SeaWaves Today in History February 6, 2008 ********************************************************************* February 6 United Kingdom- Accession of HM Queen Elizabeth II Visiting Warships Dress Ship Overall. 21-gun salutes are fired ? 1756 - America's third vice president Aaron Burr born in Newark NJ ? 1778 - United States won official recognition from France with the signing of treaties in Paris ? 1806 - Vice Admiral Sir John Duckworth caught a squadron of French warships at San Domingo, capturing three and sinking two ? 1840 - Maori people sign the Treaty of Waitangi accepting Queen Victoria's sovereignty in their lands (New Zealand) ? 1862 - Union gunboat squadron captures Fort Henry, Tennessee River ? 1893 - Secretary of Treasury authorized to define and establish anchorage grounds for vessels in harbor of Chicago and adjacent waters of Lake Michigan ? 1899 - A peace treaty between the United States and Spain was ratified by the US Senate ? 1922 - World powers sign the Washington Naval Treaty providing for limitation of naval armament ? 1924 - Cunard liner SS Aurania launched ? 1924 - Light cruiser USS Raleigh commissioned ? 1928 - Sloop HMS Bridgewater laid down ? 1928 - Destroyer FS La Palme commissioned ? 1930 - Heavy cruiser USS Pensacola commissioned ? 1932 - Latvia and the USSR sign a nonaggression treaty ? 1933 - The highest wave ever recorded, 112 feet high, is observed (and survived) by the weather ship USS Ramapo during a Pacific hurricane ? 1936 - Destroyer HMS Isis laid down ? 1939 - Destroyer HMS Khartoum launched ? 1940 - Pressure from the Admiralty led to new guidelines for BBC war reporting being agreed at Broadcasting House today. From now on the sinking of a small ship may be mentioned only once on a BBC news bulletin. Sinkings of larger ships, like the Canadian Pacific freighter Beaverburn, may still be mentioned in consecutive bulletins. The government is worried by the rising effectiveness of German U-boats, and fears that zealous reporting by the BBC will give the impression that British losses are even greater than they are ? 1940 - German freighter SS Konsul Horn, which had departed Aruba, Netherlands West Indies, on 7 January, reaches Norwegian waters having eluded or deceived the US Neutrality Patrol as well as British and French warships ? 1940 - The UK Government produces a white paper on the SS Asamu Maru incident where light cruiser HMS Liverpool stopped the passenger liner on 21 January 35 miles off the Japanese coast and removed 21 German citizens from the ship ? 1940 - SS Anu struck a mine laid on 12 Dec 1939 by U-13 in the entrance to River Tay & sank ? 1940 - Destroyer HMS Pakenham laid down ? 1940 - Tug HMS Alligator commissioned ? 1941 - The Canadian United Towing and Salvage Co. merchantman Maplecourt (3,388 GRT) was sunk west of Northern Ireland in position 55.39N, 015.56W, by U-107, Kptlt Günther Hessler, Knight’s Cross, CO. All of her thirty-seven crewmembers and DEMS gunners were lost. Maplecourt had been travelling in Convoy SC-20 and was bound for Preston, England. She was one of four ships sunk by U-107 on her first combat patrol. Although Maplecourt was a member of convoy SC-20, most sources indicate that SC-20 arrived in Liverpool on 08 Feb 41 with all of its 38 ships intact. This probably indicates that she was either a ‘straggler’ or she had already detached and was proceeding independently for her destination. British records do not indicate convoy losses for ships that were lost outside of the main body of the convoy. U-107 was a long-range Type IXB submarine built by AG Weser, at Bremen. She was commissioned on 08 October 1940 and became the sixth most successful U-boat of the war. In 14 patrols, U-107 sank 38 ships for 217,751 tons and damaged four others for another 27,256 tons. U-107, LtzS Karl-Heinz Fritz, CO, was sunk on 18 August 1944 in the Bay of Biscay west of La Rochelle, in position 46.46N, 003.49W, by depth charges from a British ‘Sunderland’ patrol aircraft from FAA 201 Squadron. There were no survivors from her 58 crewmembers. Günther Hessler was born in 1909, at Frankfurt an der Oder. He joined the navy in 1927 and married Karl Donitz's daughter, Ursula, in Nov 37. His first operational service