Nice information on General Van Riper but misses the real point. The following
appeared in the letters-to-the-editor of the Village Soup Times, the local
paper for Knox County, Maine.
Michael Donovan, Camden
Camden Conference needs "Billy Mitchell"
After WW I an army aviator, Billy Mitchell, insisted aircraft could sink
battle ships. This was something the military brass would not hear.
Mitchell was ridiculed. Demonstrations were arranged. Mitchell was right.
The brass had resisted the crucial.
The brass currently resists seeing the new ease of sinking ships. Prior to
the invasion of Iraq there was the most expensive war-game ever, $250,000,000.
It was Iraq vs. America. Surprise, surprise-, Iraq won. This
embarrassment would have been kept quiet, but it came out first in the very
conservative Army Times. They saw the danger. Articles on the Internet will
talk about the brilliance of the retired Lt. General Van Riper, USMC, who
played Iraq. The articles discuss his "swarm attack". They are,
unfortunately, too cryptic about looming danger. True Van Riper is brilliant.
However, sinking naval ships needs only will, not brilliance. On our present
course American ships will sink. Just like the longbow, simple rearrangement
of available weaponry will be decisive.
Brassy knights resisted the longbow too. The thought of peasants taking out
knights was ridiculous. How could just a longer bow pierce armor? "Sir
Uppyhad, before you ride out there with your new armor I would suggest you see
what Yeoman York here can do at eighty paces to your old armor." Uppyhad
listens or dies.
It was an eye opener 25 years ago when the H.M.S. Sheffield, a British
destroyer, was sunk in the Falkland War by a French missile. But back then the
danger seemed to be only from modern navies; missiles launched from ships or
planes. This quality of missile, now way over 20 years old, can be launched
from the seabed, even hidden in the sand with pop-up launchers built from
nothing but liquid vinyl and sawdust. Just a few other dummy targets would
scramble the ship's defenses.
During the real Iraq invasion the navy pulled out the stops to counter this
threat. If a satellite spotted a trawler hovering in the Gulf an underwater
team would be sent to bottom scout. I spoke to one of those divers in the
Norfolk, Virginia airport. He said they were under equipped and under manned.
The doctors sent him on leave because of exhaustion. He readily admitted that
if there were any attempt to disguise missiles underwater they would not be
found.
The Gulf seabed was also scouted with unmanned "Hydroid" subs
created by Ken Jordon associated with Woods Hole Oceanographic. They would
plow back and forth with Sonar, visual and metal detectors. Sonar is only good
to about four meters in the sand. Metal detectors would pick up any under
seabed metal. Can you dig up everything?
The Gunsten Hall is one of America's naval ships usually transporting
marines and equipment. After unloading the marines the skipper volunteered the
ship for another mission. Some number of "Platoons", but seven in
each, of trained dolphins were scouting the bottom. More trainers were called
in as they had a problem with "dolphin boredom". There is no
adequate defense.
This threat needs enough exposure to effect the group mind. A demonstration
off the coast would be enough exposure. This is a community of sea knowledge.
Perhaps Camden can devise a test. Why not? We are already betting lives.
This danger is just over the ability of a terrorist group, but well within
reach of a Third World nation. Knox County should know. The Crown never
expected that George Washington's General Henry Knox would drag cannon
through the snow from upstate New York with 400 oxen all the way to Boston to
blast the Redcoats to hell. You bet.
Michael Donovan
39 Megunticook Street
Camden, Maine 04843
