SeaWaves Today in History February 7, 2008 ********************************************************************* February 7 ? Jordan - Anniversary of Accession of King Abdullah II. Warships marking the occasion Dress Ship with masthead flags. A 21-gun salute is fired at noon ? 1800 - USS Essex becomes first US Navy vessel to cross the Equator ? 1815 - The Board of Naval Commissioners, a group of senior officers, is established to oversee the operation and maintenance of the Navy, under the direction of the Secretary of the Navy ? 1853 - Admiral Ivan Konstantinovich Grigorovich (died March 3, 1930) born in Russia 1855 - Admiral E.V. Putyatin signed the first Russian-Japanese treaty in Shimoda ? 1867 - Three Royal Navy gunboats are in winter quarters around the Great Lakes. Heron is birthed at Toronto; Britomart at Dunnville on Lake Erie; and Cherub at Goderich. The ships have been kept in Canadian waters as a deterrent to further attempts by Fenian raiders to invade Ontario ? 1899 - Birth of one of the world's largest defense contractors, General Dynamics - former railroad lawyer Isaac S. Rice, who has purchased the Electric Launch Company (known later as Elco, builder of PT Boats), Electro Dynamic Company, Exide Battery Company, and the Holland Torpedo Boat Company, amalgamates them all into a new device called a "holding company," called Electric Boat Co., whose namesake goes on to build most of the submarines in World Wars I and II as well as the modern nuclear era. The company changed its name to General Dynamics in 1952 after the purchase of Canadair and Convair ? 1905 - Negotiations between Norway and Sweden on the issue of foreign policy, and in particular consular administration, are terminated ? 1908 - Submarine HMS C23 laid down ? 1916 - Cruiser HMS Calypso laid down ? 1918 - People's Commissariat for Military ad Naval Affairs issues Order No. 84 to preserve all aviation units and schools for the use of the working people ? 1921 - Submarine USS S-11 launched ? 1925 - Liner SS Alaunia launched ? 1933 - Light cruiser HMS Ajax laid down ? 1934 - Destroyer HMS Exmouth launched ? 1936 - President Roosevelt authorized a flag for the office of the vice president ? 1939 - Minesweeper HMS Sphinx launched ? 1939 - Submarine USS Sargo commissioned ? 1940 - Flower-class corvettes HMCS Napanee, Sudbury & Prescott ordered ? 1940 - Soviet submarine SC-311 received the Red Banner Award (Orden Krasnogo Znameni) ? 1940 - U-562 laid down ? 1940 - About 0600, SS Munster struck a mine laid on 6 January by U-30 in the Queens Channel & sank. The master, 44 crewmembers & 190 passengers were picked up by the British coaster Ringwall and landed at Liverpool ? 1941 - U-564 & U-652 launched ? 1941 - Soviet submarine K-55 launched ? 1941 - Command headquarters for the RN Western Approaches is moved from Plymouth to Liverpool ? 1941 - US Admiral Hart is ordered to insist on US command of any Allied fleet which arose from the discussions with British and Dutch representatives he was conducting ? 1942 - At 0552, the unescorted SS Empire Sun was torpedoed & sunk by U-751 south of Halifax. Eight crewmembers, two gunners and one RAF personnel were lost. The master, 34 crewmembers, twelve gunners & seven RAF personnel landed at Liverpool NS ? 1942 - Destroyer HMAS Warramunga launched ? 1942 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Egilsay launched ? 1942 - Canadian Government merchantman Maurienne (3,259 GRT) was damaged by fire while at Pier 27/28 in Halifax Harbor. She was salvaged, repaired, and returned to service in 1943 ? 1942 - USN announced that the combined naval forces of the Australian-New, Zealand area had been placed under command of Vice Admiral Herbert F. Leary, of the United States Navy, with the title of "Commander Anzac Forces" ? 1942 - Submarine HIJMS I-25 launches a Yokosuka E14Y1, Navy Type 0 Small Reconnaissance Seaplane (later given the Allied Code Name "Glen"), to reconnoiter Sydney ? 1942 - Nine USAAF 5th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses based at Singosari Airdrome on Java, attempt to bomb Japanese shipping at Balikpapan but are driven off by fighters ? 1942 - Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9054 establishing the War Shipping Administration (WSA) to bring the control and operation of all US merchant shipping under a single head. The WSA's most pressing task is to mobilize the shipping capacity of the country (the majority of which is still in private hands by the end of the year 1941) to bring it under single control so that vessels can be allocated more readily on the basis of overall shipping needs of the US and the Allies ? 