was as the CO of the torpedo boat Falke. Hessler transferred to the U-boat Force in Apr 40 and, after conversion training, was immediately selected for command. He took his U-boat Commander's Course in Aug-Sep 40 and was assigned to command U-107 on 08 Oct 40, at the age of 31. On his next patrol, after sinking Maplecourt, Kptlt Hessler put out from Lorient, France, on 29 Mar 41, for what would become the most successful patrol of the entire war. U-107 sailed in company with U-94, commanded by Kptlt Kuppisch, who later detached and proceeded further southwards. U-107’s operations area was between the Canary Islands and Freetown, where she sank 14 ships for a total of 86,699 tons. He started with the British merchantman Eskdene (3,829 GRT), which required two torpedoes and 104 rounds from the 105-mm deck gun before she sank. The largest ship sunk was the British Calchas (10,305 GRT). On 01 Jun 41, U-107 sank the British U-boat decoy or Q-ship, Alfred Jones (5,013 GRT). On 03 and 04 May, U-107 refueled from the German support ship Nordmark, together with U-105. Five days later they took on board 14 torpedoes, some food, fuel, and water from the support ship Egerland. Because Hessler was his son-in-law, Admiral Donitz would not award his deserved Knight's Cross. Eventually, Grand Admiral Raeder signed the papers and, on 24 Jun 41, he was awarded with the 34th Knight's Cross presented in the U-boat Force. U-107 returned to Lorient from her long patrol on 02 Jul 41. Hessler left U-107 in Nov 41 and served the rest of the war as a staff operations officer at U-boat Headquarters. He was promoted to FKpt on 01 Dec 44. After the capitulation, Hessler was detained until 15 Oct 45 but was then taken immediately to Nuremberg Prison and held there for six months as a material witness for the trail of his father-in-law. Afterwards, he was shuttled around between various prisons for another five months and was finally set free on 17 Sep 46. Günther Hessler died on 04 Apr 68, in Bochum-Laer. Hessler's final score was 21 ships sunk for a total of 118,822 tons, making him the 24th highest scoring U-boat ‘ace’ of the war ? 1941 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Coriolanus commissioned ? 1941 - U-176 laid down ? 1941 - U-556 commissioned ? 1941 - RAF Hurricanes of 33 Sqn are the only aircraft defending the Suez Canal & Alexandria. German mine laying has sunk three ships in the canal and temporarily blocked it ? 1941 - Hitler issues his War Directive No. 23 - Bombing is to be intensified on shipping and the ports to inflict the greatest possible damage on the British economy "and also to give the impression that an invasion is planned for this year" ? 1941 - Destroyer HMS Quantock commissioned ? 1941 - Destroyer HMAS Quickmatch laid down ? 1942 - U-boats that have been raiding Allied shipping along the U. S. East Coast break off Operation Drumbeat to return to their bases in France. They have sunk 25 ships in 25 days, including nine by U-123. Still, precautions along the coast are few - many oceanside communities are not blacked out at night; lighthouses & buoys are still lit; ships do not zigzag; and the USN has too few vessels to organize convoys. Admiral Karl Donitz is sending 15 subs to replace the first five; ten will stalk the Atlantic seaboard and five will prowl the Caribbean. During February this second wave of U-boats will sink 48 ships nearly half of them tankers ? 1942 - RAF Bomber Command dispatches 57 Wellingtons & 3 Stirlings to attack the German Fleet at Brest; only 21 aircraft claimed to have bombed the primary target area in thick cloud. One Wellington is lost ? 1942 - RAF Bomber Command dispatches 33 Hampdens & 13 Manchesters to carry out minelaying operations in the Friesian Islands; one Hampden is lost ? 1942 - SS Empire Star is finally allowed the berth along side the wharves at Singapore; she had a cargo of 16 tanks and 2,000 tons of ammunition. The local dockworkers & stevedores know her cargo and refuse to unload the ship so the ship's crew had to do the work themselves. As soon as the ship made fast to the docks Japanese aircraft appeared overhead and attacked the ship, in a panic, lines were cast off and the ship made clear of the docks. Each time the ship tried to unload the same thing happened, he master suspected Japanese fifth columnists were to blame ? 