This is an actual radio conversation between a British aircraft carrier (S.S. Elizabeth) and Irish authorities off the coast of Donegal in October, 1995. (The radio conversation was released by the Chief of Naval Operations on 10/10/95 authorized by the Freedom of Information Act.)
Irish: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid collision. English: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision. Irish: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision. English: This is the Captain of a British Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course. Irish: No, I say again, you divert YOUR course. English: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER SS ELIZABETH, 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 NORTH--I SAY AGAIN, THAT'S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH--OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP. Irish: This is a lighthouse. Your call.
Thanks to Adam Mollen for showing me this :D |
Funny but totally untrue:
http://www.snopes.com/military/lighthouse.asp
Even the US Navy have a page about this on their website:
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/navy_legacy.asp?id=174 |
As a member of the Irish Coast Guard I can confirm this is rubbish. This one has been doing the rounds for years in different forms.
DM |