SeaWaves Today in History July 19, 2009 1553 - 15-year-old Lady Jane Grey was deposed as Queen of England after claiming the crown for nine days. King Henry VIII's daughter Mary was proclaimed Queen 1577 - Martin Frobisher c1539-1594 enters Frobisher Bay; explores islands and shores for gold; trades with Inuit; names Mount Warwick, no trace of kidnapped sailors lost the previous year 1603 - Samuel de Champlain returns to Gaspe 1611 - Samuel de Champlain returns to Quebec 1629 - David & Lewis Kirke arrive operating under a letter of marque awarded to Gervas Kirke anchor off Quebec in three ships. The town's garrison of 16 soldiers, under the command of Samuel de Champlain, are caught by surprise and forced to surrender 1812 - British launch unsuccessful attack on Sacketts Harbor during the War of 1812 1821 - Start of excavation of the Lachine Canal 1826 - First sailing regatta held in Halifax on the North West Arm; first regatta in Canada Samuel Cunard's first steamship, the paddle steamer Britannia arrives at Boston from Halifax 14 days and 8 hours after leaving Liverpool, England. First scheduled transatlantic mail service by steamship, and a blow to the age of sailing ship; won the Admiralty contract to provide a fixed schedule mail service to Halifax and Boston in 1839. Started the British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, and launched Britannia in May 1886 - Atlanta, the first steel-hulled American cruiser armed with breech loading rifled guns, is commissioned 1897 - LT Robert E. Peary departs on year long Arctic Expedition which makes many important discoveries, including one of largest meteorites, Cape York 1909 - Submarine HMS C30 launched 1915 - Armed yacht HMCS Florence commissioned. Ex yacht Czrina, ex Emeline 1917 - Flight Sub Lt W.F. "Cleggy" Cleghorn (Toronto ON), flying a DH4, is shot up during aerial combat. He returns OK but his Air Mechanic gunner is wounded in the action 1917 - Acting Flight Commander G.C. "Tubby" MacLennan (Eugenia ON), in a Sopwith Camel, shoots down an Avtk but is himself shot down and killed by Ltn H. Jons of Jasta 20 1918 - Armored cruiser USS San Diego sunk off Fire Island, NY by a mine laid by U-156 1918 - Seven Sopwith Camels operating off HMS Furious attack the Zeppelin sheds at Todnern. Lt. Stephen Dawson (Saint John NB) is missing in the action. He is later found interned in Denmark 1918 - Drifter HMC CD 48 commissioned Lauzon PQ 1924 - Submarine FS Requin launched 1928 - Submarines FS Pascal & Pasteur launched 1928 - Submarine depot ship HMS Medway launched 1932 - Destroyer HMS Duchess launched 1933 - Sloop HMS Grimsby launched 1935 - U-3 launched 1937 - Minesweeper HNLMS Willem van Ewijck commissioned 1939 - Submarine USS Tuna laid down 1939 - Light cruiser HMS Mauritius launched 1940 - Corvette HMS Kingcup laid down 1940 - Submarine HMS Umbra laid down 1940 - Corvette HMS Picotee launched 1940 - Submarine HMS P-611 launched 1940 - Corvette HMS Bluebell commissioned 1940 - Corvette HMS Kingcup laid down 1940 - Submarine HMS Umbra laid down 1940 - Corvette HMS Picotee launched 1940 - Submarine HMS P-611 launched 1940 - Corvette HMS Bluebell commissioned 1940 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs second Naval Expansion Act. "Two Ocean Navy Expansion Act" will provide an additional 1,325,000 tons of warships and 15,000 naval aircraft. The US fleet will then number 35 battleships, 20 carriers and 88 cruisers 1940 - In the Mediterranean, the Italian cruisers Bartolomeo Colleoni and Bande Nere, en route to the Dodecanese, sighted four Royal Navy destroyers in the early morning and pursued them north in very rough seas. The Italians were unaware that the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney and a fifth RN destroyer lay in wait off Cape Spada, Crete. On spotting the additional ships, the Italians turned to run south, while all six RN and RAN vessels attacked. Torpedoes damaged Colleoni’s steering. Bande Nere escaped damaged to Benghazi, as Sydney's ammunition ran low 1940 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Crestflower bombed & sunk off Portsmouth 1940 - At 1828, the Pearlmoor, a straggler from Convoy SL-38, was hit by one torpedo from U-62, broke in two and sank 62 miles west of Malin Head. 13 crewmembers were lost. The master and 25 crewmembers landed at Gola Island, Co Donegal 1941 - U-153, U-375 commissioned 1941 - HMS Umpire left Chatham bound for the Clyde prior to joining the 3rd Submarine Flotilla at Dunoon. Having stopped over night at Sheerness she joined up with a northbound convoy, although she was not part of the convoy escort. Umpire developed mechanical problems and began to fall behind the convoy which was kept informed of the submarine’s progress by radio. At midnight the northbound convoy passed a southbound convoy as expected but Umpire following behind was surprised to see the convoys pass port to port rather than the normal starboard to starboard. Umpire altered her course to port as the first few vessels passed to Umpire’s starboard side but the trawler Peter Hendriks remained on a collision course. As the two vessels came together a gash was torn in Umpire’s side sending her to the bottom. 