SeaWaves Today in History August 16, 2008 Dominican Republic - Anniversary of the Restoration of the Republic. Visiting warships Dress Ship overall. Gun salutes are fired 1652 - The Battle of Plymouth, First Anglo-Dutch War. A British force of 40 warships, commanded by General-at-Sea Sir George Ayscue, attacked a Dutch convoy of 60 merchant ships bound for the Mediterranean Sea, escorted by 39 warships, commanded by Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, off the Brittany coast. Admiral de Ruyter counter-attacked aggressively and the engagement continued for most of the afternoon and evening. Only one British warship was lost, but both the attackers and the Dutch escort force suffered heavy damage. The convoy succeeded in escaping down the Channel. Although Ayescue claimed victory, the indecisive outcome of the battle cost him his command and he retired to his house at Chertsey, Surrey, for several years before he was sent to Sweden as a naval advisor 1812 - USS Constitution recaptures American merchant brig Adeline 1827 - Admiral John Franklin 1786-1847 lays first stone of Rideau Canal locks; on his return down the Ottawa River from the Arctic 1829 - The original Siamese twins, Chang and Eng Bunker, arrived in Boston aboard the ship Sachem to be exhibited to the Western world 1858 - Queen Victoria sends US President Buchanan the first Atlantic Cable dispatch, from Newfoundland to Britain via Valencia, Ireland; Cyrus W. Field's cable laid by USS Niagara and HMS Agamemnon, and landed on second attempt at Trinity Bay, but the cable will fail in October 1918 - Destroyer USS Stribling commissioned 1920 - Destroyers USS Bulmer, McCormick & Thompson commissioned 1920 - Light cruiser USS Raleigh laid down 1923 - Destroyer FS Chacal laid down 1923 - Light cruiser FS Primaguet laid down 1925 - Destroyer HNLMS Piet Hein laid down 1934 - Torpedo boat FS La Cordeliere laid down 1937 - Torpedo boat FS Bombarde commissioned 1937 - Destroyer USS Mugford commissioned 1939 - Captain Donitz arrives at Kiel, the main U-boat base, and begins to implement plans for Fall Weiss, Case White, and the projected attack on Poland 1940 - U-100 sinks SS Empire Merchant in Convoy OA-198 1940 - U-30 sinks SS Clan Macphee in Convoy OB-197 1940 - At 1302, U-46 fired three torpedoes on three ships (two passenger ships and one freighter) which partially overlapped in convoy OB-197 (150 miles SW of Rockall) and observed a hit on the freighter, which was clearly damaged, as the bow was deeper in the water. The Dutch merchant ship Alcinous (6,189 tons) was hit on the port side by one torpedo and caught fire, which could be extinguished after long work. The British sloop HMS Rochester supported the damaged ship, which was later towed to Gourock by a British tug. Endrass could not identify his victim, but U-30 heard the SSS-signals from the Alcinous 1940 - U-48 sinks SS Hedrun in Convoy OB-197 1940 - Submarine HMS Seraph laid down 1940 - The US is to "swap" 50 aging destroyers for 99-year, rent-free leases on British naval and air bases in the western hemisphere. The draft agreement was made public two days ago, and was re-affirmed by President Roosevelt in a press conference today stressing the advantages of the deal to the USA. The destroyers in question are obsolescent, but still serviceable, "four-stackers" dating from the Great War, which Churchill told Roosevelt are desperately needed to escort convoys under attack from U-boat "wolf-packs". The bases involved stretch all the way from Newfoundland by way of Bermuda to the Bahamas and across the Caribbean to British Guinea. It is understood that the deal had its origins in a personal appeal from Churchill to Roosevelt on 15 May. On 1 August, however, the Century Group - which lobbies for US aid to Britain - came up with the idea of exchanging the ships for British bases. The President was concerned about potential reactions from the isolationists in Congress, many of them Republicans, Mr Churchill was reluctant to let the exchange seem too hard a bargain, and preferred it to be seen as "two friends in danger helping each other." Still the President persevered - hence today's press conference. One senator who supports the deal reminded his colleagues - "If you jump on the destroyer transfer you’re jumping on the acquisition of defense bases." Mr Roosevelt has said he believes the swap will be the "most important action