Naval History Forums

Well the evidence is mounting that a North Korean submarine launched the torpedo that sunk the South Korean Corvette Cheonan.
The article says evidence was provided by the US, but did not tell what kind of evidence the US provided. I would most likely suspect sonar data from the USN that it gets secretly.

The South Korean government has been pretty quite about the issue, but the public reaction has heated up in the recent week with the mounting evidence.
I doubt this will lead to war, but new sanctions may be in order.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/ap ... ng-torpedo

If is it is proven the Cheonan was sunk by a torpedo, would this be the first ship lost to a torpedo attack since the Falklands War?

The only likely damning evidence would be that they found pieces of a torpedo body on the bottom.

True, and there may be a chance such evidence will be found since S. Korea has already recovered the stern half of the ship. They will probably try to recover the bow section as well plus do a complete underwater survey of the area for further debris.

Though if the US provided evidence of an attack it is most likely pretty damning information.

Kyler wrote:True, and there may be a chance such evidence will be found since S. Korea has already recovered the stern half of the ship. They will probably try to recover the bow section as well plus do a complete underwater survey of the area for further debris.

Though if the US provided evidence of an attack it is most likely pretty damning information.

They lifted the bow section today, I think.

If sonar evidence isn't published, how for example do we exclude the possibility of a mine or an accident?

Surely the intent of attack on the part of the North Koreans has to be shown if indeed that was the case?

North and South Korea have never been good neighbours, there have been a munber of minor sea skirmishes in recent years.
I also dont believe a war will erupt over this but it'll be intresting to see how events develop!

The North Koreans are a particularly unpleasant people.

CNN reported yesterday, no the evidence support an explosion under the ship. This would be more consistent with a mine

We'll just have to wait and see how the investigation unfolds

Kyler wrote:CNN reported yesterday, no the evidence support an explosion under the ship. This would be more consistent with a mine

We'll just have to wait and see how the investigation unfolds

The Mark 48 ADCAP torpedo is designed to explode under the target. As far as I know, so do modern torpedos of other nations.

yellowtail3 wrote:The North Koreans are a particularly unpleasant people.

The regime is very unpleasant but without the politics I'm sure the North Koreans can be like all the other human beings on this planet.

I think we have to be careful on this as this sort of comment, particulary in wartime, can lead to very unpleasant consequences. Replace the words ''North Koreans'' with ''Jews'' - see what I mean?'

Kyler wrote:CNN reported yesterday, no the evidence support an explosion under the ship. This would be more consistent with a mine

We'll just have to wait and see how the investigation unfolds

This is why we have to be very careful. Most wars start by accident, people wading in trigger happy.

RF wrote: I think we have to be careful on this as this sort of comment, particulary in wartime, can lead to very unpleasant consequences. Replace the words ''North Koreans'' with ''Jews'' - see what I mean?'

The Jews were not taught for 50 years to hate their southern neighbors, getting their only information from government propaganda. The Jews were a subset of the population whereever they lived. I hold no particular animosity for the North Korean people, but we must realize what a terrible problem they will be if the two countries are ever reunited. It will make the German unification look like child's play, and that was very difficult.

On the otherhand it's pretty clear that most of the North Koreans would be very happy to migrate to the South or even China. I concur it's the regime that is "unpleasant" and not the people as a whole.

eh... enough with the tedious corrections... my frame of reference is I remember what the cocksuckers did to Pete Bucher & crew. The NK are a very, very unpleasant people. Yep. They are.

I say this knowing as well as any, and better than many, that we're all individuals... but there you go.

I would definitely say N. Koreans are "different" but it really isn't their fault, most have been raised and live in a system and culture that is all they know.
Their leaders are crazy, but in reality they just want money and power and will do anything to keep it or get more.

Kim Jong Il power has been reportedly been waning in recent years, this may have been a way to keep the hardliners backing him.

If you want a glimpse of the real N. Korea, watch VBS.TV secret report about N. Korea. It's great, I watched all of the episodes.

http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide- ... art-1-of-3