Listening to the podcast this morning. The bit about the two cruise ships running the strait reminded me of the Holland America cruise to Norway that I took in 2013. My comment to some fellow passengers was that it just wasn't the same without Norwegian Air Force jets screaming in making simulated attacks as I had experienced on USS TATTNALL during a STANAVFORLANT deployment in 2078.
On a unrelated subject Sal, have you crossed paths with Charles C. W. Cooke from National Review? He is also a Jacksonville area resident.
1. What are we going to do with the Touska and its cargo? Keep both as bargaining chips? Sell both as a way to mitigate the costs of this war? Sell the cargo but keep the ship?
2. If we do decide to sell all or part of the haul, who's going to buy it? A lot of people are going to be chary of the legalities, and a lot of others will be worried about possible Iranian retaliation.
Thing is, I'm down with this happening--we should have been doing it from Day One. I just hope the administration has thought this through.
She's probably a lieutenant's command, midshipman being what they are these days, so send the second or the third and a prize crew to take her into a neutral port and turn her over to your agents. Then you wait on the pleasure of the Prize Court.
Still the UK? Or have they decided it was too "colonial" for their over-refined sense of themselves? If the UK, I don't seriously expect a challenge from today's RN.
As The Other Sal (Sal Mercogliano) noted on his podcast on this action, DG has no container handling infrastructure, so sailing it to DG would delay the “find out what’s in those containers” part of the tasking until the ship could subsequently be towed to a so equipped friendly port.
The blockade is nice, but it only goes so far. Iran can sell oil futures to China in exchange for yuan payments outside of SWIFT. Critical imports from China are then shipped via rail. It's expensive, but worth it for Tehran in the short-term. They do have 47 years of experience in getting around sanctions.
Iran is China's leverage in the Gulf, so they'll keep Tehran in business. China has an immense strategic petroleum reserve, so they're in no great rush to end the war. The bigger problem for China is falling exports. America has done so much economic damage to its allies that its starting to impact our enemies.
The war ends when Beijing says so. The rest is theater.
Yes...but. Iran has a relatively modern intermodal rail system. While the hundred year old method of dropping bombs on railway nodes is still an option, Iran's railway system can also be attacked through cyber methods and hitting power connections for terminals. In this case the targets could likely be the eastern border terminal hubs at Mirijaveh and Sarakhs, or perhaps the next terminals west at Zahedan and Motahhari. Another target set of a more naval nature could be the intermodal yards at Khorramshar and Bandar Abbas, or maybe just the ship-to-shore cranes at those respective ports.
And it doesn't take much to fix them, either. Back during the ACW Union repair crews could have railroads back in service within hours after Confederate raiders had passed through, and I don't think the Iranians are back to 1860s level tech yet.
The Civil War isn't really analogous. Unlike with cavalry raids, I'm assuming once you destroy "x" miles of track, and you possess air dominance and satellite surveillance, you can watch those known sections and kill anyone who shows up to fix them. Or, to be cruel, let them finish and while they are drinking their celebratory beers, blow up another section somewhere else within earshot, or even within view.
And, of course, the replacement product is, for now, probably not dispersed to wartime locations. So figure out where it is and blow up those warehouses at the same time. They aren't getting any more rails nor rolling stock.
Using BLP rounds would be a good thing. I'd like to see the pictures of the kinetic damage.
The war is dumb, though. Provides good trading opportunities - if you're an insider. Ready for a week of leaks about Islamabad and market manipulation?
I agree BL&P would be good and adequate, but when she backed off and took the shots I was kind of thinking it was to be far enough away that the rounds would have enough distance to arm. Obviously not an issue with BL&P.
No obvious explosions so probably BL&P, but why back off? Concern about small arms return fire possibly?
Agree on the BL&P, that was my thought as well. A solid round will go right through the shell plating and if it doesn't hit anything vital on the way through, the splinters created will likely be a significant problem.
Certainly more than adequate if you are trying to reduce casualties and capture the vessel, though less satisfying that explosions and fire.
Just let the Coasties seize all stateless and sanctioned vessels. Then have the Air Force and NAVAIR destroy the overland and Caspian routes. In 2 weeks the IRGC will be willing to negotiate.
