# Somali Pirates Attack US Flagged Ship "Maersk Alabama" Again



## ToughOmbre (Nov 18, 2009)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 

NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama for the second time in seven months on Wednesday, but guards on board the U.S.-flagged cargo ship repelled the takeover attempt, the EU's naval force said.

Pirates hijacked the Maersk Alabama last April and took ship captain Richard Phillips hostage, holding him at gunpoint in a lifeboat for five days. Navy SEAL sharpshooters freed Phillips while killing three pirates in a daring nighttime attack.

Somali pirates attacked the ship with automatic weapons early Wednesday about 350 nautical miles east of the Somali coast, but guards on board the craft fired back and thwarted the attempted hijacking.

Cmdr. John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force, called it "pure chance" that the Maersk Alabama had been targeted a second time.

"It's not the first vessel to have been attacked twice, and it's a chance that every single ship takes as it passes through the area," Harbour said. "At least this time they had a vessel protection detachment on board who were able to repel the attack."

An EU patrol aircraft from the Horn of Africa nation Djibouti was called in to investigate, and the closest EU Naval Force vessel was tasked with searching for the pirate attack group, the EU Naval Force said in a statement.

Phillips' ordeal last spring galvanized the attention of the U.S. public to the dangers of operating merchant ships in the Horn of Africa, one of the busiest and most precarious sea lanes in the world.

Pirates have greatly increased their attacks in recent weeks after seasonal rains subsided. On Monday, a self-proclaimed pirate said that Somali hijackers had been paid $3.3 million for the release of 36 crew members from a Spanish vessel held for more than six weeks — a clear demonstration of how lucrative the trade can be for impoverished Somalis.

Phillips told The Associated Press last month from his farmhouse in Vermont that he was contemplating retiring from sea life after his ordeal. He's been given a book deal and a movie could be in the works.

Phillips was hailed as a hero for helping his crew thwart April's hijacking before he was taken hostage, but he says he never volunteered, as crew members and his family reported at the time.

TO


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Nov 18, 2009)

Idiots...

We need to have open season on the pirates. Just kill them and throw em to the sharks. Who gives two shits about them?


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## beaupower32 (Nov 18, 2009)

Agree with you Adler. 

I say put 5 in. guns on all american freighters, make them radar guided, then lets see if the pirates get close. The only down side to that would be that the radar probably wouldnt be able to see a low profile boat like the pirates are using.


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## Vassili Zaitzev (Nov 18, 2009)

I still say use Q-ships. Convert a couple a freighters with five inch guns, chain guns, and a detachment of marines.


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## Clay_Allison (Nov 18, 2009)

I guess they are putting armed security guards on boats now. I had heard there were complications with that. I am a licensed security guard, I wonder if they are hiring. They must pay well as long and slow and boring as those trips are.


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## diddyriddick (Nov 18, 2009)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Idiots...
> 
> We need to have open season on the pirates. Just kill them and throw em to the sharks. Who gives two shits about them?



Nah! Don't waste the bullet. Just throw them to the sharks.


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## beaupower32 (Nov 18, 2009)

You know what, forget the Q ships. Just recommission the USS Missouri, and park her big ass off the coast. Dont think you would have much trouble after that.


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## Ferdinand Foch (Nov 18, 2009)

Good thinking Beau, though I think that humanitarian groups around the world would be "horrified" at this idea (oh well, let's try it anyway, hehe). 
Personally, I wouldn't mind if ships were guarded in convoys while going through. Having a dozen or so navy vessels around a flotilla of cargo ships. I mean, the pirates wouldn't be that stupid to try and take several navy ships at once (then again, maybe they are).


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## ccheese (Nov 18, 2009)

Ferdinand Foch said:


> ......Personally, I wouldn't mind if ships were guarded in convoys while
> going through. Having a dozen or so navy vessels around a flotilla of cargo ships. I mean, the pirates
> wouldn't be that stupid to try and take several navy ships at once (then again, maybe they are).



I think the CO's of at least a dozen DDG's would jump at the chance. However, you have to be PC about
this.... first an investigation, then an environmental impact study, then..... you get the idea.... 

Charles


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## GrauGeist (Nov 18, 2009)

Still say that a sub or two operating in those waters would be the ticket...

They quietly look for those asshats, and when they make contact, dispatch 'em without any media or fanfare...they're just "gone", whithout a trace.

