Re: Vietnam and modern combat

> > And still very happy to have USN presence in the
> > region I'm sure. Still, from what I've heard,
> > your sub forces are cheekey bastards that like to
> > take pictures of USN Carrier hulls from
> > underwater.
>
> I can neither confirm nor deny... except that I think some
> pictures actually got printed in one of our newspapers, so
> that's a bit silly.
>
> RAN and USN subs (especially the Permit class) used to go
> into lots of interesting places to take pictures of
> propellors and other things.
>
> But AFAIK only the Canadians actually landed a raiding
> party and made off with a ships' bell. I doubt they'd get
> away with it today, US security is far better than it was
> back then.

I dunno~ I've heard stories outta San Diego that would rival that. One
of my
friends told me that there's a tradition down there that any ship coming
into port has to be boarded (by navy SEALS or something). The ships
literally call in and mention when they're coming in so they can be
boarded.
Happens to civvie boats too, though they get treated to steaks and beer
at
the end of it, and are generally courtiously treated.

Anyway, so one day a ship heads in and the SEALS go to board it. One of
em
gets on deck and finds a lookout literally sleeping on a cot or somesuch
on
deck. Seal pokes him and wakes him up, and says Hi. Crewman responds and
goes back to sleep. Seal strips outta his wetsuit and tanks and then
pokes
crewman again. He asks the crewman what he's supposed to be doing.
Crewman
responds with "keeping unauthorized personell off the ship" Seal states
"do
I look authorized?" Crewman tries to go for his M-16 but the Seal
already
moved it outta the way. Crewman is then stuffed into a duffel bag and
hung
upside down off a derrick (I think it was a derrick.. might have been
something else).

While on the subject of getting rather close to other ships, I do
believe
also that several USN admirals have "sunk by canadians" in their
records.
Seems our old diesel subs like to sneak up under people and pop a torp
under
the keel.... quite embarrasing <G>