What gun for pirates?
- Thread starter Telperion
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cracked butt
Member
I read a crappy Tom Clancy novel awhile back that had a takeover by Indonisian pirates. As with much of his material, I figure that the scenario given by Clancy was a bit more realistic than what is posted here.
What the pirates did, was sneak up on a yacht at night, plant explosives on the hull, back away from the Yacht, then announce their intentions with a bullhorn. The guy with the trigger to the explosives would sit in a dinghy out of shooting range while pirates in other small craft would then approach and board with the threat of the boat being blown up if anyone resists.
What the pirates did, was sneak up on a yacht at night, plant explosives on the hull, back away from the Yacht, then announce their intentions with a bullhorn. The guy with the trigger to the explosives would sit in a dinghy out of shooting range while pirates in other small craft would then approach and board with the threat of the boat being blown up if anyone resists.
gulogulo1970
Member
I got to travel up the intercoastal waterway in Florida in the late 80's. There I saw some unbelievable yachts. One of which had chrome plated 50 caliber machine guns fore and aft. I asked my dad why anyone would want that and he said, "Pirates." At the time I had no idea they existed near American waters.
Half inch holes below the waterline would fend off an attack pretty quick I assume.
Half inch holes below the waterline would fend off an attack pretty quick I assume.
NickEllis
Member
beautiful, preacherman..... straight beautiful.
I'm worse than just a land-lubber--
--I could count the times I've wet my toes with salt water on my fingers. Still, I've ideas of how to take care of this:
My first thought was "fire suppression system water cannons." Have the entire ship wired with fire alarm pull boxes. When they're pulled, the alarm goes off, sirens sound, and all hands man the cannon, which are immediately charged by the monster bilge pumps that surged on automatically. The passengers are gathered to the interior of the ship. The water cannon and hose operators seek danger fore, aft, and off port and starboard.
Meanwhile, the purser, Captain, and XO open the armory and implement the mariner magnum shotgun, the chrome-plated M1As, and the Glock 20s. The helmsman is ordered to go full-throttle into the wind, and an SOS is sent.
--I could count the times I've wet my toes with salt water on my fingers. Still, I've ideas of how to take care of this:
My first thought was "fire suppression system water cannons." Have the entire ship wired with fire alarm pull boxes. When they're pulled, the alarm goes off, sirens sound, and all hands man the cannon, which are immediately charged by the monster bilge pumps that surged on automatically. The passengers are gathered to the interior of the ship. The water cannon and hose operators seek danger fore, aft, and off port and starboard.
Meanwhile, the purser, Captain, and XO open the armory and implement the mariner magnum shotgun, the chrome-plated M1As, and the Glock 20s. The helmsman is ordered to go full-throttle into the wind, and an SOS is sent.
UberPhLuBB
Member
If I were a modern pirate, I think I'd still be intimidated by a blunderbuss.
Wouldn't you?
It even comes with a bayonet for those tricky boarders.
Wouldn't you?
It even comes with a bayonet for those tricky boarders.
Librarian
Member
Yes. We sailed on Celebrity Infinity this summer. The security folks were not that thorough with their hand-bag scan, though. I wouldn't count on that to always be true.neoncowboy said:
They were a heck of a lot nicer than the stories about TSA portray those screeners. Something about paying customers, I think.
cliffstanc
Member
I think they need to bring back the "Q-ship" - have a "civilian" vessel cruise the dangerous areas, looking helpless but secretly armed and armored. Once they draw out an attack, the cannons pop-up from the deck and Darwin gets his due.
Not only are they effective, but they're much cheaper to outfit and operate than a traditional warship. That means a country that can't spend the kind of money on large naval ships like the US does can still afford some.
Australian citizens, for example, have a lot of piracy problems compared to US or European citizens, simply because they sail more frequently in those waters. But the Australian Navy is already stretched thin over their current patrol areas - they do not currently have the numbers to adequately protect private vessels in the many risky areas they traverse, and they can't afford to build new warships just to hunt down pirates. But you don't need a true warship to take out a few fast attack boats crewed with qat addicts armed with ex-Soviet bloc weapons - especially if they come to you! I don't know how many Q-ships you can build and operate for the price of just one modern destroyer, but I'll bet it's not too small a number.
