SeaWaves Today in History January 15, 2009 Iran - Proclamation of Islam. Visiting warships dress overall. Liberia - Pioneers' Day. Visiting warships dress with masthead flags. Canada - Flag Day 1541 - The King of France, Francis I, signs a commission to begin colonizing North America 1559 - England's Queen Elizabeth I was crowned in Westminster Abbey 1838 - Upper Canadian militia units occupy Navy Island (Niagara River) after it is abandoned by William Lyon Mackenzie and his "Patriot Army of the North-West". 1865 - Capture of Fort Fisher, Wilmington, NC, by joint amphibious force 1898 - Battleship FS Iéna laid down 1907 - Submarine HMS C10 launched 1914 - Battleships HMS Royal Oak & Royal Sovereign laid down 1918 - Aircraft carrier HMS Hermes laid down 1918 - Destroyer HMS Shikari laid down 1919 - HMCS CD 73, CD 14, CD 23 paid off 1919 - Destroyers USS Litchfield & Zane laid down 1919 - Submarine USS S-38 laid down 1919 - Destroyer USS Hamilton launched 1919 - Submarine HMS H49 launched 1920 - HMC CD 51 paid off 1921 - Submarine USS S-15 commissioned 1924 - Submarine USS S-41 commissioned 1926 - Submarine FS Calypso launched 1926 - Destroyer HMS Ambuscade launched 1931 - Sloop HMS Penzance commissioned 1931 - Heavy cruiser USS Louisville commissioned 1932 - CN liner SS Lady Drake Authority #1121, to fly Blue Ensign 1935 - Destroyer USS Worden commissioned 1935 - Premier Joseph Stalin conducts a series of show trials of leading Communist leaders who are accused of conspiracy and state treason. Grigori Zinoviev, Leo Kamenev, and several other Communist leaders are found guilty in two days and receive terms of 5- to10-years in prison. In 1936 Zinoviev is charged with forming a terrorist organization to kill Stalin and other leaders of the government. He is tried, found guilty and executed in Moscow on 25 August 1936 1936 - Japanese delegation leaves the London naval disarmament conference after rejecting tonnage restrictions on various types of warships. The Japanese government is determined to modernize the fleet and is unwilling to accept further restrictions 1936 - Japan withdrew from the London Naval Conference 1937 - Destroyer USS Downes commissioned 1937 - Submarine USS Pollack commissioned 1938 - Submarine ORP Orzel launched 1939 - Lord Halifax, British Foreign Minister, urged Georges Bonnet, French Foreign Minister, to satisfy some of Italy's claims - port facilities at Djibouti, Suez tolls, and status of Italians in Tunis 1939 - French Radical Socialist party urges the government to consider the grave danger to France of Italian intervention in Spain 1940 - A joint amphibious exercise begins in the Monterey, California, area to (1) provide training for the Army and Navy in planning and executing joint operations, (2) train Army troops in embarking and disembarking from ships, and (3) afford an opportunity for elements of the General Headquarters Air Force (GHQAF) and Navy patrol squadrons to work together and with ground forces 1940 - Joint amphibious exercise begin in the Monterey, California, area to (1) provide training for the Army and Navy in planning and executing Joint operations, (2) train Army troops in embarking and disembarking, and (3) afford an opportunity for elements of the General Headquarters Air Force (GHQAF) and Navy patrol squadrons to work together and with ground forces 1940 - SS Gracia in Convoy OB-71 was damaged by a mine laid on 6 January by U-30 about 5 miles WSW of the Bar Lightvessel, Liverpool 1940 - At 0013, SS Fagerheim was hit by one torpedo from U-44 about 80 miles SW of Quessant, broke in two & sank. The survivors were rescued and taken to Vigo, Spain 1940 - Destroyers HMS Offa & Oribi laid down 1940 - At 0705 hours, the neutral Arendskerk was spotted by U-44 about 100 miles SW of Ouessant and tried to escape when the U-boat was sighted. It needed seven shots across her bow to stop the vessel. When the papers were checked it became clear that she carried contraband and the crew was ordered to abandon ship. At 1010, one torpedo struck in the engine room, breaking the ship in two. The afterpart sank, but the forepart remained afloat and had to be sunk 30 minutes later by 18 shells from the deck gun. The survivors were picked up by the Italian merchant Fedora, transferred to the Dutch merchant Poelau Bras and landed at Lisbon 1941 - Minesweepers HMCS Gananoque & Goderich laid down Toronto ON 1941 - U-179 laid down 1941 - Cruiser minelayer HMS Adventure is damaged for the second time on a mine while on passage from Milford Haven to Liverpool 1941 - The Admiralty announces the promotion of Vice-Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, C-in-C of the British Mediterranean Fleet to admiral 1941 - The Italian motorship Citta di Messina, escorted by the torpedo boat Centauro, is torpedoed & sunk by submarine HMS Regent. It is the first sinking of a supply ship bound for North Africa in 1941 1941 - AMC HMCS Prince Henry arrived Bermuda for workups 1941 - Destroyers HMCS Assiniboine, St Francis & Columbia departed Halifax for EG-4 Greenock 1941 - Corvette HMS Godetia laid down 1941 - Destroyer USS Gwin commissioned 1941 - Corvette HMS Anchusa launched 1941 - Minesweeper HMS Felixstowe