1942 - After offloading the survivors of Empress of Asia, HMAS Woolongong's crew spent the their last day in Singapore. Her captain, Lt Gordon Keith RANR purchased a 40mm Bofors from the army store for a crate of Gin. At midnight Wollongong departed Singapore. She would be the last allied warship to enter or leave the harbor for 4 years ? 1942 - The evacuation of Singapore continued unabated, HMS Danae, HMIS Sutlej & HMAS Yarra left Singapore escorting Convoy EMU consisting of Devonshire and Felix Roussel for India & City of Canterbury for Batavia. These ships had arrived the previous day as part of BM.12A with the 18th Division aboard ? 1942 - US Navy Department redesignates Naval Coastal Frontiers--Eastern, Gulf, Caribbean, Panama, Hawaiian, Northwest, Western, Philippine as Sea Frontiers ? 1942 - At 0530, the unescorted SS Halcyon was shelled by U-109 after two torpedoes missed at 0007 & 0242. The U-boat fired 200 shells with the 10.5cm gun and about 60 rounds with the 3.7cm Flak, until the vessel sank at 0745 ? 1942 - At 1608, the unescorted & unarmed SS Major Wheeler was hit by one torpedo from U-107 amidships & sank by the stern within two minutes east of Cape Hatteras. The U-boat had spotted another freighter, but disengaged and followed the Major Wheeler. None of the eight officers and 27 crewmen survived ? 1942 - At 1210, the unescorted MS Opawa was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-106 about 400 miles NNE of Bermuda. The ship had been chased since 0832 hours and stopped after the hit. The U-boat dived to get closer and observed the launching of four lifeboats. At 1417, U-106 surfaced & shelled the ship with 93 rounds until she sank at 1459. However, 54 crewmembers and two gunners were lost. The master and 14 crewmembers were picked up by the Dutch merchantman Hercules & landed at New York ? 1942 - U-82 sunk north of the Azores, in position 44.10N, 23.52W, by depth charges from sloop HMS Rochester & corvette HMS Tamarisk. 45 dead (all hands lost) ? 1942 - Steel derrick scows BD 9 & BD 10 ordered for RCN ? 1942 - Corvettes HMCS Eyebright & Drumheller arrived Londonderry with Convoy SC-66 ? 1942 - Corvettes HMCS Nanaimo & Matapedia left St John's to escort Convoy SC-68 to Londonderry ? 1943 - SS Zagloba sunk by U-262 at 56.32N, 16W ? 1943 - At 1917, SS Polyktor was torpedoed by U-266 & sank after two coups de grâce at 1930 & 1932. The ship was straggling from Convoy SC-118 due to problems with the rudder. Two survivors were taken prisoner ? 1943 - HMCS Louisburg was torpedoed and sunk by an Italian torpedo-bomber aircraft east of Oran, while escorting the 56-ship convoy KMS-8 from Gibraltar to Bone, Algeria. Louisburg sank with the loss of 42 crewmembers (two officers, 35 ratings, five RN), including the Commanding Officer. The convoy came under attack by German and Italian bombers and torpedo-bombers as it move eastward towards Sicily and away from Gibraltar-based fighter cover. At 19 -00, several enemy aircraft converged on the convoy from different directions and executed an aggressive low-level bombing attack. A few minutes later, five Italian torpedo-bombers swept in from ahead of the convoy and launched their weapons. Louisburg, who was stained in the van, was hit at 19 -10 by a torpedo that struck her on the port side amidships. The torpedo was dropped at such short range that there was no time to take evasive action. The attacking aircraft was hit and flew off trailing smoke but did not crash. The explosion of the torpedo killed the entire engine room staff. The order "Abandon Ship" was given immediately and the ship sank within three minutes. The majority of casualties were caused by the detonation of her own depth charges as the ship went down so quickly that there was no opportunity to set them to "Safe". Louisburg was a Flower-class corvette (1939-40 Program) built by Morton Engineering and Drydock Company, at Quebec City, PQ. She was commissioned on 02 Oct 41 and arrived in Halifax on 15 Oct. Louisburg was assigned to the Sydney Force and then was transferred to Newfoundland Command, where she had an active career. She was assigned to Operation Torch and deployed to the UK. After a refit for additional AA weapons, she was rammed by the Shoreham-class sloop HMS Bideford, which necessitated five weeks of repairs in Belfast. As soon as repairs were completed, she deployed to the Mediterranean. Louisburg was sunk soon after resuming operations ? 