SeaWaves Today in History February 16, 2009 1568 - The death sentence is passed on an entire country when Netherlands is condemned for heresy by the Spanish Inquisition. During the first week of the plan to execute three million people, 800 are hanged, burned or killed by other methods 1597 - Troilus de Mesgouez, Marquis de La Roche c1540-1606 gets grant from Henry IV for expedition to New France 1762 - British forces captured the island of Martinique from its French garrison 1815 - USS Constitution captures British Susannah 1905 - A5 experienced an internal petrol explosion shortly after refueling from the depot ship HMS Hazard berthed in Queenstown, County Cork. The cause of the explosion was petrol fumes being ignited by a spark from the Main Motor Brushes 1917 - 600 died when the SS Mendi sank. The vessel collided with the warship SS Darro in the English Channel on its way to France 1918 - Lithuania proclaimed independence 1920 - Cruiser USS Richmond laid down 1921 - Destroyer USS Truxtun commissioned 1925 - Submarine USS S-44 commissioned 1926 - Heavy cruiser HMS Suffolk launched 1926 - Congress authorized Secretary of Treasury to acquire a site at New London, CT, without cost to United States, and construct thereon buildings for the United States Coast Guard Academy at a total cost not to exceed $1,750,000 1934 - Destroyer HMS Echo launched 1938 - Soviet submarine V-4 launched 1938 - Submarines HMS Triumph, Unity & Ursula launched 1939 - U-42 launched 1939 - Minesweeper FS Commandant Riviere launched 1939 - Heavy cruiser USS Wichita commissioned 1940 - US freighter SS Excalibur is detained for several hours by British authorities at Gibraltar but is released; freighter SS Exermont, detained since 14 February, is allowed to proceed as well 1940 - At 2125, U-14 attacked two ships north of Kinnaird Head and torpedoed first SS Osmed & ten minutes later SS Liana. Liana sank 24 miles north of Kinnaird Head, taking ten crewmen with her. SS Santos picked up the survivors, which was herself sunk by U-63 on 24 February with the loss of six men from the Liana. Osmed sank after one torpedo hit 20 miles north of Kinnaird Head, taking 13 crewmen with her 1940 - U-213, U-214, U-215, U-216, U-217, U-218 ordered 1940 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Wistaria commissioned 1940 - The ‘Altmark Incident’. The German fleet supply ship Altmark was boarded in Jössingfjord, Norway, by a naval party from the Tribal-class destroyer HMS Cossack, Capt. Phillip Vian, CO. Embarked in Altmark were 299 British merchant seamen captured by the armored ship Admiral Graf Spee, KptzS. Hans Langsdorff, CO, during her voyage in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans 21 Oct to 17 Dec 39. Altmark departed German on 05 Aug 39 and Graf Spee followed on 21 Aug. Altmark refueled Graf Spee for the last time on 06 Dec 39 in position 25.50S, 024.50W. After the Battle of the River Plate, Graf Spee was scuttled on 17 Dec 39. Altmark returned to the North Sea, passing north of Iceland. She was transiting through Norwegian neutral waters, en route to Germany, when she was sighted by British patrol aircraft. As a naval auxiliary, Altmark could legally claim freedom from search by foreign forces. The British light cruiser Arethusa, the name ship of her class, accompanied by the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, intercepted Altmark off the south coast of Norway. Two small Norwegian warships escorted Altmark and warned the British ships not to interfere. An offer was made to have Altmark go to Bergen under Norwegian escort where she would be searched. Orders were received from Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, for Vian to board Altmark, which, in the meantime had diverted into Jössingfjord, claiming sanctuary. Captain Vian ignored Norwegian efforts to stop him and pursued Altmark, which ran aground in an attempt to ram the destroyer. Cossack came alongside Altmark and, with cries of “The Navy’s here!”, boarded the ship to liberate the prisoners. Altmark was refloated at the next high tide and was towed back to Germany in Mar 40. After repairs, she was renamed Uckermark and returned to service. Between 18 Jan and 23 Mar 41, supported Operation Berlin conducted by the battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. On 09 Sep 42, Uckermark departed France for Japan, arriving on 24 Nov 42, refueling the disguised merchant raider Michel en route. Uckermark was destroyed at Yokohama on 30 Nov 42 by a major explosion that occurred during the cleaning of the ship’s cargo fuel tanks. Fifty-three of her crewmembers died in this incident. The ship was damaged beyond repair and was subsequently broken up for scrap. HMS Cossack was torpedoed by U-563, OLtzS. Klaus Bargsten, Knight’s Cross, CO, on 23 Oct 41 and foundered four days later west of Gibraltar. The ‘Altmark Incident’ was greeted with joy in Britain and the legality of it was