SeaWaves Today in History April 26, 2009 1452 - Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, scientist and inventor, is born 1607 - An expedition of English colonists, including Capt. John Smith, went ashore at Cape Henry, Va., to establish the first permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere 1625 - Dieppe France - Jesuit priest Jean de Brebeuf sails for Quebec with two priests and two lay brothers; founder of Huron Mission 1778 - Captain Cook sets sail to the northwest from Nootka Sound, tracing the coast of British Columbia and Alaska 1865 - John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln, was surrounded by federal troops near Bowling Green VA and killed 1915 - Submarines HMS J1, J5 & J6 laid down 1916 - Cruiser HMS Ceres laid down 1917 - Submarine USS R-16 laid down 1919 - Destroyers USS Hovey, Howard, Long & Rodgers launched 1921 - US Naval Detachment left Yugoslavia after administering area around Spalato for 2 years to guarantee transfer of area from Austria to new country 1929 - Submarine HMS Orpheus launched 1934 - Soviet submarine M-1 commissioned 1935 - Destroyer HMS Fame commissioned 1940 - U-17 rescued four survivors of the crashed German aircraft BV 138 and then sank the wreck with gunfire 1940 - At 0028, the Lily was hit by one torpedo from U-13, but it did not detonate. At 0117, another torpedo was fired which struck at the bow and broke off the forecastle, causing the ship to sink within 45 seconds. The Lily was reported missing after leaving Kirkwall 1940 - RAF Wellingtons bomb Stavanger aerodrome and fjord, while six Whitleys search Oslo Fjord attacking oil tanks and a refinery at Vallo and Grisebu. A ship of 5,000 tons is hit 1940 - HMS Furious, in company with the destroyers HMS Isis, HMS Ilex, Imogen, Delight, Diana & Imperial, continued her journey home, flying single plane A/S patrols and searches well ahead of her course 1940 - HMS Glorious and Ark Royal continue air strikes on German positions in Norway 1941 - U-381, U-513 laid down 1941 - U-753 launched 1941 - U-81, U-432 commissioned 1941 - Destroyer HMS Diamond rescued 600 troops from Crete after transports had been sunk by air attack during the evacuation 1941 - German submarine UD-5 (ex-HNLMS O-27) launched 1941 - Sloop HMS Erne commissioned 1941 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Prodigal launched 1941 - Monitor HMS Abercrombie laid down 1941 - Six a/c of 21 Sqn RAF on anti-shipping strike attack targets near Schiemonikoog and Vlieland. A convoy of three 4,000-ton ships, eight smaller ships and three flak ships. Two a/c and their crews are lost for one large ships damaged 1941 - The US Neutrality Patrol is extended southward to 26.00S latitude. A carrier task group, Task Group 2 comprised of the aircraft carrier USS Wasp, the heavy cruiser USS Quincy & the destroyers USS Livermore & Kearny, gets underway for Bermuda as part of the patrol 1941 - Corvette HMCS Halifax laid down Collingwood ON 1941 - Minesweeper HMCS Transcona launched Sorel PQ 1941 - Corvette HMCS Nanaimo commissioned 1941 - Corvette HMCS Rimouski commissioned 1941 - HMS Upholder destroys wreck of grounded German merchantman Arta off Kerkennah, Tunisia 1942 - Destroyer USS Sturtevant struck mine and sank off Key West, Florida on April 26 1942. The minefield was American-laid. 15 members of her crew were lost 1942 - Submarine USS Dragonet laid down 1942 - U-740 laid down 1942 - At 0830, the unescorted & unarmed Alcoa Partner was hit by a torpedo from U-66 struck the port side at the #2 hatch of the zigzagging freighter. Immediately after the impact U-66 fired one shell with the gun, which hit the poop deck. Because of her cargo, the vessel sank in less than three minutes about 80 miles north-northeast of Bonaire. The crew of seven officers, 27 men and one workaway found themselves in the water, never having enough time to launch any of the four lifeboats. But one lifeboat with one man on board floated free and 24 men managed to reach this boat. The survivors searched the vicinity for the missing 10 men (the 2nd Engineer, the Radio Operator, seven others and the workaway) until after dawn. They made landfall in Bonaire 37 hours after the attack. The master, Ernest Henke, survived also the sinking of his next ship, the Alcoa Rambler, which was sunk by U-174 on 15 Dec 1942. His next ship, the Alcoa Prospector was also torpedoed, but