1942 - Ch/Skr (Chief/Skipper) Henry William Stone, RCNR, was appointed to HMCS Avalon, a depot ship berthed at St. John’s, while awaiting subsequent transfer to HMCS Cowichan, a Bangor-class minesweeper. Avalon was a Great Lakes passenger steamer that had been requisitioned for use in St. John’s, as the base facilities there were rudimentary. She was used as an administrative support and temporary accommodation facility, supporting minor warships until the end of the war. Later in the war, William Stone returned to Cowichan on 23 Apr 45, this time as Skpr/Lt. (Skipper/Lieutenant), the rank designation for a Commanding Officer from the RCNR. He remained with the ship until she decommissioned on 09 Oct 45. Skippers, Chief/Skippers, and Skipper/Lieutenants, were ranks in the RCNR, whereas Skipper/Coxswains and Coxswains were Fisherman Reserve ranks. Fishermen Reserve officer ranks were supposedly equivalent to warrant ranks. Fishermen Reserve Officers did not wear braid, which made them difficult to distinguish from Padres ? 1942 - Submarine USS S-23 departed Dutch Harbor on her first war patrol. Within hours, she encountered the heavy seas and poor visibility which characterized the Aleutians. Waves broke over the bridge, battering those on duty there, and sent water cascading down the conning tower hatch. On the 10th, S-23 stopped to jettison torn sections of the superstructure, a procedure she was to report on her subsequent patrols; and on the 13th, the heavy seas caused broken bones to some men on the bridge. For another three days, the submarine patrolled the great circle route from Japan, then headed home, arriving at Dutch Harbor on the 17th ? 1943 - Destroyer escorts USS Fechteler & Reeves laid down ? 1943 - Rescue tug HMS Mindful launched ? 1943 - U-609 sunk in the North Atlantic, in position 55.17N, 26.38W, by depth charges from the Free French corvette Lobelia. 47 dead (all hands lost) ? 1943 - U-624 sunk in the North Atlantic, in position 55.42N, 26.17W, by depth charges from an RAF 220 Sqn Fortress. 45 dead (all hands lost) ? 1943 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Tervani sunk off Cape Bougaroni, Algeria in position 37.22N-06.14E by Italian submarine Acciaio ? 1943 - Soviet submarine K-22 mined & sunk of the Kongsfjord, Northern Norway on while on her 8th war patrol ? 1943 - Destroyer USS Shubrick commissioned ? 1943 - The six-month Battle of Guadalcanal ends as Japanese ships evacuate the last of their troops, giving the US uncontested control of the land, sea and air campaign that was the major turning point in the war in the Pacific ? 1943 - At 2359, Convoy MKS-7 ran into a minefield laid by U-118 on 1 & 2 February west of Gibraltar and lost three ships - Baltonia, Mary Slessor & Empire Mordred. Nine crewmembers and one gunner from Baltonia were lost. The master, 42 crewmembers and nine gunners were picked up by the British merchant Kingsland, transferred to HMCS Alberni & landed at Londonderry. Twelve crewmembers and three gunners from the Empire Mordred were lost. The master, 41 crewmembers and 13 gunners were picked up by HMS Scarborough & landed at Londonderry. The Mary Slessor later sank in 35°55N/06°02W in the Strait of Gibraltar. 28 crewmembers, two gunners and two passengers (military personnel) were lost. The master, 32 crewmembers, 12 gunners and three passengers were picked up by HMS Landguard & landed at Liverpool ? 1943 - At 0636, SS Afrika in Convoy SC-118 was torpedoed and sunk by U-402 southeast of Cape Farewell. The master, 18 crewmembers and four gunners were lost. 29 crewmembers, six gunners and two passengers were picked up by corvettes HMS Campanula & Mignonette & landed at Liverpool ? 1943 - At 0438, SS Daghild in convoy SC-118 was hit by one torpedo from U-402 (Forstner) in grid AK 6666. All 39 crewmembers abandoned ship in lifeboats and were picked up by the French corvette Lobelia. The corvette later encountered the Greek steam merchant Adamas (4144 tons) in sinking condition after she had been rammed by a destroyer in 56.35N/22.23W, while proceeding in the same convoy. The Lobelia picked up eleven men and ordered the remaining men on the ship to stay on board until daylight. But many jumped overboard and died in the cold water. The corvette could only pick up two men and revive them. Not long afterwards they encountered a wreck drifting around upside down (perhaps the Daghild) and was ordered to sink it, but after several attempts they had