The Bombing of the USS Cole, 2000 - Animated

[@TheOperationsRoom]

Video subject as voted for by our Patreons

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

Here is a recent tour of Cole: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3i0k5uMaaaMf7M Posted yesterday, it includes memorials on the ship to the crew lost in the attack. Apparently it's from last month's Fleet Week in Port Everglades, Florida, in April 2023. The same gentleman has tours of the landing ship New York and the Virginia class submarine Indianapolis from the same event. The sub's Commander gave a very good tour.

[@vavamast-di8oj]

Dumb---ass!

[@seamus7d]

now do the bombing of the uss liberty

[@Sector_JS4]

You should cover the Israeli attack on the U.S. Naval vessel USS Liberty June 8th 1967. Edit: never mind the channel “forgotten history” just covered it

[@unclelarry8842]

Can you cover the Korean War?

[@Retrosicotte]

I hadn't known the Royal Navy came in to help, thats new info to me from this! When you have no idea who to trust in the local harbour anymore, I bet the sight of a trusted Royal Navy ship pulling up to help instead would have been a massive relief for the USN ship.

[@SirRichardofkent]

Do try to remember that as Russia marches across Europe and you stand to elect a president who wishes us to concede ground to them

[@furiousscotsman2916]

@@SirRichardofkent Russia cant march across a quarter of Ukraine before NATO sent help how tf they gonna march across all of Europe LMFAO, what drugs you on lad they sound fkn amazing.

[@ilikechicken5524]

​@@SirRichardofkent nobody cares and it has nothing to do with the original comment

[@PershingOfficial]

@@SirRichardofkentdo people like you just go across the internet and just have the sole objective to make everything political and controversial in nature?

[@Heike--]

@@SirRichardofkent The same incompetent Russia that can't even overcome the most corrupt country in Europe - is going to march across Europe? Huh? How does that follow? Besides, Europeans have told us off many, many times, quite rudely, that they want our troops OFF their soil. Why are we not accommodating their wishes? We are uninvited guests, the worst kind.

[@sid2112]

To the HMS Marlborough, her captain and crew, thank you for saving our boys.

[@QemeH]

That's what NATO is for. The critics tend to forget that sometimes.

[@stt5v2002]

And to the intelligence analysts and Navy Seals who avenged the lost.

[@prw56]

@@QemeH The people unhappy about nations not following the requirements I can understand. The wild thing was the people that claimed a defensive alliance somehow drove putin into a corner and forced him to invade ukraine.

[@QemeH]

@@prw56 The requirements are "self-inflicted" anyway - as in, every member voluntarily joined NATO and signed on to what that would mean. So I agree with you that it is valid criticism of members when they do not meet these obligations. The US (and some other nations), however, are sometimes a bit too quick to call members on this. A big example of this is the "2% of GDP" goal for defense spending - the US usually talks as if this was a hard rule for all members, but in fact it only is a _goal_ for all members since 2014. The actual language of the agreement is "allies currently meeting the guideline to spend a minimum of 2% of their GDP on defense will aim to continue to do so and allies whose current proportion of GDP is below this level will halt any decline, aim to increase defense expenditure and aim to move towards the 2% guideline". So while you can be of the opinion that some countries should move faster or start to move at all - there is not a single country (aside from during the economic crisis where GDP was all over the place) that failed to meet these criteria: don't spend less, aim to spend more... I'm also in agreement with you that the myth of NATO aggression by pure existence is bonkers. By nature it is a defensive agreement and we all know that the US would never have come to the aid of, say, Poland if they were just going on the offensive against Russia. But even if you believe the russian propaganda line that the defense part is a lie and NATO really is a unified military block with a single mindset - the question still remains on how that threatens the existence of russia. Not a single head of government or head of state of any of the NATO members has at any point said that russia shouldn't exist or owns too much territory or has to be "liberated" or any such language that would suggest an aggressive stance against russia. Moreover, it would also be stupid to go to war with russia intentionally, not only because of the MAD of nuclear weapons, but also because time is on NATOs side - russias population is shrinking, their economy only works when integrated with the west and/or china and their military readiness got worse and worse every day before the war. This is most likely the reason WHY russia attacked Ukraine now rather than wait for later - because they, too, know that russia is slowly getting weaker with every year. NATO's best strategy, even if they _wanted_ to harm russia, would be to just wait and let them die... But my main point of the comment was: NATO is such a valuable and in the modern world neccessary partnership for the western nations, that it is stupid for the vast majoritiy of criticism to call the _existence_ of the alliance into question. We might squabble over who lifts how much of their weight and how deeply to integrate our troops with each other etc. - but to call into question weather NATO should continue to _exist_ is just international suicide. Maybe the US could survive (although their security policy would get a whole lot more complex as well), but every single other member would be cast to the winds the day they left.