never questioned. The Norwegians were angered by what they saw as a blatant infringement of their neutrality. The Incident also convinced Adolph Hitler that Norway and Denmark were neither willing nor able to protect their neutrality against aggression, and, as a result, decided it was necessary to invade both countries to prevent Allied landings 1941 - The new HQ of Western Approaches at Derby House, Liverpool opens. The new C-in-C is to be Admiral Sir Percy Noble 1941 - Britain mines the waters around Singapore 1941 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Ormonde sunk by German aircraft off Scotland 1941 - Britain mined Singapore waters 1942 - U-261 launched 1942 - At 1556, the unescorted SS Ramapo was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-108, broke in two & sank after 11 minutes west of Bermuda. The U-boat surfaced and questioned 34 men in lifeboats, however the survivors were never found 1942 - U-156 began to shell the oil refinery at Aruba in the Caribbean, but the gun crew forgot to remove the water plug from the barrel, causing an explosion that killed one man [Matrosengefreiter Heinrich Büssinger]. The gunnery officer [II WO Leutnant zur See Dietrich von dem Borne, see right] lost his right leg in this incident, and so had to be put ashore into captivity at Martinique on 21 February. The commander decided to saw off the ruined portion of the gun barrel, and using this shorter barrel, on 27 February U-156 sank a 2,498-ton British steamer. The unarmed tanker SS Arkansas moored at the Eagle Dock in San Nicholas, Aruba when U-156 attacked the port. Hartenstein had already hit the Pedernales and Oranjestad before a torpedo struck the starboard side of the Arkansas between the #4 and #5 bunkers at 0943 hours. The explosion created a large hole and smaller holes at the port side, causing extensive structural damage. The crew of eight officers and 29 crewmen remained on the vessel and later walked down to the dock. Three hours later the crew reboarded her to assess the damage. The tanker proceeded to the other end of the island where temporary repairs were made. She later arrived at Galveston, Texas under her own power on 18 March, where she was overhauled before returning to service. A second torpedo, which had missed the Arkansas on the beach. It exploded while being removed and killed four of the shore personnel who were taking it away. Ten crewmembers from the Oranjestad were lost with 15 crewmembers rescued by harbor craft. Pedernales burned fiercely all night, but did not sink. The next day tugboats pushed her ashore, where the bow and stern were later removed and towed to the USA to be rebuilt 1942 - At 1028, tanker SS Monagas was torpedoed by U-502 in the Gulf of Venezuela and sunk by a coup de grâce at 1042 1942 - Tankers SS San Nicolas & Tia Juana sunk by U-502 25 miles SW of Pt Macolla 1942 - At 2038, U-564 began shelling motor tanker Opalia with her last 83 rounds from the 88-mm deck gun. Only three hits were scored, which damaged the tanker slightly 1942 - At 1030, tanker SS Rafaela was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-67 while lying at anchor about 1 mile off Curaçao. The ship had been missed by a spread of two torpedoes at 0952 & another torpedo at 1011. Also a coup de grâce fired at 1052 hours did not hit and U-67 decided that the target was not worth another torpedo because the tanker was already badly damaged. The same day, the Rafaela was towed into the St. Anna Bay by the tugs Parmo and Mico, but later broke in two and sank to the ground. She was raised, repaired and returned to service after about four months 1942 - Battleship USS Alabama launched 1942 - Destroyer HMS Virago laid down 1942 - Submarines USS Redfin & Puffer laid down 1942 - Submarines HMS Unrivalled & Saracen launched 1942 - Corvette HMS Pink launched 1942 February 19-22. Japan occupied the Portuguese Island of Timor, alleging self-defense, and promised withdrawal upon the accomplishment of self-defense objectives. 1942 - Lieutenant Roberts and Petty Officer Gould, of the submarine HMS Thrasher, won the Victoria Cross for a remarkable act of bomb disposal 1942 - After reviewing all of the recommendations and cables, the Australian Chiefs of Staff recommend that "if possible, all Australian forces now under order to transfer to the Far East from the Middle East should be diverted to Australia" 1942 - At sunrise on Radjik Beach on Banka Island, there are nearly 100 people, including children and wounded survivors of the sinking of the small freighter SS Vyner Brooke on 14 February. An officer from the ship explains that since there is no food, no help for the injured and no chance of escape, they should give themselves up to the Japanese. He agrees to walk to Muntok, a town on the northwest of the island, and contact the Japanese. While he is away Matron Irene Drummond, the most senior of 22 Australian nurses on the beach