launched 1941 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Hoxa launched 1941 - U-151, U-554 commissioned 1941- During the night of 15/16 January, 96 RAF Bomber Command aircraft are sent to bomb Wilhelmshaven; 70 actually bomb the target. This raid is rated as successful 1941 - Chancellor Adolf Hitler meets with Romanian Prime Minister General Ion Antonescu at Salzburg and informs him of his intention to invade the Soviet Union with Romanian collaboration. Antonescu tells Hitler that first he must liquidate the Legionary Movement, but neglects to ask for more than just a promise of additional aid, armaments, and war materiels 1941 - Italian 2,472 ton motorship MS Citta di Messina, escorted by the torpedo boat R.N. Centauro, is torpedoed and sunk by submarine HMS Regent about 52 miles east of Tripoli, Libya, in position 32.59N, 14.11E. It is the first sinking of a supply ship bound for North Africa in 1941 1941 - The House of Representatives' Committee on Foreign Affairs is holding hearings on House Resolution (H.R.) 1776, the Lend-Lease Bill. Secretary of State Cordell Hull testifies and advocates passage of the bill 1942 - While tracking Convoy HG 78 (Gibraltar to UK), German submarine U-93 is sunk about 219 miles north northeast of the Madeira Islands by destroyer HMS Hesperus, a convoy escort; 40 of the 46 crewmen survive 1942 - U-123 sinks its third ship during Operation DRUMBEAT, a 6,768 ton British tanker about 88 miles south-southeast of Providence RI in position 40.25N, 70.50W 1942 - Representatives from 21 American republics meet in Rio de Janeiro for an Inter-American Conference to unite the American republics to coordinate policies in the defense of the Western Hemisphere. The delegates unanimously adopt a resolution which calls for all of the American states to sever diplomatic relations with the Axis powers. All of the governments involved at the conference, with the exceptions of Argentina and Chile, break off relations with the Axis states. The conference ends on 28 January 1942 - Six Australian (PBY) Catalinas are dispatched to bomb the Japanese base in Truk Atoll. Only one aircraft finds the target and drops 16 bombs. Clouds obscure the results 1942 - The American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Supreme Command is established at the Grand Hotel, Lembang, Java, Netherlands East Indies. British General Sir Archibald Wavell assumes supreme command of all forces in the area effective 1200 hours GMT; Lieutenant General George H. Brett, USAAF, is deputy commander; Admiral Thomas C. Hart, USN, is to command naval forces 1942 - Jawaharlal Nehru succeeds Mohandas K. Gandhi as head of India's National Congress Party 1942 - U-577 is sunk about 56 miles northeast of Tobruk, Libya, by depth charges from a Royal Navy Swordfish Mk. I, aircraft "G" of No. 815 Squadron based at Landing Ground 75, Maaten Bagush, Egypt; all 43 crewmen are lost 1942 - An agreement is signed in London between Greece and Yugoslavia for the constitution of a Balkan Union. (The Balkan Pact, signed in February 1934 by Greece, Romania, Turkey and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The Pact which consisted of 39 articles promoting the principles of friendship and non-aggression, mutual assistance and defense of common security and the protection of the rights of minorities) 1942 - In Washington, Secretary of War Henry Stimson says nearly 2 million men will be inducted into the military this year. By year's end it will have 3.6 million men under arms 1942 - The State Department issues a memorandum outlining its position with respect to French sovereignty over bases the United States intends to build in French Oceania 1942 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt gives baseball the go-ahead to play despite the war. In his famous "green light" letter, the President says, "I honestly think it would be best for the country to keep baseball going." He encourages more night baseball so that war workers may attend. Ironically, the Chicago Cubs, who had signed contracts to install lights at Wrigley Field, drop their plans because of the military need for the material. There will be no lights at Wrigley for 35 more years 1942 - At 0941, the unescorted tanker Coimbra was hit by one torpedo from U-123, which had spotted the lights of the tanker astern while the U-boat was proceeding eastbound following the southern shore of Long Island. The torpedo struck on the starboard side just aft of the superstructure. A huge towering explosion lit up the night sky and the cargo of oil quickly caught fire and spread across the water. Residents from the Hamptons on Long Island could see the fire at sea 27 miles away and alerted the authorities. A second torpedo hit the tanker and her stern immediately sank, striking the sea floor. Like his previous victim, the Norness, the bow of the Coimbra was sticking out of the water. Hardegen suggested that, "it was a good thing that my wrecks were partly sticking out of the water. Otherwise how would other ships find the harbor?" The tanker later sank completely. The master, 29 crewmembers and six gunners were lost. Ten survivors, six of them wounded were rescued from the