Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956
The 450-foot-long boat is one of three in its class and is specially modified to conduct some of America's most covert underwater operations. That fact alone — as Keddie points out — makes the appearance of the black and white flag significant.
[...] So why did it a U.S. submarine return home flying an undoubtedly British tradition? Much is unclear. U.S. submarine activity is rarely discussed by the Pentagon, and the vessels operate in almost complete secrecy. While it's unlikely the Carter torpedoed an enemy ship or fired one of its cruise missiles, the flag could represent the success of a more covert mission. The Carter can insert commandos, deploy unmanned submersible vehicles, and likely splice undersea cables all while using specially outfitted thrusters to almost hover off the seafloor. One of the Seawolf class's namesake participated in the Cold War-era operation Ivy Bells that saw U.S. submarines tapping Soviet underwater communication lines.
Source: Why did one of the US Navy's most advanced subs return to port with a pirate flag?
Also:
The ominous Jolly Roger is an important part of submariner lore and conveys a clear message when it is flown atop a submarine's conning tower.
Source: Why The Navy's Top Spy Submarine Flew A Pirate Flag While Pulling Into Port
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Gaaark on Saturday September 16 2017, @08:03PM (2 children)
To make Km J U feel paranoia about what will happen soon?
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. I have always been here. ---Gaaark 2.0 --
(Score: 5, Interesting) by zocalo on Saturday September 16 2017, @09:53PM (1 child)
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 17 2017, @07:26AM
Don't underestimate the Kim Jing family. Remember his father's accomplishments:
Official records reportedly show that Kim learned to walk at the age of three weeks, and was talking at eight weeks. While at Kim Il Sung University, he apparently wrote 1,500 books over a period of three years, along with six full operas. According to his official biography, all of his operas are "better than any in the history of music." Then there's his sporting prowess. In 1994, Pyongyang media reported that the first time Kim picked up a golf club, he shot a 38-under par round on North Korea's only golf course, including 11 holes-in-one. Reports say each of his 17 bodyguards verified the record-breaking feat. It is reported that Kim's official biography on the North Korean state web site, which has since been taken down, claimed that Kim did not defecate.
(Score: 4, Funny) by RamiK on Saturday September 16 2017, @08:12PM (8 children)
Or maybe International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September).
compiling...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 16 2017, @09:12PM (4 children)
This is the more likely thing. Some dudes having a bit of fun. Or there is something nefarious going on!
Which is more likely? Bunch of navy seamen bored and having a bit of a laugh. Or they are pirates?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 16 2017, @09:45PM (3 children)
Seamen and pirates... There's a joke there.
(Score: 4, Funny) by linkdude64 on Saturday September 16 2017, @11:16PM (2 children)
They're coming for your booty.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 16 2017, @11:56PM
You are a horrible, horrible person.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 19 2017, @11:12AM
That's the thing the Navy and Pirates have in common. They're both after your booty.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 16 2017, @10:26PM
._. ._. ._.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by driverless on Sunday September 17 2017, @10:04PM
Who cares about the pirate flag, did you look at the state of the sub beneath it? It looks like the whole thing is held together with rust and patches. Her crew should get the Navy DSM just for being in her while submerged.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 18 2017, @05:24PM
Pirates of the Caribbean 47; Johnny Depp stars as the robot pirate who loses his wife in a game of poker, then tries to win her back with hilarious consequences ('Robocop 4: Fuck Off Robocop' / Future of the Left).
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Geezer on Saturday September 16 2017, @08:33PM
Maybe the crew are Pastafarians, and paying homage to the divine Pirates.
Or, you know, maybe the captain just thought it looked cool.
Tidbit: the Jolly Roger was originally a British sub tradition from WW1. American subs tend to celebrate victories with a broomstick, a la Martin Tromp, affixed to the sail/conning tower.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Saturday September 16 2017, @09:05PM (1 child)
The first enemy ping made the alarm blare.