[@Pow3llMorgan]

@@prw56 Which subsequently only served to strengthen the numbers and the resolve of said defensive alliance, too lol.

[@gunzales]

Two of my fellow Shipmates were onboard during the attack. One of them was supposed to be in the Chiefs mess when the attack went down. He took a break in his birthing. Most of the casualties were in the Chiefs Mess. RiP Sailors.

[@davidt3563]

Woah!!

[@jtgd]

Damn.

[@ttrestle]

The US never forgets. Our military and intelligence has a very long memory.

[@IONull]

I served with a damage controlman who was aboard when this happened. Dude was very, very serious about his job and often rubbed people the wrong way but once they were told why they understood completely. Definitely inspired me to join the Flying Squad and I took DC just as seriously.

[@arhatsurywanshi6741]

Rip

[@switchbladerich]

My first Senior Chief was onboard this ship. I made the mistake of asking him how he got that giant scar down his cheek one day. He's retired now and I hope he can find his peace.

[@johnfetter3252]

Couldn't agree more. The Navy has been doing UNREP (underway replenish ment) for decades. This half baked idea was the brainchild of General Zinni and SEC of State Albright, to "improve relationships " with countries in the region.

[@willek1335]

Sure, but I don't agree with your objection to Jeremus seeking our liege's right to rule.

[@FurryWrecker911]

@@johnfetter3252 As terrible as it is, it is nice to see someone who knows who specifically in the chain of command is the cause for it. Too many people I know personally just blame whatever president it was at the time and ignore the folks who actually wrote the damn orders in the first place.

[@seanclancy9746]

I served under an excellent CO who was the OPS on Cole when this happened. One thing he said about it once has always stuck with me. To paraphrase, those he thought would act like heroes didn’t necessarily, and others he had not thought much of previously became heroes. I have always kept in mind that much of what a military does in peacetime is very poorly reflective of how we would behave in the true crucible.

[@tomnewham1269]

I read the same thing in the book on the UK military action that took place at Pegasus Bridge on the eve of D Day. A soldier said those who he thought were weak performed above expectations and those who showed bravado beforehand were the ones who cowered and didn't offer any assistance. Another thing that I have read is that the biggest fear a soldier has is the fear that he/she will not perform on the battlefield.

[@AurelTristen]

This was exactly my experience when I found myself in my first ambush. I have immense respect for people who spent their career being mocked, only to surface as true bad-asses when it really counted.

[@hrhagadorn]

It reminds me of one of the things I always say when it comes to wannabe cowboys. Many people talk about what they would do if they needed to use their gun. I always say that until bullets start flying you will not know how your will react. Some will run towards and some will run away. I hope the sailors that ran towards in this attack were rewarded for their bravery.

[@elslick]

So so very true. When shit hits the fan some of the ones who tou woukd least expect to be badass turn out to be just that

[@Anon54387]

I have to say that if he was an excellent CO he'd not have had that ship in that vulnerable situation nor would he have allowed anyone to near the ship. To just let people get right next to a ship and plant a shape charge of plastic explosives is ridiculous. People never used to be able to get close enough to a US war ship without being fired on. This is just common sense, it doesn't take military training.

[@Unsound_advice]

I was in boot camp in San Diego when this happened our Drill Instructors warned us “this is only the beginning” they were ominously right.

[@KentLong]

Same in Great Lakes.

[@cyanidecoffee3326]

boot camp in san diego?

[@Anon54387]

@@cyanidecoffee3326 Yes, boot camp in San Diego.

[@patricklewis9662]

Really goes to show you how tough these ships are and how well trained the US Navy is.

[@robertoroberto9798]

Just shows how important damage control is for the US Navy.

[@Chris-pi5vv]

Cough, cough… uss bonhomme richard. What a waste of a good ship.

[@brucelownhole]

Well trained? Do you mean the threat to fire on friendly vessels or returning the salute of an attacking vessel?

[@black10872]

@@Chris-pi5vv That was a fire from within the ship. The ship never sank. So your point?

[@alexalbrecht5768]

@@Chris-pi5vv the ship that only burned because the crew wasn’t on board and had its fire suppression systems disabled? The ship that could have been repaired if the navy really wanted to spend the money? If something like that happened to a Russian ship it would have been catastrophically lost.

[@EchosTackyTiki]

God bless the boys from the Marlborough, swinging in to help the Cole out.

[@nicksmth33]

The fact that the 2 men in the boat saluted and smiled as they bumped into a navy ship knowing they are gonna die in 2 seconds is just insane. Oh god what have i started down there.

[@mrosefield309]

Religion is a crazy drug

[@kaliningradtoczechrepublic8162]

@@mrosefield309 fr

[@casperguo7177]

Probably in disbelief at how smoothly it went

[@tyree9055]

​@Casper Guo No, knowing that what they're about to do is going to be successful.

