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From: 002@pnet16.cts.com (J.W.Cupp Lcdr/Usn)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Airships
Message-ID: <1991Jun19.005552.8396@cbnews.cb.att.com>
Date: 19 Jun 91 00:55:52 GMT
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From: 002@pnet16.cts.com (J.W.Cupp Lcdr/Usn)
I'm not sure whether I agree with or disagree with the airships issue for ASW.
But notice:
anderson@erim.org (Rod Anderson) writes:
>OBTW, blimps performed extensive convoy escort duty during WWII,
>especially in the "Black Pit" (out of range of land based air).  Number
>of ships lost while escorted by airships: NONE.  Is there a lesson here?
>
>Rod
Which reminds me of the story about AA machine guns on merchant ships.  Seems
that after the guns were installed, some statistician checked the numbers and
found out that very few aircraft were ever shot down by the merchant's crews. 
Just about when they were about to de-install all the machine guns (to save
ammo and $$$) somebody else checked and found out that even though the number
of aircraft destroyed was minimal, the number of merchant ships lost to shore
based air (as in, nearby by invasion beachheads) was almost zero for those
ships with the machine guns.  Point is,  the guns weren't added to down the
Luftwaffe; they were added to protect the ships, and were doing a very fine
job.  (Above loosely paraphrased from "Proceedings", which issue forgotten).

Back to airships--before we make any serious committment, we need to ask, Just
what is the point?  As the post quoted was saying, there are numerous roles in
ASW and various platforms work well for various roles.  Many who discuss these
issue argue strengths and weaknesses across-the-board, forgetting that it's ar
rare item indeed which does EVERY function well.

                                     J. W. Cupp 
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The above is merely my opinion, and not to be construed as anything else.