1943 - Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed CinC of all Allied forces in North Africa ? 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Doherty commissioned ? 1943 - U-481, U-1131, U-1195 laid down ? 1943 - U-426, U-427 launched ? 1943 - U-389, U-841 commissioned ? 1943 - Destroyer escorts USS Bostwick, George W Ingram, Howard D Crow & Pettit laid down ? 1943 - Light cruiser USS Pasadena laid down ? 1943 - Escort carrier USS Wake Island laid down ? 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Reuben James & Sims launched ? 1943 - Destroyer USS Dashiell launched ? 1943 - Frigate HMS Helford launched ? 1943 - Minesweepers USS Concise & Salute launched ? 1944 - U-177 sunk in the South Atlantic west of Ascension Island, in position 10.35S, 23.15W, by depth charges from a USN VB-107 Sqn Privateer. 50 dead and 15 survivors ? 1944 - The U-965 IWO fell overboard and drowned. [Leutnant zur See Gustav-Günther Schoop] ? 1944 - Frigate HMCS St Stephen launched Esquimalt BC ? 1944 - In Italy, both on the Cassino front and on the beachhead south of Rome, Allied troops were forced to withdraw under heavy German counterattacks ? 1944 - Patrol Boat VMV 12 is destroyed in Helsinki bombing while in dock ? 1944 - Light cruiser USS Atlanta launched ? 1944 - Minesweepers USS Design, Density & Invade launched ? 1944 - Destroyer USS Lowry launched ? 1944 - Destroyer USS Hugh W Hadley laid down ? 1945 - Coast Guard-manned Army vessel FS-223 was commissioned at New Orleans with LT E. G. Hamilton, USCG, as first commanding officer. He was succeeded on 8 August 1945, by LTJG J. W. Bingham, USCGR. She was assigned to and operated in the Southwest Pacific area including Guam. On 10 November 1945, in accordance with verbal orders of the Commander, Coast Guard Manning Detachment and US Army Transportation Corps, Tacloban, Leyte, Philippine Islands, Mr. Rio Torres assumed command for the US Army Transportation Corps. ? 1945 - At 1640, the unescorted US Liberty Ship Peter Silvester was hit by two torpedoes from U-862 SW of Australia. Both torpedoes struck on the starboard side at the #3 hold, but it was reported that one went straight through the ship while the other detonated in the hold, rupturing the deck forward of the bridge, blew off the hatch cover and caused the flooding of the hold and the engine room. As the ship settled by the bow, she was hit at 17.10 hours by two more torpedoes on the starboard side at the traverse bulkhead between holds #2 and #3. The eight officers, 34 crewmen, 26 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) and 107 US Army troops abandoned ship in four lifeboats and six rafts. Shortly thereafter, the vessel was hit by a coup de grâce at the #1 hold, causing her to break in two just forward of the superstructure. The forward section sank immediately, while the after section stayed afloat and was last seen deep in the water in the evening of 8 February ? 1945 - U-1302 sailed from Norway on her first & final patrol ? 1945 - U-1017 attacked Convoy TBC-60 SE of Durlston Head and claimed hits on two 6000 tons freighters. However, the only ship hit was Everleigh. Six crewmembers were lost. The master, 42 crewmembers and seven gunners were picked up by landing craft HMS LCI-33 & landed at Portland ? 1945 - Corvette HMCS Owen Sound departed Londonderry as escort for Convoy ON-283 to Halifax ? 1945 - HMC ML 094 of the 77th Flotilla paid off ? 1945 - Submarine USS Runner commissioned ? 1945 - U-2536 commissioned ? 1945 - Minesweeper USS Roselle commissioned ? 1945 - Submarine HMS Alderney laid down ? 1946 - Destroyer HMCS Algonquin paid off Esquimalt BC ? 1951 - HMCS Magnificent departs Halifax for Bermuda area for first cruise of the year. Embarks 18th CAG (826 [Avenger], 883 [Sea Fury] Sqns) @ Quonset Point. First southern cruise with Avengers aboard -- all unmodified TBM-3Es ? 