# Lopsided military match-ups **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 16, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lopsided-military-match-ups/392543 "2007-02-16T21:05:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lopsided-military-match-ups/392543/1 "2007-02-16T21:05:54Z")
I was watching Mail Call, and they were talking about antisubmarine blimps. Apparently, during an epic battle of submarine vs blimp in the Flordia straits, the submarine came out triumphant. You can read about it [here](http://www.honorguard.org/stessel.html). While totally possible for this type of thing to happen, I just find it surreal to have a submarine knock out a blimp. Hasta la vista…blimp ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lopsided-military-match-ups/392543/2 "2007-02-16T21:26:40Z")
But to get technical, the blimp’s depth charges damaged the sub enough that it could be sunk by a British ship some days later, with no survivors. “The K-74 damaged the sub’s ballast tanks badly enough that the sub could not submerge…” And completely incidentally, I think the background on that website could have ended the Second World War a year early, had it been developed in time. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lopsided-military-match-ups/392543/3 "2007-02-16T21:34:42Z")
Two other accounts are provided [here](http://www.goldcoast-railroad.org/blimpsub.htm) and [here](http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-87423966.html). Contrary to the statement made on the link **Incubus** provided. Both of these sites claim that the depth charges refused to release and that the damage that U-134 sustained, while real, was limited to the .50 cal. machinge gun fire from its single forward weapon. ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lopsided-military-match-ups/392543/4 "2007-02-16T22:33:03Z")
I don’t know why you think blimps would be immune to retalitory fire. I bet every man on board was well aware of being a huge slow target. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2007, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lopsided-military-match-ups/392543/5 "2007-02-17T06:32:51Z")
How about the Borg Vs. the Ewoks? 😉 Cylon Centurions Vs. the Cybermen? Daleks Vs. Cybermen…oops, bindun… 😉 Marvin the Paranoid Android Vs. C3PO, Vs. Bender ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2007, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lopsided-military-match-ups/392543/6 "2007-02-17T09:47:39Z")
I am so sad that the Akron and Macon never got to be used (as designed) in war. They would have been soooooo cool. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2007, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lopsided-military-match-ups/392543/7 "2007-02-17T20:09:09Z")
Polish Lancers v German Panzers. plus Im sure Iread somewhere about cavalry attacking a warship across sea ice (historical)but it might have been a historical novel. p ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lopsided-military-match-ups/392543/8 "2007-02-18T01:09:13Z")
[QUOTE=Lust4Life] Polish Lancers v German Panzers. plus Im sure Iread somewhere about cavalry attacking a warship across sea ice (historical)but it might have been a historical novel. p [/QUOTE] No that really happened in the days of sail to a ship frozen in the ice.