suggests that the civilian women and children should start off walking towards Muntok. At mid-morning the ship's officer returns with about 20 Japanese soldiers. Having separated the men from the women prisoners, the Japanese divide the men into two groups, and march them along the beach and behind a headland. The nurses hear a quick succession of shots before the Japanese soldiers return, sit down in front of the women and clean their bayonets and rifles. A Japanese officer, smaller and more "nattily" dressed than his men, instructs the nurses to walk from the palm-fringed beach into the sea until they are waist deep in the waves. A couple of soldiers shove those who are slow to respond. Twenty-two nurses and one civilian woman walk into the waves, leaving ten or twelve stretcher cases on the beach. Fully aware of their fate, the nurses put on a brave face. Their matron, Irene Drummond, calls out - "Chin up, girls. I'm proud of you and I love you all." At that point the Japanese fire. One of the nurses, Vivian Bullwinkel, later describes what happens next - they "started firing up and down the line with a machine gun. ...They just swept up and down the line and the girls fell one after the other. I was towards the end of the line and a bullet got me in the left loin and went straight through and came out towards the front. The force of it knocked me over into the water and there I lay. I did not lose consciousness. ... The waves brought me back on to the edge of the water. I lay there ten minutes and everything seemed quiet. I sat up and looked around and there was no sign of anybody. Then I got up and went up in the jungle and lay down and either slept or was unconscious for a couple of days." After shooting the nurses, the Japanese bayonet the wounded. Over 80 people are killed on the beach that day. Of the 65 Australian nurses aboard the SS Vyner Brooke, 12 are presumed drowned, 21 are shot and killed, 31 had landed on different parts of the island and survived and Nurse Bullwinkel, who survived the massacre, is captured ten days later and survives the war as a POW 1942 - Eight RAF Bostons, of 88 & 226 Squadrons, commenced the first regular operations with this new type the of day bomber. They searched for German shipping off the Dutch coast without success or loss 1942 - Fairmile "B" Type HMC ML 086, 087, 088, 089, 090, 091, 092, 093, 094, 095, 096, 097, 098, 099, 100, 101, 102 & 103 ordered 1942 - The Japanese flag is hoisted above the former British Governor's residence in Singapore 1942 - Japanese planes bomb the Timor-bound convoy, escorted by heavy cruiser USS Houston & destroyer USS Peary, USAT Miegs & a US freighter are damaged by near misses. On board the latter, one crewman is killed. Of the 500 troops embarked, one is killed and 18 wounded. Houston's heavy antiaircraft fire saves the convoy from destruction, but the imminent fall of Timor results in the recall of the convoy back to Darwin 1943 - Submarine USS Amberjack sunk by torpedo boat HIJMS Hiyodori & submarine chaser Number 18 with nine depth charges in 5-05 ‘S, 152-37 ‘E. An escorting patrol plane had previously attacked the submarine 1943 - U-1228 laid down 1943 - Frigate HMS Nith commissioned 1943 - Tug HMCS Glenmont laid down Owen Sound ON 1943 - Minelayer HMS Apollo launched 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Charles Lawrence launched 1943 - Submarine USS Amberjack sunk by Japanese surface craft & aircraft bombs off Rabaul. All hands are lost 1943 - Richelieu arrives at New York for a refit 1944 - Destroyer escort USS Barr commissioned 1944 - Minesweeper USS Toucan laid down 1944 - Submarine USS Bergall launched 1944 - Minesweeper HMS Flying fish launched Toronto ON 1944 - Strong United States Navy task forces attacked Truk 1944 - U-1308 laid down 1944 - U-825, U-875 launched 1944 - U-1273 commissioned At 1511, HMS LST-418 was struck by a Gnat from U-230 & sank off Anzio after being hit by a coup de grâce at 1536. The vessel was participating in the landings in Anzio-Nettuno, Operation Shingle 1944 - A Sunderland aircraft attacked U-546 in the North Atlantic and one man died. [Matrosengefreiter Wilhelm van de Kamp] 1944 - Tug HMCS Jamesville assigned to St John's 1945 - USS LCS(L)(3)-7 sunk by suicide boat off Mariveles Corregidor Channel Luzon 1945 - USS LCS(L)(3)-26 sunk by Suicide boat off Mariveles Corregidor Channel Luzon 1945 - USS LCS(L)(3)-49 sunk by Suicide boat off Mariveles Corregidor Channel Luzon 1945 - Corvette HMCS West York departed St John's to join Convoy HX-338 1945 - Corregidor Island in Manila Bay is attacked. One battalion is air dropped and one battalion lands from the sea 1945 - USN surface warships and aircraft of Task Group 52.2 plus 42 Seventh Air Force Consolidated B-24 Liberators scheduled to open the bombardment against Iwo Jima. However, the weather is poor and the B-24s are recalled and attacks by carrier-based Avengers are hindered 1945 - U-2538 commissioned 1945 - U-309 sunk in the North Sea east of the Moray Firth, in position 58.09N, 02.23W, by depth charges from frigate HMCS Saint John. 47 dead (all hands lost). U-309 was a VIIC type U-boat, built by Flenker-Werke AG Lubeck-Siems, launched 14 Dec 42, commissioned 27 Jan 43, in service 25 months, a record of 1 ship of 7,219 tons damaged. On 16 Feb 45 Saint John while escorting convoy WN 74 & well inside Moray Firth obtained a contact on the bottom. Saint John attacked first with 5 depth charges set to go off on the bottom (225 feet) this was followed by 2 hedgehog attacks & finally a depth charge attack. Evidence at the time was sufficient to credit Saint John with a "probable". Subsequently, after the war, it was confirmed that U-309 had been sunk. U-309 was a medium-range Type VIIC U-boat, built by Flender-Werke AG, at Lubeck-Siems. She was commissioned on 27 Jan 43, OLtzS. Hans-Gert Mahrholz, CO. U-309 conducted nine patrols and compiled a record of one ship damaged for a total of 7,219 tons. Herbert Loeder was born in 1919, at Hamburg. He joined the navy in 1938 and went directly into the U-boat force. His first operational tour of duty was from Dec 41 to Dec 42 as the First Watch Officer in the Type VIIC boat U-380, KptLt. Josef Röther, CO. Loeder was selected for command and completed his U-boat Commander’s Course between Jan and Feb 43. On 11 Mar 43, he was appointed to commission the new Type VIIC boat U-967, at the age of 23. He was promoted to OLtzS on 01 Apr 43. In Apr 44, Loeder was returned to training duties until 29 Aug 44, when he was appointed to command of U-309. Herbert Loeder was lost on 16 Feb 45, along with his entire crew, when U-309 was sunk in Moray Firth. He did not sink or damage any ships 1945 - U-681 sailed from Kristiansand on her first & final patrol 1945 - Minesweeper USS Dunlin commissioned 1945 - American troops landed on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines during World War II 1957 - While aircraft carrier HMCS Magnificent was docking in Halifax, tug CNAV Glendyne at the bow got into "Irons" with the towline to the carrier, the tug was hauled over by her towline. The master walked down the hull of the tug & helped pull the engineer out a porthole. At that time the tug was lying on her starboard side just prior to her sinking. A deckhand & the cook were drowned in the accident. Glendyne sank in 80 ft of water, but due to inclement weather was not raised until Tuesday 19 Feb. Further information states that in 1979 Glendyne's hull was sunk for use as a training place for Navy divers in Eastern Passage. Glendyne wheelhouse, with name board & mast were on display at the entrance to the Historic Property, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic where it provides a ticket booth for the Bluenose II when she is in port, as well, no mast or any other artifacts from the Glendyne are now held 1959 - Fidel Castro became premier of Cuba after the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista 1960 - US Navy nuclear submarine Triton starts underwater round-the-world trip 1963 - Destroyer HMCS Saskatchewan commissioned 1967 - USS Kitty Hawk port call Subic Bay 1967 - Operation River Raider begins in Mekong Delta 1969 - Tracker aircraft #1592 crashed into sea during catapult launch from HMCS Bonaventure. It was a CS2F-3 and belonged to VS 880. The catapult bridle broke 1969 - USS Hancock port call Yokosuka 1990 - Royal Navy wives conduct a march through Plymouth & Portsmouth to oppose a Ministry of Defense decision allowing Wrens to go to sea 1991 - Naval forces continue to support air campaign with mine countermeasures and maritime interception operations 1991 - Submarine HMS Vigilant laid down 1993 - The Haitian passenger ferry Neptune sank, sending 1,215 Haitians to their deaths. Coast Guard units participated in the search and rescue operation but found no survivors. They then assisted in recovering the bodies of those killed 2004 - Coast Guard Air Station Savannah crewmembers rescued three Georgia fishermen 62 miles east of Sapelo Sound GA after their 37-foot sport fishing vessel, Ray A One, homeported in Townsend GA capsized sending all three men scrambling into a life raft 2004 - SMIT Salvage refloated the cruise ship Pride of America at Bremerhaven in Germany. The partly flooded cruise ship has been pumped out and towed into a dry dock. The Norwegian Cruise Line Pride of America has a length of over 280 meters and a passenger capacity of more than 2,200. The cruise ship new building took on water during a storm in January at the Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven. The vessel listed approximately 14 degrees to starboard and settled on the bottom, with three decks submerged 2005 - Rear-Admiral Dan McNeil, Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic, announced today that a military Board of Inquiry (BOI) has been convened to investigate