1952 - Britain's King George VI died; he was succeeded by his daughter, Elizabeth II ? 1961 - Light cruiser HMCS Quebec (ex-HMCS/HMS Uganda) arrived Osaka for scrapping ? 1972 - USS Enterprise port call Pearl Harbor ? 1973 - Operation End Sweep mine clearing begins off North Vietnam ? 1974 - USS Oriskany port call Hong Kong ? 1978 - From Feb.6th to Feb 8 1978, The CGC Decisive was engaged three concurrent SAR missions in the worst storm in over 100 years. Decisive sustains over 25-ft sea, zero visibility and winds between 60 and 100 knots. Decisive assisted the f/v Taormina B, Search for the Pilotboat CanDO and evacuated all personal off the grounded Tanker Global Hope. During the storm and rescue, Decisive rolled over 60 degrees to both port and starboard ? 1991 - USS Missouri has destroyed 4 artillery emplacements and a command bunker with another 16-inch gun barrage in support of Marines. In a second salvo, the Missouri fired 28 16-inch rounds against a radar control site complex, completely destroying it. 5-inch batteries also engaged. Missouri has fired a total of 112 16-inch shells and 12 five-inch rounds in eight fire support missions over 48 hours. Within two hours of relieving its sister battleship, USS Wisconsin conducted its first naval gunfire support mission since the Korean War, firing an 11-round salvo with its 16-inch guns and destroying an Iraqi artillery battery in southern Kuwait. Secondary explosions reported. USS Nicholas escorted the battleship ? 1991 - Navy and Marine Corps aircraft have flown over 11,000 combat during Operation Desert Storm. USS Germantown and 30 other amphibious ships arrive in the Arabian Gulf with 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade embarked. Germantown also embarked four air cushion landing craft (LCAC) for combat operations ashore, a first in Navy history ? 1991 - Naval maritime intercept operations continue with over 7,100 merchantmen challenged, over 860 ships boarded, and 40 diverted ? 1996 - Atlas Airlines Flight 301 crashes off the Dominican Republic and Coast Guard units conduct search and rescue operations ? 1996 - Coast Guard units respond to calls of assistance due to severe flooding throughout the Pacific Northwest ? 2004 - USS John S McCain test-fired a RIM-7 NATO SeaSparrow missile against drones launched from USS Essex. First known operation of this type of missile from a Flight I Arleigh Burke-class destroyer ? 2004 - RRF Cape Ducato, Cape Trinity & Cape Domingo activated ? 2006 - RT Hon Stephen Harper sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada. Hon Gordon O'Connor named Minister of Defense ? 2006 - Royal Caribbean International has ordered a new generation cruise vessel from Aker Yards. The contract price being approximately EUR 900 million, this is the most valuable ship ever ordered in the history of commercial shipbuilding. The 220,000 GRT ship, a prototype developed under Project Genesis, will be delivered from Aker Yards, Finland in autumn 2009. The order means 5,800 person-years of work for the yard. The contract includes an option for a similar vessel ? 2006 - Blount Boats, Inc. has signed a contract with Wendella Sightseeing Company, Inc. to construct an 89 x 30 ft. steel excursion vessel. The vessel was designed by Timothy Graul Marine Design and will operate in the Chicago area. The 300 passenger vessel will be powered by twin screw Caterpillar engines ? 2006 - Cut 988 Horizon Offshore announced that subsidiary, Horizon Vessels Inc. agreed to acquire the Sea Wrangler, a diving support and deepwater reel pipelay vessel. The company expects to complete the purchase later this month and to finance a portion of the purchase price. Horizon intends to rename the vessel the Texas Horizon and place it into service as soon as possible ? 2006 - For the first time since the agreement on joining Operation Active Endeavour (OAE) was signed, a team of NATO naval experts will work alongside the crew of a Russian Federation naval task group. With the aim of preparing Russian units to join NATO’s anti-terrorism operation and improving the interoperability between NATO and Russian ships, a five-person strong NATO team will embark on the cruiser RFS Moskva at Sevastopol (Ukraine) on 5 February. They will co-ordinate the training of personnel from the Black Sea Fleet headquarters and ships that will be deployed in the Mediterranean to support NATO in OAE ? 