rough seas. Two crewmembers were picked up by destroyer USS Rowan & landed at Argentia, Newfoundland. The remaining survivors were rescued by another American destroyer and landed at St John's 1942 - At 1134, U-203 torpedoed a ship, which exploded & sank immediately. Mützelburg thought that he had sunk an ammunition ship, but his victim was the trawler Catalina 1942 - At 0138, the unescorted Dayrose was torpedoed and sunk by U-552 west of Cape Race. Altogether, the U-boat fired five torpedoes of which two struck the vessel and broke her in two. The master, 31 crewmembers and six gunners were lost. Four crewmembers were picked up by destroyers USS Ericsson & USS Stockton and landed at Argentia, Newfoundland 1942 - At 2317, tanker Diala was torpedoed & damaged by U-553 about 300 miles ESE of Cape Race in 44°50N/46°50W (grid BC 8524). The vessel was proceeding at maximum speed (12 knots) after the convoy ON-52 was dispersed on 11 January. The bow was blown off and the superstructure was extensively damaged. The tanker was abandoned but remained afloat and was reported drifting NE. 48 crewmembers and nine gunners were lost. The master, six crewmembers and one gunner were picked up by the British SS Telefora de Larrinaga and landed at New York. Four survivors from the Athelcrown, which had been sunk by U-82 on 22 January, boarded the abandoned, drifting wreck of the Diala. They remained on board for eight days before they were rescued by the Swedish merchant Saturnus and landed on the Faroes Isles. On 19 March, Allied ships in position 47°N/37°W last saw the drifting wreck, after attempts to tow her were unsuccessful. The wreck of the Diala was sunk on 23 March by U-587 1942 - U-93 sunk in North Atlantic, in position 36.10N, 15.52W by destroyer HMS Hesperus. 6 dead, 40 survivors 1942 - Minesweeper USS Auk commissioned 1942 - Battleship Tirpitz moves to Norwegian waters1942 - The State Department issues a memorandum outlining its position with respect to French sovereignty over bases the United States intends to build in French Oceania 1942 - Destroyers USS Blean & Tickham launched 1942 - Escort carrier USS Bogue launched 1942 - Destroyer USS Caldwell launched 1942 - Submarine USS Herring launched 1942 - U-605 commissioned 1942 - Submarine FS Surcouf arrived Halifax NS for refit 1942 - SS Barra Island, Canadian Atlantic Transportation Co, wrecked in a storm in the Hebrides Sea, two miles off Barra Island, west of Scotland. There was no loss of life in this incident 1942 - U-211, U-413 launched 1942 - Corvette HMS Chrysanthemum commissioned. Taken over by Free French Navy 26 Jan 42 & renamed Comandant Drogou 1942 - U-577 sunk in the Mediterranean NW of Mersa Matruh, in position 32.40N, 25.48E, by depth charges from an RN 815 Sqn Swordfish. 43 dead (all hands lost) 1942 - Lieutenant Goodman RNVR was awarded the George Cross for his bravery in dismantling an unexploded Italian torpedo of unusual design, fitted with a self-destruct mechanism 1943 - U-1004 laid down 1943 - Escort carrier USS Manila Bay laid down 1943 - Submarine USS Manta laid down 1943 - Aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La laid down 1943 - Submarine USS Tang laid down 1943 - On the Virginia side of the Potomac River outside Washington, DC, a new Headquarters building for the Armed Forces of the US is completed. Due to the 5 sided architectural design, it will become known as "The Pentagon". The size of this building will allow the US Army, US Navy and US Army Airforces to move their command functions into one place. Due to segregation in Virginia at the time, separate bathroom facilities were built for whites & blacks. These have been located all over the greater Washington, DC area. Many of them are housed in temporary buildings, "on the mall", between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. These temporary buildings were erected during WWI and were not expected to be in use much longer than the duration of that conflict 1943 - Destroyer USS Nields commissioned 1943 - Submarine USS Tinosa commissioned 1943 - Lighters HMC HC 185, HC 186, HC 204 & HC 205 ordered 1943 - A crewmember of U-134 committed suicide 1943 - U-716, U-851 launched 1943 - The unescorted Ocean Courage was torpedoed & sunk by U-182 about 200 miles south of the Cape Verde Islands. The master, 41 crewmembers, two gunners and two stowaways were lost. Six crewmembers and one gunner were picked up by the British merchant Silverwalnut and landed at Norfolk VA 1943 - At 1031, U-617 fired four torpedoes at a small convoy, consisting of two merchantmen, the Annitsa and Harboe Jensen, escorted by armed trawler HMS Southern Isles. Brandi observed two hits on each merchantman that had a great effect. Both merchantmen were sunk in the attack. One crewmember from the Annitsa was lost. The trawler rescued 31 survivors and a lifeboat picked up two survivors from the Harboe Jensen. The trawler later also picked up the survivors in the lifeboat. Harboe Jensen (Master Sverre Aanonsen) was hit by two torpedoes on the port side and sank immediately. The master and 17 crewmembers were lost. Five Norwegians and one British jumped overboard and found an upturned lifeboat, which they