the loss at sea of Leading Seaman Robert Ivan LeBlanc that occurred on Tuesday, February 8th, 2005. Commander Sean Cantelon will head the inquiry. He, along with the other two members of the BOI, shall make findings as to the causes of the incident as well as any contributing factors. They will obtain statements from witnesses and collect all documentary and material evidence to arrive at their findings. In addition, four advisors will be available to the BOI in order to provide subject matter expertise. At the completion of the military BOI, a report will be submitted to Rear-Admiral McNeil for review and then forwarded to the Chief of the Maritime Staff. The findings, results, and recommendations will then be made public, subject to the limitations on the release of information imposed by the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act 2005 - Todd Pacific Shipyard Seattle begins dry docking ship repair availability of USS Ford 2005 - Coast Guard Group Atlantic City presented a letter of appreciation to the crew of the F/V Captain Collet for their support during a rescue that left two men stranded in their life raft. Cdr. Ted Harrop arrived at 0900 at Delta Basin across from Coast Guard Station Atlantic City via their 41-foot rescue boat to personally shake hands with Cindy Meloy and Edward Collet, both of Atlantic City, for their part in the January 19th rescue of the crewmembers of the F/V Chico Bravo. When Group Atlantic City broadcasted the Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB) requesting any vessels in the area to keep a lookout and assist the sinking fishing vessel, the crew of the Captain Collet turned back to sea and located the drifting life raft. They then stood by and provided an accurate position for the Coast Guard crews responding the emergency. Even with the rough seas and poor visibility, the crew of the Captain Collet remained on scene with the survivors until Coast Guard crews arrived to complete the rescue and provide medical support. The F/V Chico Bravo began taking on water and sank leaving the two men onboard, John Phillips III, 36, and Ian Iysenbach, 21, with just enough time to throw their life-raft overboard and grab their emergency positioning indicator radio beacon (EPIRB) before abandoning the boat. Group Atlantic City immediately issued the UMIB while a rescue helicopter from Airstation Atlantic City, a 47-foot rescue boat from Station Atlantic City and the Cutter Ibis from Cape May NJ, headed to the source of the distress signal as well. The Coast Guard units arrived on scene about 1530 to find the raft in 6 to 8-foot seas and 20 mile-an-hour winds. A small boat from the Ibis pulled the two to safety and returned to the cutter where an EMT onboard administered basic care 2005 - An Indonesian fisherman who has been caught in Australian waters three times, has been sentenced to three months jail in the Darwin Magistrates Court. The court heard Customs officials boarded the Indonesian fishing boat in the Arafura Sea last December and found six dead sharks and maps of northern Australia. The 25-year-old captain Sole Risman and 27-year-old crewmember Herdin Santiago were both charged with using a foreign boat and deceiving authorities as to their identities and prior records. The court was told Risman was contravening a good behavior bond by returning to Australian waters. Magistrate Greg Cavanagh sentenced him to three months jail back dated to the start of his remand and fined him more than $12,000. Santiago was sentenced to one month but escaped without a fine 2005 - Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd, a shipping company specializing in the seaborne transportation of dry bulk cargoes such as iron ore, coal and grains, announced that it has agreed to acquire a Handymax bulk vessel, MV Seaboni, for a purchase price of $30 million. The vessel (to be renamed "Emerald") is a "grabs fitted" Handymax bulk carrier of approximately 45,600 dwt, built in 1998 by Tsuneishi Ship Numakum in Japan. She is expected to be delivered during April, and will be deployed on the period time charter market in accordance with the Company's fleet deployment strategy. MV Seaboni is the seventh vessel that the Company has agreed to acquire since Christopher Georgakis joined Excel Maritime as CEO in late October 2004 2005 - All the 19 crew were rescued at 2000 about three hours after a coal ship caught fire in the seawaters near Longkou Port in Shandong Province, according to the North China Sea Salvage Bureau. Only one of them was injured. Officials of the bureau said the cabin of the coal ship registered in Tianjin City suddenly caught fire 30 miles away from Longkou Port and the ship lost control at 1620. Being informed of the accident, the bureau immediately dispatched two vessels to search for the coal ship. Later, the search and salvage bureau of the Chinese Ministry of Communications sent two more boats