Radio Conversation

[sahib]

My sister-in-law sent me this transcript of the actual radio conversation between the British and Irish, off the coast of Kerry, released by the Chief of Naval Operations 10-10-1998.

IRISH: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid collision.

BRITISH: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid collision.

IRISH: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees the South to avoid collision.

BRITISH: This is the Captain of a Britisih Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.

IRISH: Negative. I say again, YOU will have to divert YOUR course.

BRITISH: This is the aircraft carrier HMS Britannia, the second largest ship in the British Atlantic fleet. We are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers, and numerous support vessels. I demand that you change your course 15 degrees to the North. I say again, 15 degrees, North, or counter measures will be undertaken to ensure the safety of this ship.

IRISH: We are a lighthouse. Your call.

 

[3nity]

lol

 

[pucho812]

I've read a similar transcript

ACTUAL transcript of a US naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October, 1995. This radio conversation was released by the Chief of Naval Operations on 10-10-95.

Americans: "Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision."

Canadians: "Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision."

Americans: "This is the captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course."

Canadians: "No, I say again, you divert YOUR course."

Americans: "THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH. THAT'S ONE-FIVE DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP."

Canadians: "This is a lighthouse. Your call."


It is a commonly told joke, not a real incident, and the U.S. Navy has officially denied the version that claims it took place between the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln and a lighthouse. 

I assume your story is the same. However it does offer a good laugh

 

[sahib]

Seems like a soft story going around but in this case it is not unbelievable as (I think it was) last year British Navy grounded a nuclear submarine by misjudging the tide.

 

[SSLtech]

OLD story repeated over the years.

Look it up on snopes.com -it's been gussied op many times over the years, and it's nonsense.

 

[JohnRoberts]

It is a common formula for a joke to make some ethnic group sound stupid. There are many variants.

Funny to all but the group being targeted for derision. Group think, where people surround themselves with "like minded" people, such jokes are considered more funny than abusive. In mixed groups, their mean spirited nature is revealed.

JR

PS: It is human nature to distrust people who are not like us. it probably kept enough of our cave man ancestors alive, to remain wired into our genetic code.

 

[sahib]

Yes it seems even my sister knew it.

However, I would still like to hear the radio conversation for that submarine that they grounded. ;D

 

[PRR]

> IRISH: We are a lighthouse. Your call.

Everybody in the US knows it was Canadians who refused to divert course.

Though the story apparently goes back to the 1930s with english flavours.

Look what happens when both the lighthouse and the ship fail to divert. Sleeping in life-jackets, sheesh.

 

[CJ]

SSLTech in the house!