Couldn’t pass up the latest (British) Trident news; This salty dog's been keeping up with all the news what's unfit to print these days. Seems some mutinous bilge rats been holdin back on the reportin-o-incidents on the high seas.
“BRITAIN'S nuclear submarines have been involved in 14 collisions in the past 21 years, it emerged last night. The Royal Navy has also admitted there have been 237 fires on its nuclear-powered submarine fleet since 1987.”
Well, blow me down (just don’t blow me up)!!! Seein as how I didn’t get me ration-o-rum this early morn I’m mighty miffed. This old sea dog woulda had his insurance policy with Loyds oh London cancelled had I had that many accidents with me Mini Cooper while on shore leave (or any leave for that matter); and no doubt I woulda been keel hauled fer keeping all them accidents under me pea coat fer so long. Ooh aargh!
It’s good to know that “the only collision with another submarine was the one in February with a French vessel in the mid-Atlantic.” The others was just things like groundings and altercations with icebergs. Well me heartys, I’m mighty relieved; just little stuff, eh?
Don’t know bout them fires though (237 of em since 1987)! Hmm… Me thinks they should stop smoking in the lavatories (and especially round them missiles). That oughta be a floggin offense, don’t ya think matey’s?
Well, you can read all about it yerselves at The Scotsman.
If Her Majesty’s Navy was previously hidin that many incidents, it kinda makes one wonder how many the U.S. Navy’s been keeping under wraps!?!?!?! Well blow me down; even as I write, I just seen this here news that the USS Hartford, a Los Angeles class nuclear submarine collided with the USS New Orleans, an amphibious assault ship, on March 20th; couldn't hide that one. Shoulda been lookin in the rear view mirror if you ask me. By the by; the Hartford was also involved in a serious grounding incident in 2003 that the Navy unsuccessfully tried to cover up. Shiver me timbers!
Avast! Tis time to abandon ship if ya ask me mateys. As the Scottish National Party's Westminster leader, Angus Robertson, said, "Any collision is one collision too many, especially when it involves weapons of mass destruction. The possible consequences of such a collision do not bear thinking about. The time is now right to scrap Trident and rid Scotland of nuclear weapons."
Aye laddy; I'm with you Angus! Hard to starboard!
Peace,
Leonard
Photo Credit: U.S. Navy photo of the Los Angeles-class submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) that ran aground while submerged approximately 350 miles south of the island of Guam in January, 2005. This photo was taken in dry dock before the sub got a major nose job.
Additional Reading: Check out Wikipedia for a brief description of every major submarine incident since 2000.
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