[@bots102]

those men believe they are going to receive their 72 virgins

[@IglooGaming1775]

Much love to the Officers and Crew of the HMS Marlborough for their swift action in helping the sailors aboard the USS Cole.

[@NyanCatMatt]

I was recently stationed on the Cole. There's a small detail that is usually overlooked about this and the Navy has since implemented proper assessment, warning, and threat zones. There was a gunner manning an M60 machine gun on the bridge wing and even aimed his weapon at the approaching craft, but was told to not fire at them as there was no apparent threat.

[@bobsmith962]

Really

[@zakobrien8764]

He also didn't have any ammunition in his M60. The Navy was so risk averse at that time because of the aftermath of the Tailhook Scandal in1992. I was in the Navy from 1996 to 2003 and it was terrible, so mismanaged because of political fallout and policy meddling.

[@lh4021]

The explosion definitely did breach the hole of the ship and the sailors of the Cole worked without sleep through the night to save the ship before HMS Marlborough arrived.

[@princessofthecape2078]

I love that the Brits were there first. Our friends - our *best* friends. We love you. God Save the King and God Save the United Kingdom.

[@hansgruber788]

Back at you lads, we love you too. God bless America 🇬🇧🇺🇸

[@usmcraid5332]

@@hansgruber788 Thank you Much respect

[@daniellivingston7699]

@@hansgruber788so heartening to see this. The internet is full of Europeans shitting on Americans. I won’t say it’s all unjustified, but good to know we still have allies. Maybe it’s because you guys aren’t Europeans anymore though. (; Love from the US. 🇬🇧🇺🇸

[@hansgruber788]

@@daniellivingston7699 Dw my man, we Brits generally love Americans. To give you an idea, half of us don't really consider ourselves European and consider ourselves more kindred with Americans, Canadians, Ozzies ect. And then left wingers generally will see themselves more European than British and have defo less of a bond with America. All comes from our history of whilst being one of the Great European powers, at the time of our zenith Britain created other English speaking nations where we'd share kindred ties. Hence the conflict of identities.

[@NicholasRobinson-v2y]

Amen to that.

[@allentate3760]

I remember. I know a guy who worked for a shipyard at the time. He had to out afterwards and help clear up the debris. The human carnage was unspeakable

[@rafaelespinoza6530]

😂😮😮😮😮😮😮😢😂😂😊😮😅🎉

[@suchomimus9921]

Brilliant video as always.

[@AF65WA]

I love ur vids!!!

[@KorbinX]

Eyyy Suchomimus ^-^ Appreciate the videos, and glad to see you in the comments. Cheers

[@navyseal1689]

Please do longer video format

[@jmanj3917]

5:15 A tip of my cap to the crew of the HMS Marlborough. Cheers!

[@ThatHonestGuy]

Babe wake up! The new Operations Room video just dropped!

[@battleaxe51]

Thank you Brits, I did not know you guys were there

[@inCawHoots]

In Navy boot camp, they use this attack as an example of building comradery and courage to do what it takes to save the ship.

[@KentLong]

I was in Boot Camp at the time. When our drill instructors heard we were attacked, they had a whole different attitude and things got very serious quickly.

[@1badgt4]

Div 476?

[@inCawHoots]

@@1badgt4 307, 2018

[@ebombbomb6718]

My father was in the navy at the time of the attack (before I was born) and he was the last ship to take port in Yemen before the Cole was attacked. He was on the sister ship for the Cole, DDG 52 the USS Barry. My mother who was the ombudsman at the time for the barry helped run the memorial service.

[@me282uk]

Interesting to note that HMS Malborough traditionally sailed with a US Navy Officer on board, reciprocating an arrangement where a RN Officer sailed on USS Winston S Churchill. Were they on board at the time that Malborough went to the assistance of Cole I wonder?

[@lahma69]

That's really interesting. I had no idea.

[@BlandSpagetti]

As far as I can tell I think that might have happened after

[@earnestbrown6524]

I was on the USS Paul Hamilton (also a Flight I Arleigh Burke) at the time and everyone onboard was thinking about where they would have been at the time. Later we escorted the MV Blue Marlin ( 6:23 ) through the Straits of Hormuz out of the Gulf when it went to carry the USS Cole back home.

[@KorbinX]

Thank you for your service and for sharing your story.

[@NotoLeft]

Love and respect for HMS Marlborough and her crew, You did a great job helping our servicemen🌟🌟

[@nc_classics9767]

It was sailing fully repaired in 2007. The only thing that could never be repaired is the families of the 17 sailors that died. RIP and thank you for your Service.

[@gratch46]

As a squid, I find it very upsetting that I never heard about the role the HMS Marlborough played until today. Thanks to the crew of the Marlborough and to The Operations Room for making sure proper respect is paid.

