it's about time...

[sparks1093]

We had one 5"/54 on my last ship that I'm sure no pirate would want to come up against. Twenty 5" rounds in about a minute= unhealthy.

[Dave]

That is what our guns did. They could be pre-loaded with 20 rounds and fired with no gun crew. The crew was really only there to reload the thing. Nobody is in the turret. My berthing compartment was outboard of the forward gun. The muzzle swung directly over us at times. They'd fire and knock us out of our chairs. A bonus was that it shook all the dirt and dust from the overheard so it made field days easier.

Mk 45 5"/54 caliber gun

Anyone confused by the designation and use of "caliber"? It is used with the bore to determine barrel length. 5x54=270 inches or 22.5 feet long.

[sparks1093]

I used to love live fire exercises, except on my first ship. We had twin 3"/50's and every time they fired it would knock our crypto equipment out of sync. I got to see them fired before I left the ship (normally I was below decks) and it was quite a sight.

[drlivingston]

Only the military could classify that gun as "lightweight".

[billybuzzy]

drlivinston - Sir Francis Drake and Sir Henry Morgan are two other privateers that did well. Still one mans privateer is another mans pirate!

Capt. Kidd may or may not have been hoist by his own petard as it were. The claim of his piracy appears invalid since the French letters of protection so necessary to establish the legality of the taking of his prize (missing from Admiralty records at his trial and crucial to his defense) were found misfiled in those records over 70+ years ago. The conviction of the murder of his gunner, Wm Moore, was based on the testimony of two witnesses who perjured themselves at the trial. Bear in mind Capt. Kidd was denied legal representation. Unlike all pirates before and after him - Capt. Kidd proclaimed his innocence thru both hangings! (The first attempt failed so they promptly strung him up again!)

BillyBuzzy

[sparks1093]

I just read that after the Saudis paid the ransom and the oil tanker was released the pirates' boat capsized and 5 of them drowned. Sounds like the Navy will have an easy gig .

[Dave]

5 of them drowned

I hate when that happens.

[Dwayne]

I suppose the Pirate boat missed it's last USCG inspection.

Dwayne

[Dave]

I suppose the Pirate boat missed it's last USCG inspection. Smile

That has to be it! If they had a current inspection then the boat would have been equipped with 5 life vests. I'll bet they didn't have any aboard. And they lost the money too.

[billybuzzy]

Has anybody seen any photos of the capsizing of the pirate boat? Since the earliest days of piracy it has been an old trick to disappear into the background by faking one's death.(Some landlubbers have done tne same!)

Many an ancient pirate has "disappeared" in order to retire and enjoy the fruits of his piracy. Many Caribbean pirates did so in the colonies and in the islands of the Spanish Main.
Madagascar was another favored hideaway. Some boldly enough returned to England.

If they were pardoned,and if they did not resort to their former ways, them some died quite comfortably without threat(Government officials were greedy in those days too!)

Characteristically, many reverted to the ways of the "brethren" (as they called themselves) and many others foolishly squandered away their fortunes and died beggars.

BillyBuzzy