to help the search efforts. "Huateng", one of the two boats, arrived at the site at 1927 and rescued the crew aboard the coal ship 2005 - The Department of National Defense has awarded a contract valued at approximately $560,000 to Irving Shipbuilding Incorporated of St. John New Brunswick for the first phase of the repairs to HMCS Chicoutimi 2005 - The Prime Minister has today appointed Dr Tristram Hunt and Matthew Saunders Esq MBE as Trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund each for a term of three years. Dr Tristram Hunt is a historian and broadcaster. He is currently an Assistant Lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London (2002 to date). His academic research has focused on the history of the 19th Century City: architecture, civic pride, and how the Victorians faced living in the first modern urban society. His book on the subject "Building Jerusalem" was published in June 2004. In print and on television, he has consistently made the case for the democratization of knowledge and an appreciation of history outside the confines of the classroom and lecture hall. He is a visiting professor at Arizona State University, and has been a writer and presenter of BBC2 programs such as "Great Britons: Isaac Newton" and "Civil War". Dr Tristram Hunt was Senior Researcher for the Labor Party Election Campaign (1997) and from 1997 to 2001 he was Political Advisor to the Minister for Science, Lord Sainsbury. Matthew Saunders is Honorary Director of the Friends of Friendless Churches (1993 to date). Since 1977, he has been involved with the management and conservation of historic buildings. During his career, he has served as the Assistant Secretary, and Secretary, of the Ancient Monuments Society that deals with listed buildings of all ages and types in England and Wales. From 1982 until 2005, when he resigned in order to devote time and energy to being an HLF Trustee, he served as Secretary of the Joint Committee of the National Amenity Society which coordinates the strategic plans of national conservation bodies, such as SPAB, and the Garden History Society. He is the author of the "Historic Home Owner's Companion" (1987). Matthew Saunders has not been involved in any political activity in the past five years. The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) is a fund of last resort which provides grants for buying items which are of outstanding interest, importance to the national heritage, and which are at risk of being developed, damaged or destroyed. The NHMF is also responsible for the distribution of the heritage share of the proceeds from the National Lottery via the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The HLF gives financial help to projects, which safeguard improved access to land, buildings, objects and collections of importance to the national heritage of the UK. It can also provide support for projects, which produce wider public benefits in terms of education, access and urban regeneration. Remuneration for the post is £5,830 per annum 2005 - An obsolete ship is departed the US Maritime Administration’s James River Reserve Fleet on Wednesday, February 16, at approximately 8:30 a.m. When the ship departs, it will be the tenth to leave the fleet since June 2004. General William O. Darby, the latest of several ships that have left the river since last summer, will be towed to the Marine Metals facility in Brownsville, Texas, to be dismantled. It is one of the ten high-priority ships the Maritime Administration pledged last June to move out of the James River as quickly as possible. All ten of those ships have disposal contracts in effect; with the departure of the General Darby, eight of those high-priority ships will have left. The General William O. Darby was first constructed as the Admiral W.S. Sims (AP-127), a P-2 Admiral-type troop ship and used by the Army Transport Service to return troops to the United States from the Southwest Pacific. The vessel underwent conversion for peacetime transport in mid-1946. In July 1967, it was placed in ready-reserve status in the Maritime Administration’s James River Reserve Fleet. Thirteen years later, General Darby was selected for conversion and upgrade into a barracks ship for use by the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The departure schedule is subject to weather and safety clearances. Preparations for towing must be approved by the US Coast Guard. Towing can take place only after the ship is deemed safe and seaworthy and if weather permits 2005 - The Indian Navy, after launching extensive operation in the tsunami-affected areas, is now taking care of the maritime concerns of littoral states in the region. As part of the effort, Navy chief admiral Arun Prakash will hand over a fast attack patrol craft, INS Tarmougli to Seychelles. The patrol craft will be handed over at Port Victoria. INS Tarmougli was commissioned in March 2002 