2006 - Deep Blue Marine Inc is pleased to announce that the company has retained the services of Burt Webber to perform site analysis and site planning services for salvage recovery. Webber has a vast knowledge of underwater wreck salvage and has personally made 26 historic shipwreck discoveries and has been involved in numerous recovery operations in many different areas of the world. In 1978 he discovered the Concepcion, a Spanish galleon carrying millions of dollars in silver. Webber is known in the salvage industry as one of the most successful salvage divers in the world. He is sought after as a consultant by governments and companies worldwide. Deep Blue Marine Inc. (DPBM) is pleased to have someone of Webber's ability and background on board to give advice and assistance when needed ? 2006 - The world's first tankers to be specified with the Common Structural Rules (CSR) for tankers of 150 meters and above have been ordered to Lloyd's Register class at New Times Shipbuilding Co, Ltd in China for a large Cyprus-based owner. The order is for four Aframax tankers of 114,000 dwt. It is anticipated that the keel of the first ship will be laid in July 2007, with delivery in July 2008 ? 2006 - Mediterranean ferry passengers on the Malta-Italy route are soon to enjoy a stylish new delivery with the introduction of Maria Dolores, an Austal Auto Express 68 meter vehicle-passenger ferry for Virtu Ferries. Set to replace the existing 52 meter ferry, "Maria Dolores" will have additional capacity to carry 600 passengers and 65 cars or 95 lane meters of trucks plus 35 cars on a vehicle deck with an impressive clear height of 4.6 meters ? 2006 - The Russian icebreaker Krasin of FESCO Line escorted the tanker Lawrence H. Gianella to McMurdo station of the United States' National Science Foundation in the Antarctic. The Krasin covered 21 miles, sealed with ice, in three hours ? 2006 - Manitowoc Company announced that Moran Towing Corporation awarded Manitowoc Marine Group a follow-on contract for construction of two ocean-class, double-hull, hot oil tank barges. The vessels, which will be built by its Bay Shipbuilding Co. (BSC) subsidiary, are identical to a pair of tank barges that BSC constructed and delivered to Moran in 2004 and 2005. Measuring 425 feet in length by 78 feet in width, Moran's newest tank barges will be configured with ten cargo compartments that provide a 100% cubic capacity of 118,836 barrels of petroleum products. The barges will also feature an onboard heating system to maintain consistent cargo temperatures of 135 degrees F. A stern notch and Intercon coupling system will link each barge to a customer-supplied tug. Vessel deliveries are expected in the second quarter of 2007 and the second quarter of 2008 ? 2006 - HMS Ocean, sailed from Devonport Naval Base to take part in a winter-training exercise in Norway. The exercise will take place in Northern Norway and will include multi-national forces operating at sea and on land. In addition to many ships, the land exercise will involve nearly 15,000 troops. HMS Ocean will embark several sea king helicopters in the week commencing 13 February 2006 in the channel before a short visit to Portsmouth Naval Base. She will then deploy to Norway and rendezvous with her Royal Marines from 45 Commando ? 2006 - Indian Navy decided not to lease two US Navy P-3C Orion maritime reconnaissance aircraft (MRA) because they are too expensive. Sources said that the 18 to 24 months the US Navy would have taken to retrofit the two aircraft to the Indian Navy’s specifications also contributed to New Delhi opting out of the deal. "The lease (of two P-3C Orions) is off. It was expensive and time-consuming," a senior Indian official said. The US Navy is believed to have demanded Rs 8 billion for the lease via the foreign military sales program, the Indo-Asian News Service reported. The Indian Navy has now sent out proposal requests to MRA manufacturers in the US, France, Britain and Russia for the purchase of eight MRAs ? 