righted. They picked up two survivors from the Greek ship, before the trawler rescued them. Gunner Falkensten, who had also jumped overboard kept himself afloat on a plank and was rescued after about an hour 1943 - Eight USAAF Eleventh Air Force P-38 Lightnings, three B-25 Mitchells and a B-24 Liberator patrol Constantine Harbor on the northeast coast, of Amchitka Island, fly reconnaissance over Kiska Island, where one ship is sighted, and fly negative armored reconnaissance runs over Attu, the Semichis and Buldir Islands 1943 - During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends ten (A-20) Bostons to attack a whaling factory ship at Cherbourg but score no hits 1943 - During the night of 15/16 January, RAF Bomber Command flies three missions: 157 aircraft, 65 Wellingtons, 48 Halifaxes, 40 Stirlings and four Lancasters, are dispatched to attack the city and U-boat pens at Lorient; 133 bomb the targets with the loss of a Stirling and a Wellington. Bombing is more accurate than on the previous night. At least 800 buildings are destroyed and 12 civilians killed. Most of the inhabitants had fled the town during the previous day. Nine Wellingtons lay mines off Bay of Biscay ports: five lay mines off Lorient and four lay mines off St. Nazaire 1943 - In the Andaman Sea, six USAAF Tenth Air Force B-24 Liberators hit shipping in a convoy in the Rangoon area. One ship, the Japanese Army cargo ship SS Nichimei Maru, is carrying Allied POWs. She is sunk about 211 miles south-southeast of Rangoon, Burma, in position 13.30N, 97.30E. About 500 POWs are lost. Another ship, SS Moji Maru is damaged 1943 - Twenty USAAF Ninth Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb the port area at Tripoli, scoring hits on vessels and on the shore areas near the harbor 1943 - USAAF Twelfth Air Force B-25 Mitchells and B-26 Marauders fly three counter-shipping missions north and northeast of Tunisia, claiming one vessel left in flames 1943 - USN SBD Dauntlesses with F4F Wildcat and USAAF Thirteenth Air Force P-39 Airacobra escort attack nine destroyers of the Tokyo Express and damage four of them. They are met by 12 "Oscars" (Nakajima Ki-43, Army Type 1 Fighter Hayabusa); eight are shot down with the loss of one SBD and five US fighters 1943 - USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses, P-38 Lightnings, P-39 Airacobras and P-40s attack five destroyers near Faisi Island; they are met by float biplanes and 13 are shot down with no loss of USAAF aircraft 1943 - SBDs with F4F and P-39 escort bomb a cargo ship off Munda, New Georgia Island; they are met by 12 "Zekes" (Mitsubishi A6M, Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighters); seven are shot down with the loss of one US fighter. B-17 Flying Fortresses and USN PBY Catalinas bomb Kahili, Bougainville Island 1943 - On the Virginia side of the Potomac River outside Washington, D.C., a new headquarters building for the Armed Forces of the US is completed. Due to the five sided architectural design, it will become known as "The Pentagon." The massive structure covers 34 acres of land and has 17 miles of corridors. The size of this building will allow the US Army, Navy and Army Air Forces to move their command functions into one place. These have been located all over the greater Washington, D.C. area. Many of them are housed in temporary buildings, "on the Mall," between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. These temporary buildings were erected during WWI and were not expected to be in use much longer than the duration of that conflict. (Some were still there in the 1960s) 1944 - U-377 is sunk about 575 miles west-southwest of Cork, County Cork, Eire, by one of its own circling Type G7s T5 electric acoustic torpedoes; all 52 crewmen are lost 1944 - Two USAAF Fourteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells on a sweep off the southeast coast sink a wooden vessel off Swatow and damage the lighthouse on Nampana Island. Two others shoot down a Japanese bomber north of Chikhom 1944 - Two USAAF Fourteenth Air Force B-25 Mitchells on a sea sweep along the coast bomb the Hongay power plant and sink a gunboat in a nearby cove to the southwest; a coal grading building at Campha Port is also bombed 1944 - Nine USAAF Seventh Air Force B-25 Mitchells from Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands flying at deck-level, bomb and strafe shipping and shore installations at Maloelap Atoll; two vessels are hit and the oil dump, hangars, other buildings, and runways are damaged; one B-25 crashes at sea after being hit by antiaircraft fire 1944 - Tugs HMCS Listerville, Martinville, Neville, Bonnyville, Merrickville, Johnville, Plainville, Hartville, Innisville, Queensville, Kayville & Youville ordered 1944 - HMC MTB 745 commissioned 1944 - Corvette HMCS Peterborough launched Kingston ON 1944 - U-485, U-1102 launched 1944 - Destroyer HMAS Bataan launched 1944 - Submarine USS Thresher, patrolling in the Luzon Strait during her eleventh patrol, bores in on a Japanese convoy. Thresher lets loose seven torpedoes in a night surface radar attack. Two of four torpedoes strike and sink Toho Maru and all torpedoes in a salvo of three hit Tatsuno