SeaWaves Today in History February 17, 2007 ********************************************************************* February 17 1782 - Vice Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and Commodore Chevalier de Suffren fought the first in what proved an epic series of battles for control of the Indian Ocean. These naval actions were actually part of the War for American Independence and were fought when the war in America was reaching its climax. Suffren’s actions figured prominently in Alfred Mahan's book The Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1660-1783). Mahan’s assessment was that Suffren's performance between 1782 and 1783 was “brilliant.” Historians have described Admiral de Suffren, also called ‘Bailli de Suffren’ (1729-1788), as France’s most capable admiral of the era. Suffren’s squadron of 12 ships of the line deployed from Brest for the Indian Ocean in 1781, at the same time that Admiral de Grasse’s larger fleet deployed to North America. En route, on 16 April 1781, he surprised an English squadron, commanded by Admiral Johnstone, anchored at La Praya in the Cape Verde Islands. The French force attacked and inflicted serious damage on the British force, which was escorting an invasion convoy bound for the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope. Suffren’s force arrived at the Dutch colony on 21 Jun, where he disembarked French troops to aid in its defense. From there, he proceeded to Île de France (Mauritius), where he arrived on 25 Oct and joined forces with another French squadron, coming under the command of Admiral d'Orves. For the next two years, Suffren fought an active campaign against stronger British naval forces that had the advantage of support from an extensive network of bases. Suffren's only shore support came from the Indian Mysore leader, Hyder Ali, who was also fighting the British, and from some small Dutch ports in Ceylon. Suffren convinced d'Orves to take the offensive immediately. The French fleet, now numbering 18 ships of the line, scored their first success when they captured HMS Hannibal (50 guns) on 22 Jan 1782, off the ‘Coromandel’ coast of India. On 09 Feb, d'Orves died while at sea, leaving command of the Indies fleet to Suffren. On 17 Feb, Suffren, with a force of 12 ships, encountered a British squadron of nine ships, commanded by Vice-Admiral Hughes, south of Madras, India. Though neither side lost a ship, the mutual damage inflicted caused both naval commanders to break off the engagement and withdraw. Hughes headed for the naval base at Trincomalee, Ceylon, while Suffren went to nearby Pondicherry, south of Sadras, which had recently been retaken from the British by Hyder Ali. Suffren’s force made repairs quickly, and, in March, was able to deliver French troops south of Porto Novo, a small town south of the British-held port of Cuddalore, while the British fleet was still absent from the area. The French captured Cuddalore on 4 April, which ranked as a major victory 1794 - A Royal Navy squadron landed British troops to take a Republican French fortification in Corsica at San Fiorenzo 1864 - Confederate States Ship H.L. Hunley, a hand-propelled submarine armed with a ram torpedo, sinks the Union's Houstanic in harbor; the first successful attack by a submarine 1867 - First ship passes through the Suez Canal 1917 - U-85 spotted a vulnerable merchant ship, Farnborough, west of Fastnet, and hit her aft in the engine-room with a torpedo. As the merchantman's crew could be seen taking to a lifeboat, U-85 surfaced to finish off her badly damaged victim, which was already sinking. However, the hunter now became the hunted - Farnborough was in fact HMS Q-5, one the famous Q-ships, commanded by Commander Campbell. As the "Panic Party" escaped in the lifeboats as planned, Campbell remained behind with a small gunnery team, ignored the rising water, and patiently waited for his target to close to point-blank range. Their concealed guns opened fire on the U-boat at only 100 yards, and hit her with almost every round out of 45 fired, quickly sinking her. Campbell then summoned help to tow Q-5 towards shore, where she was safely beached. Campbell received the Victoria Cross 1919 - Submarine USS H-44 launched 1919 - Destroyer HMS Saladin launched 1928 - A fatal accident occurs in Oakland, California, on board the Peralta (whose hull will be used to build the Kalakala). The bow floods and five passengers are drowned. The Peralta, carrying 4,000 passengers, approached the Oakland ferry terminal, and as passengers gathered at the docking end, the bow sank into the water. Waves swept over the deck. Passengers jumped overboard or were swept into the water. In part, panicking passengers caused the accident. But the main cause was failure of the trimming tanks; tanks designed to be filled with water to counterbalance the weight of passengers. The tanks should have been filled in the aft when commuters congregated on the bow, but on this occasion the wrong tanks were filled, plunging the vessel headfirst into icy waters. The tanks were never used again 1930 - Heavy cruiser USS Portland laid down 1936 - Light cruiser HMS Liverpool laid down 1937 - Destroyers HMCS Fraser & St