Odd Military Events in History




 
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June 5th, 2004  
Mark Conley
 
 

Topic: Odd Military Events in History


Surely out there in history land is a lot of unusual or odd event that have occured as a side effect to a military operation. This area is to chronicle these events for the enjoyment of others.

The only thing I ask is that they be true odd events not taken out of a war comic or fiction. If you have a link on the web, please post it.

My contribution to this topic: The submarine that sank itself:

The USS Tang. The USS TANG under Cmdr. R.H. O’Kane set out from Pearl Harbor on September 24, 1944, to begin her fifth war patrol. The story of TANG’s sinking comes from the report of her surviving Commanding Officer. A night surface attack was launched on October 24, 1944 against a transport which had previously been stopped in an earlier attack. The first torpedo was fired, and when it was observed to be running true, the second and last was loosed. It curved sharply to the left, broached, porpoised and circled. Emergency speed was called for and the rudder was thrown over. These measures resulted only in the torpedo striking the stern of TANG.

Although it was rumored that another american submarine had been sunk by a circling torpedo it fired, only the Tang had survivors to report the incident to the US Navy Command after the war was over. Go to this link to review the incident, and learn more.

http://www.csp.navy.mil/ww2boats/tang.htm


see you in the military odd world .
June 6th, 2004  
Marksman
 
 
I faind the USS stewart very odd,you know why
June 8th, 2004  
Damien435
 
 
I think the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty was odd. They had to have known it was an American warship, they shot up the flag twice, in order to do that you must be looking right down the crosshairs, which means you would have to be looking right at the flag to shoot it. They knew it was an American warship, yet they still continued the attack. And why wasn't the sixth fleet allowed to send in aircraft to chase off the Israeli aircraft and and attack boats?
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June 8th, 2004  
Mark Conley
 
 
Well, its very odd indeed.

I have heard different storys on this one...Yes they had a monster US Flag (It wasnt unfurled, no breeze to move it), that israeli intelligence figured or had heard that an egyptian vessel was trying gain entry to an israeli port by ruse (disguised as american), ect. Yes, this one really belongs in the odd coloum.

what else do you find odd in military history? keep looking folks.
June 8th, 2004  
Gunner13
 
 
The Israeli attack on the USS Liberty wasn't just odd - it was criminal. The people in the Israeli government who ordered the attack had to know that the USS Liberty was not an Egyptian ship, that it was in international waters and was in no position to threaten anyone.

Stories abound on why they did this - more to follow.
June 9th, 2004  
Gunner13
 
 
OK, to back up my last post and not make empty assertions :

http://<a href="http://www.usslibert...iberty.org</a> website maintained by survivors of the attack.


http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/s...sh-l/agtr5.htm
US Navy website

http://www.logogo.net/liberty.htm Independent wesite
June 9th, 2004  
Mark Conley
 
 
well not to throw a damp towel on things...i remember the liberty thread on another topic that got out of hand for a while...really would just like to look at the odd aspects of the USS liberty attack.

But as long as it stays civil...okay.


The really oddest thing about the USs Liberty attack, in my opinion, was just how lucky that ship was. To go from off shore of israel to malta, with this huge torpedo hole in her side, really showed how determine them guys were to keep from going to the bottom.
June 9th, 2004  
Damien435
 
 
How could Israel suspect it was an Egyptian warship that was shelling their forces when the only deck gun was a .50 cal AA gun? They did it on purpose, the reason I do not know, perhaps they thought we would not support them for their tactics in the Six Days War, maybe they were planning on using nukes and were worried we would find out and try to stop them, even if it meant letting the Arab countries defeating them to avoid a nuclear exchange.
June 9th, 2004  
Damien435
 
 
The attack on the USS Liberty has always caused me a great deal of discontent amongst myself, see, I like Israel because when they think something needs to be done they go out and they do it, like attacking Hamas, which is also why I was surprised to learn about how Saddam bombed Israel with his SCUDS and Israel did nothing, think about what he was trying to do. If Israel attacked Iraq then it was no longer a war against a evil dictator, it was a war of the Jews and Christains against the Muslims, then all the Arab countries would be forced to join Saddam and the US' worst nightmare would come true, a unified Arab world backing Saddam. I still can't believe Israel didn't attack, they had whipped the Arabs several times, why should the fear one more war with them?
June 9th, 2004  
Mark Conley
 
 
Nope...dont see anything odd in those two posts. Lets get back on topic guys



or else.