only damaged by a torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-27 in the Gulf of Oman on 5 Jul 1943 & returned to service 1942 - At 1235, the Aziza was shelled & sunk by U-81 off Palestine 1942 - HMS Unbroken damages Italian sailing vessel Vale Formoso II with gunfire off Bordighera, Liguria, Italy 1943 - Escort carrier HMS Arbiter laid down 1943 - Frigate HMS Bentley laid down 1943 - Escort carrier USS Kalinin Bay laid down 1943 - Destroyer USS Norman Scott laid down 1943 - U-326 laid down 1943 - Destroyer escorts USS Marts & Pennewill laid down 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Howard D Crown launched 1943 - Aircraft carrier USS Intrepid launched 1943 - Submarine USS Pargo commissioned 1943 - In the West Atlantic, U-129 encountered an enemy submarine and fired three torpedoes, but all missed 1943 - U-566 was attacked in the North Atlantic by a Wellington aircraft with six bombs. Due to the heavy damage received, the boat had to return to base 1943 - Japanese held harbor at Attu in the Aleutian Islands is bombed by a US naval squadron under the command of Admiral McMorris. This was Task Group 16.6 consisting of - Light cruisers USS Richmond, Detroit & Santa Fe, destroyers Caldwell, Bancroft, Coghlan, Frazier, Gansevoort & Edwards. The TG bombarded Adak Island from 0815 to 0840 hours local; the Japanese did not return fire 1943 - Submarine HMS Sirdar launched 1943 - Patrol Vessel District YP-47 sunk by collision off Staten Island New York 1944 - Frigate HMS Widemouth Bay laid down 1944 - U-488 sunk west of Cape Verde in position 17.54N, 38.05W by depth charges from escort vessels USS Frost, Huse, Barber & Snowden. 64 dead (all hands lost) 1944 - Submarine USS Spikefish launched 1944 - Destroyer escort USS Richard W Suesens commissioned 1944 - At 2046, the Colin was hit by two torpedoes from U-859 on her port side, while proceeding alone on the straggler’s route. The first torpedo struck at #1 hatch and the other at #6 hatch. The cargo in the first hold caught fire immediately and the fumes covered the ship. The 2nd cook, a Chinese citizen, panicked, jumped overboard & drowned. The Colin settled gradually on an even keel. Shortly after the ship was abandoned by the remaining 39 crewmembers & 15 armed guards, a third torpedo struck on the port side amidships. When the smoke cleared, the ship had disappeared. The survivors abandoned ship in two lifeboats, a gig and all rafts except one. All were picked up by frigates HMS Affleck & Bentley the next day and were later transferred to the British rescue ship Accrington when the frigates rejoined the convoy. The survivors arrived in Gourock, Scotland on 1 May. They were repatriated on the French troopship Ile de France, arriving in New York on 18 May 1944 - Destroyers HMCS Athabaskan, Haida & Huron assisted in the destruction of German torpedo boat T-29 & damaging of T-24 & T-27, in the Channel, Ushant off St Malo. The Canadian ships were part of the 10th Destroyer Flotilla, which also included HMS Tartar, Ashanti, Eskimo, HMCS Iroquois, ORP Piorun & Blyskawica. On the night of the 25th, the Dido-class light anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Black Prince lead an offensive sweep along the French coast with Ashanti & Huron in column as a sub-division to port & with Haida & Athabaskan to starboard. The German formation, making 24-knots from St. Malo to Brest, was detected at 0207 on radar at 21,000 yards & was closed to 18,000 yards before they became aware of the superior force. They immediately increased speed & attempted to disengage. By 0220 the range had closed to 13,000 yards when Black Prince illuminated the 3 German ships with starshell & then opened fire. Haida & Athabaskan, being on the near side, opened fire at a range of 10,900 yards. A long, running battle ensued during which at least 16 torpedoes were fired by the allied ships, none of which hit their targets. By 0332, T-29 was slowed by hits & then coasted to a stop on the rocks just offshore. Despite heavy damage, T-29 continued to return 20-mm AA fire & scored many hits on both Haida & Huron, killing one man. By 0420, T-29 was ablaze & finally rolled onto her side & sank. Of her crew, the Flotilla Commander, Cdr, KKpt Franz Kohlauf, KKpt Grund & 135 crewmen were lost. 73 men were rescued later by German patrol craft 1944 - Destroyer HMCS Nootka launched Halifax NS 1944 - Frigate HMCS Glace Bay launched Lauzon PQ 1944 - Admiral Moore leads Fleet Carriers Victorious, Furious and escort carriers Searcher, Striker, Emperor and Pursuer (Peter Beeston) the battleship Anson and 6 cruisers, from the British Home Fleet, to attack the Tirpitz. Bad weather interferes with the planned raid. A coastal convoy is attacked instead and 3 ships are sunk 1944 - Coast Guard-manned Army vessel FS-165 was commissioned. She was assigned to and operated in the Southwest Pacific area. She was decommissioned 21 September 1945. 