Maru sinking her. These ships are sunk about 75 miles north of Luzon in position 19°45'N, 120°40'E 1944 - Submarine HMS Tally Ho, on her third patrol and cruising the waters around the Andaman Islands, fires six torpedoes at what is believed to be a motor vessel. One torpedo hits & sinks Ryuko Maru south of Port Blair in position 10°50'N, 93°00'E 1944 - Frigate USS Alexandria launched 1944 - Destroyer escorts USS Charles J Kimmel, Connolly & Daniel A Joy launched 1944 - Frigate USS Eugene commissioned 1944 - Destroyer USS Prichett commissioned 1944 - Destroyer escort USS Francis M Robinson commissioned 1944 - Corvette HMCS Drumheller completed forecastle extension refit New York City 1944 - Submarine HMS L-27 arrived Philadelphia for refit 1944 - The Canadian-owned, British-registered Victory-class freighter Fort St Nicholas (7,154 GRT), Captain Kenneth H. Pengelly, Master, was torpedoed and sunk by U-410, OLtzS. Horst-Arno Fenski, Knight's Cross, in the Gulf of Salerno, in position 40.34N, 014.37E. There was no loss of life from the 63 crewmembers and four passengers onboard. Fort St Nicholaswas a Victory-class cargo ship built by Burrard Dry Dock Co., Ltd, at North Vancouver, BC She was completed in Sep 43. Fort St Nicholaswas one of 32 Victory-class ships provided to Great Britain under the terms of a Bare Boat Charter. John Cory & Son, Ltd., of Cardiff, Wales, managed the ship for the British government. Two of these ships were lost and another two were damaged. The ship was proceeding from Hull, U.K., to Naples, Italy. She was loaded with 4,000 tons of military stores. U-410 was a medium-range type VIIC submarine built by Danziger Werft, at Danzig. She was commissioned on 23 Feb 42, KptLt. Kurt Sturm, CO. U-410 conducted seven patrols and compiled a record of ten ships sunk for a total of 57,861 tons and one ship damaged for a further 7,134 tons. U-410 was bombed and sunk on 11 Mar 44 by USAAF aircraft while alongside in Toulon, France. There is no record of casualties associated with her loss. Horst-Arno Fenski was born in 1918, at Königsberg, East Prussia. He joined the navy in 1937. His operational service began in Dec 39 in the battlecruiser Gneisenau. Fenski transferred to the U-boat force in Apr 40, serving as the First Watch Officer in the successful Type VIIC boat U-752 (seven patrols, eight ships sunk), commanded by KptLt. Karl-Ernst Schroeter. Fenski was promoted to OLtzS on 01 Apr 42 and was selected for command, completing his U-boat commander’s course between Jun-Jul 42. His first appointment was command of the Type VIIA training boat U-34. Next, on 05 Feb 43, Fenski was appointed to command U-410, at the age of 24. He was awarded the Knight's Cross on 26 Nov 43 (the 106th awarded in the U-boat force). After U-410 was bombed in port, Fenski was assigned to command the veteran Type VIIC boat U-371 (19 patrols, 12 ships sunk). On her first patrol under Fenski's command, U-371 was sunk in operations against convoy GUS-9. Fenski was detained after the capitulation and was released on 04 May 46. Horst-Arno Fenski died on 10 Feb 65, in Hamburg. He sank nine ships for a total of 53,684 tons and damaged four ships for a further 13,356 tons, which ranked him as the 84th highest scoring U-boat 'ace' of the war. U-371 was unlucky enough to be the first victim of a new allied sub-hunting tactic known as ‘Swamp’. This tactic packed the vicinity of a known or suspected U-boat with as many surface escorts and patrol aircraft as possible. The escorts and aircraft then systematically searched the area until the U-boat’s submerged endurance was exhausted. On the night of 02/03 May, U-371 was closing the 43-ship Oran to Hampton Roads convoy GUS-9. After being forced to submerge by an escort, Fenski waited until the convoy passed overhead before resurfacing astern of it. He began to reposition U-371 for another attack but was sighted by the American Edsall-class destroyer escort Menges. Fenski dove the boat and fired a T-5 acoustic-homing torpedo at Menges, which struck her aft, causing extensive damage but did not sink her. Another Edsall-class destroyer escort, USS Pride and the Treasury-class cutter USCGC Campbell joined the attack and forced U-371 to break contact with the convoy. Ultimately, six escorts and three aircraft squadrons were dedicated to the hunt. Fenski bottomed his boat near the African coastline and remained quiet for 21 hours. Finally, the depleted air in the boat forced an emergency surfacing at 0315 04 May. The resourceful Fenski handled his boat brilliantly but the odds were overwhelming. A wild gun battle took place during which Fenski fired another T-5 torpedo that hit and heavily damaged the Free French escort Senegalais. Fenski ordered the boat abandoned and scuttled. Amazingly, there were only three casualties from U-371’s crew of 51 men 1944 - Submarine HMS P-554 arrived Halifax NS for ASW training 1944 - U-871 commissioned 1945 - The unescorted Maja was torpedoed & sunk by U-1055 SE of Drogheda. 