2006 - A crew from Coast Guard Air Station Miami, Fla., rescued a Navy F/A-18 pilot at 1741after he was forced to eject from the aircraft five miles south of Boca Chica, Fla. The Navy pilot was hoisted into a Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin Helicopter that had been diverted from another mission in the area. The pilot was taken to Lower Keys Memorial Hospital and was reported to be in good condition. The Coast Guard received the report of the downed F/A-18 from the commanding officer of the Naval Air Station Key West at Boca Chica at 1702. Several assets were launched or diverted to help in the search for the pilot. Coast Guard Station Key West launched two rescue boats, Air Station Miami launched two HH-65 helicopters, an HC-130 aircraft from Air Station Clearwater, Fla. was launched and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also assisted in the search ? 2006 - USCGC Dauntless returned home to Galveston, Texas after completing a 43-day Gulf of Mexico patrol. The Dauntless and its 77-person crew left Galveston on Dec. 27; to conduct homeland security missions and enforce fisheries laws in the Gulf of Mexico. The cutter patrol the Gulf waters from Freeport, Texas to Apalachicola, Fla., and traveled more than 5,000 nautical miles. While on patrol, crewmembers from Dauntless boarded 48 commercial fishing boats to ensure each vessel was in compliance with all federal fisheries laws and Coast Guard safety regulations. During each boarding, Dauntless crewmembers trained and educated fishermen about safety requirements and good boating practices. On Jan. 26 at approximately 0300, Dauntless responded to a search and rescue case involving a severely injured fisherman aboard the shrimp trawler Capt Linwood. The fisherman had snagged his arm on a wire cable used to haul in shrimp nets. The wire cable drew the fisherman's arm into the winch, severing it just below his shoulder. Once on scene, a medical team from Dauntless successfully stabilized the fisherman and transported him to the cutter using their small boat. Dauntless’ emergency medical technician provided critical first aid to the injured fisherman and packed the severed limb on ice. The fisherman was later evacuated off the ship by a Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Houston and taken to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. There fisherman's arm was re-attached the following day and he is expected to regain partial use. The crew of the Dauntless also conducted deck landing qualifications (DLQ’s), in-flight refueling and vertical replenishment operations with helicopters from Coast Guard Air Stations in Mobile Ala., and New Orleans and Houston. The crew also conducted gunnery exercises, training in damage control and navigation. The crew enjoyed some rest when the cutter made port calls in Panama City and Pensacola, Fla ? 2006 - USCG is conducting a Waterways Analysis Management System (WAMS) study of existing aids to navigation on the navigable waterways in the San Francisco Bay Area, to determine the degree to which they facilitate safe commercial and recreational navigation. The study has already begun and will continue through March 24, 2006. The study will focus on three specific waterways: Southern Approach to San Francisco, Gulf of Farallones, and Approach to San Francisco. These areas include the navigable waters between Point Montara Light and Tennessee Cove to the north and south, and between the Golden Gate Bridge to the 100 fathom curve to the east and west. The specific subjects of interest to the CG include: Traffic Zones, Traffic Separation Zones, Precautionary Areas, Regulated Navigation Areas, and Channel Markers ? 2006 - Petty Officer 3rd Class John T. Fralish, 30, of New Kingstown, Pa., died when enemy forces opened fire on a US patrol northwest of Methar Lam in Laghman Province, Afghanistan. Fralish was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division Detachment, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii ? 2006 - A two-seat Navy F/A-18D aircraft from VFA 125, impacted the ocean approximately four miles southeast of Key West during a routine training mission at approximately 1717 ? 