1945 - Frigate HMS Wigtown Bay launched 1945 - Destroyer USS Lofberg commissioned 1945 - The commander of U-637 was killed in action and the LI took command. [Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Riekeberg] 1945 - Off Okinawa, the destroyer USS Hickox damaged by Japanese aircraft 1945 - Light cruiser HMCS Ontario (ex-HMS Minotaur) commissioned 1945 - British submarines HMS Sleuth and HMS Solent sink the Japanese auxilary minesweeper Wa 3 with gunfire in the Java Sea west of Kalambau Island 1947 - Frigate HMCS Antigonish recommissioned as a training ship at Esquimalt 1952 - USS Hobson sinks after colliding with USS Wasp; 176 lives lost 1952 - US Navy reveals that 30 sailors were killed in a gun turret explosion on the heavy cruiser St. Paul April 21 during shelling of the North Korean coast. It's reported that most of the 30 dead suffocated due to gunpowder fumes. It's the largest US naval disaster of the war, and it wasn't caused by enemy action 1953 - HMCS Haida bags her 2nd train and becomes life-long member of the "Trainbusters Club" 1956 - Frigate HMCS Lanark recommissioned after modernization and became flagship of Escort Squadron Seven 1960 - Frigate HMCyS Gajabahu (ex-Misnak (Israeli), ex-HMCS Hallowell) commissioned. Sailed by a Israeli crew to Ceylon in 1960 served with RCyN & SLN until 1978 1968 - USS Kearsarge port call Yokosuka 1969 - USS Oriskany port call Pearl Harbor 1970 - USS Bon Homme Richard port call Subic Bay 1971 - USS Ticonderoga port call Singapore 1973 - Canadian HS 50 Sea King #12418 crashed and sank at sea. Wreckage partially recovered, and that it was s/o/s on 7.1.74 1982 - RFA Blue Rover arrives at Ascension 1982 - Argentinean forces on South Georgia sign surrender agreement. Lieutenant Commander Alfredo Astiz invited Captain Nicholas Barker to land his helicopter on a football pitch to accept the surrender. The football pitch was booby-trapped, fortunately Captain Baker sensed the trap and landed elsewhere. Astiz was taken aboard HMS Antrim where he signed the surrender document in the presence of Captain Brian Young. RFA Tidespring was tasked with taking the Argentine prisoners of war from South Georgia to Ascension Island. The recapture of South Georgia inspired Prime Minister Thatcher to implore members of the press to "Rejoice!" 1991 - Vice-Admiral Charles Thomas resigns, warns defense cuts will threaten sovereignty and endanger lives of military personnel; Thomas is Deputy Commander of the Canadian Armed Forces 1996 - MCDV HMCS Shawinigan laid down Halifax NS 2003 - Frigate HMCS Montreal returned Halifax from Persian Gulf region. Montreal hailed 3,000 ships and boarded 100 to search for possible terrorists and fleeing members of the Taliban. The ship's Sea King crew also logged 200 missions totaling 550 flying hours 2004 - Destroyer USS John Young sunk as a target by MK 48 torpedo fired by USS Pasadena 2005 - Sea Launch Company today successfully delivered DIRECTV's Spaceway F1 satellite to orbit, completing the launch of the heaviest commercial satellite to date. Early data indicate the spacecraft is in excellent condition. The Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket lifted off at 0731Z, precisely on schedule, from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned at 154 degrees West Longitude. All systems performed nominally throughout the flight. The Block DM-SL upper stage inserted the 6,080 kg (13,376 lb) Spaceway satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital position of 102.8 degrees West Longitude. A ground station in South Africa acquired the spacecraft's first signal less than an hour after liftoff, as planned. The Boeing 702 model spacecraft, with a design life of 12 years, was manufactured at Boeing's Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, Calif. It includes a flexible payload with a fully