22 of her crew went down with the ship 1941 - Soviet destroyer Serdity bombed & sunk by a Ju 88 of K FlGr 806 in Moon Sound and abandoned after several failed salvage attempts on the 22nd while with the Baltic Fleet 1941 - Small craft ordered for RCN - HC 7, HC 9, HC 10, HC 11, and HC 12 1941 - Thornycroft boats in action with Soviet destroyer Vinha damaged, but saved 1941 - Destroyer USS Baldwin laid down 1941 - Minesweeper USS Swallow laid down 1941 - US TF 1 is formed in the Atlantic for the protection of US forces on Iceland and support for convoys to Iceland. USS Wasp ferries P-40s to Iceland 1941 - At 1042, the Holmside, dispersed from Convoy OG-67, was torpedoed & sunk by U-66 NE of the Cape Verde Islands. 18 crewmembers and three gunners were lost. The master, 13 crewmembers and two gunners were picked up by the Portuguese merchantman Sete Cidades and landed at Lisbon on 1 August 1941 - HMS Tuna fires 6 torpedoes at German tanker Benno escorted by German minesweepers M 18, M 25, M 27 and M 30 60 nautical miles northwest of the Gironde Estuary. Although six detonations were heard all torpedoes missed their target 1942 - The final two U-boats operating off the East Coast (Cape Hatteras, North Carolina) as a result of the USN finally beginning to run convoys off the US east coast in May 1942. The operation began on 11 January 1942 and during the next six months German U-boats sank 397 vessels off the US east coast while losing seven submarines. The operation shifted to the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean in May 1942; it took the USN until July to begin convoys in these areas and even then, it required the assistance of RN and RCN warships to implement the convoy system. The last ship was sunk in the Gulf of Mexico on 4 September 1942 1942 - TF 44 (Australian Cruiser Squadron) under Admiral Victor A.C. Crutchley, RN, arrives in Wellington. TF 44, nicknamed "MacArthur's Navy", is assigned to assist with Operation Watchtower, the US invasion of the southern Solomon Islands 1942 - At 1912, the unescorted Port Antonio was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-129 and sank within two minutes. The master and 12 crewmembers were lost. The survivors jumped into the water but managed to get into the starboard lifeboat. The U-boat surfaced, questioned the survivors and gave them the course for Cuba. After a search for more survivors they headed for land, reaching the coast near Santa Lucia on 21 July. One of the survivors, Jørgen Edvard Magnussen, had been on the Cadmus, which was sunk by the same U-boat on 1 Jul 1942. He had reached the coast after five days and joined the Port Antonio, only to be again shipwrecked within two weeks 1942 - At 1655, the unescorted Leonidas M. was missed by U-332 with a torpedo. The U-boat began shelling the ship at 1711 & missed at 1725 with a second torpedo. The third torpedo fired at 1742 hit & sank the ship. Two crewmembers taken prisoner 1942 - At 0230, U-564 attacked Convoy OS-34 about 200 miles north of the Azores and observed four detonations between 1 minute 15 seconds and 1 minute 27 seconds after firing. Suhren thought that he had hit four ships. However, only the Empire Hawksbill & Lavington Court were hit at this time. There were probably two hits each on the two ships. The master, 37 crewmembers and nine gunners from the Empire Hawksbill were lost. Five crewmembers, one gunner and one passenger (military personnel) from the Lavington Court were lost. The ship was taken in tow, but foundered on 1 August SW of Ireland in 49°40N/18°04W. The master, 33 crewmembers, five gunners and two passengers were picked up by sloop HMS Wellington & landed at Londonderry 1942 - At 0645, the unescorted Baja California was hit by two torpedoes from U-84. The first hit at the forward end of #1 hatch on the port side and the second hit at the forward end of #3 hatch abaft the Chief Engineer’s room. She took a port list immediately and sank lying on its side in ten minutes 40 miles northeast from Rebecca Shoals. Of the 32 crewmen and five armed guards on board were three crewmen killed and the Chief Engineer and 10 others were serious injured. The survivors abandoned ship in one lifeboat and two rafts, because the explosion destroyed the other lifeboat. They were picked up at daylight