Great article! My first ship in 1978 was USS Piedmont (AD-17). In its 1944 commissioning garb it sported two 5 inch guns for defense. These and all defensive armament were removed years before my tour. So in WWII there was no such thing as an unarmed Navy ship, regardless of its role. r/Karl
Great comment. So whoever decided to remove the 5 inch guns from this destroyer tender probably got a medal for the decision. By removing the WWII era gun mounts and ammunition storage magazines weight was saved to add new capability. Extra repair parts (for example the ship was certified to repair nuclear reactors - so extra parts and maintenance equipment for that new capability). And, to your point, they removed the gunners mates from the crew complement.
Having been with the embarked DESRON for 11 of the first 13 Earnest Will escort runs this is all 'deja vu' for me.
We've NEVER learned the lessons about mine warfare - both putting 'em in an taking them out. All that money wasted in Ingleside as a "center of excellence". All those RAMICS, ALMDS, AMNS power point slides.
The world watched the Marines held at sea during Desert Storm, many of our future enemies among them.
Now it bites us in the ass again.
Another LCS legacy I suppose.
As for the speedboats with a DShK or a mine shape declaring the straits closed .... what the hell?? No Hellfire armed MH-60s about? Someone miss that?
After publishing the Earnest Will Lessons Learned we got a GAU-19 on a VX-1 Seahawk. Worked great but Mike Dillon explained to me years later how it got boobytrapped in the Pentagon.
May God bless our Navy, And may they have the warrior leaders they deserve. Trump and Hegseth are making a real, positive difference in that regard.
I do wonder how much of the NYT's circulation is people who actually know stuff buying it so as to debunk their nonsense. It is like shooting fish in a barrel given their proclivities. I am waiting for the EU to call it a war crime.
Listening to the podcast this morning. The bit about the two cruise ships running the strait reminded me of the Holland America cruise to Norway that I took in 2013. My comment to some fellow passengers was that it just wasn't the same without Norwegian Air Force jets screaming in making simulated attacks as I had experienced on USS TATTNALL during a STANAVFORLANT deployment in 2078.
On a unrelated subject Sal, have you crossed paths with Charles C. W. Cooke from National Review? He is also a Jacksonville area resident.
When did you time travel to the future (2078) 😁
Sorry, 1978 not 2078.
I keep an ear out for the accent...but he is more of a Ponte Vedra man methinks...
Doc Brown is that you? LOL
This brings up some interesting questions:
1. What are we going to do with the Touska and its cargo? Keep both as bargaining chips? Sell both as a way to mitigate the costs of this war? Sell the cargo but keep the ship?
2. If we do decide to sell all or part of the haul, who's going to buy it? A lot of people are going to be chary of the legalities, and a lot of others will be worried about possible Iranian retaliation.
Thing is, I'm down with this happening--we should have been doing it from Day One. I just hope the administration has thought this through.
It would be nice to sell it and distribute prize money.
But alas....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prize_money#Abolition
She's probably a lieutenant's command, midshipman being what they are these days, so send the second or the third and a prize crew to take her into a neutral port and turn her over to your agents. Then you wait on the pleasure of the Prize Court.
My my, we all remember our Hornblower or Aubrey :)
Half a dozen circumnavigations of POB's great works and it becomes a subtle, ever-present part of life.
Leave the gun, take the cannoli
We could always just sail it to Diego Garcia and drop anchor until all this is over.
It is still tricky because Diego Garcia technically still belongs to someone else.
Still the UK? Or have they decided it was too "colonial" for their over-refined sense of themselves? If the UK, I don't seriously expect a challenge from today's RN.
As The Other Sal (Sal Mercogliano) noted on his podcast on this action, DG has no container handling infrastructure, so sailing it to DG would delay the “find out what’s in those containers” part of the tasking until the ship could subsequently be towed to a so equipped friendly port.
No self-sustaining prepositioning ships left in Diego Garcia?
They’re free to try and take it. Though I guess some court in bumfugg, (name a state) can order the government to give it back.
Will we use sails because some hot shot Navy Commander just shot up the engine room!
Search and seize I think they know it is a weapons shipment.