steerable downlink antenna that can be reconfigured on orbit to seamlessly address market conditions 2005 - A delegation led by H. E. Mr. B. Gvozdenovic, Deputy Prime Minister of Republic of Montenegro met Thiru T.R. Baalu, Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, here. Areas of mutual cooperation and collaboration between the two countries, especially the development of ports, shipyards and technological development related to Maritime Sector were discussed. Thiru Baalu highlighted the development in Maritime Sector of India in the recent years, specially of private sector participation in container operations in the Major Ports. He also appreciated the interest shown by members of the delegation in establishing relationships with Indian Maritime Sector and assured them of the best possible cooperation from his side. The delegation from Montenegro also included Minister of Shipping and Transport and Mayor of City of Bar of the Republic of Montenegro. Further talks will be held between the two countries at the level of officials to identify areas of cooperation in Maritime Transport Sector 2005 - Armed pirates hijacked an Indonesian-owned ship bound for Singapore, ferried it to a port in Malaysia and unloaded its cargo of tin ingots before escaping to Indonesia, an official said on Tuesday. A gang of pirates fired at the 649-tonne ship early on Friday when it was passing the Lingga islands and boarded it, Noel Choong, head of the Piracy Reporting Center of the International Maritime Bureau said. "They took control of the bridge, ransacked the ship and tied up the crew," he said. Choong said the Indonesian-owned ship was sailing from Muntok port in Bangka Island for Singapore. Pirates, however, diverted the ship to Malaysia's Port Gudang in southern Johor State, where they unloaded the ingots. The ship is now in Singapore, he said. The latest attacks follow seven pirate raids on ships in the Malacca and Singapore Straits since February 28. Last Friday, Malaysian marine police detained seven Indonesians in waters off southern Johor, near Singapore, who were believed to be responsible for a series of attacks 2005 - Approximately 330 sailors from guided-missile destroyer USS Carney are participating in the first Turkish Marmaris International Maritime Festival 2005 - Tsakos Energy Navigation Limited (TEN) announced the sale of two single side/double bottom Handymax tankers (M/T Pella and M/T Dion) for cash to third party interests. This sale produced a substantial net profit of approximately $8.0 million which will be recognized in the second quarter and brings TEN closer to its stated goal of operating a fleet exclusively of modern double-hull vessels 2005 - The US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York issued a Statement saying that the Director of the Staten Island Ferry Service has pleaded guilty to seaman’s manslaughter in the crash of the ferry Andrew J. Barberi. The Ferry Director failed to enforce the Service’s requirement that two persons be on the bridge when the ferry is in operation. Eleven passengers died in the crash after the only person on the bridge became incapacitated 2005 - Gisele Toupin, Regional Director General, Western Region, Veterans Affairs Canada, on behalf of the Honorable Albina Guarnieri, Minister of Veterans Affairs, presented the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation today to 13 outstanding Canadians from Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia for their service to their fellow citizens. During the Vancouver ceremony, Ms. Toupin also launched "Remember," a musical tribute to veterans. Naval veterans included Stuart Soward, CD Victoria, British Columbia Mr. Soward is a retired Lt. Commander with the Royal Canadian Navy and was a naval pilot. For many years Mr. Soward was intrigued by the heroic story of Hampton Gray, who received the last Victoria Cross awarded to Canadians during the Second World War. Mr. Soward believed that Mr. Gray's exploits, coming as they did at the end of the War, were overshadowed as the world returned to peace. For this reason, he researched and wrote a biography of Mr. Gray, entitled "A Formidable Hero". The work was published in 1987. Recognizing that Mr. Gray as a posthumous VC winner had no known grave, Mr. Soward undertook a campaign to erect a monument in memory of Mr. Gray. Mr. Soward collaborated on this