Two of the ships were second hand rust buckets the yanks sold us, it was the refit to get them to the navy’s desired but impossibly flawed configuration that was the problem with those.
The other was one the company I was contacting to, actually built.
Apparently a bunch of desk bound armchair admirals knew more about it’s construction that the company that actually built it! That ended in tears, didn’t it.
At another ship builder I contracted to, built a whole class of ships for the navy, due the stupid way that the contract was written, we were building all subsequent ships to the same spec as ship #1 and then had to undo a lot of what we had done in order to do the upgrades and improved specs required for the later ships.
I asked if we could get an up to date copy of the plans from the Chinese or the Russians, as their spies would’ve provided them with newer versions than we were working with!
Having done work for both the navy and army, I found that getting anything done with the navy an exercise in utter frustration and obstruction, we weren’t even allowed to suggest that they were doing a task in an unsafe manner, we had to bite our tongues and just watch them do things the stupidest and most dangerous ways possible. Even if it meant than they got injured or equipment was damaged.
Watching them work with cranes, was both comical and scary at the same time. Usually culminating in a damaged crane.
But with the army, I found that so long as you stayed away from commissioned officers, and just had a quiet word in a sergeant’s ear then they couldn’t be more helpful, they’d get the job done, anytime of day.
They were happy to acknowledge our expertise and seek our advice.
My guess was with the navy, being either stuck on a ship or base, the noncommissioned ranks can’t scratch their arses without some officer, throwing it up the chain of command.
But the army often works in small groups, away from the critical gaze of the brass, so are more used to having to think for themselves, and what the brass doesn’t see, doesn’t much bother them.
"Keep calm, relax, focus on the problem & PULL THE BLOODY TRIGGER"