in national defense since the Louisiana Purchase" 1940 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Liberia commissioned 1940 - LCdr Henry "Harry" George Dewolf, RCN, was posted ashore to HMCS Stadacona for reassignment to NSHQ, Ottawa, after a tour of duty as the Commanding Officer of HMCS St Laurent, a River-class destroyer, which he had held since 1937. In Ottawa he served as the Director of Plans and Secretary to the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He returned to sea duty in 1943 as the Commanding Officer of the Tribal-class destroyer HMCS Haida. Known as a very able tactician, Dewolf earned the moniker 'Hard Over Harry' for his aggressive ship handling style. He participated in Dunkirk evacuations, North Atlantic convoy duty, two Arctic convoys to Russia, and in numerous night surface actions in the English Channel. HAIDA, while under his command, was responsible for the destruction of 14 enemy vessels, including three destroyers and one U-boat, totaling 36,000 tons of shipping. Ultimately reaching the rank of Vice-Admiral, Harry Dewolf was Canada’s most decorated sailor from the Second World War. As the Chief of Naval Staff, he earned a reputation as an effective strategic leader that was able to hold his own in the complex world of politics, inter-service rivalries, and international alliances. In addition to his wartime exploits, he was known as superlative staff officer with particular skill in naval, joint, and combined operations planning. Although largely educated in the Royal Navy, he was a proud Canadian and was dedicated to the Canadianization of the naval service 1940 - In Finland, the US Army transport American Legion departs Petsamo. Passengers include Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Martha of Norway and her 3 children; President Roosevelt has invited her to come to the US American Legion is the last neutral ship to leave Petsamo. In addition to her passengers, she carries a crated twin-mount 40-mm Bofors gun "with standard sights, spare parts and 3,000 rounds of ammunition" 1941 - Corvette HMCS The Pas launched Collingwood ON 1941 - Minesweeper HMAS Geraldton launched 1941 - Boom defense vessel HMAS Karangi launched 1941 - U-135 commissioned 1941 - U-667 laid down 1941 - U-88 & U-407 launched 1941 - Destroyer HMS Lamerton commissioned 1941 - The presidential yacht USS Potomac with US President Franklin D Roosevelt aboard arrives at Rockland, Maine. Roosevelt and his party disembark and board a train for Washington. Thus ends Roosevelt's trip to Newfoundland to meet with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill 1941 - US heavy cruisers USS Northampton and USS Salt Lake City arrive at Rabaul on New Britain Island for a good-will visit 1942 - U-507 sinks SS Araraquara, SS Annibal Benevolo & SS Baependy 1942 - U-596 sinks SS Suecia in Convoy SC-95 1942 - Destroyers USS Conway & Murray launched 1942 - Minesweeper USS Portent launched 1942 - Submarine USS Sibyl commissioned 1942 - Battleship USS Alabama commissioned 1942 - The unmanned USN non-rigid airship L-8, assigned to Airship Patrol Squadron Thirty Two based at NAS Moffett Field, California, is involved in a bizarre incident that has never been completely solved to this day. The L-8 left Treasure Island, California at 0600 on a routine patrol off the coast of San Francisco with a crew of 2, Lieutenant (j.g.) Cody and Ensign Adams. At 0738, the crew radioed that they were 4 miles east of the Farallon Islands and were investigating an oil slick. Approximately 2 hours later the airship crashed in Daly City, California. The engines were not running even though there was adequate fuel. The radio equipment was operative but there was no one on board. No trace was ever found of either man and there was no indication of what happened to them. The airship had apparently drifted with the wind toward land, exceeded her pressure height and deflated, settling to earth on power lines at Dale City. The door was locked open with the safety bar down and the only items missing from the blimp were two life preservers. The L-8 was salvaged and completely repaired 1943 - State of siege proclaimed throughout Norway 1943 - Tug HMCS Glenlea commissioned 1943 - Tug HMCS Glendon laid down Vancouver BC 1943 - U-828 laid down 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Major laid down 1943 - Minesweeper USS Shelter laid down 1943 - Frigates HMS Torridge & Wye launched 1943 - Frigate FS La Surprise launched 1943 - Corvettes HMS Shrewsbury Castle & Tunsberg Castle launched 1943 - Corvette USS Prudent commissioned 1943 - Destroyer USS Welles commissioned 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Calacaterra launched 1943 - Minesweepers USS Signet & Skirmish launched 1943 - Frigate HMS Capel commissioned 1943 - Destroyer escorts USS Hill, JRY Blakeley, Sloat & Welles commissioned 1943 - Aircraft carrier USS Intrepid commissioned 1943 - US freighter SS Benjamin Contee is hit by an aerial torpedo 16 miles north of Bone, Algeria. The ship is carrying 1,800 Italian POWs, 26 British guards and 7 US Army security men. The explosion kills 264 POWs and injures another 142. The ship is in no danger of sinking 1944 - Frigate HMCS Thetford Mines arrived Halifax from workups in Bermuda 1944 - Corvette HMCS Whitby arrived Halifax from refit Shelburne NS 1944 - U-862 sinks SS Empire Lancer 1944 - U-2518 laid down 1944 - USS PT-202 destroyed by enemy mine off Point Aygulf France Mediterranean Sea 1944 - USS PT-218 destroyed by enemy mine off Point Aygulf France Mediterranean Sea 1944 - Destroyer escort USS Mack commissioned 1944 - Minesweeper HMS Squirrel commissioned 1944 - Coast Guard-manned Army vessel FS-525 was commissioned with LTJG George C. Steinemann, USCGR, as commanding officer. She was assigned to and operated in the Southwest Pacific, and Western Pacific areas, including Milne Bay, Hollandia, etc 1944 - Coast Guard-manned Army vessel FS-263 was commissioned at New York LTJG W. G. Hill, USCGR, was her first commanding officer. On 6 September 1944, she departed New York for the Southwest Pacific where she operated during the war. On 1 August 1945, the FS-263 anchored in Serida Lagoon, Biak, New Guinea, without cargo awaiting orders to proceed to the Philippine area, and departed on the 2nd for Finschhafen, New Guinea. Arriving on the 6th, after an uneventful voyage, she loaded mail and commissary supplies for Oro Bay, New Guinea and Milne Bay, New Guinea. On the 7th she entered drydock at Finschhafen, where she remained until the 9th having her bottom scraped and repainted. On the 11th she departed Finschhafen to search for a man lost overboard on the 10th, but returned to port when the man was located on Scarlet Beach having swum ashore during the night. On the 15th she departed Finschhafen for Oro Bay, New Guinea, and moored there on the 16th. Here the #3 cylinder liner of her starboard engine was found to be cracked and it was deemed inadvisable to proceed to sea with only one engine. She was, therefore, docked at Oro Bay for the remainder of August 1945 with cargo for Oro Bay discharged but cargo for Milne Bay still on board. While the engine was being repaired, the crew was engaged in routine cleaning and upkeep work aboard the vessel. On 12 October 1945, Coast Guard crew was removed from the FS-263 and she was decommissioned. 1945 - Minesweeper USS Waxwing commissioned 1945 - While 100 miles east of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, destroyer USS Healy establishes sonar contact with an underwater object and carriers out a depth charge attack 1948 - RCN 18 CAG detachment to CJATC Rivers MB for ground support training 1950 - Destroyer HMCS Athabaskan proceeded Kunsan; bombarded and put out of commission four 120-mm artillery pieces, recently installed by North Koreans; as well warehouses on the waterfront were destroyed. Subsequently Athabaskan steamed directly to Popsong'po, a newly established infantry garrison with several batteries of heavy artillery, bombards the area with 45 HEDA rounds 1951 - Minesweeper HMCS James Bay laid down Esquimalt BC 1954 - Beginning of Operation Passage to Freedom, transport of refugees from Haiphong to Saigon, Vietnam 1954 - Destroyer HMCS Cayuga arrived Hokadate, Japan 1955 - Aircraft carrier HMCS Magnificent Avenger a/c #53610 - ABAC Stuart R Tock RCN killed after he walked into propeller while a/c running on deck 1956 - Destroyer HMCS Assiniboine commissioned 1960 - RCN VS 880, Tracker a/c #1586 crashed with two killed. On a night JULIE & MAD Trapping exercise working with ships & a submarine. While in a turn, at low level, returning to a smoke float marker, the port wing dug into the sea causing the a/c to cartwheel. Here is an account of the rescue - Your stories bring back vivid memories. I was aboard Chaudiere