Yes, "pirates attack cruise ship" sounds funny, but modern-day piracy costs money and lives. It's no joke.
- Cliff
Not only are they effective, but they're much cheaper to outfit and operate than a traditional warship. That means a country that can't spend the kind of money on large naval ships like the US does can still afford some.
Australian citizens, for example, have a lot of piracy problems compared to US or European citizens, simply because they sail more frequently in those waters. But the Australian Navy is already stretched thin over their current patrol areas - they do not currently have the numbers to adequately protect private vessels in the many risky areas they traverse, and they can't afford to build new warships just to hunt down pirates. But you don't need a true warship to take out a few fast attack boats crewed with qat addicts armed with ex-Soviet bloc weapons - especially if they come to you! I don't know how many Q-ships you can build and operate for the price of just one modern destroyer, but I'll bet it's not too small a number.
Yes, "pirates attack cruise ship" sounds funny, but modern-day piracy costs money and lives. It's no joke.
- Cliff
Actually, the Ark Royal's Swordfish crippled her rudder. The King George the V, Rodney, Maori, Dorsetshire and some destroyers hammered her with 15 inch rifles and smaller guns plus fired torpedoes at her. Ultimately Dorsetshire was ordered to sink her with torpedoes while the BBs and DDs left. Capt. Lindeman ordered the seacocks open and scuttled Bismarck.
Whether you believe she was sunk by hostile action or scuttled, the box score for Bismarck's first and only mission:
Great Britain 1
Germany 1
Win for Britain.
But back to the pirates. I'd say M2HB, 2 per side. Cheap, accurate, plentiful and the ammo is universally abundant. Some popgun 9mms and shotguns for ship defense and you're good to go.
But oh to have been a fly on the wall when those pirates tried to board a Soviet military ship. ROFL!
wolf_from_wv
Member
Gaiudo said:
Same one ship?
The Bahamian-registered Seabourn ship was on a 16-day cruise from Egypt to Mombasa, Kenya. It sailed on to the Seychelles Islands, where passengers were to disembark and fly to Mombasa,
RPG-7 has an effective range of 500 meters.DigitalWarrior said:
OK ya got me there, but I don't think the skinnies have any planes at all and if they do it definitely wouldn't be a torpedo bomber
Even if they did save the cruise liner the soldiers would just rob them anyway.
Strings
Member
This was actually one of my dad's "lotto dreams": build a nice ocean-going yacht, with two quad fiftys: one fore, one aft. Crew with well-trained ladies in bikinis, and live the high life!
Personally, I'd think something like the M2 is urpose made for repelling pirates...
Personally, I'd think something like the M2 is urpose made for repelling pirates...
Preacherman, you know what I like best about that picture? The "wake" visible off the bow as the ship is shoved sideways.
"Naval gunfire may not be all she's cracked up to be, Marines, but sending a shell the size of a VW Bug into somebody's picnic just makes me all giddy." --CWO4 <name withheld>, my old boss, a former ANGLICO Officer
S/F
Farnham
"Naval gunfire may not be all she's cracked up to be, Marines, but sending a shell the size of a VW Bug into somebody's picnic just makes me all giddy." --CWO4 <name withheld>, my old boss, a former ANGLICO Officer
S/F
Farnham
Yes they do and they screen ALL lugage
I was recently on the Star Princess, and with two guys above the bridge, (it was an observationdeck for passengers) you could cover anything but dead astern, so add a third guy, with three machine guns, (mounted M60s, 50-cals, or the 60-cals that the USCG uses) you have all fire arcs covered from zero to max range of your guns.
mustanger98
Member
Regarding Q ships and armed yachts, I would be in favor of using PT boats. Yeah, that kind... from all the way back in WW2. IIRC, they're 72' long and displace 2.5tons. Convert from three '42 Packard engines to twin diesel. Ma Duce forward, twin .50 right behind the
b
aft... IIRC, 4 torpedo tubes... you can bet I ain't talkin' about storing beer and comic books in two of 'em.
Strategy: Run in pairs. Shadow the cruise ships (maintain distance shown by satellite uplink, gps, whatever) while maintaining radio silence. Cruise ship comes under attack, all they gotta do is call in the cavalry.
b
aft... IIRC, 4 torpedo tubes... you can bet I ain't talkin' about storing beer and comic books in two of 'em.
