Showing posts with label French. Show all posts
Showing posts with label French. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

This is coolbert:

Pitch, roll, yaw!

The French submarine Robert Surcouf [N N 3]. French naval vessel from the inter-war era [WW1 and WW2], at the time the LARGEST submarine in the world.

With an unconventional mission. A submarine designed primarily to engage enemy targets using naval gunfire! Organic dual 203 mm [eight inch] naval guns with extraordinary range. A formidable capability. Surcouf the mission as envisioned as a commerce raider, destroy enemy merchant shipping.

That mission of Surcouf commensurate with the French naval doctrine of Jeune Ecole from the era of the late Nineteenth Century?

"Surcouf . . . an 'underwater heavy cruiser', intended to seek and engage in surface combat"

Ability of those big-bore naval guns to successfully destroy targets inhibited by a variety of factors to include:

* "Because of the low height of the rangefinder above the water surface, the practical range of fire was 12,000 m[eters] . . . well below the normal maximum of 26,000 m[eters] (28,000 yd)."

* "The duration between the surface order and the first firing round was 3 minutes and 35 seconds."

* "Firing had to occur at a precise moment of pitch [up/down motion] and roll [side to side motion] when the ship was level."

* "Training the turret to either side was limited to when the ship rolled 8° or less."

* "Surcouf was not equipped to fire at night"

* "The mounts were designed to fire 14 rounds from each gun before their magazines were reloaded."


Sailors have their own words for pitch, roll and yaw. Gunners firing the eight inch [203 mm] guns of the Surcouf their primary concern the surge and sway.

Surcouf also able to attack targets in the manner of a conventional submarine attack, using torpedoes of either 400 mm [16 inches] or 550 mm [22 inches] diameter. Unconventional sized torpedoes for a conventional type of naval warfare. Do it the French way I guess.

coolbert.


Sunday, December 2, 2018

This is coolbert:

French to the rescue?

From the latest edition of the DEBKAfile news letter:

"A French spy ship reserved for trouble spots joins USS Truman in Syrian waters"

24 November.

"The French Dupuy de Lome spy ship [A759] has reached Syrian waters and begun operating in conjunction with the USS Harry Truman and its five-ship strike force . . . the Dupuy le Lome, is reserved by the Directorate of Military Intelligence of France (DRM) for deployment to the world’s flash points ahead of or amid military flareups . . .  Beamed to the French ship is intelligence gathered by US reconnaissance aircraft in the air over Syria since last May. These USAF MC-12S EMARSS and MC-12W Liberty planes have for some months been making passes over Syria from their base on the island of Crete. command centers."

Not so much "spy" as intelligence gathering.

Read further of the MC-12, EMARSS and MC-12W aircraft and missions.

"Américains et français ensemble. merci et tout va bien"

coolbert.





Friday, October 12, 2018

This is coolbert:

Australians now at odds with the French? Shortfin now fini? Soryu yes Barracuda no? I thought this was a done deal!

From the story as seen at Freeper.

"Aussies At Impasse With France Over New Sub; Japan May Win"

"You don’t often think about France and Australia, unless you really know your history and know that a French explorer arrived in the Antipodes days after the First Fleet arrived from Britain and that much of the vast continent was surveyed by French sailors. But France and Australia may grow much closer . . .  if they can sign a strategic partnership agreement to clear the path for work on a stealthy attack submarine known as the Shortfin Barracuda. That is beginning to look less likely, with French and Australian politicians and policymakers increasingly questioning the program."

"France and Australia must resolve major differences over the Aussie’ new submarine program before a new Australian government is elected next year, and the most obvious alternative is Japan."

A$50 billion [Australian dollars] contract at stake here? NO chump change as they say.

See previous blog entries the topic of which was the next-generation RAN submarine. Royal Australian Navy having decided first on the French model Shortfin Barracuda but now the impasse?

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2018/02/shortfin.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2018/04/steel.html

coolbert.








Tuesday, September 18, 2018

This is coolbert:

Coot gone follow-up number one.

Gulf of Tonkin deja vu all over again? As I feared. So many possible culprits? Even fratricide.

Hold onto your hats everyone. This could get grim fast.

From various sources and the original tip from Al.

1. "Putin Says Israel Didn't Down Russian Aircraft; Netanyahu Offers Condolences"

"Earlier, Russia blamed downed military aircraft on Israel's 'deliberate provocations' striking Syria ■ France denies involvement, U.S. says plane shot down by Syrian air defense systems"

2. "Russia blames Israel after military plane shot down off Syria"

"Russia has said Syria shot down one of its military planes - but laid the blame for the deaths of the 15 personnel on board with Israel."

The Israeli did it. The Israeli did not do it. The Syrian did it. Etc. 

At this juncture cooler heads appear to be prevailing. I would hope so. A misinterpretation of events can lead to misguided and unwanted retaliation the consequences of which are both undesirable and unpredictable.

Nebel des Krieges!  Fog of war!

coolbert.



Wednesday, September 5, 2018

This is coolbert:

There hasn't been anything like this in over forty years!

Back to the olden times. The French and English at odds with one another. Military confrontation of some in the works as a possible? NATO versus NATO. EU member versus EU member. I thought that sort of thing was all in the past. Guess not!

Thanks to the tip from Sputnik and the original article © REUTERS / France 3 Caen Europe.

1. "France Ready to Deploy Warships in Scallop Wars With UK – Reports"

"UK and France are reportedly expected to hold talks over the scallop fishing dispute and to find a solution that might prevent further clashes between fishermen."

THIS IS AN EEZ [ECONOMIC EXCLUSION ZONE] TYPE OF EVENT? ENGLISH TRAWLERS FISHING FOR SCALLOPS IN AN AREA TRADITIONALLY RESERVED FOR FRENCH FISHING VESSELS?

FRENCH WARSHIPS THEIR MISSION TO THWART FURTHER VIOLENCE AND BRING A SEMBLANCE OF ORDER TO A TENSE SITUATION?

As it is now in 2018 so it was it in 1976 but with different protagonists.

THE COD WARS!

2. Cod Wars.

"The Cod Wars . . . were a series of confrontations between the United Kingdom and Iceland on fishing rights in the North Atlantic. Each of the disputes ended with an Icelandic victory. The Third Cod War concluded in 1976, with a highly favourable agreement for Iceland; the United Kingdom conceded to a 200-nautical-mile (370-kilometre) Icelandic exclusive fishery zone after threats that Iceland would withdraw from NATO"

English fishing trawlers during the Cod Wars seen as poaching in traditional Icelandic waters. Confrontation resulting the Royal Navy at that time having to provide escort, a cost prohibitive measure.

Negotiation and amicably agreed upon settlement the only solution to these matters!

coolbert.