the night that the Tracker mentioned ditched we tried to launch a boat and the forward falls gave way. Two of us divers righted the boat and lower deck was cleared to hoist it. We then rescued the two crewmembers, the one crewmember was named 'Wilkins' and I pulled him out. My lifeline was tied to the guardrail on orders from the officer of the watch who will remain nameless. The lifeline slipped and it was pulled into the main intake wrapped around the impeller. I sent one diver down to try to free it but with the ship rolling his mask and mouthpiece was ripped off. I went down and stuck my fins in the grid, my mouthpiece and mask against the grid and got the rope cut out. By this time I was completely exhausted, I was hoisted hanging on to the Bos'n chair but let go. The Jimmy, the Ops O, and the engineer officer got me to hang on again and they, between them hauled me aboard. By the time I came aboard I was all set to throw one OOW overboard, but they laid Wilgriss and myself out on the deck of the wardroom. The Jimmy tried to cut me out of my diving suit but I fought him off (in the morning the Jimmy asked me why and all I could think of was the mountain of paper I would have to write explaining the loss of one of Her Majesties diving suits.) The Jimmy gave us a tot each and I think I know that I did, threw it up with half the Atlantic over the wardroom deck. Because there were no medals to cover our activities at the time we were given a Squadron Commanders commendation. A night to remember. Yours Aye Peter J. Wilkins CD 1967 - Frigates HMCS New Waterford & Swansea sold for scrapping in Savona, Italy 1967 - USS Hornet port call Hong Kong 1968 - RCN HS 50 Sea King a/c #4027 crashed after water landing. Airframe recovered & hull used as mock up for MODS. 4027 actually ditched on 22 June 1968 and it was on 16 August 1968 when it was s/o/s. That occurred after the recovered aircraft had been airlifted by the USAF to St-Hubert, where it was left untouched too long and suffered severe corrosion. At the time of the accident, it was still designated as a CHSS-2 Sea King. (The CH-124 designation didn't take effect until later, as did new 124xx serials, which this one also didn't last long enough to get) 1970 - USS Bon Homme Richard port call Subic Bay 1973 - HMCS Kootenay arrived back at Esquimalt from ICCS duties off Vietnam 1986 - Destroyer HMCS Saguenay suffered collision with German submarine U-17 in the Baltic Sea. The incident occurred during the post-exercise submarine surfacing procedure, which was hampered by poor acoustic conditions & communications difficulties. Saguenay suffered damage to her port propeller shaft, to the edges of both screws' blades, the port bilge rail, and a fuel tank was holed. The latter was not discovered until a few days later when contaminated fuel caused both boilers to be extinguished. Saguenay was withdrawn from the NATO Standing Naval Force and returned to Canada for repairs. The ship stopped at Portsmouth Dockyard for a week to have the port screw removed. The ship returned to Halifax on one shaft 1996 - Maritime Coastal Defense Vessel HMCS Edmonton launched Halifax NS 1955 - Frigate HMCS New Glasgow sails for Esquimalt 1990 - Multi-national maritime intercept operation began intercepting ships going to or from Iraq and Kuwait, consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 661. Thirteen amphibious ships announced to be deploying with the 4th MEB embarked 1996 - Lunenburg designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site 2001 - Frigate HMCS Winnipeg commenced 4 day visit Penang 2003 - Submarine USS Virginia christened 2004 - SS Cape Island laid up Tacoma WA RRF 2004 - Citing national security concerns, the Canadian Coast Guard Marine Communications and Traffic Service in Sarnia no longer will post what ships have passed the Black River buoy in the St. Clair River. The Canadian Coast Guard is the agency that monitors commercial vessel traffic on the river, which is a border between the United States and Canada 2005 - The Coast Guard Cutter Blue Shark will officially enter the Coast Guard fleet during a commissioning ceremony to be held Tuesday at Naval Station Everett at 0930. Rep. Dave Reichert, Wash., Rear Adm. Richard Houck, Thirteenth District Commander, and Lt. (j.g.) Luke Slivinski, Commanding Officer of the Blue Shark, are scheduled to speak at the ceremony. The Blue Shark is