17 crewmembers and eight gunners were lost. The master, 37 crewmembers and two gunners were picked up by the Belgian trawler Hendrik Conscience and landed at Holyhead 1945 - Escort carrier HMS Thane damaged beyond repair by U-1172 55.08N, 05.25W - Grid AM 65. After being deemed unworthy of repair she was decommissioned at Faslane. Eventually she was scrapped there in 1946 1945 - Tanker Spinanger damaged by U-1172 at 55.08N, 05.25W - Grid AM 65 1945 - Tug HMCS Barkerville assigned to Prince Rupert BC 1945 - HMCS Fundy & Comox, both Fundy-class minesweepers, rescued survivors from the three ships torpedoed in Convoy BX-141 by U-1232. The ships lost were the British tankers British Freedom & Athelviking as well as the US Liberty ship Martin Van Buren. The two tankers were sunk in position 44.28N, 063.28W. The Liberty ship was towed into port but was declared a Constructive Total Loss. The four ships of the Fundy-class (Comox, Fundy, Gaspe & Nootka (renamed Nanoose in 1944)) were ordered before the outbreak of WWII as part of a modest naval build-up. All four ships were laid down and commissioned during 1938. With a displacement of only 460 tons and a length of 163 feet, they were even smaller than the Western Isles-class armed trawlers (545 tons 164 feet). The Fundy-class sweepers were coal-fired, which gave them significantly less endurance than comparably sized oil-fired vessels (although the Western Isles-class also used coal). They served in the local approaches to Esquimalt and Halifax and were paid off in 1945 1945 - Battleship USS Illinois laid down 1945 Patrol Vessel District YP-73 destroyed by grounding in Kodiak Harbor Alaska 1945 - USS PT-73 grounded in enemy waters and destroyed to prevent capture Baliquias Bay Mindoro Philippines 1945 - Destroyers USS Sarsfield & Stribling laid down 1945 - Italian battleship Conte Di Cavour was sunk during an aerial bombardment at Trieste. This was the third time that the ship was sunk and she was raised for a third time afterwards. Laid down 10 Aug 1910, Cavour was launched on 10 Aug 1911, and completed on 01 April 1915. As originally built, she displaced 23,000 tons, had a top speed of 21.5 knots, and was armed with thirteen 12.8-inch guns. As a result of the naval limitations treaties that restricted new construction, Cavour was extensively modernized at Trieste between Oct 1933 and Jul 1937. She emerged with a radically altered profile and a displacement of 28,000 tons, a top speed of 28 knots, and was armed with ten 12.8-inch guns. Conte Di Cavour was among the ships sunk by FAA Swordfish aircraft from HMS Illustrious at Taranto on 11 Nov 1940. She was refloated in mid-1941 and transferred to Trieste in Dec 1941 for repairs and modernization. Upon the Italian Armistice, Cavour was scuttled on the night of 09 Sep 1943 to prevent her from being seized by the Germans. The hulk was raised and repair efforts were begun again. Cavour was bombed and sunk by USAAF heavy bombers and, in 1947, she was raised for a third and final time. The hulk was broken up for scrap between 1950 and 1952 1945 - Destroyer USS Vogelsgang launched 1945 - Aircraft carrier HMS Vengeance commissioned 1945 - Submarine USS Argonaut commissioned 1945 - Frigate USS Lorain commissioned 1945 - Minesweeper USS Ptarmigan commissioned 1945 - Mines laid by HMS Porpoise on 9 January sink Japanese Kyo Maru #1 south of Penang, Malaya, 05°18'N, 100°20'E. Porpoise would never return from this patrol, her fourth 1945 - Submarine HMS Sanguine launched 1946 - Escort carrier USS Palau commissioned 1946 - Minesweeper HMCS Border Cities paid off 1946 - Frigate HMCS Prince Rupert paid off Esquimalt BC 1951 - Destroyer HMCS Sioux departed Korean waters for Esquimalt BC 1954 - Frigate HMCS Antigonish paid off Esquimalt BC for modernization 1955 - Submarine HMS Rorqual laid down 1960 - Destroyer HMCS Crusader paid off 1961 - USS Burrfish (SSR-312) was reclassified USS Burrfish (SS-312) 1964 - Submarine HMS Alcide arrived Halifax for ASW training 1966 - USS Ticonderoga port call Subic Bay 1966 - When winds of 30 to 50 knots hit the southern California coast, surface craft off the 11th Coast Guard District rendered assistance to six grounded vessels, three disabled sailboats, and three capsized vessels. They also responded to seven other distress cases. A US Coast Guard helicopter played a prominent role in one of the cases by evacuating the five-man crew of the vessel Trilogy that had gone aground and broken up on Santa Cruz Island 1969 - Destroyer HMCS Iroquois laid down Sorel PQ 1973 - USS Saratoga port call Subic Bay 1973 - President Nixon announced the suspension of all US offensive action in North Vietnam, citing progress in peace negotiations 1983 - A C-130 from Air Station Barbers Point makes the first aerial seizure in Coast Guard history when it ordered the Japanese fishing vessel Daian Maru #68 to sail to Midway Island to await a Coast Guard boarding team 1986 - Submarine HMS Unseen laid down 1991 - USS America Carrier Battle Group transits Suez Canal & arrives on station in the Red Sea 1991 - USS Ranger Carrier Battle Group on station in Arabian Gulf 1991 - DOD updates numbers of intercepts - 6913; boardings - 823; diversions - 36; 157,716 Reserves/National Guard recalled: 10,952 Navy, 21,628 USMC. Navy ship strength in region - 108: 34 (Arabian Gulf), 35 (North Arabian Sea/ Gulf of Oman), 26 (Red Sea), 13 (Mediterranean). 