So there's no "heros", no glorification, nothing...the skinnies just notice that their pals are disappearing one by one. *poof* into thin air...and no one knows anything.

I pretty much figure that would make them think twice about wanting to be a pirate and the media can't coddle them and make them into media darlings.


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## B-17engineer (Nov 18, 2009)

Beau,are you sure 5 in. guns can lock onto basically raft with a motor?  Just kidding, that'd be nice  

Should be heat guided and maybe just maybe we can hit the raft....

These guys are dumba$$es


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## lesofprimus (Nov 18, 2009)

Gotta agree with u Dave, poppin them with a Mark 48 is the way to go...

Sharks get the survivors and thier buddies sit there wondering what happened.....


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## Clay_Allison (Nov 18, 2009)

lesofprimus said:


> Gotta agree with u Dave, poppin them with a Mark 48 is the way to go...
> 
> Sharks get the survivors and thier buddies sit there wondering what happened.....


A mark 48 is bigger than the average pirate boat. Think smaller.


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## vikingBerserker (Nov 18, 2009)

A couple of Phalanx systems would be nice. Greek fire would come in handy as well.


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## RabidAlien (Nov 18, 2009)

I'm with the Q-ship idea. Just the random, odd ship out there with a little hotter cargo than usual...leave the punks wondering if the huge frikkin ship they're puttering up to is loaded with linen or lead? 

Beau....that pic is awesome!!! Check out the lateral wake on the bow...I know those guns put off quite a bit of recoil, but all of em goin off at once have moved that sucker quite a distance, considering the amount of resistance/friction the length of the ship presents...


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## beaupower32 (Nov 19, 2009)

B-17engineer said:


> Beau,are you sure 5 in. guns can lock onto basically raft with a motor?  Just kidding, that'd be nice
> 
> Should be heat guided and maybe just maybe we can hit the raft....
> 
> These guys are dumba$$es





Yep, the 5 in. guns can lock on. I wouldnt think you would need a direct hit, just something close to scare the poo out of them. Dont know about heat guided, as a little boat like that probably wouldnt give off much of a heat signature.

I am all for the phalanx CIWS. From Wiki "The Block 0 CIWS mounts (hydraulic driven) fired at a rate of 3,000 rounds per minute and they could only hold 989 rounds in the magazine drum.[6] The Block 1 CIWS mounts (hydraulic) also fired at 3,000 rounds per minute with an extended magazine drum holding 1,550 rounds. The Block 1A and newer (pneumatic driven) CIWS mounts fire at a rate of 4,500 rounds per minute and also had the larger 1,550 round magazine. The velocity of the rounds once fired is approximately 3,600 feet per second (1,100 m/s). The rounds are armor-piercing tungsten penetrator rounds or depleted uranium with discarding sabots. The kinetic projectiles are designed to pierce and explode an incoming missile's warhead. The ammunition handling system has two conveyor belt systems. The first takes the rounds out of the magazine drum and to the gun; the second takes either the empty shells or non-fired rounds and routes them back to the opposite end of the drum."


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## Lucky13 (Nov 19, 2009)

Why not a nice visit from a friendly Spectre "ship"? Always liked nighttime fireworks, haven't you?


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## Clay_Allison (Nov 19, 2009)

beaupower32 said:


> Yep, the 5 in. guns can lock on. I wouldnt think you would need a direct hit, just something close to scare the poo out of them. Dont know about heat guided, as a little boat like that probably wouldnt give off much of a heat signature.
> 
> I am all for the phalanx CIWS. From Wiki "The Block 0 CIWS mounts (hydraulic driven) fired at a rate of 3,000 rounds per minute and they could only hold 989 rounds in the magazine drum.[6] The Block 1 CIWS mounts (hydraulic) also fired at 3,000 rounds per minute with an extended magazine drum holding 1,550 rounds. The Block 1A and newer (pneumatic driven) CIWS mounts fire at a rate of 4,500 rounds per minute and also had the larger 1,550 round magazine. The velocity of the rounds once fired is approximately 3,600 feet per second (1,100 m/s). The rounds are armor-piercing tungsten penetrator rounds or depleted uranium with discarding sabots. The kinetic projectiles are designed to pierce and explode an incoming missile's warhead. The ammunition handling system has two conveyor belt systems. The first takes the rounds out of the magazine drum and to the gun; the second takes either the empty shells or non-fired rounds and routes them back to the opposite end of the drum."