Laurent commissioned Portsmouth UK 1937 - Destroyer USS Winslow commissioned 1938 - ASW trawler HMS Mastiff launched 1939 - Destroyer USS Ellet commissioned 1940 - At 0205, the unescorted SS Kvernaas (Master Ivar Sørensen) was hit by one torpedo from U-10 & sank within five minutes four miles NW of Schouwen Bank, Netherlands. The crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats and was picked up after 4 hours by the Dutch Oranjepolden. The vessel was enroute to London, but turned back & landed the men at the pilot station in Hoek van Holland the next day. The maritime hearings were held in Rotterdam (it was thought that the ship struck a mine) & a couple of weeks later the crew traveled to Amsterdam. From there they were flown to Sweden, then traveled on to Norway by train 1940 - At 1553, SS Pyrrhus in Convoy OG-18 was hit by one torpedo from U-37 NW of Cape Finisterre and broke in two. The afterpart sank immediately and the forepart two days later. Eight crewmembers were lost. She was the ship of the vice-commodore Rear-Admiral R.A. Hamilton RN. The master, the vice-commodore, five naval staff members and 70 crewmembers were picked up by the British SS Uskside & Sinnington Court & landed at Gibraltar 1940 - SS Wilja sunk by U-48 at 49.00N, 06.33W 1940 - US freighter SS Exhibitor is detained by British authorities in Gibraltar 1940 - Strong British, Norwegian and German protest notes are exchanged over the Altmark incident where the British removed British prisoners from the ship in neutral Norwegian waters 1940 - RAF Bomber Command: Daylight Reconnaissance - Heligoland area. Two a/c of 77 Sqn. One returned early U/S with low oil pressure and has to fly back on one engine, the other sighted eight warships escorted by twelve destroyers. Heavy opposition 1940 - United States Lines sells the liner SS President Harding and seven cargo ships to a Belgian concern in an attempt to circumvent the ban on US sea borne trade with Europe, imposed by the Neutrality Act 1941 - US Senate starts debating the Lend-Lease Bill 1941 - Minesweeper HMAS Castlemaine laid down 1941 - Light cruiser USS Birmingham laid down 1941 - Destroyer HMS Avon Vale commissioned 1941 - At 0008, SS Gairsoppa, a straggler from Convoy SL-64, was torpedoed & sunk by U-101 about 300 miles SW of Galway. The master, 81 crewmembers and two gunners were lost 1941 - At 0633, tanker SS Edwy R. Brown, a straggler from convoy HX-107, was torpedoed & sunk by U-103 SW of Iceland. The master, 47 crewmembers and two gunners were lost 1941 - MS Siamese Prince sunk by U-69 at 59.53N, 12.12W 1941 - Churchill to CIGS: What are the arrangements in British Columbia for dealing with the Japanese colony there should Japan attack? The matter is of course for the Canadian government, but it would be interesting to know whether adequate forces are available in that part of the Dominion. About thirty years ago, when there were anti-Japanese riots, the Japanese showed themselves so strong and so well organized as to be able to take complete control 1942 - USS Triton torpedoes and sinks Japanese gunboat No. 5 Shin'yo Maru off Nagasaki 1942 - On Sumatra, about 2,500 RAF airmen, 1,890 British troops, 700 Dutch soldiers & 1,000 civilian refugees embarked in twelve various sized vessels at Oosthaven and escape the island 1942 - Submarine USS Triton torpedoes & sinks Japanese gunboat No. 5 Shin'yo Maru off Nagasaki 1942 - Five Bostons of RAF Bomber Command fly an uneventful shipping search off the Dutch coast 1942 - The UK House of Commons holds a debate on the escape of the German ships from Brest, France. Prime Minister Winston Churchill announces the formation of a commission of inquiry under Mr Justice Bucknill 1942 - Submarine HMS Unswerving laid down 1942 - Destroyer USS Shubrick laid down 1942 - Boom defense vessel HMS Barfoss launched 1942 - Rescue tug HMS Favourite launched 1942 - Submarine USS Albacore launched 1942 - Submarine HMS Unshaken launched 1942 - Minesweeping training ship HMCS Dalehurst (ex-HMCS Glendale V) requisitioned. Ex fishboat 1942 - First Construction Battalion (Seabees) arrive Bora Bora 1942 - Singapore is renamed Shonan [Light of the South] by the Japanese 1942 - U-533 laid down 1942 - Destroyer HNLMS Van Nes sunk by aircraft from aircraft carrier Ryujo in position 03.27S 106.38E while escorting Dutch passenger ship Sloet van Beele which carried a detachment of troops from Billiton to Batavia. 68 of her crew went down with the ship 1942 - At 2217, MS Empire Comet, a straggler from Convoy HX-174, was torpedoed & sunk by U-136 west of Rockall. The master, 37 crewmembers & eight gunners were lost 1942 - The Australian Prime Minister, John Curtin, cables British and New Zealand government officials requesting that all Australian troops then in transit or about to sail for the East Indies be diverted to Australia, and that the 9th Division and other Australian Imperial Force units in the Middle East be recalled at an early date 1942 - House of Commons holds a debate on the escape of the German ships from Brest. Prime Minister Winston Churchill announces the formation of a commission of inquiry under Mr. Justice Bucknill 1943 - Frigate HMCS New Waterford laid down Esquimalt BC 1943 - Minesweeper HMAS Junee laid down 1943 - Submarine HMS Virtue laid down 1943 - Destroyer USS Abbot launched 1943 - Minesweeper USS Counsel launched 1943 - Aircraft carrier USS Lexington commissioned 1943 - U-873 laid down 1943 - U-283, U-544, U-846 launched 1943 - U-963 commissioned 1943 - U-69 sunk in the North Atlantic east of Newfoundland in position 50.36N, 41.07W by depth charges from destroyer HMS Fame. 46 dead (all hands lost) 1943 - U-201 sunk in North Atlantic, in position 50.50N, 40.50W, by depth charges from destroyer HMS Viscount. 