project with the Military Attaché at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo at the time. The two obtained permission from the Japanese to have the monument situated overlooking Onagawa Bay, where Gray lost his life. Today the monument stands in perpetuity as the only memorial in Japan erected to a foreign hero. Derek Irons Vancouver, British Columbia After serving 14 years in the British Royal Navy followed by thirteen years in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Mr. Irons devoted considerable time to his local branch of The Royal Canadian Legion. He was appointed as the Branch Service Officer and also undertook responsibility for visiting Veterans either in hospital or in their homes. The following list underscores his commitment to Veterans: Mr. Irons is a Past Zone Commander of The Royal Canadian Legion for Vancouver City Zone; he regularly transports Brock Fahrni Veterans to church on Sunday; Sergeant-at-Arms and Cadet Liaison Officer for the Billy Bishop Legion Branch; founding member of the Veterans' Commemorative Association; member of the Commemoration Observance Committee of Vancouver; member of the Vancouver Naval Veteran’s Association and member of Submariners of Canada (West) Association. While his commitment to Veterans is extensive, Mr. Irons will readily respond to any request for assistance from his Legion Branch or from individual Veterans. Foster Griezic Victoria, British Columbia Since 1987, Mr. Griezic has been offering his services free of charge as an advisor, academic researcher, negotiator and coordinator to Canada's wartime merchant service Veterans, establishing the Merchant Navy Coalition for Equality, to obtain legislative recognition of Merchant Seamen as War Veterans, and compensation from the Federal government on their behalf. His research presented before the House of Commons and Senate Committees, and his continued interventions with the media made generations of Canadians familiar with the accomplishments of the men and women who formed the lifeline from North America to Great Britain and other war zones. Mr. Griezic successfully advocated for war medals and benefits for Merchant Seamen; the inclusion of Merchant Navy representatives in military pilgrimages; and the right to represent themselves or select their own spokespersons in negotiating with the government. He helped bring the Merchant Navy Veterans before Commons committees, and as a result of his efforts, legislation was passed to give them Veteran status with the same criteria for accessing the same benefits as their Military comrades. Mr. Griezic coordinated the establishment of a Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance in the Peace Tower, which was dedicated on November 11, 1994. Subsequently, Merchant Navy Veterans were included in the official Remembrance Day ceremony. Mr. Griezic also played a key role in achieving success in a number of initiatives on behalf of Merchant Navy Veterans. His interventions with the government on behalf of the Merchant Seamen led to official acknowledgment and recognition of the central role they played in the transport of supplies to the United Kingdom during the Second World War. To this day, Mr. Griezic continues to assist Merchant Navy Veterans and their spouses in obtaining proper benefits and care from the government. Edward Gillette Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Mr. Gillette served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) Reserves for two-five year terms, and has been an active member of the Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) for more than 33 years. He has been a member of Army, Navy and Air Force Association (ANAVETS) for 25 years and has been with the Royal Canadian Air Force Lynx Wing for the past 24 years. Mr. Gillette is a founding member of the "Canada Remembers Air Show". He also represents the Veterans Affairs Liaison Committee in Saskatoon. He provides a Commissioner of Oaths for Veterans Affairs matters, and Notary Public service, free of charge. For the past 25 years, in conjunction with local Legion Branches, Mr. Gillette has planned the Remembrance Day Service held at Saskatchewan Place as well as the Decoration Day at Woodlawn Cemetery. Mr. Gillette is active in raising funds through the Poppy Campaign, and over the years, has assisted Veterans in his community 2005 - Outnumbering