Can a Container be X-rayed with portable machines?
The blockade is nice, but it only goes so far. Iran can sell oil futures to China in exchange for yuan payments outside of SWIFT. Critical imports from China are then shipped via rail. It's expensive, but worth it for Tehran in the short-term. They do have 47 years of experience in getting around sanctions.
Iran is China's leverage in the Gulf, so they'll keep Tehran in business. China has an immense strategic petroleum reserve, so they're in no great rush to end the war. The bigger problem for China is falling exports. America has done so much economic damage to its allies that its starting to impact our enemies.
The war ends when Beijing says so. The rest is theater.
Yes...but. Iran has a relatively modern intermodal rail system. While the hundred year old method of dropping bombs on railway nodes is still an option, Iran's railway system can also be attacked through cyber methods and hitting power connections for terminals. In this case the targets could likely be the eastern border terminal hubs at Mirijaveh and Sarakhs, or perhaps the next terminals west at Zahedan and Motahhari. Another target set of a more naval nature could be the intermodal yards at Khorramshar and Bandar Abbas, or maybe just the ship-to-shore cranes at those respective ports.
Tracks are vulnerable. It wouldn't take much for special forces to rip up a few sections of rail.
And it doesn't take much to fix them, either. Back during the ACW Union repair crews could have railroads back in service within hours after Confederate raiders had passed through, and I don't think the Iranians are back to 1860s level tech yet.
The Civil War isn't really analogous. Unlike with cavalry raids, I'm assuming once you destroy "x" miles of track, and you possess air dominance and satellite surveillance, you can watch those known sections and kill anyone who shows up to fix them. Or, to be cruel, let them finish and while they are drinking their celebratory beers, blow up another section somewhere else within earshot, or even within view.
And, of course, the replacement product is, for now, probably not dispersed to wartime locations. So figure out where it is and blow up those warehouses at the same time. They aren't getting any more rails nor rolling stock.
Follow the money!
Drachmas, dinars and shekels....
I would like to see the Bill of Lading, insurance, classification society, crew manifest, and all other documents that accompany a merchant vessel
You can always trust Iran and China to be honest concerning a shipping manifest 🐲
Their insurance was sketchy, Sanctioned Vessel
There is more to a merchant ship than a u haul.
Who is providing insurance using insurance?
What classification society deemed the ship seaworthy?
Who brokered the deal?
Who chartered the ship? Time or voyage?
What financial institution issued a letter of credit?
Who is the master? Who hired the crew?
What type of bill of lading?
From a thinking man on X named Jake:
Trump didn’t seize a tanker today.
He seized a network map.
The TOUSKA is IRISL — state-owned.
Sanctioned for moving ballistic missile components. This isn’t a shadow fleet tanker moving oil. This is the weapons corridor.
The cargo matters less. The logs are the asset.
Routing patterns. Shell companies. Intermediary ports.
One boarding can blow open an entire supply chain — names, routes, cutouts, all of it sitting in a hold that just got opened.
“We’re seeing what’s on board” isn’t a boast.
It’s legal cover for what comes next.
Iran can’t complain without telling you what was on it.
Lloyd’s of London doesn’t wait for headlines.
Those routes just got more expensive.
They lost a ship.
The U.S. mapped the system.
You said it better than me. The world looks different in the Pentagon than it does in the City.
Sal has the Data here⤵️
https://youtu.be/hcUgIXRHLbM?si=fvlulL53CVXBM5R7
I was Black Gang engine room, never really cared what we had loaded, Acta non Verba.
Spoken like a true KPer?
What happens when Greta is aboard one of these ships carrying weapons?
Why haven’t the rails in Iran been destroyed?
I was only kidding when I suggested letters of Marque But that would be a cool way to make a few bucks.
Good Job, Navy and Marines
I was waiting for the deck gun foot stomp comment in the article.
Shiver me timbers, If there's prize money to be had, let me grab me sword and 1911 and I'll follow ye all to hell and back !
Pirates!
Using BLP rounds would be a good thing. I'd like to see the pictures of the kinetic damage.
The war is dumb, though. Provides good trading opportunities - if you're an insider. Ready for a week of leaks about Islamabad and market manipulation?