49 dead (all hands lost) 1943 - U-205 sunk in the Mediterranean near the northernmost point of Cyrene, in position 32.56N, 22.01E, by depth charges from destroyer HMS Paladin assisted by a South African Bisley (Blenheim) aircraft. 8 dead and 42 survivors 1943 - The unescorted SS Llanashe was torpedoed & sunk by U-182 south of Cape Saint Francis, Cape Colony. The master, 27 crewmembers and five gunners were lost. The chief officer, SP Lloyd, seven crewmembers & one gunner were picked up after 11 days adrift by the Dutch merchantman Tarakan; later transferred to AMC HMS Carthage & destroyer HMS Racehorse & landed at Capetown on 4 March 1943 - The unescorted SS Deer Lodge was spotted & followed on the surface by U-516 about 60 miles east of Port Elizabeth. Lookouts saw the U-boat and the master attempted to escape by zigzagging, but the steering gear broke. At 0224, the now submerged U-516 fired one torpedo, which struck on the port side at the #2 hold. The explosion threw up a tremendous column of water, tore up the decks, blew the deck cargo off the ship and flooded the hold. 20 minutes later a second torpedo struck at approximately the same location, breaking the ship in two. The engines were stopped and her crew of ten officers, 29 men and 18 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in and six 20mm guns) abandoned ship in three lifeboats and three rafts. One seaman died when the davit from the #4 lifeboat broke off and fell on him and a steward failed to leave the ship. The U-boat surfaced beneath the boats and Wiebe questioned the survivors. The Deer Lodge sank bow first with a slight list to port at 0420. The following morning the survivors redistributed into three boats and one raft. 13 men were picked up by minesweeper SAS Africana. The London trawler Havorn rescued another 32. These two ships brought the men to Port Elizabeth. On 20 February, the remaining ten men were picked up by the British hospital ship Atlantis and landed at Capetown 1943 - Submarine USS Sawfish accidentally sinks Soviet cargo ship Ilmen east of Kyushu 1944 - Minesweeper USS Prowess launched 1944 - Frigate HMS Perim commissioned 1944 - Destroyer HMS Wakeful commissioned 1944 - Destroyer escort USS Dale W Peterson commissioned 1944 - Destroyer HMCS Algonquin (ex-HMS Valentine) commissioned. Algonquin & her V-class sister Sioux, ex-HMS Vixen, are often incorrectly referred to as Tribal-class destroyers. It has been pointed out that the designation of these two destroyers with Tribal names was deliberate attempt to deceive the enemy. In fact the V-class was the 8th Flotilla of the British Emergency War Program & was significantly different from the pre-war Tribal-class. Marginally shorter than the Tribals, the V-class carried a significantly improved secondary AA armament, which had been one of the major weaknesses of the earlier type. The twin 4.7-inch turrets of the Tribals, which had been highly prized by prewar Canadian naval planners who viewed them as 'mini-cruisers', were abandoned in favor of single-gun mountings. The V-class also carried 100 tons more fuel than the Tribals, which marginally improved the poor endurance of the older destroyers 1944 - Frigate HMCS New Glasgow arrived Halifax from builder Esquimalt BC 1944 - Frigate HMCS Outremont departed St John's to join EG-6 in Londonderry 1944 - US Carrier aircraft strike Japanese fleet at Truk, sinking ships and destroying aircraft 1944 - Major Greg Boyington, (Pappy) USMC had been shot down and after several hours in his life raft, was picked up by a Japanese submarine and taken to Rabaul. He was held there for a period of time and then flown out in a 'Betty' with five other POWs, two Australians, a P-38 pilot, a PBY pilot and another Corsair pilot. They landed at Truk just as our fleet was making our raid on Feb. 16,1944. It was a rough landing and as the plane came to a stop, they were jerked out of the plane and ran to a shallow pit beside the runway as an F6F came down the runway firing all his 50 cal guns. The Betty blew up in flames as Pappy watched. They watched the show until dark and were led to a building and kept there during the attack the next day so they didn't see too much until they were later led out and put on another plane for the trip to Japan. He said the damage was a sight to see. He spent the rest of the war in Japan 1944 - In the Caroline Islands, Task Force 58 (TF 58) under VAdm Raymond A. Spruance, which includes nine aircraft carriers and six battleships, strikes Japanese installations and shipping at Truk Atoll, in Operation Hailstone inflicting massive damage. Truk Atoll is located at position 07.43N, 151.46E. SB2C