[@elligain]

Don't be upset. They didn't play that role. To quote the Captain who wrote a book about the experience: "I was heartened when Marlborough's Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Andrew Webb - emerging onto the refueling pier from a small zodiac-style (inflatable) boat flying the Royal Navy's white ensign - walked up the brow, requested permission to come aboard, and asked if there was anything we needed. With some pride, I told him that while the offer was greatly appreciated, the only thing that might be in need of replacement was the aqueous fire-fighting foam; otherwise the ship was in relatively stable condition. After exchanging a few more details about the attack and the aftermath, Lieutenant Commander Webb offered the immediate aide of the Marlborough at any point we needed it and left the pier." Front Burner - Commander Kirk Lippold

[@Aurik-Kal-Durin]

Osama Bin Laden wanted to sink that ship. But that ship is still in service almost 23 years later, and Bin Laden is dead. Sleeping with the fishes, no less XD

[@bloodybones63]

No, he's in hell, getting raped by 72 demons every day.

[@fieldadmiralspartanryseb-8293]

Nicccccce lmao

[@idolhanz9842]

Bin Ladin attacked US troops at the hotels downtown Aden on December 29th 1992 eight years earlier.

[@johnxina1675]

​@@idolhanz9842There was also the us embassy bombings in 1998

[@jacobcave1587]

@@johnxina1675and then September 2001

[@fire58372001]

There was a young man in Hanover County, Va. who was killed in that attack. The state & county named an overpass after him on I-295 in Mechanicsville , Va. . The Navy takes care of its own. They hooked the wife & children up with various benefits as well as Hanover County. When I was in Djibouti, Af. They had a pier with the U.S.S. Cole's name painted on it. Much respect to all.

[@OBJ317]

Operations. My guy. You did it again. They cover this a lot in Bootcamp & also sub school. I vividly remember during one of the safety days/DC days in Groton being showed multiple videos about this day. Long live those who perished that day. & Operations, thank you as always for showing history. Fun fact - Navy seals & a 688 Submarine came shortly after the incident to guard the boat and stayed until it was towed back.

[@alexanderleach3365]

I remember when that happened. RIP to the Sailors of the USS Cole.

[@jasontuck-smith3896]

Good to know we helped out our American cousins :). 🇬🇧💙🇺🇸.

[@muffinman6048]

Great video. Thanks for not needlessly stretching this out to 10 minutes.

[@Casper8x]

"She remains in service to this day." As do we.

[@butterw55]

Osama bin Laden - not so much.

[@terrypennington2519]

​@@butterw55 Geronimo

[@Blodhelm]

@@butterw55 Bin Laden still serves, as a warning to those who would try the same and a reminder to us that those who say they are our friends but don't help us(Pakistan) could very well be working with our enemies.

[@kbanghart]

​@@Blodhelm not much of a morning, still have a ton of terrorists.

[@sinthariasinestra9777]

Murdering women and children because Israel ordered you to is hardly "service".

[@Kaldorey]

Mate I'm feeling especially grateful and lovely tonight, so I just want to say I freaking love your stuff. Your storytelling and delivery combo, along with great subject choices, is maybe the best I have ever seen. I do enjoy every minute of your content and look forward to it. Please do keep that shit up. Much love from France !

[@dondo981]

Her first deployment after the attack was part of our battle group. She was our escort destroyer. Part of the USS Enterprise 03-04 battle group

[@knndyskful]

Nice 🇺🇸🤙🇺🇸

[@jshanna01]

An interesting take on the events. HMS Marlborough under Captain Tony Rix was indeed the first vessel on scene as she had been transiting from operations in the Arabian Gulf and provided critical logistic support. The French forces from Djibouti had flown a quick reaction medical team to Aden shortly after the attack and did save US Sailors' lives while staging them at the airport for further medivac. They. were not asked, simply responded to the need. A small initial reaction team from Destroyer Squadron Fifty flew in that first night to assess the situation as communications were limited. The team included 4 Marines, 3 SEALS, 1 NCIS agent, a Chaplain, a Physician, and core staff to assess, report, and begin security and recovery operations. A quick assessment was made onboard COLE after some difficulty getting to the ship. After the ship was assessed to be stable, a secure shore operation space was established and the multi-service, multinational operation to provide security in depth and recover the ship commenced. The real heroes of course were the Sailors of COLE. They endured much and despite what the narrator stated in the animation, they fought to save their ship which was in peril, specifically before the shipyard fly away team arrived. They did what Sailors do...assessed, endured, and overcame.

[@bennygarcia7786]

From a former US sailor, GO ROYAL NAVY

[@LordSmuggington]

An immense amount of modern history built into this bite sized video. A salute to these men and their ships, and a moment for those lost.

[@CMarkem]

One of the most highly trained and battle ready in the fleet, because we understood the significance and sacrifices made to keep her afloat. Perseverance and the will of the crew that saved that ship against all odds, a 40x60 foot hole port side midships and 17 hero's lost their lives that day. Served on her from 2013-2018. I will always Remember the Cole.