to stop because her engine was damaged and could only made two knots. At 0237 hours on 8 February, the wreck of the Daghild was sunk by one coup de grâce from U-608 and with her the British landing craft HMS LCT-2335. The corvette Lobelia had now over 100 people on board, a damaged engine and the U-boat danger was ever present. The next morning the Admiralty sent a destroyer to assist, which took the corvette in tow until that evening, when the destroyer had to search for a lifeboat with 15 men in it, which was sighted by an aircraft. The destroyer returned the next morning, without having found the lifeboat, but at that time Lobelia was able to do 8 knots on her own and proceed alone, because the destroyer, having about 140 shipwrecked people on board had to go to port. The corvette arrived safely at Greenock on 12 February ? 1943 - At 0659, SS Henry R. Mallory in station #33 of convoy SC-118 was torpedoed by U-402 about 600 miles south-southwest of Iceland. One torpedo struck on the starboard side at the #3 hold. The explosion damaged the main steam line, destroyed the oil pump and engine room gauges and blew off the #4 hatch covers. The stern settled quickly and gradually began to list to port until it sunk 30 minutes after the hit. The ship had ten lifeboats for the nine officers, 68 crewmen, 34 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, two 3in and eight 20mm guns) and 383 passengers (136 US Army, 72 US Marine Corps, 173 US Navy and 2 civilians). Two of them were destroyed by the explosion, a third could not be launched and two more on either side capsized in the rough seas. Only three boats with 175 men cleared the ship, many others jumped into the water and tried to reach the rafts. None of the other ships in the convoy knew that the troop transport had been hit. Destroyer USS Schenck searched for survivors from Toward and saw lights in the distance. The skipper requested permission to investigate the lights, but it was denied. The survivors were found four hours after the sinking by USCGC Bibb, it was only then that it was discovered the Henry R. Mallory had been hit. The cutter rescued 205 survivors of which three later died and another US Coast Guard cutter, the Ingham picked up 22 additional survivors, but two of them died later. The master, 48 crewmembers, 15 armed guards and 208 passengers were lost ? 1943 - At 0735, SS Kalliopi in Convoy SC-118 was torpedoed & sunk by U-402 ? 1943 - At 1708, HMS LCI (L)-162 was torpedoed by U-596 & exploded ? 1943 - At 0411, U-614 fired a spread of three torpedoes at Convoy SC-118 SE of Cape Farewell and observed two detonations on the target and one on a ship beyond. However, the only ship hit was the Harmala, which sank. The master, 31 crewmembers, ten gunners and one naval signalman were lost. 11 crewmembers were picked up by the Free French corvette Lobelia & landed at Greenock ? 1943 - At 0200, U-77 fired a spread of four torpedoes at Convoy KMS-8 west of Algiers and sank the ships in station #13 and #14, the Empire Webster and Empire Banner. The master Jeffrey James Bedford OBE, 46 crewmembers, 15 gunners and ten passengers (army personnel) from the Empire Banner were picked up by corvette HMCS Camrose & landed at Algiers. The master Alexander Roderick Duncan, 49 crewmembers, one gunner and eight Army personnel from the Empire Webster were picked up by Camrose & landed at Algiers. Three crewmembers and one gunner were lost ? 1944 - X22 was involved in towing exercises with HMS Syrtis when heavy seas and gale force winds washed Syrtis’ Officer of the Watch overboard. The towing submarine immediately turned to rescue the officer and in doing so collided with X22. The small X-craft sank almost immediately ? 1944 - ? 1944 - Escort carrier USS Salerno Bay laid down ? 1944 - Submarine USS Sea Owl laid down ? 1944 - Destroyer escort USS Melvin R Nawman launched ? 1944 - Aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga launched ? 1944 - Destroyer HMCS Algonquin (ex-HMS Valentine) commissioned ? 1944 - Frigates HMS Hargood & Sarawak commissioned ? 1944 - Destroyer escort USS Gandy commissioned ? 1944 - U-1015 launched ? 1944 - During the boat's trials in the Baltic near Hela one man died when he fell overboard from U-1003 while transferring to an outpost boat (V-Boot). [Funkgefreiter Werner Guhl] ? 1944 - Frigate HMCS Meon commissioned ? 1945 - Lighter, Garbage (Self-Propelled) YG-44 lost at Pearl Harbor ? 1945 - Submarine USS Carbonero commissioned ? 1945 - Corvette HMCS Merrittonia departed St John's to escort Convoy ON-283 ? 