Helldivers and TBF Avengers from the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill & TBFs from the light aircraft carrier USS Cowpens sink Japanese light cruiser HIJMS Naka 35 miles west of Truk, while the battleships USS New Jersey & Iowa, heavy cruisers USS Minneapolis & New Orleans with destroyers USS Radford & Burns sink training cruiser HIJMS Katori NW of Truk after she had been damaged by planes from carriers USS Yorktown, Intrepid, Bunker Hill & Cowpens. Task Group 50.3 gunfire sinks destroyer HIJMS Maikaze 40 miles NW of Truk while destroyer USS Burns, detached from Task Group 50.9, sinks Japanese submarine chaser Ch 24 west of Truk TF 58 planes sink Japanese destroyer HIJMS Oite (carrying survivors of light cruiser HIJMS Agano sunk the day before); destroyer Tachikaze; AMC Akagi Maru; auxiliary submarine depot ship Heian Maru; aircraft transport Fujikawa Maru; transports Rio de Janeiro Maru, Kiyozumi Maru, Aikoku Maru, Gosei Maru, Hanakawa Maru, Hokuyo Maru, Amagisan Maru, and Kensho Maru; Matsutani Maru; Momokawa Maru; Reiyo Maru; San Francisco Maru; Seiko Maru; Taiho Maru; Zukai Maru No.6 Unkai Maru; Yamagiri Maru; fleet tankers Fujisan Maru, Hoyo Maru (damaged on 4 November 1943 by submarine USS Scorpion), Shinkoku Maru, and No.3 Tonan Maru; water carrier Nippo Maru; auxiliary vessel Yamakisan Maru; army cargo ships Nagano Maru and Yubai Maru; merchant cargo ship Taikichi Maru; and motor torpedo boat Gyoraitei No.10. TF 58 aircraft damage Japanese destroyers HIJMS Shigure and HIJMS Matsukaze, submarines HIJMS I 10 and HIJMS RO 37, target ship Hakachi, repair ship Akashi, ammunition ship Soya, seaplane tender Akitsushima, and auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 20. In response, during the night the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid is struck by an aerial torpedo on the starboard quarter, 15 feet below her waterline, flooding several compartments and jamming her rudder hard to port. By racing her port screw and idling her starboard engine, the ship kept her on course until two days later strong winds swung her back and forth and tended to weathercock her with her bow pointed toward Tokyo. The captain later confessed - "Right then I wasn't interested in going in that direction." At this point the crew fashioned a jury-rig sail of hatch covers and scrap canvas which swung USS Intrepid about and held her on course. Decorated by her crazy-quilt sail, USS Intrepid stood into Pearl Harbor on 24 February 1944 - Destroyer USS Nicholas sinks submarine HIJMS I-11 NW of the Marshalls 1944 - Submarine USS Cero sinks Japanese transport Jozan Maru between Truk and New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago 1944 - Submarine USS Sargo, in an attack on a Japanese convoy about 150 miles NE of the Palau Islands, sinks ammunition ship Nichiro Maru and damages oiler Sata 1944 - Submarine USS Tang attacks a Japanese convoy, sinking army cargo ship Gyoten Maru and merchant tanker Kuniei Maru about 130 miles WNW of Truk, and survives depth-charging by the convoy escorts 1944 - USN SBD Dauntlesses and TBF Avengers bomb Japanese shipping in Keravia Bay, near Rabaul on New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago, sinking minesweeper W.26 (which had been damaged previously, 2 November 1943, and had been beached at that time to prevent her loss), guardboat No.2 Fuku Maru, and army cargo ship Iwate Maru 1944 - USAAF B-25 Mitchells attack Japanese ships going to the aid of convoy attacked north of New Hanover Island in the Bismarck Archipelago the day before, damaging Kashi Maru and forcing her to be run aground to prevent sinking 1944 - USAAF P-40s attack Japanese shipping at Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands, damaging cargo ship Chosen Maru 1944 - Japanese merchant tanker Zuih Maru is damaged by mine downstream from Woosung, China1944 - Soviet submarine SC-216 sunk by German submarine hunters UJ-103 & UJ-106. All hands lost 1944 - U-774, U-1204 commissioned 1945 - USS LCI(G)-474 sunk off Iwo Jima 1945 - Coast Guard-manned Army vessel FS-226 was commissioned 17 February 1945 at New Orleans with V. S. Colomb, USCGR, as first commanding officer. He was succeeded 28 September 1945 LTJG J. D. Peterson, USCGR. She was assigned to and operated in the Southwest Pacific Area 1945 - In Pearl Harbor, during diving operations in West Lochon the wreckage of LSTs sunk in the ammunition explosions in that area in 1944, Boatswain's Mate Second Class Owen F P Hammerberg risks his own life to save two fellow divers trapped while tunneling under a wrecked LST. Although Hammerberg's efforts are successful, he suffers mortal injuries in a cave-in, to which he succumbs 18 hours later. For his heroism, Hammerberg is awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously 1945 - Escort carriers of TG 52.2 fly 226 sorties against airfield defenses on Iwo Jima. Fire support ships, minesweeping units, and underwater demolition teams (UDT) arrive and encounter fire from shore batteries. UDT reconnaissance discloses that no underwater obstacles exist, and that the surf and beach conditions are suitable for landings. Infantry landing craft (gunboat) USS LCI(G)-474 is sunk