17 anti-ship mines discovered in Arabian Gulf since 21 December 1990. 16 are believed to be of Iraqi origin 1991 - Soviet-flagged Dimitry Fermanov is diverted, not allowed to proceed to its destination of Aqaba. Vessel departs Northern Red Sea for transit back through the Suez Canal to a non-prohibited port as determined by her master 1992 - Yugoslav federation, founded in 1918, effectively collapsed as the European Community recognized the Republics of Croatia and Slovenia 1993 - In response to a massive increase in the number of Haitians fleeing their country beginning in October, 1991, President William Clinton orders the commencement of Operation Able Manner, the largest search and rescue operation ever undertaken by the Coast Guard prior to this time 1997 - Navy physician CAPT Jerry Lineger joined the crew of the MIR space station after being launched on Atlantis during space Shuttle Mission STS-81. Prior to the mission, he was trained at the Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia for over a year 2004 - MV Cape Henry returned to RRF layup at San Francisco; the last San Francisco Bay based MARAD or Coast Guard ship to return home since deployment to waters off Iraq 2004 - USNS Pollux & Yano activated to transport materials to Iraq 2005 - An urgent search in the North Pacific for three fishermen from a crab boat that presumably sank. There were six people on board, three were recovered already. One crewmember, Cache Seel, is doing well in the Saint Paul clinic, one has been pronounced dead and the condition of the third crewman is unknown at this time. A Coast Guard helicopter crew picked up two of the crewmen at approximately 11 a.m., one out of the water and the other out of a life raft, and transported them to Saint Paul. The third crewman was picked up out of the water by crewmembers of an Alaska State Trooper boat and is still on board. The three recovered crewmen were wearing survival suits. The Coast Guard cutter Sherman, Coast Guard aircraft, the Alaska State Trooper vessel Stimson and numerous Good Samaritan fishing vessels are searching an area 70 miles west of Saint Paul Island for the missing crewmembers. The Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center in Juneau picked up an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) shortly after 7 a.m. today. The EPIRB showed to be registered to the fishing vessel Big Valley, a 92-foot boat home ported in Kodiak. The Coast Guard quickly issued an urgent marine information broadcast. The Stimson and several Good Samaritans rushed to the scene. Weather on scene consists of 35-knot winds, 15-to-18-foot seas, rain and an air temperature of 38 degrees 2005 - Amphibious ship USS Mesa Verde christened Pascagoula MS 2005 - A Welcome to Kitsap County fair was held for the crew and families of USS John C. Stennis in order to acquaint them with their new home at Naval Base Kitsap. The fair was held in the pavilion at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds, and featured more than 130 local organizations and vendors for sailors to browse and learn what the area has to offer 2006 - Kuwaiti ruler Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah died aged 79, after a quarter-century in power marked by the trauma of the Iraqi invasion and fruits of unprecedented economic prosperity 2006 - Submarine USS Salt Lake City decommissioned at San Diego 2006 - Two fishboats collided and one of them sank, leaving three people missing in the Nanri Island sea area in east China's Fujian Province. A steel fishing boat of Shishi County collided with a wood boat of Putian City. The wood boat sank and five crewmen fell into the sea. Two people were saved and the three others remain missing. The provincial search and rescue center and the maritime bureau of Quanzhou City had sent ships to rescue the missing people 2006 - A ceremony was held for the completion of the Navy's diving course, session 88, at the Navy base in Haifa. Present at the ceremony was Navy Commander, Major General David Ben. Graduates of the course received the rank of Sergeant as well as their diver's pins. After a year and two months the divers will join a submarine squadron which takes part in strategic missions of great security importance. The submarines operate 50% of the time in IDF operations of a very sensitive nature, and have been selected several times by the Chief of Staff as the most operational unit in the IDF 2006 - Egypt approved the transit through the Suez Canal of a decommissioned French warship heading for an Indian scrapyard that had been stranded for three days over fears it was an environmental hazard. In a statement carried by the official MENA news agency, the environment ministry said documents provided by Paris proved the Clemenceau did not fall under the 1989 Basel convention banning the export of toxic waste 2006 - Edward Hall, an engineer who as an US intelligence officer scrutinized the V-2 rockets of Nazi Germany and went on to supervise programs leading to the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles in the United States, including the Minuteman, died Sunday in Torrance, California. He was 91. His daughter, Sheila Hall, announced