after which the ship would be fatally damaged. ... I'm sure the crew knew that a Silkworm is an upgraded Styx, and that Styx missiles sank the Israeli destroyer Eilat in 1967. ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: Air Force Seeks Bushs Approval for Space Weapons Programs
    ... >>Pat Flannery writes: ... I'm sure the crew ... >>> knew that a Silkworm is an upgraded Styx, ... >>> the Israeli destroyer Eilat in 1967. ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: Bismarck vs Swordfish
    ... Why the bismark peformed quite so poorly is not clear, ... were other factors beyond and incorrect setup. ... The Bismark's crew had been well trained and worked up. ... Also - the swordfish's torpedo was somewhat a miracle hit. ...
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