by shore battery, while supporting UDT operations. Japanese guns also account for damage to the battleship USS Tennessee; heavy cruiser USS Pensacola & destroyer USS Leutze as well as to infantry landing craft (gunboats) USS LCI(G)-346, LCI(G)-348, LCI(G)-438, LCI(G)-441, LCI(G)-449, LCI(G)-450, LCI(G)-457, LCI(G)-466, LCI(G)-469, LCI(G)-471, and LCI(G)-473. On board the damaged USS LCI(G)-449, her commanding officer, Lieutenant Rufus G. Herring, although badly wounded, cons his crippled ship himself, maintaining her position in support of the unfolding UDT operations until she is able to move to safety. For his heroism, Herring is awarded the Medal of Honor 1945 - Light cruisers USS Phoenix & Boise along with three destroyers, provide call-fire support for continuing operations on Corregidor Island in Manila Bay. Light cruiser USS Cleveland & destroyers USS O'Bannon & Taylor bombard the Ternate area on the south shore of Manila Bay 1945 - During diving operations in the Pearl Harbor West Loch on the wreckage of tank landing ships (LSTs) sunk in the ammunition explosions in that area in 1944, Boatswain's Mate Second Class Owen F P Hammerberg risks his own life to save two fellow divers trapped while tunneling under a wrecked LST. Although Hammerberg's efforts are successful, he suffers mortal injuries in a cave-in, to which he succumbs 18 hours later. For his heroism, Hammerberg is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor 1945 - Frigate HMCS Grou departed UK with Convoy ON-285 1945 - Destroyers USS James C Owens & Harlan R Dickson commissioned 1945 - Heavy cruiser USS St Paul commissioned 1945 - Minesweeper USS Peregrine launched 1945 - Corvette HMS Bluebell torpedoed & sunk by U-711 off Kola Inlet 1945 - US Liberty Ship Thomas Scott, in Convoy RA-64, was sunk by U-968 at 69.30N, 34.42E 1945 - At 1015, U-968 fired one LUT torpedo at a destroyer of the Groznyj-class and observed a hit after 6 minutes 20 seconds. Sloop HMS Lark was hit in the bow & towed into the Kola Inlet & beached near Rosta. The RN declared the ship a total loss & the wreck handed over to the Soviets 1945 - Convoy RA-64 sailed from Kola Inlet 1945 - U-425 sunk in the Barents Sea near Murmansk in position 69.39N, 35.50E by depth charges from sloop HMS Lark & corvette HMS Alnwick Castle. 52 dead & 1 survivor 1945 - U-1273 sunk in the Skaggerak in Oslofjord near Horten, in position 59.24N, 10.28E by a mine. 43 dead and 8 survivors 1945 - U-1278 sunk in the North Sea NW of Bergen, Norway in position 61.32N, 01.36E, by depth charges from frigates HMS Bayntun & Loch Eck. 48 dead (all hands lost) 1945 - U-2366 launched 1945 - In the Pacific, 13 Japanese ships are sunk by USN surface vessels, RN and USN submarines and USAAF and USN aircraft 1945 - At 1100, U-300 fired two spreads of two torpedoes at the convoy UGS-72 27 miles from Gibraltar and hit US Liberty Ship Michael J Stone in station #43 and tanker SS Regent Lion. Michael J. Stone was struck by one torpedo on the starboard side at the bulkhead between the #4 and #5 holds. The explosion damaged 650 square feet of the hull. The ship began to slowly settle by the stern as both holds and the steering room were flooded. The crew managed to bring the vessel under own power to Gibraltar until 1800 by steering manually, drawing 40 feet aft. Salvage tug HMS Behest towed her into the port, where the ship was drydocked and repaired. All eight officers, 34 crewmen, 27 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) and four passengers survived. The badly damaged Regent Lion was taken in tow by the Admiralty dockyard tug HMS Rollicker & HMS Arctic Ranger on 19 February and was later grounded on Perl Rock, one mile south of Carnero Point. She was declared a total loss. Seven crewmembers were lost. The master, 40 crewmembers & four gunners were picked up by Arctic Ranger & destroyer USS Robinson & landed in Gibraltar 1947 - The Voice of America began broadcasting to the Soviet Union 1956 - Destroyer HMCS St Laurent arrived US ASW Trials Center Key West for evaluation 1957 - For Saving of Drowning Men medal is instituted in the USSR 1959 - Destroyer HMCS Gatineau commissioned 1966 - USS Yorktown port call Yokosuka 1972 - USS Kitty Hawk commenced Vietnam deployment 1978 - The atomic-powered icebreaker Siberia sets out on her first journey 1991 - Naval forces continue supporting the air campaign conducting air strikes, fighter cover, on-call combat search and rescue, mine countermeasures and maritime interception operations 2002 - Frigate HMCS Ottawa departs Esquimalt to replace HMCS Charlottetown in Operation Apollo 2005 - After answering a bridge-to-bridge distress call from a Kuwaiti fisherman, multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard chased two pirate boats away from a group of fishing dhows in the Persian Gulf 2005 - Northrop Grumman Corporation's Bob Gunter, senior vice president for aircraft carrier programs at the company's Newport News sector, named the Virginia Peninsula Engineer of the Year by the Peninsula Engineers Council. He will be honored for his contributions to engineering and leadership excellence during the Council's annual Engineers Week Banquet on Feb 26 2005 - CCG cutters