1945 - The following UP report was released to the newswires - Capetown, South Africa - The British liner Orcades, the largest and finest ship of the Orient line, was sunk near here October 12, 1942, the Navy revealed today. The Polish liner Narwik rescued more than 1000 survivors, and approximately 40 lives were lost. En route to England with a passenger load of soldiers and several hundred civilians, many of who were women and children, the Orcades was hit by six torpedoes. The Narwik steamed up in the darkness to pick up survivors while covering the submarine - which surfaced several miles away - with its stern gun. [The Orcades was actually sunk on 10 October 1942 by U-172 (Emmermann)] ? 1945 - U-4706 commissioned ? 1945 - U-3038 launched ? 1946 - Destroyer USS Bausell commissioned ? 1947 - Submarine HMS Aurochs commissioned ? 1955 - Seventh Fleet ships begin evacuation of Chinese nationalists from Tachen Islands ? 1957 - Acceptance of first RCN CS2F-1 Tracker for squadron service by VS 881 ? 1965 - In response to a Viet Cong attack on barracks area at Pleiku, South Vietnam, aircraft from carriers, USS Coral Sea, Hancock & Ranger attack North Vietnamese area near Donghoi ? 1967 - USS Ticonderoga port call Subic Bay ? 1969 - USCGC Tern, commissioned on this date and stationed in New York, embodied an advanced concept in servicing aids to navigation. Her over-the-stern gantry system of handling buoys is unique. The automation and modernization of over-age, isolated lighthouses and light stations showed significant progress this year. A new, more effective version of the LAMP (Lighthouse Automation and Modernization Project) plan was promulgated in this year ? 1974 - Grenada won independence from Britain ? 1980 - The CGC Cape Horn saves all six crewmen of the Hattie Rose in a dramatic nighttime rescue. The crew was forced to abandon their 75-foot fishing vessel in 25-foot seas and 45-knot winds, 15 miles east of Provincetown. The fishing vessel Paul and Dominic also aided in the rescue by directing the Cape Horn to the men in the water ? 1983 - An avalanche smash the able seamen's quarter at Naval Base Grønnedal, Greenland. 3 able seamen are killed and another 6 injured ? 1986 - Haitian President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier fled his country, ending 28 years of his family's rule ? 1987 - Submarine HMS Torbay completed ? 1989 - HMS Trenchant left Barrow ? 1991 - Two USN F-14s of USS Ranger's Fighter Squadron One downed a MI-8 helo with an AIM-9M Sidewinder missile, a combat first ? 1991 - USN A-6s attacked and heavily damaged 2 Iraqi patrol boats in the northern gulf near the A1 Faw peninsula ? 1991 - Using Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) for spotting, USS Wisconsin pounded Iraqi artillery, electronic warfare and naval sites with its 16 inch guns. 50 rounds sunk or severely damaged 15 boats, destroyed piers at Khawr al-Mufattah Marina. 19 rounds also fired at artillery and missile sites ? 1991 - USS Biddle diverts freighter in North Red Sea ? 1991 - SECNAV activates 528 additional Naval Reservists from 57 units ? 2003 - Canadian Commodore Roger Girouard assumed command of the newly created Task Force 151 responsible for escorting other ships, intercepting and boarding suspect vessels and guarding against attacks on shipping. Girouard, who was in charge of Canada's naval task force sent to East Timor in 1999, commanded up to 20 allied warships, including US, French, Italian, Dutch, Greek and Canadian frigates and destroyers ? 2004 - USCGC Alder launched at Marinette Marine. Last ship of Juniper-class buoy tenders ? 2005 - ARM Usumacinta & Zapoteco arrived Singapore to prepare to distribute tsunami relief supplies in Asia ? 2005 - A $724,105 competitive contract awarded to Gill Construction Inc., of Vernon River PEI to construct a new search and rescue station in Souris PEI ? 2005 - A 3,000-pound robotic helicopter fell Monday as it was being hoisted from an experimental warship developed by San Diego's Titan Corp., killing a shipyard worker and injuring two others. ? The unmanned surveillance helicopter, one of five made in San Diego by Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems, had been on display during Saturday's christening of the Sea Fighter, a 262-foot catamaran built for the Navy. The accident occurred about 1430 at the Nichols Bros shipyard in Freeman, Wash., on South Whidbey Island, said Jan Smith, a spokeswoman for the Island County Sheriff's Department. The helicopter, an unmanned aerial vehicle called the Fire Scout, was being lifted from the mission bay, a cavernous interior compartment aboard the Sea Fighter, when it broke loose and fell at least 10 feet ? 