A burst from any 20mm Gatling gun would be the end of their boat. You'd have to mount it on a hight turret to give 360* coverage though. A few .50s would do just fine though.


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## GrauGeist (Nov 19, 2009)

Specters, phalanx and all that makes for fun flash-bang, but I'm talking *poof* - quiet "done and done"...

In other words, they're sitting out in the shipping lanes, lurking in the darkness, plotting thier next prize when they suddenly hear a distant boiling sound followed by a roar of rushing water.

Then nothing but small bits of debris bobbing on the surface when the sun breaks the horizon a few hours later.

I know this photo is "old school", but it sure gives you a good idea of where I'm going with this...


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## Clay_Allison (Nov 19, 2009)

GrauGeist said:


> Specters, phalanx and all that makes for fun flash-bang, but I'm talking *poof* - quiet "done and done"...
> 
> In other words, they're sitting out in the shipping lanes, lurking in the darkness, plotting thier next prize when they suddenly hear a distant boiling sound followed by a roar of rushing water.
> 
> ...


The only problem is that they sit in fishing boats then drop the speed boat into the water and send it after the cargo ship. Pirates hide among the regular fishermen and are difficult to recognize until they are ready to go get something.


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## GrauGeist (Nov 19, 2009)

Clay_Allison said:


> The only problem is that they sit in fishing boats then drop the speed boat into the water and send it after the cargo ship. Pirates hide among the regular fishermen and are difficult to recognize until they are ready to go get something.


And if they're paying real close attention, they might just catch a glimpse of the periscope as it draws closer to the speed boat...

As an extra bonus, the people on the fishing boat will hear the commotion drifting across the waters in the darkness, but never saw what happened.

Just imagine the stories that'll end up passing around when they can't figure out what's happening to thier cohorts. Probably everything from Moby Dick, sea monsters demons to Elvis and UFOs.

But we'll know...


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## Clay_Allison (Nov 19, 2009)

GrauGeist said:


> And if they're paying real close attention, they might just catch a glimpse of the periscope as it draws closer to the speed boat...
> 
> As an extra bonus, the people on the fishing boat will hear the commotion drifting across the waters in the darkness, but never saw what happened.
> 
> ...


The sub would have to get pretty lucky to happen across one. If I was a ship's captain I'd rather defend my ship than wait for a sub that might not arrive.


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## beaupower32 (Nov 20, 2009)

The United States Navy Attack Submarine USS Columbus (SSN 762) Performs a 
Submarine Emergency Surfacing Drill In the Pacific Ocean, June 4, 1998
Off the Coast of Oahu, State of Hawaii, USA


I see where your going GrauGeist. Submarine Warfare hehehehe. Beware the grey wolves!.


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## Thorlifter (Nov 20, 2009)

While I think the C-130 gunships, torpedoes, subs, Phalanx guns, and everything would be really cool, it would just be too dang expensive. Those pirates just aren't worth it.

Putting 4 or 5 .50 cals on the freighters would chop a boat up pretty darn quick.

It should be a great time for Merc's.


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## beaupower32 (Nov 20, 2009)

Thorlifter said:


> While I think the C-130 gunships, torpedoes, subs, Phalanx guns, and everything would be really cool, it would just be too dang expensive. Those pirates just aren't worth it.
> 
> Putting 4 or 5 .50 cals on the freighters would chop a boat up pretty darn quick.
> 
> It should be a great time for Merc's.



True stuff there Thorlifter. 

But whats a party without some fire works.


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## RabidAlien (Nov 20, 2009)

Heh. Emergency blows are fun. Can't really feel much back aft in the engineroom, but I had a bunk on one trip that was all the way forward, up against the sonar sphere's aft bulkhead. When the boat pops out of the water, hits is apex and starts back down, you get a second or two of freefall.  Any skinnies underneath that would be toast.


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## B-17engineer (Nov 20, 2009)

Just ram them with the destroyer  That'll show 'em!


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## GrauGeist (Nov 20, 2009)

Yep RA, the "gray death"...

No one would see what happened since the boat came up for the "deed" and quietly slipped back under afterwards.

Play the psychological angle a little bit with 'em


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