his death 2007 - Special ceremonies at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard near Venice to mark the float out of Cunard's newest Queen, ocean liner Queen Victoria. During the float out, the valves will be opened and the dry-dock flooded for the ship to meet the sea for the first time marking the initial introduction of the new Cunard Queen to the water. This significant occasion marks the beginning of the final construction stages for the $522 million sister ship to the lines flagship Queen Mary 2 and grande dame of the seas QE2 2007 - HMAS Gladstone decommissioned 2007 - US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates visited NATO HQ and met with Secretary General Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer 2007 - South and North Korean boats collided on the northern side of the maritime border, sinking the North's vessel and leaving three fishermen missing. The South Korean vessel, 1,538-ton Hyunsung-ho, was on her way back after loading sand from a North Korean port when it collided with the 5-ton fishing boat, maritime police said 2007 - Saddam Hussein's two co-defendants, his half brother and the former chief of Iraq's Revolutionary Court, were hanged before dawn. The head of Saddam's half-brother and former intelligence chief Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti was ripped off his body when he was hanged at 0300. “In a rare case, the head of Barzan was detached from his body during the execution," government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told a news conference 2007 - e-marine FZE, the specialist entity in submarine cable installation and repair in the region, is now known as 'e-marine Private Joint Stock Company' (e-marine PJSC) 2007 - UAE Navy Commander-in -Chief Vice Admiral Mohammed Mahmoud Ahmed Al Madani received here today Commander-in-Chief of Finland's Navy Vice Admiral Hans Holmstrom and members of the Finnish delegation. The meeting dealt with military issues of mutual concern 2007 - Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding has commenced construction of an LNG tanker for the consortium of MOL/"K" Line/PRISCO. Ship will start operations in 2008 for Sakhalin-2 project 2007 - At 0230 FESCO container ship "Kalitan Artyukh" got into an accident of the coast of the Kamchat Peninsula. The ship had 1,124 tons of cargo on board. According to FESCO press service, the ship has been towed to the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The containers are being unloaded. None of the crew of 28 has suffered. The reasons of the incident are being investigated 2007 - A high-speed ferry carrying about 150 commuters collided with a container ship off the coast of Sicily, killing at least four people and injuring about 70, eight seriously. Port authorities said the collision took place in the Straits of Messina between Sicily and the Italian mainland, one of the busiest waterways in Italy. Officials coordinating the rescue operation said the four dead were crew members aboard the ferry, which was traveling from the city of Reggio Calabria on the mainland to Messina in Sicily on a regular afternoon commuter run at rush hour 2007 - The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower conducted a rare six-station replenishment at sea (RAS) with the Fast Combat Support Ship USNS Arctic while operating in US 5th Fleet’s area of operation in support of Maritime Security Operations (MSO) 2007 - USN completed installation of an AN/WLD 1(V)1 Remote Minehunting System (RMS) on the Arleigh Burke Class Guided Missile Destroyer, USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) at Norfolk Naval Base. This installation marks the delivery of the first RMS to be installed on an Arleigh Burke class destroyer. Installation is in preparation for technical evaluation scheduled for February 2008 - Workers at the Sevmash construction plant in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast, have completed the renovation of the multipurpose nuclear submarine “Pantera” (project 971). On January 15 the ship headed towards its home base. The nuclear-powered sub has been through a dramatic repair process. In November last year, the vessel caught fire during welding operations. The fire paralyzed parts of the huge Sevmash plant and could potentially have caused a major crisis on the site. According to Kommersant, the fire was triggered by careless welders. The fire spread from the wooden flooring to cables stretching into the vessel. Two fire fighters were seriously injured when distinguishing the fire. The 110 meter long Akula submarines are state-of-the-art Russian subs. The “Panther” vessel (K-317) was built in 1986 and officially included in Navy in 1990. The sub has a crew of 73 sailors; it can carry up to 28 missiles. While on mission in 1996, it experienced problems with the reactor cooling system, a crisis which was successfully solved by the submarine crew 2008 - HMS Mersey’s new Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Allan Wilson assumed command. Previous Commanding Officer, Lt Cdr Jonathan Lett going on to command HMS Clyde in the Falklands 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