[@jass7981]

o7

[@knndyskful]

🇺🇸🫡🇺🇸

[@manuelacosta9463]

I remember hearing about this in the news as a kid. It was the beginning of the war on terror era.

[@jtgd]

Many people just shrugged and went on with their lives. People who knew about OBL saw increasing terroristic attacks after the bombings in Africa.

[@SuperAKJR]

yeah. I remember the embassy bombing in Dara Salaam and The Clinton administration shooting cruise missiles at Afghanistan. It' is hard to believe now but many people thought it was a "Wag the dog" scenario, based on a movie of the same name where a president uses a fake military crisis to distract the public from a political scandal. A indicator of public naivete about Islamic terrorism and how scandal plagued the Clinton presidency was, or more precisely, how it scandal plagued it was perceived to be.

[@hawkeye5955]

​@@jtgd : A Frontline documentary featured one intelligence officer who tried to warn his superiors about the threat of OBL and what would eventually become 9/11. He was subsequently killed in the attack that he tried to prevent.

[@Fiam53]

​@@hawkeye5955 Link

[@genevieve.annabelle3296]

Hmcs Calgary was in port and left a couple hours before the attack. My dad was the buffer onboard at the time (chief bosnmate). Pretty scary to think of. As allies we very well could have been a target. Luckily (for us) we weren't, but my heart goes out to those affected aboard the USS Cole. What a cowardly attack.

[@MaxwellAerialPhotography]

The Calgary always seems to just barely miss the action.

[@dylandarnell3657]

@@MaxwellAerialPhotography Aptly named, I guess?

[@Jarv2324]

I am a simple man. I see Operations Room, I click.

[@dudududu1926]

How unique...

[@Rob.P974]

Simple man copy.

[@Jarv2324]

Simple man copy where simple man see fit.

[@ScreechingPossum]

It's surreal to think that one of the sailors that didn't make it was from my home town (I believe it was Operations Specialist 2nd Class Timothy Lamont Saunders) and that I went to school with his daughters (even took the same bus). Didn't talk to them much and this is something they never seemed to talk about, understandably, but I remember learning everything one could just by how they looked on one day in particular: a Father's day. As a kid, I didn't know what to say. Even as an adult, I doubt I ever could...

[@horsestewart9864]

In 2016, on the twenty fifth anniversary of her commissioning, I had the honor to be invited aboard the USS Arleigh Burke by CDR Kirk Lippold, who is a plank holder of that ship. Understandably, the crew was in awe of Kirk. I believe that they would have allowed him to take the ship on a spin through Norfolk harbor.

[@meansofproduction4213]

Many Chicago scenic studios contributed to the building of a state of the art USS Cole full scale replica in the Great Lakes training facility to recreate conditions based on the lessons learned from this attack. US naval personnel now train on realistic attack conditions because of the sacrifice of the sailors who lost their lives in Aden that day.

[@derekjohnson3077]

Yea battle stations is a rad training exercise

[@KermitTheGamer21]

My brother just finished his Battle Stations training and is graduating next week. I wish the video had gone into a little more detail about rescue operations but it helped me understand what happened to the Cole and why it is important to the Navy.

[@TODD_FL44]

Wish I made it to battle stations.....was separated 3 weeks into boot camp only to be in RTC sep barracks for another 4 weeks only to see my division march by me one day. Boy was I sad. They were on their way to serve their country. Me on my way home.

[@MrEebs100]

A friend of mine in the Royal Navy told me that a post incident report indicated that the terrorists may have considered attacking HMS Marlborough, which had been in port a few days before the USS Cole. It is believed that the terrorists didn't attack HMS Marlborough because the Royal Navy lookouts on deck would appear at random times - making the terrorist's approach to the ship more risky. They had observed that the lookouts on a previous docked US ship had a more regimented approach to their patrol timings - 5 minutes on, 10 minutes off etc. It's believed that this factor contributed to their choosing of the USS Cole as a target. Since the atttack the US have adopted a more, random timing, lookout patrol approach. I may have got some of the details wrong here - I'm no expert - but that's what I was told.

[@KnightNave]

in most planned suicides that pattern holds. With school shootings randomness or uncertainty can stop a school from becoming a target.

[@jerseyshoredroneservices225]

I don't know for sure but I believe that the Cole did have lookouts present and manned on 50 caliber guns at the time but rules of engagement wouldn't let them do anything.

[@mwrkhan]

US naval ship - higher valued target. Simple as that.

[@andyshepherd5067]

sounds more like tea rounds

[@captainbroady]

Love those little characters running about on the ship. Nice addition!! :))

[@RileygoodVideos]

So many people think that a small boat randomly came up to the Cole and the crew just didn’t care. They do not know that the ship was doing offload operations with local vessels. Yes the small boat was suspicious and should have been intercepted, but any sailor who’s been in these types of countries can tell you it’s not abnormal for local workers to come up, and even work, from small crappy boats. This wasn’t the fault of the many sailors doing their jobs on deck. This was before the Navy started pouring PowerPoints on small vessel VBIEDs on everyone.Thank you for covering this.