- "Ouch. That can only be a seawolf class" said a weary looking officer, examining the sonar.
- "Could be the Jimmy Carter", said the analyst, "it has just had a maintenance run nearby".
- "Not the Jimmy Carter, please! I'm allergic to peanuts!", said the Captain, with a smile.
Nobody laughed.
"Fuck, I'm getting old." thought the captain among himself.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 17 2017, @07:29AM
Nobody laughed.
(Score: 4, Funny) by istartedi on Saturday September 16 2017, @09:29PM (3 children)
They completed some kind of mission. What mission? We could tell you, but you'd have to walk the plank.
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Saturday September 16 2017, @11:17PM (2 children)
Well walking the plank wouldn't be so bad off a submarine now, would it? I'd call that more of a diving board.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 16 2017, @11:39PM (1 child)
I don't think plank height is the bad part.
(Score: 1) by istartedi on Tuesday September 19 2017, @07:35PM
Yeah, I got a bit curious myself and apparently they bound you so you couldn't swim. A quick drowning might not be as bad as what I thought though. I was assuming that you'd be left adrift with virtually no chance of rescue. Apparently it was a rare form of execution. Documentation about piracy is sketchy of course.
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Saturday September 16 2017, @09:51PM
There is a a large rust spot on the forward top of the conning tower where the black covering is pealed back, (best view in the second linked picture). (That is probably a sound absorbing layer.)
Maybe they hit something or came up under the ice or something.
The V shaped "crack" (which may be a deliberate optical illusion) was not on that boat as built, but this isn't the first picture showing that V structure. There is this commercial stock image [alamy.com] also taken in hood canal showing it in better paint.
It looks more patched and painted in the newer image.
By the way, this Youtube video [youtube.com] Uploaded April 19 probably hints at the duration of the mission that just returned on September 11th. There was a non-standard flag flown briefly on that return as well, but it was mostly white.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 4, Informative) by wonkey_monkey on Saturday September 16 2017, @10:55PM (3 children)
Like this summary.
What 450-foot-long boat?
Don't just blindly copy-and-paste paragraphs seemingly at random without regard for context.
Okay... and that clear message is what?
(actually it seems even the article doesn't know, instead making a few vague guesses)
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 5, Informative) by choose another one on Sunday September 17 2017, @09:26AM (2 children)
Complains that the summary (and TFA) is vague and uninformative, gives no new information, gets moderated informative... huh?
> Okay... and that clear message is what?
British submariners flew the Jolly Roger on return to port to indicate "kills" in WWI and II, sometimes the same flag would be flown with marks for each kill - similar to kill marks on aircraft nose art.
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/war-and-conflict-world-war-two-royal-navy-pic-circa-1942-news-photo/78951697 [gettyimages.co.uk]
At some point that tradition has clearly spread to US boats. It may just indicate a very successful mission, but I am more inclined to go with the "someone else had a really bad day", the question is who/what. Given the very public (and publicised) message, it is likely intended for someone watching who will know (now). The suggestion posted somewhere above that they recovered one of Kim's ballistic missiles may not be far off the mark, especially given the known modifications (ROV/diver launch platforms etc.) to that boat. But it could be something else entirely - public misdirection wouldn't be a new tactic for the need-to-know guys.
(Score: 2) by wonkey_monkey on Sunday September 17 2017, @11:39AM (1 child)
Why should that be my job? Are we not allowed to pass critical comment unless we can do better?
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 3, Informative) by choose another one on Sunday September 17 2017, @01:31PM
It's not your job, the "huh?" was that you got modded "informative".
(Score: 5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 16 2017, @11:44PM (1 child)
and came back to port with a shitload of warez.
Never underestimate the bandwidth of a submarine full of USB drives.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 19 2017, @11:16AM
It's a Seawolf class submarine though, so they're likely carting the warez around on floppy disks for the Commodore 64. On a ship that size, they could probably fit literally HUNDREDS of megabytes.