2006 - Admiral Sir Jonathon Band KCB (currently Commander in Chief Fleet) is to be the next First Sea Lord, Chief of the Naval Staff and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to the Queen. He will take over from Admiral Sir Alan West, GCB, DSC, ADC ? 2006 - Following complete testing and qualification of platform and propulsion systems, Mistral, the first of two BPC-type force projection and command vessels for the French Navy, will leave DCN’s Brest shipyard in Brittany for Toulon on the Mediterranean ? 2006 - Admiral Sir Jonathon Band KCB assumes the appointment of First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff. He succeeds Admiral Sir Alan West GCB DSC ADC who was appointed on 17 September 2002 ? 2006 - Keppel AmFELS Inc. has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Atwood Oceanic Inc. (Atwood) for the construction of a new jackup rig, due for delivery in third quarter 2008. The rig is based on the LeTourneau Super 116 design and is subject to additional modifications and final specifications in definitive agreements with Atwood. Located in Brownsville, Texas, Keppel AmFELS is one of the best-equipped offshore yards in the area, serving customers operating in the Gulf of Mexico and internationally. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Corporation through Keppel Offshore & Marine, Keppel AmFELS engages in the construction, refurbishment, conversion, life extension and repair of a complete range of mobile drilling rigs and platforms. Its comprehensive facilities are first class, including a drydock capable of docking the largest semisubmersible drilling units, and a modern steel processing plant ? 2006 - Charter agreements have been signed for two more of the ten Jones Act commercial product tankers being built by workers at Aker Philadelphia Shipyard. The agreements were made between BP Shipping and Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc (OSG), which has partnered in the new fleet with Aker American Shipping (AKASA), parent company of the shipyard ? 2006 - USCGC Drummond repatriated 21 Cuban illegal immigrants to Bahia de Cabanas, Cuba. Of the 21 illegal immigrants repatriated, 14 were intercepted along with one suspected smuggler by USCGC Tornado approximately 50 miles southeast of Key West, Fla., Feb. 1. The suspected smuggler was transferred to Customs and Border Protection officials Feb. 2. Once on board Coast Guard cutters, all illegal immigrants receive food, water and any necessary medical attention. Drummond is a 110-foot patrol boat homeported in Key West. Tornado is a 179-foot patrol boat homeported in Pascagoula ? 2006 - Crews located the body of a boater missing since Monday evening in Laguna Madre, about three miles east of Port Mansfield, Texas. A crew from Texas Parks and Wildlife (TP&W) found the body of Luis Martinez, 22, from Edinburg, Texas, at about 0815. Martinez's body was transported ashore and transferred to the Willacy County Coroner's Office. The TP&W crew, along with a crew from the Willacy County Sheriff’s Office, was assisting Coast Guard crews in their search for the missing man. Martinez and four others were out fishing Monday when they reportedly encountered rough seas. Returning to port, they made their way through the Port Mansfield Cut, where a wave reportedly swamped and capsized their 18-foot boat. Finding themselves in the water, all five men swam to a nearby navigational marker. After resting for awhile, four of the men decided to swim to shore, but Martinez reportedly decided to swim back to the boat. It reportedly took the four men more than four hours to swim to shore. Once on shore, they went to a nearby house and asked the owner to contact the Coast Guard to report Martinez missing. An HH-65B Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Corpus Christi and two rescue boats from Coast Guard Station South Padre Island were immediately launched to search for Martinez ? 2006 - Coast Guard pollution investigators are responding to a fuel spill in the Near Island Channel. At 1500 on the 6th, Coast Guard investigators observed diesel fuel spilling from a gooseneck vent aboard the fishing vessel Sea Warrior. The vessel's owner was notified and the discharge was quickly secured. More than 200 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled into the channel. The fuel spill currently stretches from the Fuel Pier to Trident Seafood and the Channel Side Chowder House Restaurant. Lazy Bay Incorporated of Kodiak has been hired to conduct the clean-up operations. Sorbent boom has been placed in the water in an effort to contain and absorbed the spilled fuel. The fishing vessel Sea Warrior is registered in Anacortes ? 