on next day by the Cuban fishing schooner San Ignacio and were taken to Havana Naval Station, arriving there on 21 July 1942 - The aircraft carrier USS Ranger, part of Task Force 22, launches 72 USAAF P-40s off the coast of Africa. The aircraft, destined for the Tenth Air Force in India, land at Accra, Gold Coast 1942 - The USN's Task Force 8 sorties from Kodiak, Alaska, to bombard Kiska Island 1942 - A USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress sights a Japanese convoy leaving Rabaul, New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago, and heading for northern New Guinea 1942 - Destroyer USS Saufley launched 1943 - U-513 sunk in the South Atlantic SE of Sao Francisco do Sul, in position 27.17S, 47.32W, by depth charges from a USN VPB-74 Mariner. 46 dead & 7 survivors 1943 - U-854 commissioned 1943 - U-825 laid down 1943 - Mutiny onboard destroyer HMCS Iroquois against commanding officer Cdr William Boyd Love Holms RCN. Reported that Cdr Holms, over a period of time insisted upon peacetime routines such as Bovril and sherry on the bridge and ordered men to work in their good uniforms; he also stopped leave arbitrarily and inflicted group punishments. In the rapid expansion which saw the RCN become the fourth largest navy in the world, only about 80 per cent of Iroquois wartime crew had been to sea before. Mutiny simmered for months and was delayed only by a short visit by Iroquois to Halifax. Matters came to a head in July 1943. Though Iroquois later rescued 628 survivors from the troopship Duchess of York, Holms had withheld fire while three troopships, which were being escorting 300 miles west of Vigo, were attacked by German a/c, and two were sunk. Then on arrival in Plymouth, after a German prisoner complained that he had been robbed of a uniform badge, Holms again stopped leave. The junior rates locked themselves on their messdecks while Holms fell down to knock himself unconscious in his bathroom. The mutiny ended when Holms was stretchered ashore 1943 - Destroyer HMCS Huron commissioned 1943 - Minesweeper HMS Serene (ex HMCS Leaside) laid down Toronto ON 1943 - Frigate HMCS Joliette laid down Quebec City PQ 1943 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Gillstone launched 1943 - Destroyer HMS Undaunted launched 1943 - Submarine HS Pipinos (ex-HMS Veldt) launched 1943 - Submarine HMS Unswerving launched 1943 - Frigate HMS Inver commissioned 1943 - Destroyer escorts USS Acree & Keith commissioned 1943 - HMS Safari sinks the German barges Maria, Paula and the Italian armed yacht Margherita with gunfire in the port of Favone, Corsica 1943 - HMS Sickle sinks the Italian auxiliary minesweeper V 131/Amgiola Maria C. with gunfire off Porto Vecchio, Italy 1943 - Near Malta HMS Unshaken is missed by four torpedoes fired by ORP Dzik. The Poles thought they were attacking an enemy submarine, luckily the torpedoes missed 1944 - One AA gunner was killed (Bootsmaat Werner Hahne) & six wounded onboard U-968 during a battle with an RAF 86 Sqn Liberator 1944 - U-2502 commissioned 1944 - U-2513, U-3507 laid down 1944 - Minesweeper USS Minivet laid down 1944 - Minesweeper HMS Mameluke launched 1944 - Destroyer USS Zellars launched 1944 - Destroyer HMS Saintes launched 1944 - Destroyer escort USS Kenneth M Willet commissioned 1944 - At 1703, the unescorted King Frederick was torpedoed and sunk by U-181 in the Nine Degree Channel in the Arabian Sea. The wreck was later dispersed. 20 crewmembers, five gunners and two passengers (military personnel) were lost. The master, 27 crewmembers and one gunner were picked up by the American Liberty ship Shamshee and landed at Aden 1944 - While on patrol off Milos, Greece HMS Vampire fires four torpedoes at the German merchant Pelikan and the German torpedo boat TA 19. All torpedoes miss 1944 - HMS Vivid sinks a Greek fishing vessel with gunfire off Santorini Island, Greece 1945 - US Congress ratifies the Bretton Woods monetary agreement 1945 - End of Halifax ammunition dump crisis after day of terror 1945 - Corvettes HMCS Peterborough, Rosthern & Owen Sound paid off Sorel PQ 1945 - HMC ML 076 & ML 077 paid off 1945 - In Japan, carrier-based aircraft of the USN's Task Force 38 damage two IJN aircraft carriers and a battleship. The USN's Task Group 35.4 again shells Japanese radar installations on Honshu 1945 - 27 B-29s lay mines in the Oyama, Niigata, Miyazu, Maizuru, Tsuruga, Nezugaseki, Obama Island, and Kobe-Osaka areas of Japan and at Wonsan, Korea 1945 - Destroyer USS Thatcher seriously damaged by one Kamikaze aircraft off Okinawa and not repaired after the end of the war 1945 - HMS Thule sinks a Japanese coaster with gunfire off the north coast of Java 1954 - Sail training ship HMCS Oriole commissioned 1955 - Balclutha