South Korean ship fires on a ship

[SteamWake]

Here is a newswire story that really doesent tell us anything new excpet for coverage on rescue efforts.

Seems a rescue diver has died and another injured.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100330/D9EOTQJ00.html

[XabbaRus]

I think even if it has been sunk by a newly laid mine or by submarine the ROK has it in their interests to downplay it at the moment.

ROK wants war no more than NK really wants war...however if it was a submarine attack it allows ROK to deal with NK quietly.

If it was an overt attack then all hell would be let loos and NK knows that and what it would bring.

[TLAM Strike]

Great... now US and ROK intel picked up a DPRK sub leaving port near where the ROK FFL was sunk.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/...033101024.html

more info on the subsim main page...

[Jimbuna]

The mystery deepens

[Dowly]

Nah, dont buy it being a sub. I'm sure they triggered the explosion accidentally themselves and are just embarrased to say it.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Dowly

Nah, dont buy it being a sub. I'm sure they triggered the explosion accidentally themselves and are just embarrased to say it.

Navy Bean soup for lunch + careless cigarette = international cover up!

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Dowly

Nah, dont buy it being a sub. I'm sure they triggered the explosion accidentally themselves and are just embarrased to say it.

I'm beginning to concur

[TLAM Strike]

The Korea Times website has posted this diagram...

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news...205_63520.html

Another article from the Korea Times suggests that a torpedo was more likely to have sunk the FFL.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news...116_63550.html

The ministry said Thursday that there was an explosion measuring as powerful as about 1.5 on the Richter scale at the site where the Cheonan sank, citing a report from a state geological survey institute.

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake would equal 180 kilograms of TNT, according to experts. Some believe such an explosion might have been caused by a torpedo attack or sea mine.

180 kg sounds awfully close to the 190 kg warhead of the PRC's ET-32 export torpedo. A Yu-3 torpedo or TEST-71 also comes close at 205 kg. Most mines I've read up on seem to have warheads smaller or significantly larger.

It should be noted that the Mk9 depth charges the ROK FFL carried were 113 kg weapons. Any of the other weapons they carried were much larger than 180 kg or much smaller.

[Oberon]

Interesting that neither the Cheonan or Sokcho heard any TIW though, unless the sonar environment is bad, the weather conditions weren't too brilliant I think, were they? How deep is that area?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Does anyone know how deep the water is in that area?

Originally Posted by Fincuan

Shouldn't be deep at all. The Yellow Sea is pretty shallow in general, iirc the mean depth being around 40-50 meters and the deepest parts between 150 and 200 meters. I haven't seen the precise coordinates of the sinking site being published, but for example this BBC article says the water in the general area is pretty shallow. I've also seen other articles say the Koreans are prepering to send divers down to the wreck, so no doubt we'll soon learn what exactly happened.

Originally Posted by Oberon

Interesting that neither the Cheonan or Sokcho heard any TIW though, unless the sonar environment is bad, the weather conditions weren't too brilliant I think, were they? How deep is that area?

It looks like anything between 40 and 200 metres.

Not sure if it's been mentioned but one diver lost his life diving to the wreck trying to find out if there were any survivors there. It's probably pretty deep, and the conditions for diving are bad with murky water, currents etc. Bit of a nightmare, the whole affair, really.

As for the whole torpedo vs. mine - thing, I think it's pretty likely that once the dust has settled the cause of the blast will be found out. The wreck is accessible, well fairly accessible, and the damage a torp would do vs. a mine is different enough that there shouldn't be any problems in settling that.

Edit. Here's a link to the diver dying - incident. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8594226.stm

Edit. 2 Oh SteamWake already mentioned the incident. D'oh!

[Castout]

Originally Posted by Oberon

How deep is that area?

Cheonan sank in shallow water, 45 m deep to be exact

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Interesting that neither the Cheonan or Sokcho heard any TIW though, unless the sonar environment is bad, the weather conditions weren't too brilliant I think, were they? How deep is that area?

Any number of reason where there was no TIW. It could have been a swim out fish so no tale tale blast of high pressure air/water. It could have been in the ship's baffles (surface ships have them too) which would make sense if it was a wake homing or passive homing weapon. Maybe the sonar just didn't pick it up, the Po Hang class FSG only carries a modest hull mounted sonar much like the OHP class FFG.

[Castout]

Suspect line up:

P4 midget submarine



Yugo midget submarine




Well the US seems to be working hard to soften up the South's reaction and to calm its ally with regard to this incident. I guess it still places much hope to the resumption of the North's denuclearization talk.

[TLAM Strike]

Hehe those look familiar Castout. But don't forget my lattest work for the Suspect Line up The Sang O (Shark) class Midget Submarine.