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Old 01-10-2019, 04:50 AM
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StainlessSteelCynic StainlessSteelCynic is offline
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Hmm, an example of synchronicity perhaps?

Today I was reading some newspaper archives from the 1940s & 1950s regarding the HMAS Sydney II (1930s light cruiser) and Sydney III (1940s light aircraft carrier).
Sydney III was the victim of sabotage on at least two occasions and I think a third as well (although I'm trying to find more details).

One act was during servicing at Garden Island (ironically Fleet Base East, which is in the city of... Sydney) in which the cables to a surface to air radar were cut. It was believed to be an attempt to delay Sydney getting back to the Korean War (the sabotage didn't delay her by even a modest amount).
At the time (and during WW2) civilian dockworkers were employed in large numbers to maintain and service naval vessels. You all know the "warm & fuzzy" feelings I have for Australian dock workers but it could have easily been a member of the RAN. Regardless of military or civilian background, the investigation pointed out that it was someone with legitimate access to the naval docks and believed it was someone with knowedge of radar systems.

The other act was during sea trails in England in 1948 after Sydney III had been completed to Australia requirements. Four large bolts were found in a crankcase. The bolts caused all the cogs in the crank housing to shear off their teeth. The subsequent investigation concluded that it was a deliberate act as the bolts could not have come loose from within the crankcase.

So... what we have is two examples of sabotage on a naval vessel during the Cold War period when security against Communism was quite high and in one instance during a period of war against Communist foes when I'm assuming security would have been even higher.
Basically I'm throwing this up here to illustrate how sabotage of the kind Leg is talking about can be effectively carried out (in the case of Sydney III the sabotage wasn't effective enough to prevent her rapid return to service but the fact that it was able to be done at all is the important point here).
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