2006 - Rear Adm. Robert D. Reilly Jr. named Commander of the Military Sealift Command ? 2006 - Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, announced that the Government of Canada has set aside the process that was underway to divest Ridley Terminals Inc ? 2006 - Coast Guard has suspended the search for two fishermen who went missing after their 45-foot fishing vessel, The Catherine M, which sank early this morning a half a mile south of Tillamook Bay, Ore. At 0230 the local fire department beach rescue team found the body of Jeff King, 30, of Garibaldi, Ore. A life raft and three survival suits were also found strewn along the beach at intervals of about a half mile. The search was suspended late afternoon for Trona Griffin, 30, of Garibaldi and Craig Larson, 31, of Hammond, Ore., pending further developments. The Coast Guard launched air and surface assets immediately after receiving the initial call and covered approximately 72 square miles of ocean during the effort. Coast Guard Group/Air Station Astoria received the initial call at 0130 on VHF FM Channel 16 from the master of the fishing vessel Kilchis who reported seeing two red flares. A second reporting source on shore also reported the flare sighting. The accident is currently under investigation by Coast Guard Sector Portland ? 2006 - The first of four Ohio-class Trident missile submarines being converted to carry guided missiles and Special Operations Forces (SOF) rejoined the fleet in a return to service ceremony at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor Feb. 7. In December, USS Ohio (SSGN 726) completed conversion to a guided- missile submarine capable of carrying more than 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 60 SOF members for extended periods. This conversion is a major step forward in the Navy's ability to fight the global war on terrorism. During the ceremony, guest speaker Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani, vice chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke of the new role Ohio will have as it steers towards danger, rather than away from it ? 2006 - Coast Guard rescue crews from Florida and Alabama assisted the crew of a 32-foot sailing vessel that was damaged and disabled by fire Tuesday about 37 miles south of Apalachicola, Fla. Crews aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Seahawk and an HU-25 Falcon rescue jet from Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala., assisted by successfully locating and towing the sailing vessel Pintail into Port St. Joe, Fla. The crew aboard the Pintail, William Hagerty of Anchor Point, Alaska, and William Underwood of Milton, Fla., reportedly exhausted all of their fire-fighting capabilities, extinguishing an engine fire. The vessel was disabled, and the crew, concerned the fire would restart, radioed the Coast Guard at about 1130 Coast Guard Sector Mobile immediately diverted the crews of the Cutter Seahawk and Falcon jet, which were already engaged in routine patrols. The Falcon crew arrived on scene at 1312 established radio communications with the vessel and stayed on scene until the Seahawk crew arrived at 1340. Once on scene, the crew of the Seahawk transferred fire-fighting equipment to the crew of the Pintail and took the vessel in tow. The Seahawk crew was relieved of the tow today at about 0600 at the Port St. Joe Sea Buoy and commercial tow crews took the vessel into Port St. Joe ? 2006 - A former Coast Guard boat fell off its trailer today in Buffalo while en route Panama City, Fla. The Coast Guard turned over the 21-foot rigid hull inflatable boat to the USN along with two out-board engines and a trailer. While leaving Buffalo, the 21-foot boat fell off its trailer and onto the roadway. No one was injured. The boat was on its way to Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Fla. The boat was transferred to the navy as excess government property ? 