Russian Signals

It would appear as though the Russian signal for collision avoidance with a fishing vessel works very well when other means fail. I wonder if we could get them to operate in gulf water for awhile.

Greetings,
Mr. u. Your question is Greek to me??????

U...you probably remember the reports of local Louisiana shrimp trawlers employing the same techniques against Vietnamese shrimpers in the late 70's/early 80's. Crude but effective. The CG may have taken issue with it however.

Ahhh....Thank you.

Rardoin: I do in fact remember those days and I believe you are right in the CG issues with that approach. A destroyer should have gotten their attention pretty quick. News media is making it out to be almost an international incident when in all likelihood it was just a typical fishing vessel tending nets and not their radio.

We were drifting on the bay one day -- not anchored -- while we were enjoying a casual lunch, when I saw a shrimp boat in the distance heading toward us. I thought surely he will alter course to avoid hitting our boat, which wasn't under power. When he was about a hundred yards away, he was still heading straight for us. At that point, I figured it would be easier to just start the engine and motor out of his way than to deploy the 5 inch gun in the bow.

The article mentioned the shot(s) were fired from small arms. In Russian lingo does that mean it was smaller than a Cruise or Tomahawk?

Small Arms....I am thinking something fun like the AK 630 Rotary 30 MM anti-aircraft gun. Riiiiiiip.

How is Russia getting on with Japan? Could be a job for them in the Antarctic now Japan is resuming whaling despite the International Court decision.

" News media is making it out to be almost an international incident when in all likelihood it was just a typical fishing vessel tending nets and not their radio. "


You're probably right, but after the Cole was almost sunk by little civilian boat I bet all war ships get nervous when a civilian boat approaches. Don't forget that Turkey recently shot down a Russian fighter jet. I think things are a little tense over there.

I think we would be in a lot of trouble if we shot "warning shots" at other boats although there are often times when I would like to.


The common advice regarding guns is, never bring one out unless you are prepared to use it. A "warning shot" fired at another boat could well bring a "real " shot in return from that boat. Now we have a gun battle going on between two boats.


If you are running a military boat you can probably get away with it. Not a recreational boat.

I would be hesitant to piss off a war ship, regardless of nationality. That's like bringing a knife to a gun fight.

A lot of these so called "fishing" vessels are in fact surveillance spy ships. When I lived in Victoria BC, they used to appear out of nowhere (Russian ones) whenever a military ship was in port, especially a USA carrier.

Hehe...

USSR Echo2 gave this signal prior to ramming us.

HiDHo - that was in the Med, wasn't it?

Yes, USS Voge FF 1047. I was the EOOW when it rammed us, cork screwed the shafting as the prop chewed holes in the Echo 2's hull. Lots of information by googling it. We used to drill for " excessive shaft vibration" but never thought I'd ever see it happen to the extent that the throttle board gage needles came off !! We spent a long time in a French Naval Shipyard after being towed there from Agean Sea area.

oscar said:

I would be hesitant to piss off a war ship, regardless of nationality. That's like bringing a knife to a gun fight.

Click to expand...

On my son's first Naval deployment (2005 or thereabout) on a frigate patroling for drug runners off the west coast of Central America, they interdicted a number of the open 40-foot open boats that were commony used at that time. Generally, they were equipped with three high horsepower outboards. A helicopter was used to chase down these vessels, forced them (.50 cal across the bow) to heave to, then a RIB manned by Coasties

oscar said:

I would be hesitant to piss off a war ship, regardless of nationality. That's like bringing a knife to a gun fight.

Click to expand...

On my son's first Naval deployment (2005 or thereabout) on a frigate patroling for drug runners off the west coast of Central America, they interdicted a number of the open 40-foot open boats that were commony used at that time. Generally, they were equipped with three high horsepower outboards. A helicopter was used to chase down these vessels, forced them (.50 cal across the bow) to heave to, then a RIB manned by Coasties carrying a boarding party made an arrest. The cocaine was off-loaded and the boat sunk. In one instance, the drug runners refused to stop. That did not last long. A sniper aboard the helicopter took out the outboards setting the boat and its occupants on fire. Overboard they jumped. The entire incident was captured on video. Unfortunately, I misplaced the DVD that my son gave to me. At the end of that deployment, the ship came home with15 tons of cocaine.

rardoin - In the mid 80s I was a military advisor to COTP NOLA when the TED (turtle excluder device) was mandated for shrimp trawlers. Following/during the actions you referred to regarding the home boys versus the Vietnamese, there was serious concern at the District level that the shrimpers might invoke some Russian signals to the Coasties who had to enforce the TED. The way the USCG was equipped and trained in those days, the shrimpers probably packed more operational and ready firepower than the Coast Guard. Informal "beer summits" conducted by the USCG Chiefs with the fishers probably did more to diffuse that situation than all of the pius threats that Washington issued.