StrategyPage, January 7, 2021 carries this Travel
Advice for Russian Submariners. See article here.
“In late 2020 a Russian nuclear submarine had a bear problem. A brown bear and her cub swam up to the sub, which was docked at the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula [Rybachiy Nuclear Submarine Base] on the Pacific coast. Fearing the bears might stay awhile the sub commander called for a bear hunter who arrived with a shotgun that could kill the bear and not harm the hull, as a high-velocity rifle bullet would. First the cub was shot and fell off the sub. The mother, who looked ill and emaciated, did not follow and was shot dead as well.
What was
interesting about this incident was that it was not unusual. There are over
10,000 brown bears in Kamchatka and not many people outside the naval base.
Hunters are called out to kill bears who wander into or near the base or any
other settlement and during 2020 at least fifty of them were killed. The bears
are largely vegetarian but will kill and consume humans if they feel
threatened, or very hungry.”
COMMENT
Polar bears may be even more dangerous. US submarines, coming from a frequent gun owning society, can be counted on to pack assault rifles to despatch bears that try to attack submariners.
But Russian or Chinese submariner icepack
pedestrians may not be so “lucky”. Russian or Chinese submarine officers are
advised to travel on the ice with a slow junior crewman they can outrun. Polar
bears are, after all, carnivorous non-respecters of rank.
Three Polar bears approach the bow of Los
Angeles-class submarine
USS Honolulu (SSN 718) surfaced 280 miles from the North Pole. The bears checked out the boat for
almost 2 hours before leaving. No animals were harmed during the making of this picture. (Photo courtesy US Navy via Wikipedia.)
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4 comments:
Hi, pete. Those submariners on ice should have to consider to bring along fire crackers or ‘mercun bola’. Throw a lite-up fire crackers towards the wild predators as necessary
Thanks Anonymous
I'm sure the best brains of the US Naval Intelligence have now taken note of your fire cracker bear-repellent suggestion.
Cheers
Pete
Hi Pete, I’m from a country known as ‘Bolehland’. Can you guess? I have been reading your blog for merely 3 years. Pls send my regards to US and Russian naval intelligence
Hi Anonymous
By looking up "Bolehland" I'm guessing you're from Malaysia - see https://www.behance.net/gallery/3537175/Bolehland
Over the past 14 years it has become apparent that US naval and Russian naval intelligence (eg. at Russian Pacific Fleet Base Vladivostok) read my blog.
Hence I'm sure they have read your kind regards (in your January 20, 2021 at 12:00 AM comment) above.
Cheers
Pete
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