Why didn't the Captain of the British Ship the 15 soldiers came from, stop the Iranians from taking them?

Question

Was he being a bit wimpy?

Answer 1

The boats which were arrested were in waters too shallow for HMS Cornwall to sail into. They were roughly four miles away so it would have been next to impossible for the Cornwall to offer effective fire support and since the Marines and sailors were in two Zodiac inflatable boats they would have been sitting ducks for the Iranian HMGs if any shooting started. The captain couldn't have rescued his people no matter what he did so he rightly avoided escalating the situation.

Answer 2

Mr Tel, Iranians in bigger speed boats hijacked like pirates two SMALLER British speed boats, whilst the HMS Cornwall apparently was unaware it was happening because the Chopper assigned to watch over the 2 craft was returning to the ship. But yes its a good question, why was there not more Helicopter support for them, so that when the Iranians approached the chopper should have dropped and aimed at them too, to warn them off. Either way a glitch in what should be routine protection which obviously too late is most likely be addresed now.

Answer 3

There are two reasons: first, the water where the stopped freighter was is too shallow for the warship, which is why rubber boats were used to board her; and second the warship could not open fire without endangering her own people and, by the way, starting WW3

Answer 4

This also puzzles me.

How did a handful of men on a speedboat manage to take over a Royal Navy warship?

I suspect the answer is that they were told to give themselves up by our spineless government rather than do anything that might rock the boat, if you'll pardon the pun.

Answer 5

I am puzzled also. We not only had far superior warship, we also had helicopters. I smell something more than we are told. It is not for nothing we are called perfidious Albion.

Answer 6

he claims they out gunned him.