ties up at Pier 43 in San Francisco and becomes a floating museum 1956 - Submarine HMS Aldernay arrived Halifax for ASW training 1960 - USS Ammen CTL afar collision with USS Collett off Newport Beach 1967 - USS Intrepid port call Yokosuka 1968 - Experimental hydrofoil HMCS Bras D'Or completed Sorel PQ. The RCN's hydrofoil-development program to its abandonment was wrapped up with memories of Bell's much earlier success, hence the naming of one experimental vessel as "BADDECK" & the final full-size one as "Bras D'Or". That would have gone along with symbolic visits to the Bras D'Or Lakes, which provide a large stretch of relatively sheltered water within easy reach of Halifax & thus are suited to trials of naval hydrofoils. HMCS Bras D’Or (FHE 400) Log - Built by Marine Industries Ltd. 180 tons, 151x21x23ft, 60kts, crew 4/25, No armament, (2400-BHP diesel=23kts) & (30,000-SHP gas turbine engine=63kts) 1982 presented to a marine museum at L'Islet-sur-Mer, on the St Lawrence River below Quebec City, PQ. 1974 - Joe Flynn actor (McHale's Navy), dies at 59 1991 - Submarine HMS Unseen (later HMCS Victoria) commissioned into RN 1995 - Frigate HMCS Montreal arrived Halifax from Operation Sharp Guard off Yugoslavia 2003 - Destroyer USS Momsen launched at Bath Iron Works 2005 - A former navigator in one of the Royal Navy’s most famous ships has this week taken over as Queen’s Harbor Master, Portsmouth. Commander Kendall Carter, who served as Navigating Officer in HMS Ark Royal in the early 1990s, takes over as QHM from Commander Tim Gibson who has retired. Cdr Carter, 50, joined the Royal Navy in 1973 and as a seaman officer has served in most classes of RN ships. After qualifying as a Principal Warfare Officer (Underwater), he later specialized in navigation, eventually becoming qualified as a deep specialist navigator and Chief Instructor at the RN navigation school. After serving in Ark Royal, he commanded the patrol ships HMS Leeds Castle and Lindisfarne. His last post was as a NATO staff officer in Norfolk, Virginia, serving in the headquarters of the Supreme Allied Commander. As QHM he is responsible for the safe and efficient operation of Portsmouth 2005 - Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre, together with Environment Minister Stephane Dion and Fisheries and Oceans Minister Geoff Regan, today announced that existing aerial surveillance programs related to icebreaking in the Arctic will be expanded to also detect illegal discharges from ships. 2005 - Police in Kamchatka have confiscated about three tons of salmon caviar and more than 20 tons of fish from poachers. The confiscated seafoods have been placed in storage, and inquiries into the facts of poaching have begun. A cargo consisting of 19 tons of Alaska pollock, three tons of salmon and the caviar was being transported from the fishery area to the region’s capital Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky without any accompanying forms, and the producers failed to prove legitimacy of their sea products 2005 - President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria approved the appointment of Rear Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye as new Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) even as fresh aides have been named to replace those affected in last week's shake-up in the presidency. The new CNS, who has also been promoted to Vice Admiral, takes over from Vice Admiral Samuel Afolayan, who will retire from the Navy on July 31 this year. Both the promotion and elevation of Admiral Adekeye, according to a statement by the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) Chief Ufot Ekaette, will take effect from August, this year. Until his new appointment, Admiral Adekeye was the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Eastern Naval Command with headquarters in Calabar, Cross River State 2005 - The 90,000 ton Savannah Express was entering the port of Southampton, escorted by two tugs, when it lost its main engine power and was unable to go astern. It collided with a ferry and a links span (the ramp which vehicles drive over to board the ferry). The links span was extensively damaged and there was some superficial damage to both vessels, but no pollution resulted. An MCA surveyor has inspected the vessel under Port State Control and has ordered it to investigate the problem and make repairs ready to set sail on Thursday. A service engineer has now been called to the vessel and has started work. All repairs will be overseen by the Class Society, Germanisher Lloyd, and the MCA will have to be satisfied that the problem has been rectified before the vessel is allowed to leave Southampton 2005 - Aries Maritime Transport Limited announced it has