quote:

Originally posted by 83v45magna:
The report said the Venezuelan vessel fired at them as well. The pic on the DailyMail page showed what seems to be the typical single 5" fast firing turret on the foredeck. I am assuming they were 'across the bow' or they just plain missed. If any of the rounds hit, I can't see that not being a much bigger deal than a ramming attempt.

quote:

Originally posted by BansheeOne: I can only imagine the supressed smugness with which the cruise ship crew offered assistance to the sinking OPV.

quote:

Originally posted by Blackmore:
Where can I get a cool "overmask" with bling like the guy behind Maduro?

quote:

Originally posted by Graniteguy:
Don't forget the really cool rack of ribbons he got out of a cereal box......

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
RCGS Resolute
8,445 tons

ANBV Naiguatá
1,720 tons

Clearly the captain of the patrol boat failed physics as its not a good idea to play bumper-ships when you're out-classed by nearly 7000-tons

quote:

Originally posted by braillediver:
The Resolute should stamp a Victory Marking on the bow like the planes did in WW2.

quote:

Originally posted by BansheeOne: I can only imagine the supressed smugness with which the cruise ship crew offered assistance to the sinking OPV.

quote:

This Venezuelan Patrol Ship Sunk Itself After Ramming A Cruise Liner With A Reinforced Hull

The Venezuelan ship appears to have been trying to seize the cruise ship, which is designed to safely sail through icy waters.

BY JOSEPH TREVITHICK

APRIL 1, 2020

In what sounds like it could be an April Fools joke, a Venezuelan Navy offshore patrol vessel recently sank after ramming a cruise liner in the Caribbean Sea. The cruise ship, which had no passengers on board at the time and has a reinforced hull to sail through ice-filled waters, suffered only minimal damage in what the operating company, Columbia Cruise Services, has called an "act of aggression ... in international waters."

[...]

The incident involving the Resolute may be linked to Portugal, where the Resolute is flagged, the government of which is in the midst of its own set of disputes with Venezuela. Despite acknowledging that Maduro is the de facto head of state, the Iberian country has recognized his principal opponent, Juan Guaido, as the country's legitimate leader.

In February 2020, Venezuela accused Guaido, along with his uncle, of flying from Portugal on that country's flag carrier TAP while carrying explosives in their luggage. It later accused TAP of conspiring with both men to smuggling the explosives into Venezuela. Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva responded to these allegations by saying they "made no sense."

Venezuela responded by barring TAP from flying to Venezuela for 90 days. It also accuses Portuguese banks of holding a "large part of Venezuela’s stolen money," referring to frozen assets belonging to the Venezuelan government. This crisis has become somewhat moot as the COVID-19 pandemic has swept across the world, including both Portugal and Venezuela, which has led to a massive drop in global air travel.

Regardless of the exact circumstances, the Venezuelan Navy's attempt to seize the cruise ship has certainly backfired in the immediate term. The Resolute is safely in port and the country has now lost a third of its Guaicamacuto class patrol ship fleet.

quote:

Video Emerges Of Venezuelan Navy Ship Firing On And Colliding With Cruise Ship Before Sinking

The hardened ice-breaking bow of the cruise ship made quick work of the Venezuelan naval vessel.

BY TYLER ROGOWAY AND JOSEPH TREVITHICK

APRIL 4, 2020

In a follow-up to our report on the absolutely bizarre incident in which the Venezuelan patrol vessel ANBV Naiguatá (GC-23) fired on and smashed into the cruise ship RCGS Resolute off the Isla La Tortuga in the Caribbean Sea, we now have video of the incident. The patrol ship ended up sinking itself after smashing into the Resolute. Apparently, the Venezuelan Navy crew were unaware that the cruise ship has a reinforced hull that allows it to venture into partially frozen waters—a feature that also makes it a poor target for battering another ship into. You can and should read all about this strange ordeal and the equally odd geopolitical connections behind it in this past piece of ours.

The video, which the Venezuelan Navy released and is heavily edited, shows a Venezuelan seaman firing an AK-47 at the ship and then the two ships impacting, with the patrol boat quickly taking on water. The incident occurred in the early hours of March 30th, 2020, and the cruise ship, which was supposedly undergoing repairs at the time, was clearly making little if any speed through relatively calm waters.

The exact circumstances that led to the incident remain murky. Resolute's operator, Columbia Cruise Services, has already released a statement accusing the Venezuelan Navy of attempting to illegally seize the ship in international waters. Then, when the cruise ship's captain refused to divert to a Venezuela port, Naiguatá attempted to physically block it from leaving the area, which apparently resulted in the collision, according to the company. All 44 crewmen aboard the patrol vessel were rescued after the ship sunk.

The Venezuelan Navy says Naiguatá was conducting a maritime traffic control operation at the time and claims it was the Resolute that deliberately turned into its patrol boat. However, if the Venezuelan ship had been the one that turned into the path of the cruise ship the positioning could have largely been the same. The Resolute is significantly larger and less maneuverable than the Naiguatá, as well. The official video notably does not show the full sequence of events.

[...]

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
I wonder how many of those the Venezuelan Navy has in inventory?
Might not be too easy to replace right now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...an_Navy_of_Venezuela

quote:

Originally posted by Blackmore:
Spain's in no condition to build them another one either.