and is deployed to detect, locate and destroy fast moving surface craft, which can be used by terrorist groups. With a crew of four officers and 33 sailors, the craft can sail at a maximum speed of 27 knots. Officials said that Navy has been playing an important role in furthering the maritime diplomacy. The handing over the boat to Seychelles is in line is several other initiatives taken in the recent years 2005 - Fast attack naval craft T-84, the country's fastest, was today commissioned into the Indian Navy for operations in the coastal areas of this region. The induction of the ship was in keeping with the Navy's policy to acquire high-speed fast attack craft for counter insurgency, anti-smuggling operations and better surveillance of the coastal areas, Navy sources said. The T-84, built at the Goa Shipyard, is the second such vessel to be built there based on the design of Israel's Super Dvora MK2 craft. It would be India's fastest craft with all the facilities of a modern warship. It would have four 20-MM guns and typhoon warning system and could go at a speed of 48 knots. The Rs four-crore ship would have two engines and night-vision facilities 2006 - His Excellency the Governor-General of the Australian Commonwealth presented the former Commanding Officer of HMAS Sheean with the Duke of Gloucester Cup 2006 - Celebrity Cruises has exercised its option to order a second 118,000 gross-registered-ton ship today, reaffirming its commitment to innovative products and high guest satisfaction. German shipbuilder Meyer Werft will build the new tonnage, with delivery of the first ship planned for Fall 2008 and the second ship in Summer 2009. Celebrity also announced names of both new ships. The first new ship will be called Celebrity Solstice, and the second ship will be named Celebrity Equinox. The new series of ships will be known as the Solstice class. Terms for the second Solstice-class vessel are substantially the same as those of the first ship. Both new ships will be 2,850-guest vessels measuring 1,033 feet in length and 121 feet in width. Their added size will allow Celebrity to offer larger standard staterooms, a higher percentage of balconies and an exceptional range of guest-inspired services and amenities 2006 - At noon, Broads Tours Hire Company contacted Yarmouth Coastguard reporting that one of their Broads Hire Craft the Fair Encounter had become wedged under the Vauxhall Bridge on a rising tide on the River Bure, in Great Yarmouth. Yarmouth Coastguard immediately called the Gorlestone Coastguard rescue team, the Yarmouth Coastguard sector manager, Gorlestone RNLI inshore lifeboat and Norfolk fire and rescue service. Onboard the hire vessel were a family of 4 including a boy of 11 and girl of 3 and a half years, from Bexley in Kent. With all units on scene, Gorlestone RNLI inshore lifeboat went under the bridge and very skillfully maneuvered the cruiser from under the superstructure, whilst leaving the occupants onboard. They then took the cruiser to a safe mooring, none of the occupants onboard were hurt during the incident. The occupants explained that they been trying to read a bridge height indicator post, but had been unexpectedly carried under the bridge by a strong flood tide 2006 - At 1045 Humber Coastguard received a call from the standby vessel, Putford Trader reporting a fire on the gas storage facility Platform 47/3B which is in a position 25 miles south east of Flamborough Head. 16 have been evacuated to another platform, 9 to the standby vessel Putford Trader with 31 remaining on 47/3B and two others are being evacuated to Humberside Royal Infirmary. The fire is reported to be now extinguished. Humber Coastguard have requested the scramble of three helicopters, R128 from RAF Leconfield and R126 and R125 from RAF Wattisham. Two RNLI lifeboats have been requested to launch from Humber and Bridlington. Centrica Storage Ltd operates the Rough offshore storage facility 2006 - The Maritime and Coastguard Agency launched a public consultation into an application by Forth Ports plc for a revised oil spill contingency plan. The application has been prompted by a proposal from Melbourne Marine Services to carry out, within the Forth Ports authority area, ship-to-ship transfers of oil carried as cargo 2006 - Crowley Maritime Corporation announced that Jay Brickman has been named vice president of government services. In this role, he will manage the marketing, sales, and customer relations for the company’s government services business across all service lines. Brickman will continue to be domiciled in the company’s Miami, Fla., office and report to John Hourihan, senior vice president and general manager, Latin America services. Ed Fortunato will continue to serve as vice president of government business development in Washington, DC and will report to Brickman. In addition to his new role, Brickman will continue to serve as vice president of