an 87-foot patrol boat and is the 60th marine protector class ship built for the Coast Guard. Once placed in service, it will operate out of Naval Station Everett. The primary missions will be search and rescue and maritime law enforcement in the coastal waters of Washington State. Julie Reichert, wife of Dave Reichert, will become the Blue Shark’s sponsor and will serve as a civilian advocate for the cutter and its crew. Doug Roulstone, President of the United States Navy League Everett Council will also be in attendance for the commissioning 2005 - The Federal Government has chosen Gibbs & Cox as the preferred designer for Navy's Air Warfare Destroyers (AWDs) - one of Australia's largest and most complex Defense projects worth up to $6 billion. Defense Minister Robert Hill said Gibbs & Cox now joins a team made up of ASC Shipbuilder Pty Ltd, who has been selected to build the AWDs, and Raytheon Australia, selected as the Combat System-System Engineer. Senator Hill said Gibbs & Cox, a United States based company, was chosen through a competitive tender evaluation process that also included German company Blohm + Voss and Spanish company Navantia 2005 - Australia and the United States have joined forces in the development of leading edge technology by signing a joint agreement to further develop Australian active phased array radar technology 2005 - Boscastle, Port Isaac and Bude Coastguard Rescue teams presented with the Wreck Shield at The Wellington Arms Hotel, Boscastle. Individuals who were directly involved will also be presented with Chief Coastguard commendations to reflect the work which resulted in the award of the Wreck Shield. Graham King the Deputy Station officer of the Boscastle team will receive a personal commendation for his prompt action, which was directly responsible for the lack of loss of life. On the afternoon of the 16th August the Boscastle, Port Isaac and Bude Coastguard Rescue teams were alerted to a fast developing flood in the village of Boscastle. Not surprisingly, the Boscastle team were quickly on scene, even though many of them had property which was suffering from the effects of the rising water. As the only emergency service on scene at this stage they took the lead in organizing the evacuation of villagers, the rescue of those stranded and ensuring others did not place themselves in danger. When the Port Isaac team arrived in Boscastle they acted in full support of the Boscastle team in rescuing stranded people. They also established a radio communications base, which ensured contact with other rescue services and authorities. The Station Officer Port Isaac coordinated the helicopters with, at times, up to 8 helicopters on scene. Shortly afterwards, the Bude team arrived on the other side of the village even though their town was on flood alert and rescued several people. Coastguards carried out all of this work in a highly charged environment with deafening noise from the raging and swollen river and aircraft overhead. However, due to the presence of mind of the Coastguard teams on scene and their determination and dedication to duty, many lives were saved 2005 - With a military civic ceremony, the Chief of Marine Territory and Merchant Marine, Vice-admiral Francisco Martinez Villarroel, inaugurated the new fiscal house of the Harbor Authority of Chañaral, Chile 2005 - Diana Shipping Inc announced that it has entered one of its Panamax dry bulk carriers, the Nirefs, into a short term time-charter contract with BHP Billiton Marketing AG for a period of approximately 20-25 days, estimated to begin on Aug 20, 2005, at a gross rate of $14,250 per day, with delivery immediately following termination of her drydocking at Singapore. Redelivery will take place at South China. The Nirefs is a Panamax dry bulk carrier of 75,311 dwt built in Korea in 2001 2005 - Denmark, Greenland and Canada agree to determine who owns Hans Island, a disputed Arctic island, at the negotiating table, Ritzau news bureau reported. "We have reached an agreement with the Canadians about ending the case. Now we will begin the studies required," Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller told daily tabloid B.T. Despite its mere 1.3 square kilometers, the island, located between Greenland and Canada, has been the subject of controversy since Canada's defense minister, Bill Graham, landed there last month and raised the Canadian