I agree BL&P would be good and adequate, but when she backed off and took the shots I was kind of thinking it was to be far enough away that the rounds would have enough distance to arm. Obviously not an issue with BL&P.
No obvious explosions so probably BL&P, but why back off? Concern about small arms return fire possibly?
Agree on the BL&P, that was my thought as well. A solid round will go right through the shell plating and if it doesn't hit anything vital on the way through, the splinters created will likely be a significant problem.
Certainly more than adequate if you are trying to reduce casualties and capture the vessel, though less satisfying that explosions and fire.
The possibility of return fire likely was considered, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcUgIXRHLbM for a good review.
Caution is wise, but return fire would be a good way to ensure that 5 rounds of HE would be directed to the bridge.
But you can’t fix stupid.
Or distance for the discharged parts of a sabot round like HVP or to use a guided round like Vulcano?
Just let the Coasties seize all stateless and sanctioned vessels. Then have the Air Force and NAVAIR destroy the overland and Caspian routes. In 2 weeks the IRGC will be willing to negotiate.
Great article! My first ship in 1978 was USS Piedmont (AD-17). In its 1944 commissioning garb it sported two 5 inch guns for defense. These and all defensive armament were removed years before my tour. So in WWII there was no such thing as an unarmed Navy ship, regardless of its role. r/Karl
Make Gunners Mates Great Again! (...or at least more billets)
Great comment. So whoever decided to remove the 5 inch guns from this destroyer tender probably got a medal for the decision. By removing the WWII era gun mounts and ammunition storage magazines weight was saved to add new capability. Extra repair parts (for example the ship was certified to repair nuclear reactors - so extra parts and maintenance equipment for that new capability). And, to your point, they removed the gunners mates from the crew complement.
Here's a headline I thought was a bit much. "WATCH: US Naval Destroyer Warns Blockade-Busting Iranian Vessel Before Firing On It With Massive Gun."
"Massive?"
Well....
Anymore in the USN the 5" gun is massive in comparison.
But mostly comments like that just go to show the ignorance of modern journalists and the ridiculousness of clickbait headlines.
I did watch it, so, bait swallowed.
apparently she started life better armed than a WW2 DE or 4 stacker DD:
4 × 1 5"/38 caliber gun
23 × 1 Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
4 × 2 Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun
🛰️ No way the US Navy let's 3000 Containers from China into Iran without a ceasefire📢...
.......irrespective of how 🔔⚖️ we got here now.
Sal over at "What's Going On...." 🇺🇲📺⚓🤔 has an outstanding 'splainer from 4/19. 📡🇨🇳🇲🇾🇮🇷🛑
Privateers n 🪙 Merc's 🌐 🏴☠️ 🌊🌴⚔️🛡️
......follow the money!
Letters of Marque for Everyone! You get a letter...and you get a letter!
Commodore Decatur would be pleased. He knew a thing or two about pirates and extortion.
Having been with the embarked DESRON for 11 of the first 13 Earnest Will escort runs this is all 'deja vu' for me.
We've NEVER learned the lessons about mine warfare - both putting 'em in an taking them out. All that money wasted in Ingleside as a "center of excellence". All those RAMICS, ALMDS, AMNS power point slides.
The world watched the Marines held at sea during Desert Storm, many of our future enemies among them.
Now it bites us in the ass again.
Another LCS legacy I suppose.
As for the speedboats with a DShK or a mine shape declaring the straits closed .... what the hell?? No Hellfire armed MH-60s about? Someone miss that?
After publishing the Earnest Will Lessons Learned we got a GAU-19 on a VX-1 Seahawk. Worked great but Mike Dillon explained to me years later how it got boobytrapped in the Pentagon.
May God bless our Navy, And may they have the warrior leaders they deserve. Trump and Hegseth are making a real, positive difference in that regard.
A modest proposal: Force suspicious blockade running ships in the gulf to function as minesweepers going foward.
Ooooooh! thasssgood.....
I do wonder how much of the NYT's circulation is people who actually know stuff buying it so as to debunk their nonsense. It is like shooting fish in a barrel given their proclivities. I am waiting for the EU to call it a war crime.