2006 - Good Samaritans from the towing vessel Sarah Reed rescued two people from San Pablo Bay at 1213 in the vicinity of Sisters Island. After receiving reports of the distressed boaters, the Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service contacted the crewmembers onboard the Sarah Reed, who were transiting in the nearby area, and requested that they assist. The Coast Guard received a call at 1157 from the San Rafael Fire Department reporting that a pleasure craft with two people onboard had overturned and the people were in the water. Coast Guard boats from Station San Francisco, Station Vallejo and a helicopter from Air Station San Francisco were dispatched to assist. The vessel traffic service was notified to contact commercial vessels that were in the area. Once the crewmembers from Station San Francisco’s small boat arrived on scene, the two people were transferred from the Sarah Reed and taken to Loch Lomand Marina, where they were released without further treatment ? 2006 - The USCG rescued a surfer this afternoon in the area of Mile Rock after a Good Samaritan reported seeing the surfer in distress. The Good Samaritan contacted Coast Guard Sector San Francisco’s Command Center through the 9-1-1 emergency notification system at 1554. The command center dispatched an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco, and a 47-foot small boat from Coast Guard Station Golden Gate to respond to the incident. The helicopter arrived on scene to find the surfer nearing the rocks. Once determined that the surfer was in waters too shallow for the small boat, the helicopter deployed a rescue swimmer and hoisted the surfer to safety. At that point, the helicopter was extremely low on fuel, having just completed another search and rescue mission before arrival on scene. The crew of the helicopter made an unscheduled landing at Crissy Field to refuel before their scheduled return to Air Station San Francisco. The surfer was transferred to awaiting Emergency Medical Services at Crissy Field ? 2006 - An Ashtabula native was sentenced for making hoax distress calls to Coast Guard Station Fairport Harbor. Shawn T. King was sentenced by Judge Donald C. Nugent to the Bureau of Prisons for 18 months with three years supervised release. King was ordered to pay restitution of $84,000 to the Coast Guard at the rate of 25 percent of gross monthly income. "False distress calls not only cost taxpayers money and place Coast Guard members at increased personal risk, but more importantly, they divert limited resources from mariners who are in actual distress," stated Capt. Paul Preusse, chief of response for the Ninth Coast Guard District in Cleveland ? 2007 - Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad W. Allen delivers remarks at the Reserve Officers Association Mid-Winter Conference’s Coast Guard Affairs Committee Meeting Washington Hilton Hotel 1919 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington DC ? 2007 - Missile units of the air and naval forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) will begin a specialized wargame in southern and central parts of Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman ? 2007 - Three people rescued after their boat collided with a tanker and sank near Whitby. The crew of the Iled'yeu, a converted fishing boat, made an emergency call when it started taking water after the crash with tanker Dutch Progress. An RNLI lifeboat rescued the two men and one woman and took them back into Whitby. The boat eventually sank four miles from the entrance to Whitby ? 2007 - Biological and geological corridor between Black and Mediterranean Seas is faced with becoming a lifeless, muddy waterway due to constantly increasing pollution, an expert warned ? 2007 - Strong fire on the Project 133.1M-class corvette Bashkortostan of the Russian Baltic Fleet in the city of Baltiysky. A report on the fire was received at 0515. However, according to a spokesperson for the emergency department, “the fire started much earlier, but the Baltic Sea Fleet fire-brigade did not inform civil institutions on it in time.” The fire was extinguished. Witnesses say explosions were heard during the fire. Most probably, shells were exploding. At the present time, the superstructure is reported destroyed. No victims reported ? 2007 - The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has appointed its longtime Public Affairs Director, Patrick Ramage, as Global Whale Program Manager ? 2007 - Overseas Shipholding Group signed an agreement in principle pursuant to which Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, a subsidiary of Aker American Shipping ASA, will construct up to six additional Veteran Class MT-46 Jones Act Product Tankers (three fixed plus three options) ============================================================= 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.