Iranian Marksmanship

TFLYTSNBN wrote:https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/05/11/report-iranian-destroyer-accidentally-sinks-irgc-warship/

Incidents happens not only on USN training exercises, you know...

https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/02/world/us-missiles-hit-turkish-ship-killing-5.html

Australia can go even better. Our aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne sank two destroyers, one Australian HMAS Voyager and in June 1969 during the SEATO Exercise SEA SPIRIT, when USS Frank. E. Evans crossed her bows it was cut in two in an incident all too similar to that of Voyager (II) five years earlier.

Daryl wrote:Australia can go even better. Our aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne sank two destroyers, one Australian HMAS Voyager and in June 1969 during the SEATO Exercise SEA SPIRIT, when USS Frank. E. Evans crossed her bows it was cut in two in an incident all too similar to that of Voyager (II) five years earlier.

Reminds me of the the incident on 30th of March: Venezuela navy vessel sinks after 'ramming cruise ship'

Although that wasn't an accident per se, but it can be put down to stupidity which usually is the root cause of most these types of accidents.

Wow, I'm still learning the veracity of my parent's teachings. They didn't want to allow me to have a Red Ryder BB gun because I could shoot myself in the eye. Someone's Iranian parent should have warned those fools. LOL

I wonder if someone yelled 'FORE!' or 'OOPS!' to accompany such a phuckup.

In Soviet Navy there were two major incidents with the stray missiles. The most tragic was in 1987, when small missile ship (corvette) "Musson" was hit by training missile. It was self-defense exercise; the missile was a verstion of P-15M Termit (Styx) shipkilker, with dummy warhead and autopilot programmed to dump the missile in water after it would reach pre-determined range to target.

Things go wrong, when "Musson" engaged the missile, hit it with autocannon fire, but did not shoot it down. The shock if shells impact probably short-circuted something in the missile; instead of diving into sea when it reached the minimal distance, it continued to home, and struck "Musson". The P-15 missile is rocket-powered, with liquid fuel and oxidizer; when it hit, the remaining fuel detonated, causing massive destruction and spreading fire. Despite crew best efforts, "Musson" was doomed; it sunk, 39 crew members were killed, 37 survived.

Before that, in 1980, there were another incident, when cruiser "Admiral Golovko" hit the minesweeper "Khersonsky Komsomolets" with a P-35 missile. It was during live fire exercises; the cruiser was firing at target shield.

Now, the P-35 missile was quite old weapon, and have a 1950s guidance system - bsut quite advanced. And this system have "man-in-the-loop" option. I.e. the missile in flight could transmit onboard the ship data from its seeker, operator would select the targets visible and lock missile on one.

In 1980s exercises, the missile was launched in this mode. Coming to the target area, it deviated a bit, requring manual correction. Operator send "left" command, missike turned left - but operator then forgot to give "right" command to straighten the course! I.e. instead of returning to straight flight, missile continued to circle, and when her radar sight was activated, it was aimed in wrong direction. Instead of two target shields, it showed helicopter cruiser "Moskva" and minesweeper "Khersonsky Komsomolets", that were close, but outside the target area.

Operator was puzzled why radar signatures aren't exactly the same (as target shields were supposed to be), but it was under great pressure. It was prize exercises, for Black Sea Fleet Cup, and there was a lot of high brass on cruiser bridge, "helping" with "experienced input and sound advices". They immediately started to point on left target. So, operator locked on left target, and the missile hit "Khersonsky Komsomolets". Fortunately, its fuel didn't explode, and missile just went through. Four sailors were killed, and minesweeper lost all power, but was saved and repaired.

Daryl wrote:Australia can go even better. Our aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne sank two destroyers, one Australian HMAS Voyager ...

And provided the inspiration for one of my favorite songs growing up.

https://youtu.be/inc2b6Z9eHc

when it comes to actual ship collissions, the US wins the grand prize:

https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Online ... sh-ind.htm

I would be remiss in not mentioning the McCann and the Fitzgerald, although they collided with merchant ships far larger than themselves.