Navicula and North Bar placed on disposal list at Dartmouth NS 2005 - IZAR and Lockheed Martin successfully performed initial activation of the first Aegis Weapon System equipped with the new SPY-1F radar aboard the Norwegian frigate Fridtjof Nansen at IZAR's shipyard in Ferrol, Spain. This signifies the beginning of Integrated Weapon System (IWS) testing for the first of Norway's five new Aegis-equipped frigates 2005 - The Union Cabinet today approved enactment of the Admiralty Law of India as contained in the Admiralty Bill, 2005 based on the recommendations made by the Law Commission and modified by the Ministry of Law and Justice. The Cabinet also gave its approval for repealing of the following Acts: i) The Admiralty Offences (Colonial) Act, 1894; ii) The Admiralty Jurisdiction (India) Act, 1860; iii) Admiralty Court Act, 1861; iv) The Colonial Courts of Admiralty (India) Act, 1891; and v) Clauses pertaining to admiralty jurisdiction in the Letters Patent, relating to the High Courts of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. The proposed legislation will be comprehensive on Admiralty Law and would repeal existing statutes, which were framed by the British Government about 142 years ago. A Bill to enact the Admiralty Law of India would be introduced in the Parliament 2005 - Union Cabinet today gave its approval for Relief and Rehabilitation Package of Rs.821.88 crore for the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The package will comprise immediate relief and response assistance of Rs.313.19 crore; immediate assistance for relief, inter-mediate (temporary) housing and relief employment generation for Rs.215.65 crore; special package for fishery sector for Rs.15.01 crore; special package for revival of agriculture for Rs.239.54 crore; special package for rehabilitation of orphans, widows, disabled, unmarried girls for Rs.8.60 crore; and special package for immediate restoration of damaged infrastructure of the A&N Administration for Rs.29.89 crore. The assistance covered under ‘norms with relaxation of scale’ includes payment of ex-gratia in respect of missing persons subject to proper verification and due procedure by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration. The recommendation also include payment of ex-gratia @ Rs.1 lakh as has been given by the States in the mainland where the ex-gratia of Rs.50,000 from CRF/NCCF has been supplemented by the States from their own resources by a like amount. This would be in addition to the Rs.1 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. Assistance to fishermen to the tune of Rs.15.01 crore includes Rs.2.53 crore for construction of cold storage. A total 1401 boats have been lost/damaged. In the package for the fishery sector for the mainland, it is agreed that the cost of the country boats, the lowest category, will be fully reimbursed. In case of A&N Islands the cost is very high because of transportation as most of these are to be fabricated in the mainland and then transported. Full subsidy will be provided for replacement of country boats (dongies) plus nets up to unit cost of Rs.65,000 including transportation cost from mainland. For replacement/ upgrade of boats plus motor and nets up to unit cost of Rs.1.50 lakh, the subsidy will be 50 per cent and the balance will be loan. For repair of boats with motors, there will be a subsidy of 60 per cent (with a ceiling of Rs.65,000 and the balance will be loan. Full subsidy up to Rs.10,000 will be provided for repairs of country boats (dongies). Rs.2.53 crore has been provided for repair of cold storage and the actual amount will be on the basis of damage assessment. Bank loans will carry interest at 7 per cent. Interest subsidy of 2 per cent will be paid in case of prompt repayment. Affected fishermen will be entitled to get loans, even if earlier loans are outstanding. The subsidy component to fishermen will be increased from 35 per cent to 50 per cent at an additional cost of Rs.91.13 crore. The package will supplement the efforts of the administration in carrying out relief and rehabilitation measures in the affected areas and provide support to orphans, widows, disabled and unmarried girls. It will help the affected farmers and fishermen to restart normal activities and regain livelihood. It will enable the A&N administration to start normal functioning in all the Tsunami affected Islands. It will provide an incentive for fishermen to opt for motorized boats to increase their income 2005 - The Union Cabinet today approved the construction of 10,100 intermediate shelters for the Tsunami affected families in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Sanction has been accorded for an expenditure of Rs.96.33 crore at present for the construction of these shelters. The Group of Technical Experts have recommended plans for intermediate shelter units indicating the alternative materials which will be available in the shortest possible time and at reasonable cost for construction of the intermediate shelters. The average covered area per family has been kept at 21 to 23 sq. meters. The average cost of intermediate shelter for a family would be Rs.35,399, Rs.32,350 and Rs.48,169 per