the company’s Cuba liner service 2006 - The Coast Guard is scheduled to turn over more than 2,200 pounds of seized cocaine and four detained foreign nationals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at Coast Guard Sector Miami at Miami Beach at 1330. Coast Guard Law Enforcement personnel from Detachment 107, based in San Diego, Calif., and the USS Ford, a Navy frigate homeported in Everett, Wash., stopped and boarded the fishing vessel, Victoria, 40 miles north of Panama Feb. 7. Initially the master of the 40-foot boat indicated he had approximately 300 pounds of fish on board but during the boarding the master stated he had discarded the fish. The master also claimed to have fishing poles and line but none was found. A freshly painted bulkhead was noticed during further investigation. The wall was removed and the contraband was found. "Coast Guard partnership with the Department of Defense and the US Navy continues to be critical to the success of drug interdiction operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, " said Adm. D. Brian Peterman, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District. USCGC Nantucket arrived at the Coast Guard base with the 2,200 pounds of cocaine and four detainees 2006 - SAS Amatola was today handed over from the European South Africa Corvette Consortium to government, and then commissioned into the South African Navy. The fully operational MEKO A200-class vessel, among the most advanced warships in the world today, is one of four such frigates that have been delivered to the country as part of government’s multi-billion strategic arms package 2006 - The wreck of a ferry that sank in the Red Sea, killing around 1,000 people, has been found and a search for its "black box" is under way, Egypt's transport minister said 2007 - Defense Minister Mosiuoa Lekota will receive SAS Spioenkop, the third of four warships acquired as part of the Strategic Defense Package. The frigate, a type of warship, will be officially handed over to the SA Navy at a commissioning ceremony at the naval base in Simon’s Town 2007 - USCG Commandant Admiral Thad W. Allen remarks on recreational boating safety and maritime security at annual meeting of Boating Writers International Miami Beach Convention 2007 - Indonesia named 1014 of 1050 isles in the Province of Riau Islands in Sumatra without names 2007 - Vice Adm. David Venlet assumed command of the Naval Air Systems Command from Vice Adm. Walter Massenburg in a ceremony at NAS Patuxent River. Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chief of Naval Operations, presided over the ceremony. Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, Dr. Delores Etter also attended 2007 - Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter announced today the appointment of retired Vice Adm. Daniel Oliver to the position of president, Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. Oliver retired from active duty in 2000 after a 33-year career that included service as Commander, Fleet Air Forces Mediterranean and Chief of Naval Personnel 2007 - Diana Shipping Inc. signed an MOU with an unaffiliated third party for sale of Capesize dry bulk carrier Pantelis SP for $81 million. The vessel is expected to be delivered to its new owners in early July 2007. Pantelis SP is a 169,883 dwt Capesize bulk carrier built in 1999 that the Company purchased in February 2005 for a contract price of $63.5 million 2007 - Marine Fisheries Agency aerial photographs of a Belgian trawler fishing illegally in British waters lead to fines and costs against her skipper and owners. The master and owners of the Belgian Trawler Arca (Z36) were fined a total of £2,000 and ordered to pay £850 costs by magistrates at Milford Haven 2007 - Höegh LNG agreed to sell its LNG carrier Höegh Galleon to Maverick LNG Holdings Ltd 2007 - 107 bodies have so far been found along a remote stretch of the Yemen coastline after a boat smuggling migrants from Somalia capsized on Monday. This was one of the deadliest single incidents that has brought more than 27,000 people across the Gulf Aden in the past year 2007 - NYK has ordered its second 300,000-dwt ore carrier from Nacks for delivery in 2011, as it negotiates with Chinese steelmakers for its charter 2008 - UK said it would supply four Sea Harrier airframes to the Indian Navy to cannibalize them for spares 2008 - Taiwan has signed a deal to buy 12 P-3C anti- submarine aircraft from the United States and has asked the US to build a P-3C maintenance centre in Taiwan, the Central News Agency (CNA) said Copyright 2009 Shirlaw News Group ISSN 1710-6966 Today in History Archives This information is licensed to the recipient only. Images may be subject to copyright. Ask before you right-click. Royal Navy photos are Courtesy of www.oldships.org.uk unless otherwise indicated. To contact us: 418-145 West Keith Rd North Vancouver BC V7M 1L3 Canada Phone: 778-968-7447