NDP supporters 8 to 1 at a campaign stop today, a large crowd of aquaculture workers and their families demanded answers from NDP leader Carole James and her North Island candidate Claire Trevena about an NDP platform that would decimate BC's aquaculture industry. But when confronted with hard questions from aquaculture workers concerned for their future under an NDP government, James and Trevena were hustled away by party handlers during a campaign stop at North Island College 2005 - Marine police from the Caribbean island of Montserrat have rescued a Canadian pilot who had to make an emergency landing at sea when his small plane developed engine trouble. James Satterwaite, 59, was flying from Barbados to the island of Nevis for a refueling stop when his small Cessna float plane developed mechanical problems. That forced the Toronto man to ditch about eight kilometers northwest of Montserrat, a British territory in the eastern Caribbean. Satterwaite said he managed to escape through the aircraft's luggage compartment door after the main door jammed. Luckily for him, the sea was calm at the time. The pilot hung on to the plane's right pontoon until a marine police boat arrived in response to the call for help he had managed to make before crawling out of the plane. Satterwaite suffered only minor bruises. Officials believe his plane sank after he was picked up 2005 - Sailors forward deployed in the North Persian Gulf aboard USS Antietam (CG 54) performed the first underway replenishment (UNREP) between a US Navy guided-missile cruiser and a US Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC). Antietam completed fuel replenishment with USCGC Monomoy (WPB 1326) in about two hours and saved the 110-foot patrol boat a four-hour trip to the nearest refueling station. Approximately 90 percent of Antietam’s crew had never participated in an UNREP with a Coast Guard cutter before 2005 - The Ministry of National Defense gave a passing grade on Tuesday to the fighting power of the ROC Navy's Kidd-class destroyers after a computer simulation showed that a single vessel stopped the assaults of an entire enemy fleet and enabled the nation's armed forces to withstand Chinese attacks for at least two weeks 2006 - Aker Kvaerner has signed a contract with Jurong Shipyard Pte. Ltd in Singapore for delivery of a drilling system for one ultra deepwater drilling semi-submersible unit. The total contract value for Aker Kvaerner is approximately USD 113 million 2006 - Vanco International Ltd., a subsidiary of Houston-based independent Vanco Energy Company, has won a competitive tender for the right to conclude a Production Sharing Agreement with the Government of Ukraine for the highly prospective Prykerchenska Tender Area located in the Black Sea, offshore Ukraine. This will be Ukraine's first deepwater license award and Ukraine's first Production Sharing Agreement for hydrocarbons. JNR Eastern Investments Limited, London, an investment company representing the interests of the Rothschild Family, is an equal partner in Vanco's application 2006 - 18 liquefied natural gas carriers are planned by Australia's Woodside Petroleum in a newbuilding program that could be worth about US$4bn. The vessels will be required to transport LNG from the company's Browse and Pluto gas developments off the coast of Western Australia to export markets such as Japan and the US 2006 - Deputy Commander of the Leningrad Naval Base Cap. 1st Rank Oleg Stadnik found dead in St. Petersburg. Stadnik's body, bearing numerous signs of battery, found near Pobedy (Victory) Park at about 0800 Moscow time Wednesday, local law enforcement agencies told Interfax 2006 - Hyundai heavy Industries won a 540 million dollar order to build four container ships for a British buyer. The buyer, Principals of Zodiac, will receive the four 8,600 TEU vessels, which will be powered by the world's largest marine engine rated at just under 109,000 BHP by 2009 2006 - At 1700 Dover Coastguard were alerted by the 40,000 ton bulk carrier Lowland Main that their engines had stopped. Dover Coastguard observed that they may be aground on the Varne Bank in the middle of the Dover Straits. The master of the vessel confirmed that his vessel was indeed aground. Dover Coastguard has dispatched the Coastguard Tug Anglian Monarch to standby the vessel. Dover Coastguard is issuing broadcasts to all vessels that are