unit for a block of 6 units, 4 units and 2 units respectively. In order to complete construction of intermediate shelters before mid-April 2005, all critical activities have been identified by the A&N Administration 2005 - Vice Admiral Slamet Soebijanto appointed as new navy chief in Indonesia, replacing Admiral Bernard Kent Sondakh 2005 - Joe McGuire, Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and MP for Egmont announced today, on behalf of Jean-C. Lapierre, Minister of Transport, that Transport Canada has awarded a contract to design and acquire the materials for a new wave break on Queen's Wharf in Summerside, Prince Edward Island 2005 - Shell Gas & Power announced today it has received approval of its application for its Gulf Landing offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the Gulf of Mexico. The approval came in a Record of Decision from the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) 2005 - Two South Korean men aged in their 50s were each sentenced to one year in jail on Thursday for smuggling four scrapped vessels to North Korea. The Daegu District Court found them guilty of violating the law on inter-Korean exchange and cooperation 2005 - Two Coast Guard aircraft and a polar icebreaking cutter are assisting New Zealand emergency personnel and the US Federal Emergency Management Agency with crisis response following cyclone Olaf's destructive path through the South Pacific this week. Olaf, a category five storm, rocked communities and fishing vessels in Samoa and American Samoa with wind gusts from 135 to 165 miles per hour and 30 to 40-foot seas Tuesday and Wednesday. The Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, a 399-foot polar icebreaker homeported in Seattle, has been diverted to assist in search and rescue missions related to Olaf. Polar Star, which travels with two HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopters and flight crews, was heading home after a six-month deployment to Antarctica and is estimated to arrive in Manu'a Sunday. At the request of the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Center, a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft from Barbers Point, Hawaii, is searching for a 68-foot fishing vessel in the vicinity of Manu'a, an island just east of Pago Pago. The vessel, Samoan Boy, has seven people on board and has not been heard from for nearly 36 hours. The Barbers Point C-130 is also assisting in the search for two people missing from the fishing vessel Tautai II, which sank with six crewmembers on board. The other four crewmembers were recovered by another fishing vessel that was in the area. Wednesday, the Barbers Point C-130 located the fishing vessel Princess Karlinna after the vessel reported it was being battered by the storm after its steering system had malfunctioned. The aircraft's crew dropped life vests and other supplies to the Princess Karlinna's crew and remained in the area until a rescue vessel arrived on scene. A second C-130 aircraft, based in Elizabeth City, N.C., is expected to arrive in Pago Pago Friday to deliver FEMA response personnel and equipment to the islands to conduct post-storm surveys. The aircraft will also be available for search and rescue response 2005 - AT least 90 people were injured, four seriously, when a high-speed passenger ferry was in a collision with a Chinese-registered cargo ship in Hong Kong waters. The injured were among the 156 on board the ferry Nansha 38 which suffered heavy damage to its bow in the incident with the Chinese-registered cargo ship Shong Hang 98. The mishap occurred in waters off Tsing Yi Island, Hong Kong at 0815 local time just over an hour after the Hong Kong Marine Department's Vessel Traffic Center issued a visibility warning. A Marine Department spokesman said it was too early to blame poor visibility, but noted that visibility had reduced to below two n-miles at 0655, prompting the warning. The ferry was escorted back to the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui. Shong Hang 908 is anchored near the accident site. The area southwest of Tsing Yi where the vessels collided is the main thoroughfare for ships transiting Mainland China and Macao trade lanes 2005 - Eight sailors and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employees were treated for smoke inhalation after a small fire on the nuclear submarine USS Jacksonville. It was the second fire in about two months on the sub, which is being overhauled at the yard. Base spokeswoman Debbie White said the fire was in a forward compartment of the boat and was immediately extinguished. Six people were treated at the scene and two sailors were treated and released from Portsmouth Regional Hospital. White said the fire damaged hull insulation. The fire in December also caused minor damage 2005 - NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, today announced that the wreck of the steamship Portland has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Registry is the nation’s official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. The Portland rests on the sea bottom in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the Massachusetts coast 2006 - Ten NATO