2006 - Meritorious Unit Commendation award presented to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Three One (VX-31) for exceptional service and superior performance from Oct. 18, 2002 to April 2, 2004. Naval Test Wing Pacific Commander Capt. Alex Hnarakis read the citation to squadron members as he presented the official award to Cmdr. Tim Morey, VX-31’s commanding officer ? 2007 - A £40 million royal research ship is be named by HRH The Princess Royal at the National Oceanography Center in Southampton. RRS James Cook is the latest addition to the Natural Environment Research Council's fleet of oceanographic research ships. It is one of the most advanced research vessels in the world and will carry scientists to some of the earth's most challenging environments, from tropical oceans to the edge of the ice sheets. It was commissioned in 2004 to replace RRS Charles Darwin, which has reached the end of its working life as a scientific research ship. Ships such as RRS James Cook help scientists to address fundamental questions such as climate change. They provide platforms to study marine processes like ocean currents, the deep ocean floor and the creatures and organisms that inhabit the seas ? 2007 - CS Development Hong Kong, an offshoot of China Shipping Development, has placed $323.2m worth of orders with CSSC Guangzhou Longxue Shipbuilding for four 230,000 dwt very large ore carriers, writes Keith Wallis in Hong Kong ? 2007 - P&O Ferries, with a fleet of five ships operating between Dover and Calais, is taking the first steps in the design of two new bigger ferries for that route while port operators make plans for berths to accept the bigger ships ? 2007 - Sixty people drowned at sea off the coast of Cameroon when a wooden motor boat packed with passengers and cargo capsized on its way to neighboring Nigeria ? 2007 - A Soviet-era submarine being towed to a museum in Thailand sank near Denmark. According to Denmark's body overseeing sea navigation, the sub (NATO codename Whiskey) was being tugged from a Polish shipyard. Some 34 miles from the Danish coast, the submarine began taking on water and the tugboat crew had to disconnect the towing cable as the ship sank ? 2007 - Randall B. Jackson, CEO of Residential Cruise Line Ltd announces the company has signed an MOU with Aker Yards to build the world's largest residential cruise ship, the Magellan ? 2007 - Bethan Morris, a 17-year-old from Chesterfield, has become the youngest sailor to qualify to drive the Royal Navy's new Pacific 24 seaboat ? 2007 - After a three-month delay, the US Navy announced it would "surplus" the shuttered Concord Naval Weapons Station ? 2007 - Diana Shipping Inc. signed an MOU with an unaffiliated third party for the purchase of a Capesize dry bulk carrier of approximately 175,000 dwt. The ship is currently under construction by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., for the price of $98 million. The vessel, to be named Semirio, is expected to be delivered to the Company by the sellers immediately upon completion of its construction on or about June 15, 2007 ? 2008 - USCG Commandant Admiral Thad W. Allen speaks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School Forum on maritime security ============================================================= Sources: Colton Shipping Report, NOAA, MARAD, Marine Digest, Leo Pettipas, Kommersant, Samuel Loring Morison, Frank Pierce Young, Navy Times, Naval Institute Proceedings, www.uboat.net, Andrew Etherington, John Nicholas, US Naval Historical Center, Ministry of Defense, US Coast Guard, Thomas N. Carlson, Jack Arrowsmith, Allan Snowie, Ken Hansen, Andy Barber, John Weiss, Jack McKillop, Bernard de Neumann, Sympatico Today in History, Washington History Link, Lloyds List, Fairplay, New York Times, I-Newswire and other news sources in the public domain. Additions, submissions and corrections are always welcomed. ============================================================= Today in History Archives at: http://www.seawaves.com/newsletters/today_in_history_archive.htm Copyright 2008 Shirlaw News Group ISSN 1710-6966 Photos courtesy of US Naval Historical Center, US Coast Guard Historical Center, Wikipedia Encyclopedia or Naval Museum of Manitoba unless otherwise noted. Images may be subject to copyright. Ask before you right-click.