Strategy: Run in pairs. Shadow the cruise ships (maintain distance shown by satellite uplink, gps, whatever) while maintaining radio silence. Cruise ship comes under attack, all they gotta do is call in the cavalry.
mustanger98
Member
Regarding Q ships and armed yachts, I would be in favor of using PT boats. Yeah, that kind... from all the way back in WW2. IIRC, they're 72' long and displace 2.5tons. Convert from three '42 Packard engines to twin diesel. Ma Duce forward, twin .50 right behind the
b
aft... IIRC, 4 torpedo tubes... you can bet I ain't talkin' about storing beer and comic books in two of 'em.
Strategy: Run in pairs. Shadow the cruise ships (maintain distance shown by satellite uplink, gps, whatever) while maintaining radio silence. Cruise ship comes under attack, all they gotta do is call in the cavalry.
b
aft... IIRC, 4 torpedo tubes... you can bet I ain't talkin' about storing beer and comic books in two of 'em.
Strategy: Run in pairs. Shadow the cruise ships (maintain distance shown by satellite uplink, gps, whatever) while maintaining radio silence. Cruise ship comes under attack, all they gotta do is call in the cavalry.
1911 guy
Member
Ship's defence and piracy
Well, I'll admit to having no experience repelling boarders (aircraft carriers) but we DID train for it. I was part of the "ship's defence force" for CVN-70 and CV-67. 50 cals were the main line for small craft, M-16's, 45's and cutlasses, yes, swords, were in every ready service locker. Hand grenades were not really usefull due to everybody being inside the same tin can. I imagine that if any cruise line were to be serious about defence against piracy they should consider a layered defence as well. Try to keep the pirates off, but be prepared to deal with them if they get aboard. CIWS and sea sparrow missiles were available to us, but were more useful on things with altitude such as aircraft and incoming missiles. Quick reaction time is usually a problem with electronic weapon systems since most if not all are controlled from the bridge and fire control rather than a defender with a close up view. That's why they are very useful for stuff you can pick up on radar.
So, a realistic answer would be to place however many machine guns it takes to provide overlapping fields of fire around the hull and equip and train the crew to repel boarders while dealing with a thousand screaming blissninnies.
Well, I'll admit to having no experience repelling boarders (aircraft carriers) but we DID train for it. I was part of the "ship's defence force" for CVN-70 and CV-67. 50 cals were the main line for small craft, M-16's, 45's and cutlasses, yes, swords, were in every ready service locker. Hand grenades were not really usefull due to everybody being inside the same tin can. I imagine that if any cruise line were to be serious about defence against piracy they should consider a layered defence as well. Try to keep the pirates off, but be prepared to deal with them if they get aboard. CIWS and sea sparrow missiles were available to us, but were more useful on things with altitude such as aircraft and incoming missiles. Quick reaction time is usually a problem with electronic weapon systems since most if not all are controlled from the bridge and fire control rather than a defender with a close up view. That's why they are very useful for stuff you can pick up on radar.
So, a realistic answer would be to place however many machine guns it takes to provide overlapping fields of fire around the hull and equip and train the crew to repel boarders while dealing with a thousand screaming blissninnies.
willeo6709
Member
{ cruise director cheery voice on} Its John Moses Browning Day on the Aloha deck. Come down and try a few bursts on the M2 quad mount. Special Guest Ronnie Barrett will be demonstarting the M107 while Captian Larry keeps them pirates pinned down with automatic fire{ cruise director cheery voice off}
Strings
Member
huh... I thought the 1914 pattern was the last used. I know we didn't have any aboard Duluth...
The-Fly
Member
CB900F said:Dear Members;
We'd like to announce that Carnivour Cruise Lines is now booking the 'Soldier Of Fortune' cruise to Singapor & the scenic Andaman Islands.
All guests will be required to present, at minimum, a 3 gun battery and 5,000 rounds, or more, of ammo for the combined guns.
This is a first come first served reservation, if you want to participate please do not delay forwarding your deposit.
where do i sign up?
Can you imagine the looks of the floating scumbags faces when a few hundred passengers man the rails, firing everything from .223 to 50 cal barretts at them ? - Status
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