flag. Denmark considers Hans Island to be part of Greenland, because hunters from the former Danish colony have traditionally used it. Although Greenland's Home Rule government administers domestic affairs, Denmark continues to represent Greenland in its foreign affairs. Last week, the Danish Navy sent the patrol ship Tuluigaq to raise a Danish flag on the island. Moeller told B.T. that the ship would not tamper with the Canadian flag, even though Denmark still considered the island to be part of Greenland. Moeller announced that he would meet Canadian Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew in New York to discuss ownership of Hans Island. If the two countries were unable to resolve the issue, they agreed to let the international court in The Hague determine who the rightful owner is 2005 - A man was taken into custody after he was found naked and acting erratic by a Coast Guard helicopter crew this afternoon near Sequim Bay, Wash. An HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Group/Air Station Port Angeles, Wash., was flying over Sequim Bay at 1432 when they saw a possible boat fire. The helicopter circled back to the vessel to investigate and found a man on the bow of a boat waving distress flares while acting erratically and making obscene gestures. A Coast Guard 25-foot response boat was launched from Station Port Angeles to investigate. The crew of the Coast Guard boat found the man naked and screaming obscenities while hitting his head on the deck of the boat. The Coast Guard instructed the man to dress and then he was detained aboard the Coast Guard boat. The man was taken to John Wayne Marina in Sequim, Wash., where he was turned over to the Sequim Police for further transport to Olympic Memorial Hospital for further evaluation. The incident is currently under investigation by the Sequim Police. The Coast Guard is towing the vessel in to John Wayne Marina 2005 - Yacht Land’s End wrecked at Corsica with FS Arago assisting in oil spill cleanup 2005 - Northrop Grumman confirmed that President George W. Bush has announced his intent to nominate Donald C. Winter, 57, to become Secretary of the Navy. Winter currently serves as corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman's Mission Systems sector, a position he has held since January 2000. Given the time demands of the confirmation process and to avoid any perception of conflict of interest, Winter will step down immediately from his current position. Until the hearings are concluded, he will report to Ronald D. Sugar, Northrop Grumman's chairman, chief executive officer and president, as an executive advisor to the CEO's office 2005 - Quintana Maritime Limited announced today that it has taken delivery of another Panamax vessel. The vessel named "Coal Pride," built in 1999, has a carrying capacity of 72,600 deadweight tons (dwt). The "Coal Pride" is employed with Cargill under a 4 to 6 month time charter at $15,000 per day gross. The fleet now includes seven Panamax size vessels with cargo carrying capacity of 511,682 dwt and an average age of approximately 8 years 2005 - Seawaves Publishing Inc unveils new logo 2006 - The second in the series of six Panamax product carriers under construction for Hellespont Hammonia was named at New Century Shipbuilding Co Ltd (NCS) in Jingjiang, China. Hellespont Progress follows the first in the series, Hellespont Pride, named in July. The sponsor of the Hellespont Progress was M Matsui, wife of the President and CEO of The Sanko Steamship Co 2006 - A Japanese tanker spilled about 4,365 tons of crude oil in the eastern Indian Ocean near the Nicobar Islands following a collision with a cargo ship. The spill is believed to be the largest involving Japanese-operated tankers, according a ship owner Mitsui OSK Lines. Tanker Bright Artemis spilled the oil following a collision with Amar, a smaller cargo ship, Mitsui OSK said. It said the tanker had maneuvered near the Amar, which was in distress about 500 kilometers west of the Nicobars. Both ships are registered in Singapore. The exact amount of the spill was not clear, the announcement said. The tanker was carrying about 227,000 tons of crude. It had left port in Oman, bound for the Japanese port of Chiba, near Tokyo 2006 - A Japanese fisherman died after a Russian border patrol boat fired on a fishing boat, apparently the first fatality in 50 years in a dispute over