exercised an option to purchase a 2,917 TEU container vessel, the CMA CGM Makassar from an affiliate of Aries Energy, as part of a previous agreement. The CMA CGM Makassar is a sister ship of the CMA CGM Seine, which Aries exercised an option to purchase on June 29, 2005. The CMA CGM Makassar will continue to operate on its existing $20,400 per day time charter with the CMA CGM Group of France until May, 2010 2005 - The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has approved four applications under Section 9 of the Shipping Act, 1916, as amended. They include: US Bank National Association, Owner Trustee, Hartford CT has received approval to transfer the 57,075-gross-ton container vessel Sea-Land Integrity to Marshall Islands registry and flag without change in the ownership of said Vessel. The vessel was built in 1984 in Koje, Korea. Penn Maritime, Inc., Stamford CT has received approval to sell the 1,542-gross-ton tank barge Chesapeake to Maingral Investment, SA, a British Virgin Island corporation, and transfer said Vessel to St. Kitts and Nevis registry and flag. The vessel was built in 1964 in Baltimore MD. Andrea C Fishing Corporation, San Diego CA has received approval to transfer the 1,072-gross-ton fishing vessel Andrea C to Panamanian registry and flag, as incident to the sale of said Vessel to Bahia Esmeralda, a Panamanian corporation. The vessel was built in 1981 in Tacoma WA. Rowandrill, Inc., Houston TX has received approval to sell the 3,998-gross-ton Modu Rowan Texas to Alban Lloyd Chiles Offshore, Limited, an Indian corporation, and transfer said Vessel to Panamanian registry and flag. The vessel was built in 1973 in Vicksburg MS 2005 - Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre announced the appointment of Ulf R. Eriksen of Vancouver, British Columbia, to the board of directors of the Pacific Pilotage Authority. Eriksen is the vice-president and general manager of Star Shipping (Canada) Ltd. He has worked for Peraco Chartering (USA) Inc. as president, director and operations manager. Eriksen has been a shipbroker in grain, fertilizer and forest markets for more than 30 years and is a former board member of the Association of Shipbrokers and Agents 2005 - Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre announced the appointment of Roger Demers as a member of the Laurentian Pilotage Authority. Demers graduated from University of Laval’s faculty of administration. He is currently a partner at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton. Demers is a member of the company’s executive committee and is in charge of offices in the Quebec City and Chaudiere-Appalaches regions. He is currently a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants; a Fellow of the Ordre des comptables agrees du Quebec as well as a member of the Chambre de commerce de Levis and the Chambre de commerce de Quebec 2005 - Dolph Diemont received the Coast Guard Commandant’s Superior Achievement Award in a ceremony held today at the Jackson Federal Building, for the six years he served as the Regional Emergency Transportation Representative. The award is the highest honorary award granted by the Commandant of the Coast Guard to civilian employees. Diemont served as assistant to Rear Adm. Jeffrey Garrett, in his former position as Regional Emergency Transportation Coordinator for Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 10, which comprises the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho 2005 - HMS Leeds Castle has provided valuable assistance to firefighters during her final visit to the county of Kent. The ship, due to pay off in August, was in the commercial dockyard at Chatham when a fire started four to five hundred yards from her berth in a stockpile of paper in an industrial area. Six fire engines from Kent Fire Brigade attended, but the extensive nature of the fire required more water than was carried in their internal tanks. The firemen decided that using water from the dock was the best solution, but the distance involved meant that a pump would have to be used at the dockside. The Brigade’s pumps, while adequate, would have been less than ideal with the lengthy hose run. HMS Leeds Castle was able to use upper deck connections to use her fire main to provide double the pressure of the Fire Brigade’s equipment, and with two pumps to ensure no pressure loss over the distance. Fortunately, the Fire Services and the RN use compatible equipment and the ship was able to plug straight in to the hose run laid out to the scene via a 4 hose adapter. Pumping was maintained all night until approx 1000 on the morning of the 20th to allow cooling of the extensive hot spots remaining at the site of the incident. At 1000 the Fire Brigade took