[@MightyTiki]

May we never forget Hull Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Kenneth E. Clodfelter, 21, Mechanicsville, Virginia Chief Electronics Technician Richard Costelow, 35, Morrisville, Pennsylvania Mess Management Specialist Seaman Lakeina M. Francis, 19, Woodleaf, North Carolina Information Systems Technician Seaman Timothy L. Gauna, 21, Rice, Texas Signalman Cherone L. Gunn, 22, Rex, Georgia Seaman James R. McDaniels, 19, Norfolk, Virginia Engineman 2nd Class Marc I. Nieto, 24, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Electronics Warfare Technician 2nd Class Ronald S. Owens, 24, Vero Beach, Florida Seaman Lakiba N. Palmer, 22, San Diego, California Engineman Fireman Joshua L. Parlett, 19, Churchville, Maryland Fireman Patrick H. Roy, 19, of Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York Electronics Warfare Technician 1st Class Kevin S. Rux, 30, Portland, North Dakota Mess Management Specialist 3rd Class Ronchester M. Santiago, 22, Kingsville, Texas Operations Specialist 2nd Class Timothy L. Saunders, 32, Ringgold, Virginia Fireman Gary G. Swenchonis, Jr., 26, Rockport, Texas Lt. j.g. Andrew Triplett, 31, Macon, Mississippi Seaman Craig B. Wibberley, 19, Williamsport, Maryland

[@Hillbilly001]

Excellent video as always Ops. Cheers from Tennessee

[@jordansamson6071]

I forgot that the UK arrived and helped so quickly after. Those Brits are good people!

[@N238E]

Demons helping their fellow demons.

[@hansgruber788]

@@N238E look out lads, we've got a budding osama here

[@jordansamson6071]

@@N238E If you say so. Let's meet up and chat about it.

[@WanderlustZero]

@@N238E so the 'demons' help out their buddies... what does that make your people who stand aside as r*ssia and china puts your fellows into camps, represses their religion and drives them off their lands?

[@oliverhughes610]

Sweetie wake up new Operations Room video just dropped

[@shannonpace9433]

I helped build the Cole. So proud.

[@mikes7446]

Me too, it’s on my shelve

[@joem3999]

I was a teenager, but I remember this like yesterday.

[@johnsandersiii2175]

Awesome video! I love watching your videos and thoroughly enjoy the animations and information you provide. Keep up the amazing work

[@MoistJas]

I really appreciate the consitant quality in these videos. see you at 1M subs!

[@rossbabcock3790]

Another great video! I absolutely love the Merlin flyby in the opening card!👍👍

[@brunofernandes2181]

I was with the French commandos in Djibouti When this tragédie arrived and we helped our americain brothers.

[@skipgumphrey9579]

I served with ENS Triplett when he was an Engineman 3rd working in A Gang aboard USS O’ Bannon DD987. As a Bosun I didn’t have a lot of contact with folks from Engineering but got along well with Triplett and considered him not just a Shipmate but a friend. When I passed on the opportunity for a spot in the enlisted commissioning program I was happy to hear that he’d received the opportunity to gain a commission as an officer. When I heard he’d been lost aboard the USS Cole I was so pissed I couldn’t see straight ! I’ve always devoted time each day to remembering our Shipmates who sacrificed everything and remain on eternal patrol. That day in Yemen it just became a lot more personal for me. Thank you for standing the watch Shipmates. You are not forgotten… BM1(SW) USN

[@johnallen7807]

Warships in that situation should have a guard boat in the water 24/7 and a 100m exclusion zone as the Royal Navy used to in the 19th century.

[@QemeH]

It's kinda hard to enforce an exclusion zone if you expect three trash barges ;)

[@Blodhelm]

@@QemeH Not when the last one isn't even a trash barge and is speeding right for you.

[@amistrophy]

​@@QemeH well it's pretty easy then? Three trash barges? Coordinate what they look like, how they will approach, and when they are scheduled to come? I mean it's not too hard since these are the basic security measures we have in place today that we somehow had to relearn and relearn again.

[@hello-rq8kf]

@@amistrophy this post is too stupid for someone using a Yui avatar, please delete it

[@SamTheEnglishTeacher]

Sure just shut down every harbour during peacetime. What do you think the Navy is for? It's there to control shipping, not stop it. When the aircraft carriers come to Hong Kong, the ferries come within a stone's throw - quite amazing to step onto a big ship and then cruise past an actual big ship, towering over you.