nations will provide eight submarines, fifteen maritime patrol aircraft/land-based anti-submarine helicopters and eight surface ships to take part in NOBLE MANTA 06, the world's largest anti-submarine Warfare (ASW) exercise from 17 to 01 March 2006. The exercise will take place in the Ionian Sea to the Southeast of Sicily. Forces are provided by Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Eight submarines are scheduled to join the exercise; one each from France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and United State of America, and two from Turkey. Each submarine will have the opportunity of being a hunter as well as the prey. Surface ships from NATO's standing naval force will take part, as well as a French Frigate and an Italian Patrol Boat. The exercise will demonstrate NATO's determination to maintain proficiency in coordinated anti-submarine, anti-surface, and coastal surveillance operations using a multi-national force of ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally this year traditional submarine roles and missions will be exercised in support of Defense against terrorism. Maritime Patrol Aircraft from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States of America will operate from Sigonella, Sicily. Italian shore-based ASW helicopters from Fontanarossa, Sicily will also participate. Over 80 air missions are planned, and on average this will result in a crew briefing every four hours, day and night, throughout the exercise. The exercise will be controlled from the co-located multi-national Headquarters of the Commander Submarines Allied Naval Forces and the Commander Maritime Air Naples, Italy. The exercise is conducted under the supervision of the scheduling Headquarters, Allied Maritime Component Command Naples 2006 - Chinese port city of Shenzhen will auction a Russian aircraft carrier that has been used as an amusement park in recent years. The sale, set for next month, was necessitated after owner Minsk World Industries Co. Ltd. went bankrupt, the Shanghai Daily said. The warship remains popular, having drawn 33,000 visitors during China's last Spring Festival. The vessel, which has been used as an amusement park for five years, was once the flagship of Russia's Pacific Ocean fleet before it was decommissioned and sold 2006 - The Coast Guard suspended the search at 1430 for 26-year-old Steven Coble, who was reported missing since the 16th. Coast Guard crews aboard a 47-foot motor lifeboat and a 25-foot rescue boat from Station Point Allerton, and an HU-25 Falcon Jet and HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod searched the beaches and 72 square miles of coastline along Hull, Mass. for Coble. The Coast Guard was initially notified about 0230 that a man was stuck on the breakwall off of Crescent Beach. Station Point Allerton launched a rescue boat and recovered Brad Turner, 19, from Rockland, Mass. Turner informed the Coast Guard that he and his cousin Coble, of Hull, Mass. had been in a 10-foot canoe when the vessel capsized, sending both men into the water sometime between 2300 and 0030 the previous night. Turner swam to the breakwall. The water temperature is reported to be 39.7 degrees. Neither men were wearing a lifejackets or any sort of survival equipment 2006 - Crowley has awarded a two-barge construction contract to Gunderson Marine of Portland OR with the first vessel to be available for service in early 2007. The new construction of these two Heavy Lift Series 400-foot by 105-foot-wide deck barges to handle project work for the offshore energy industry in the Gulf of Mexico will expand and keep current Crowley’s fleet for customers of the company’s marine services business segment 2007 - MoD's Disposal Services Agency (DSA) has selected specialist disposals group Leavesley International as preferred bidder for the recycling of the decommissioned Royal Navy (RN) assault ship ex-HMS Intrepid. Leavesley, which was awarded preferred bidder status following open competition, will now apply for the necessary licenses and approvals 2007 - Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod remembered four shipmates who died in 1979. A wreath was dropped into the sea from a Coast Guard HH-60 helicopter in remembrance of the crew of the HH-3F Pelican helicopter, the CG1432. The Pelican crew was lost February 18th, 1979 during a rescue attempt 260 miles southeast of Cape Cod. While attempting to perform a medical evacuation from a Japanese fishing vessel, the weather started to deteriorate. The helicopter lost power and was forced to land on the water. The heavy seas quickly overturned the downed aircraft and only one crewmember was able to escape. Each year, the members of Air Station Cape Cod remember their fellow Coast Guardsmen lost nearly 30 years ago, by laying a wreath at a memorial on the air station or in the sea 2007 - Estonia approved a bill permitting demolition of Soviet war monuments in the country aggravating its already bitter relations with ethnic Russians ============================================================= 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 2007 Seawaves Publishing Inc 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.