northern waters, Japan Coast Guard officials said. Japan's Foreign Ministry said it had asked the Russian side to confirm the facts and that, if it was the case that a fisherman had been shot to death, it would protest vigorously and may seek both an apology and compensation. In a statement it demanded the immediate release of the crabbing craft and its three remaining crewmembers, who were seized east of Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido 2006 - Larry Miller, MP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, on behalf of the Honorable Rona Ambrose, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the official opening of a $7.82 million Visitor Center for Bruce Peninsula National Park of Canada and Fathom Five National Marine Park of Canada 2006 - James Lunney, MP for Nanaimo--Alberni, announced on behalf of the Honorable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, funding totaling $550,000 for harbor improvements at three fishing harbors in the South Coast area of British Columbia 2006 - The Finnish Navy told the Finnish News Agency (STT) that it was not likely that a submarine had approached Helsinki in early August. But it added that the possibility could not be completely ruled out. The navy on Tuesday finished its analysis of an underwater sound contact recorded on 5 August and suspected of having been a submarine at the time 2006 - The medical detachment of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently held a seven-day exercise under the complicated circumstances of a maritime battlefield 2006 - Israel wants the Canadian Navy to help patrol the Lebanese coast to stop arms shipments to Hezbollah 2006 - Coast Guard rescue units along with local, state and other federal agencies search both the waters off Jupiter Inlet, Fla., and the shoreline for possibly seven Haitian migrants that were reported to have landed this morning with seven others 2006 - Leatherback turtle caught in fishing gear freed eight miles south of Harwich, Mass 2006 - Chinese government approved national plan for the distribution of seaports and the medium and long-term plans for the shipbuilding industry. The two plans approved at a meeting of the State Council chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao. It was agreed that a reasonable distribution of ports along the Chinese coast is of great importance to the national transport 2006 - Islamists in control of much of southern Somalia have seized a key port without any fighting, in a new blow to the country's weak interim government. Residents said fighters from the Islamic Courts Group (ICG) drove into Hobyo at dawn to take control of the town. Surrender was negotiated the previous evening with forces there loyal to the local commander, who had reportedly already left the area 2006 - An official Taiwanese fishery training ship embarked on a six-month mission to police Taiwanese vessels and foreign ships operating in the Atlantic Ocean. Yuhsun No. 2 -- under the authority of the Coast Guard Administration and the Fisheries Administration -- left Kaohsiung City for the Atlantic Ocean to monitor fishing boats operating there for 184 days to demonstrate Taiwan's commitment to prevent over-fishing on the high seas. It marked the first time that Taiwan had sent a fishing police vessel to the Atlantic Ocean since the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) late last year cut Taiwan's total allowable bigeye tuna fishing quota and slashed the number of Taiwan vessels allowed to operate in the Atlantic 2006 - USS Jimmy Carter underwent a ‘deperm’ at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor's Magnetic Silencing Facility (MSF) to minimize her magnetic signature and detection by marine mines 2007 - After combing a stretch of the Ogeechee River, the leader of a Navy dive team believes there are no more Vietnam-era military rockets on the riverbed like the three found near a public boat ramp 2007 - The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment announced it will make topographic maps of Viet Nam’s seabed, rivers and seaports 2007 - Egypt's navy has in the past few days rescued 91 would-be illegal immigrants headed for southern Europe via the Mediterranean Copyright 2008 Shirlaw News Group ISSN 1710-6966 Today in History Archives This information is licensed to the recipient only. 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