Posted on 06/21/2007 12:41:53 PM PDT by Jedi Master Pikachu
If the British soldiers had done that, they’d be dead.
Had they begun firing at the Revolutionary Guards the Guards would have taken off..
Unlike the British in this incident the Iranians had a plan to capture hostages..
Not provide the British and the US forces an Excuse to blow hell out of them by killing a dozen or so Royal Marines..
Finally you know you get paid money to do the Job. Getting killed is not a pleasant prospect that is why you think in advance and have sufficient resources on hand..
Even former British Naval Officers were ashamed of that Marine Captain’s Conduct although in my mind it was no worse that that US Surveillance plane that crashed into a Chinese fighter and landed on a Chinese base.. Both of those Captains should be in Prison for dereliction of duty as far as I am concerned.
W
So is ANY history, but I guess your own points in your prior paragraphs don’t apply when YOU are the one being critical. That’s the problem with your argument—it makes excuses for no particular reason.
Drop the ‘don’t argue-with-me-I-did-this nonsense's. It Isn’t an argument, it’s a BS tactic. On the same point: For all anyone knows you could have spent your whole career being timid and making excuses. Frankly that isn’t hard to believe given that the Brits whole problem that day seems to have flowed from bureaucratic bungling, ass covering and inattention to the job.
Some of Englan’s bloody disasters of course grew out of stupidity or other human frailty but some may well have been the result of commanders thinking they were out there to do a tough, risky job, and feeling they had forebears and an oath to live up to. Surviving is big on the soldiers to do list but it isn’t all—or wasn’t until the modern era.
The Aussies WEREN’T just lucky.
I’m curious as to why you think that the pilot of the EP-3E should be court martialed?
1. Medium-sized, four-engined signals reconaissance aircraft don’t crash into Chinese fighters. There’s absolutely no doubt that the Chinese J-8 pilot, who deliberately created an unsafe situation in international waters, was responsible for the mid-air collision.
2. The fact that the aircrew kept their heads and saved the aircraft is testament to their skill and training.
3. The crew made every attempt to destroy all sensitive electronics aboard the EP-3E.
4. During their detention, the US crew behaved admirably. They kept their heads and gave our enemies no sensitive informaton or political currency .
I agree. Anyone that has studied history knows that the Royal Navy’s reputation was aggressive and bold. They didn’t dominate the sea and the world for that matter for 100 years by out gunning the French and the Spanish. They used superior tactics, organisation and daring.
I think the British still have these qualities, regardless of the recent event in the Persian Gulf.
The Chinese learned a lot from that EP-3E tied up in a pretty bow for them on that runway for a week or so...
...that’s why.
But, how is that the fault of the EP-3E pilot or crew?
The only had so much time to work and were boarded by armed Chinese soldiers.
They were effectively shot down over enemy territory.
Iranian naval forces in the Gulf tried to capture an Australian Navy boarding team but were vigorously repelled, the BBC has learned. The incident took place before Iran successfully seized 15 British sailors and Marines in March. The lessons from the earlier attempt do not appear to have been applied in time by British maritime patrols.Wow, the British failing to learn from others' mistakes? Shocking. Thanks E.
Amen and right on Australians!
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I served aboard the Big “B” for two years. She was a converted AKL and her hull number was AKL 25. After June 1967 her number was AGER1. She was the ffirst ship in her class. You must have been in another NAVY.
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