How not to board a ship... :D

the_syco

http://news.eircom.net/breakingnews/16599158/?view=Standard
http://news.scotsman.com/world/Somali-pirates-captured-after-mistaking.5713647.jp

Five Somali pirates were captured after attacking a French warship they mistook for a freighter today.

No one was hit by the volleys from the Kalashnikov rifles directed at La Somme, a 3,800-tonne refuelling ship, said a military spokesman.

La Somme "was probably taken for a commercial ship by the two small skiffs" some 250 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia, he said. "They understood their mistake too late."

One skiff fled, and La Somme pursued the second one in an hour-long chase.

"There were five suspected pirates on board. No arms, no water, no food," said the spokesman.

France is a key member of the European Union's naval mission, Operation Atalanta, fighting Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. It has aggressively tracked and caught suspected pirates and handed over at least 22 to Kenya. An additional 15 suspects were brought to France for prosecution after allegedly seizing French nationals' boats.

President Nicolas Sarkozy called for tougher action against piracy last year after dozens of attacks.

http://www.timesoftheinternet.com/117116.html

French officials said the Somme, which is equipped with a range of cannon and machine guns, gave chase immediately and seized one of the skiffs, which held five pirates.
"They apparently thought it was a harmless cargo ship," Christophe Prazuck, a military spokesman, told The Times, adding that the Somme hosts the staff of the admiral in charge of French naval operations in the Indian Ocean region.

I laughed at this one. Hope more try this out, may clean up the area quicker

major bill

suprised the french didnt surrender!!!

Manic Moran

Again?

That's the third time in the last year that pirates have mistaken Navy vessels for victims. They tried a US logistics ship a while back, and a French frigate shortly before that.

Posted pictures of the ships in question on the piracy thread.

NTM

minidazzler

major bill wrote: »

suprised the french didnt surrender!!!

They never had a problem fighting non-europeans.

Hard Larry

minidazzler wrote: »

They never had a problem fighting non-europeans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dien_Bien_Phu

goldie fish

Manic Moran wrote: »

Again?

That's the third time in the last year that pirates have mistaken Navy vessels for victims. They tried a US logistics ship a while back, and a French frigate shortly before that.

Posted pictures of the ships in question on the piracy thread.

NTM

Someone send a copy of "Janes' fighting ships" for christmas to Somalia:rolleyes:

diverdriver

suprised the french didnt surrender!!!

That's so tired a joke now it should be in an old jokes home. Actually the reality is that the French won more battles than they lost throughout history.

But back to the topic. I previously suggested something like the old British 'Q ships'. Ships which looked like freighters to lure U-Boats to the surface at which point the guns were uncovered and the U-Boat submerged but not in the normal way.

I wonder, is a coincidence that a logistic ship should be wandering about in the area? I doubt it.

sunnyjim

That's so tired a joke now it should be in an old jokes home. Actually the reality is that the French won more battles than they lost throughout history.

Even in the past 2 years, the french always pull the finger out when something goes wrong:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1169227/Hostage-killed-freed-French-military-storm-pirate-ship-Somalia.html

If I recall they did something similar in Africa or the far east too this year, where the Sarkozy ordered a helicopter-based attack to save hostages.

And let us not forget...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aer_Lingus#Incidents_and_accidents

I'd never doubt the french for getting a job done.

minidazzler

Hard Larry wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dien_Bien_Phu

I said they had no problem fighting, not that they won.

Tabnabs

You'd think the colour would be a give away for starters :rolleyes:

callig

pirates = fail