[@huntervickers3345]

Always love your videos! Love the work ❤

[@christianjunghanel6724]

Hope she gets preserved as a museum one day !❤

[@TheBlueWilderness]

I barely remember this happening, thanks for making this video

[@twiggledy5547]

Algorithmic Engagement!? Great vid Operations Room always a good day when you post

[@charlies40556]

Actually early to a great video lets go

[@JSFGuy]

Yeah you haven't watched it yet, you don't know it's great.

[@sid2112]

@@JSFGuy It's a pretty good assumption on this channel.

[@charlies40556]

@@JSFGuy it was great smartass

[@PublicRecordsGeek]

You should profile the FBI Agent in charge of that investigation into the Cole, I hear his last days with the Bureau and his first month with WTC Security were... Noteworthy.

[@ScorchedEarth-cd5cl]

Explain please

[@JimmySailor]

At 05:36 you say the explosion did not breach the hull. It definitely did though. There wasn’t significant damage to the stability of the Cole because of the multitude of subdivisions in the hull but the outer hull was absolutely breached.

[@Mr-Q2]

It is most likely that they meant that the keel was not damaged, and thus the ship not irreparably damaged

[@jameshisself9324]

A more accurate statement would have been "did not breach water tight integrity" which may have been in the original report but misinterpreted to mean the hull. What that means is the breach was isolated using the ships compartments and water tight doors, which are throughout all USN warships and I'm sure most other countries. The CDR may have even had a heightened condition set since they were warned, so that any leakage was contained before the explosion had even occurred. There is a bunch to explain about USN battle conditions for that to make sense, I hope you can research that if you have questions.

[@fortusvictus8297]

@@jameshisself9324 Not even that, the explosion only entered 'mechanical spaces' (unmanned) under the galley there was no critical flooding, and the dead were killed by the buckling of the floor under them...high compression and blunt force trauma. The Cole is a modern DD, it has more armor/layers of hull than ships of the line did in WW2. The only water that needed to be managed was from those mechanical areas and the keel was undamaged and flooding was not in a critical area. The hole was a problem as the Cole has multiple hulls and it would not have faired well on her own power in rough seas.

[@88somone88]

@@fortusvictus8297 What are you smoking, modern destroyers do NOT have armor especially compared to battleships of ww2. For example, U.S.S. Cole is 6,900 t displacement and U.S.S. Iowa was 56,500 t with a 12in belt...

[@fortusvictus8297]

@@88somone88 Um, ships of the line for WW2 were not simply BBs. Heavy and light cruisers were the workhorses, and using that metric the USS Cole displaces as much or more as most Heavy cruisers which had 3-4in armor belt of a lower quality of armor and lower level of survivability design from an engineering standpoint. Missiles aside, the modern DDs are far more durable and armored than the heavy cruisers of WW2.

[@zillsburyy1]

another great video!

[@adambrown3982]

Love the channel and your videos! Could you add a part 2 for the damage control efforts? I vaguely remember hearing about some impressive DC work specifically to do with the engine room while I was in.

[@gregpaul882]

You should do the USS Liberty incident. I don’t think I’ve seen any balanced videos on that.

[@jtgd]

Because people use the incident to comment on controversial things

[@chaosXP3RT]

Are you honest about that?

[@gorka1455]

That’d be a very interesting video. Hopefully he won’t neglect the fact that the Israelis knowingly attacked an American ship.

[@chaosXP3RT]

@@gorka1455 They didn't

[@yungchingus5732]

@@chaosXP3RT They absolutely did, they saw the flag, waved at the sailors, and still attacked. or do you just not believe the people who were there that day?

[@benjaminmatheny6683]

Not sure if intentional, But this video really makes it sound like the Yemeni Harbormaster was in on the attack. First delaying the docking to allow the attackers to get into position, then rushing through the fuel delivery to get his own people out of the line of fire.

[@The_Borisaurus]

It could be circumstantial, with how many ships are probably delayed during docking every single day. However, I can't say it's impossible!

[@jhunt376]

Two verbiage nitpicks: at 4:20 "... a petrol explosion..." US navy ships including USS Cole use a fuel called F-76, which is basically diesel, not petrol. and at 5:35 "... did not breech the hull..." there was a 40ft wide hole in the hull, that is certainly a breech.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

""... did not breach the hull..." there was a 40ft wide hole in the hull, that is certainly a breech." Another verbiage nitpick: Which breach/breech are you going to use?

[@williamwalls9725]

The hull is that which keeps the vessel afloat hence below the waterline

[@jhunt376]

@@williamwalls9725 I am not sure what you are getting at here. The hole extended both above and below the waterline.

[@genesiswan4018]

Just a comment. The HMS Marlborough is a Type 23 Frigate that is 10-15m shorter than the Cole but the video seems to be longer than the Cole. Other than that, excellent video

[@drksideofthewal]

The MMS Marlborough isn’t to scale, it’s quite a bit smaller than the USS Cole.