transiting the south west lane of the Dover Straits, warning them of the 'Lowland Maine's' situation. The Lowland Maine is a Panamanian-flagged 40,000 ton bulk carrier in ballast on passage from Dunkirk to Trembles in South America. There are twenty one people on board 2006 - The owners and master of a Belgium trawler, Blue Angel (Z60) from Ostend, have been fined £4500 and ordered to pay both legal and investigation costs totaling £2500 at Brighton Magistrates Court for hindering a routine boarding inspection and illegally dumping fishing gear at sea. The Belgian trawler was detained on 24th April and escorted to Shoreham by HMS Severn 2006 - Culture Minister David Lammy has today announced measures to ensure the continued protection of the important Bartholomew Ledges wreck site, in St Mary's Sound off the Isles of Scilly. The wreck is a late 16th Century armed ship that carried medieval bronze bell fragments and also lead ingots, of which there are only four remaining examples in existence. It is thought possible that the vessel was an Armada ship the San Bartolome lost in 1597, but there is no definite archaeological evidence to confirm this 2006 - The Coast Guard is on scene with a vessel that struck the Port Aransas jetties and began to sink early this morning. At 0230 the Coast Guard received a distress call from the crew of the offshore supply boat Candy Store stating they had struck the jetties north of Port Aransas, Texas and were taking on water. The crew then pushed the boat onto the jetties to prevent it from sinking in the middle of the channel. At 0232 Coast Guard Station Port Aransas responded with two rescue boats and provided five dewatering pumps to help the Candy Store remain afloat. Commercial salvage and Coast Guard Marine Safety personnel are on scene to assist with repair and removal plans and monitor for pollution. No pollution or injuries have been reported at this time. The channel at the Port Aransas jetties remains open to vessel traffic, however, boaters are requested to exercise caution while transiting the area and remain clear of the salvage operations 2006 - The nonprofit Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) announced actress and accomplished angler Jane Seymour will serve as honorary chairperson of the sixth annual National Fishing and Boating Week, June 3-11 2006 - A Jordanian military tribunal on Wednesday began hearing the case of 12 militants charged with firing rockets at two US warships docked in Aqaba Bay last August 2006 - The 2006 Harbor Safety Committee of the Year award was presented to the Tampa Bay Harbor Safety and Security Committee (TBHSSC) at the National Harbor Safety Committee Conference in Washington DC 2007 - Vice Admiral Anup Singh becomes the Indian Navy's new Deputy Chief. He relieves Vice Admiral RP Suthan who is proceeding to Vishakhapatnam as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command 2007 - Transportation Security Administration Asst Secretary Kip Hawley, USCG Rear Admiral Craig Bone and US Customs and Border Protection Asst Commissioner Jay Ahern testify before House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on the SAFE port act: a six month review 2007 - First Sea Lord attends handover of Sandown Class Minehunters to the Estonians in Edinburgh 2007 - Brazilian Navy announced the purchase of former RFA Sir Galahad 2008 - A new composition debuts in Lunenburg NS telling the story of a Second World War ship torpedoed by a U-boat just outside Halifax in 1945. Within Sight of Shore, written by Halifax composer Scott Macmillan, is a four-part piece for guitar, banjo, piano, brass and string instruments. The piece is a commemoration for Macmillan's father, Robert Cunningham Macmillan, the commanding officer and one of only 27 men who survived from a crew of 71 aboard HMCS Esquimalt 2008 - Cdr Nathan H Martin relieved Capt David A Ogburn as commanding officer of USS San Francisco during a ceremony held at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor's Deterrent Park Copyright 2009 Shirlaw News Group ISSN 1710-6966 Today in History Archives This information is licensed to the recipient only. Images may be subject to copyright. Ask before you right-click. Royal Navy photos are Courtesy of www.oldships.org.uk unless otherwise indicated. To contact us: 418-145 West Keith Rd North Vancouver BC V7M 1L3 Canada Phone: 778-968-7447