Posted on 08/19/2005 6:08:06 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
Manama, Bahrain -- No US Sailors and Marines of USS ASHLAND and USS KEARSARGE were injured in an apparent rocket attack that occurred while the ships were in the port of Aqaba, Jordan.
At approximately 8:44 a.m. local time, a suspected mortar rocket flew over the USS ASHLAND’s bow and impacted in a warehouse on the pier in the vicinity of the ASHLAND and USS KEARSARGE. The warehouse sustained an approximate 8 foot hole in the roof of the building.
No Sailors or Marines were injured in this attack.
For further questions, please contact Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs Office at 011-973-1785-4027 or pao@cusnc.navy.mil.
Just curious --- what the heck is a "mortar rocket" ?
It's reported as a Katusha rocket - that's a Russian design, isn't it?
Is that a shoulder-fired weapon or is it larger?
Oh... CentCom, huh? COuld our PAOs be ANY more brick dumb than they already are!? :)
When the communications coming from the US CENTRAL COMMAND talk about "mortar rockets" it's time to get worried. I'll bet that little gal has good legs though....
No US troops KIA/WIA?
THAT will make the liberals sad.
But maybe the fact that the ships bugged out of there will.
Good news ping!
Is that a shoulder-fired weapon or is it larger?
Larger. They are fired from a tripod mounted tube, I believe. Kinda like a TOW missile but without the guidance.
Thanks, TG!
A Katyusha is a multiple tube rocket/weapon... mounted on a vehicle. Russians had thousands of'm in WW2. Nickname... 'Stalin Organ'.
May our enemies who fire upon us maintain this standard and level of expertise.
Ther mortar is the weapon (ordinance), the rocket is the projectile with a rocket driver.
I say we give them a demonstration of how to actually HIT the target.
And, may we hit the bullseye on live enemy targets every time,so that the demonstration is conducted repeatedly until there is none left to learn it!
Accuracy counts in speech as well as in the military - ignorance means death.
A rocket is a SELF-PROPELLED unguided weapon -
rockets do fall under artillery commands, as do missiles (guided self propelled weapons). two different types of weapons.
Generally speaking though, artillery pieces PROPEL a round of explosive etc)
artillery pieces are catagorized by the angle of attack - different angles, different names ---
mortar - steepest angle up to 90 degrees (don't forget windage)
howitzer -
cannon -
rifle / gun - "flat" trajectory such as the Recoiless Rifle etc.
A rocket streaking across the bow of a ship does not appear to be a "mortar" - it would have been coming straight (or so) down. Rockets may be fired at ANY angle and be free-standing or fired from a launch platform that could even be a 'mortar tube' but that does not make the rocket a "mortar rocket"
I was just amused (not) by the inappropriate weapons designation from a supposed military dispatch.
"Picky-picky. Who cares?" ask the masses...
"The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America: A Chronological Paper Trail "
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596009410/ref=nosim/spadata-20
I'd like to see Predator or similar drones orbit overhead while Navy ships are pulling in and out of ports, and even have the Predators overhead while the ships are docked, as much as possible anyway. That way, if somebody launches any rockets or mortars, the Predators can immediately hit the perps with Hellfire missiles. This would let them bastards know that they can't run and hide after they pull a stunt like that.
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