[@luctous]

I thought it was odd a frigate was that much bigger than a destroyer.

[@victorwaddell6530]

HMS Marlborough may have been smaller than USS Cole , but I bet the crew of Cole saw Marlborough as a huge Angel of the seas .

[@13thravenpurple94]

Great video Thank you

[@mcallahan9060]

"After the USS Cole bombing in October 2000, the song American Bad Ass by Kid Rock was played on the ship's PA system upon leaving the port of Yemen after the national anthem and other patriotic songs were played."

[@markbarta2369]

Every US Navy ship in the area were flying "battle flags" that day. Including the Cole at one point, IIRC. Which in this usage basically means the biggest US flag they have on board, and they're big, typically only used for photo ops.

[@dakotamoore1565]

I work at NAS Kingsville and the base gym is dedicated to a sailor who was from here that was killed on the Cole. RIP Brother you are not forgotten.

[@Todaysworld994]

Love your vids

[@JSFGuy]

Even this one? You haven't watched it yet.

[@TexasGTO]

To see the HMS Marlborough roll in made me feel good!

[@-JG-339]

Small correction : HMS Marlborough length is 133 meters and the USS Cole is 155 meters. You probably mixed with HMS Marlborough from 1912 that was 190 meters.

[@drewb3490]

Considering marlborough was a frigate also lol

[@br0k3nman]

@@drewb3490 well, with modern ships, what is a destroyer and what is a frigate varies depending on the navy. The newest German Frigates may as well be light cruisers/destroyers by displacement and length.

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

Intel breakdowns are going to be a common feature in the next decade...

[@Jareers-ef8hp]

How do you defeat an enemy who looks into the barrel of a gun and sees paradise?

[@JamesThomas-gg6il]

Easy, send him there.

[@stonewall01]

sending them there.

[@StevenKeery]

Squeeze the trigger and send him on his way. Let God deal with him.

[@randomlyentertaining8287]

The Japanese were kinda like that. If I recall, lots of bullets and bombs set them straight.

[@justmarc2015]

NUKE

[@Conradlovesjoy]

This is a major training moment in navy boot camp now.

[@eze8970]

TY 🙏🙏

[@chugachuga9242]

I can’t imagine who it feels for the captain. If he didn’t give the order to have lunch early the number of dead sailors could’ve been so much lower.

[@Nick-RiffsPit]

I'm happy to see this covered, it feels forgotten these days

[@bodypilot2006]

We were there 48 hrs after the incident with the 13th MEU on the USS Tarawa to render aid and security. Got video from inside the chiefs mess when on working party and it being towed to the blue marlin to be carried back to Virginia. Pretty crazy situation.

[@chuckboyle8456]

“Lack of Yemeni cooperation”…imagine that. I sailed the Red Sea and Arabian Sea as a USN sailor & MSC mariner for 30+ years. It’s a reprehensible and disgusting place in the World. ZERO redeeming value! Carry on!

[@BFG-rr9cv]

Awesome, love your vids!

[@JSFGuy]

You should watch this one

[@BFG-rr9cv]

@@JSFGuy i am

[@NoellaScott]

This was a very big deal in 2000 that gets glossed over now, for obvious reasons. Too many people glossed over it then as well. I will never get over how the U.S. intelligence community didn't do more again, and again, and again, with the ringing alarms blaring all over throughout 2000 and 2001.

[@Timo0469]

always looking forward to your videos

[@romand4364]

Great Video!

[@hawklp9150]

I like your modern stuff

[@danielflores2492]

Love the content man!

[@garnetnard4284]

Hope you do the USS Liberty next!

[@biorop638]

Love your videos!

[@deadlyoneable]

I had only been in the navy for 5 months when this happened. After this and 9/11, the navy was entirely different. Way less liberty ports. Most the old school chiefs got out after this. They hated the new, political era.

[@ADR1fley]

I don't remember all of the details, but I was taught that some of the pumps were not working to rid the ship of oncoming water, so some quick thinking sailors cut a hole in the hull and stuck a pump through it, draining the deck and preventing significantly more damage.

[@atakorkut5110]

Ahhh 1st comment for the alto gods. Thank you ops room for this wonderful uniquely great way to explain both current events and historical operations. As always well done keep it coming

[@JSFGuy]

First comment? I doubt it.

[@Constitutionalist76]

I see 3 already that have you beat.

[@atakorkut5110]

@@JSFGuy idc as long as it gets the video more eyes it’s the only way I can support the channel

[@atakorkut5110]

@@JSFGuy SMD

[@JSFGuy]

@@atakorkut5110 Well, your efforts would be for a very low viewership. Your comment at this point is not necessary. At least the pick me I'm first comment. It's best to watch it and then comment on its content. Just being a subscriber is the best thing you can do.

[@701e9]

Can’t wait to see battle of Leyte OPR!!🙌