"A cowardly Navy, a cautious SAS and Britain's humiliation by a pirate rabble"

It's disappointing to note that a supposedly experienced 'war correspondent' / sensationalist hack, still seems to think that a cargo ship painted grey, crewed by civilians, has an offensive military capability because it acts as a supply ship for the Royal Navy.

Then again the same guy that accuses the Navy of cowardice spent the entire Falklands conflict 100 miles to the east of the action, whilst telling the world about unexploded Argentine bombs whilst we were still dealing with them, but was then rather quick to cash-in on a book deal afterwards

Actually I think you will find that it was a Sun reporter called Tony Snow who did the blabbing about UXB's.

This topic has been pursued with some vigour here on RR and here on ARRSE. Most posters appear to share my view of the foolishly ignorant Max Hastings and his anti-RN vitriol but this is a particularly scandalous example.
_________________
"The British Army should be a projectile to be fired by the Navy." Sir Edward Grey, British Foreign Secretary 1905-1916.

Is this not another example of not letting the truth get in the way of a "good" story?
_________________
Non illigitimi carborundum.

I think when given the opportunity that some of our lads and lasses are equal to the task (for example the MC for AB Kate Nesbitt recently), but over the last few years, and I know this will not be a popular view, I've come to have some sympathy with this reporters viewpoint:


It's just a combination of things - comments I've heard such as "I didn't join up to go to war" or the extent to which some go to to avoid deploying (I won't go into specifics as it may reveal where I got the information from). The Cornwall Incident I think may have triggered it - and the more I hear from those that had some involvement in the matter about what occurred during the incident itself and during their subsequent captivity the more I have grave concerns.

I sometimes feel there's a lack of backbone, especially when the going gets difficult. I know they are trying to engender fighting spirit and moral courage into new entries, but how is that going to last when many of their seniors appear to lack it? How many today would sacrifice their lives to save others? My argument would be if you can't unquestionably say 'yes' to that question then there are issues.

Maybe it's because, like the RAF, we do our warfighting from a distance now.

...maybe that perception will change when 3 Cdo Bde deploys again...
_________________
Some people are only alive because it's illegal to kill them...
"Don't make me write your name on my shit list!"
Your lips are moving, but all I hear is 'BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...'
"I don't have ADD, it's just... Hey look! A squirrel!"

An interesting one that - 1200 matelots on H9, but I would suggest most were in Bastion, KAF and the FOBs. Came under fire, yes (even in Bastion!!!!), but to the Army the majority would still have been classified as REMFs. I know there are exceptions, eg the SK aircrews, CIMIC, MERT and most especially the MA's out on patrols.

It's just a feature of the current RN I guess - not much opportunity to lay your ship alongside that of the enemy so that inherent, corporate fighting aggression has died away.

They could start by ramming it into the heads of the various newsreaders and reporters that the RM is not part of the Army and that Marines are not soldiers. It really shouldn't be difficult!
_________________

You should never believe what you read in a comic.
_________________
The NHS.... Hitting the targets but missing the point......

It is better to arrive late in this life than early in the next.

I seem to remember listening to the BBC World Service news & hearing that my ship had been hit & had two UXBs inboard whilst we lay crippled off Fanning Head, waiting to get towed into San Carlos by an LCU.

Whether that was later published in 'The Currant Bun' I've no idea as the local newsagents wasn't open at the time.

That said, I've no time for Max Hastings in any case & would be reluctant to vacate my bladder in his direction were he in the midst of an exo-thermic chain reaction.