over pumping from HMS Leeds Castle, although minimal extra water was required at that time. By the time the fire was brought under control three cars and two lorries had been destroyed in addition to the paper stock. A Fire Brigade Liaison Officer remained onboard throughout the incident and the ship was also able to provide some sustenance to the crews 2006 - USCG Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will deliver remarks at the 34th Annual National Naval Officers Association Conference on “Diversity, The Foundation of our Nation’s Strength” 2006 - Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Huntington is scheduled to welcome its new commanding officer during a change-of-command ceremony in Barboursville. Capt. Timothy M. Close, Chief of Western Rivers Division Eighth District, will preside over the ceremony in which Cmdr. Kevin C. Kiefer will assume command of the Marine Safety Unit from Cmdr. James M. Michalowski 2006 - Formosa Marine said it would order eight 300,000-metric-ton ultra-large oil tankers valued at over NT$20 billion. Contractor of the eight oil tankers will be a Japanese shipbuilder. The prospective ultra-large oil tankers will become the largest of its kind calling and leaving the industrial port at Mailiao of Yunlin County, central Taiwan, where FPG's naphtha-cracking complex is located 2006 - Sea Containers Ltd. completed the sale of its Baltic ferry subsidiary Silja Oy Ab to Estonian ferry operator AS Tallink Grupp 2006 - BAE Systems has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the Government of Malaysia for the procurement of two frigates for the Royal Malaysian Navy 2006 - Defense Secretary Des Browne gives speech at the Advance Command and Staff Course, Shrivenham 2006 - FS Jean de Vienne reached Beirut at 1100 (Paris time) to embark French and foreign nationals willing to leave Lebanon 2006 - IDF ship opened artillery fire at a Hezbollah organization site and a rocket launching post in southern Lebanon. During the day ships launched 120 missiles against terror targets in Lebanon 2006 - Sailor on Egyptian ship hit by Hezbollah missile July 14 died claimed Syrian propaganda 2006 - A ferry carrying over 800 Swedes caught up in the conflict in Lebanon has arrived in Cyprus. Another ship chartered by Sweden is on its way to pick up more evacuees 2006 - The Spanish government has revealed the new owners of the former Izar shipyards in Sestao, Seville and Gijon. Sestao goes to Construcciones Navales del Norte (CNN), a consortium formed by ship owner Naviera del Nervion, private yard Astilleros de Murueta and two engineering companies; Seville goes to Astilleros de Huelva; and Gijon goes to Factorias Vulcano 2006 - Maersk Drilling has bought two Baker 375 jack-ups, the "Petrojack I" and "Petrojack III", that are currently under construction in Singapore by SembCorp's Jurong Shipyard. The price is said to be $420mm 2006 - Atlantic Marine Holdings, the parent company of Atlantic Marine and Atlantic Dry Dock, in Jacksonville FL, and of Alabama Shipyard and Atlantic Marine Mobile, in Mobile AL, has been sold to J. F. Lehman & Partners, the New York investment group headed by former SECNAV John Lehman and George Sawyer 2006 - US Shipping Partners LP has filed an 8-K with the SEC that reveals that a new subsidiary called USS Product Carriers LLC has signed a contract with NASSCO for the construction of nine 49,000-dwt product carriers, plus options for up to five more 2006 - First World War submarine has been discovered in deep waters off Eyemouth after divers initially mistook it for a sunken fishing trawler. Divers from Edinburgh and South Queensferry were part of an expedition that found the wreck virtually unscathed despite lying 200ft down on the floor of the North Sea for more than 85 years. It is thought to be a British submarine known as the H11, which was lost in 1920 while under tow 2006 - Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security, visited Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment on a area familiarization trip. Chertoff met members of the station and donned a life jacket to ride aboard a 47-foot MLB to get a Coast Guardsman's view of the Columbia River 2006 - UPI reported that the Dept of Homeland Security has launched a $1.2b plan to deploy more advanced radiological screening devices at US ports. By 2011, the DHS expects to have 1,400 of the next-generation screeners deployed at both ports and border crossings. The first 80 machines to be installed this fall at the New York Container Terminal in Staten Island 2006 - FV Lorena, with three crew broken down Ilo ( Moquegua) and towed to port; arriving 1330 2006 - DSME held a joint naming ceremony for two 8,400 TEU Containerships ordered by MSC at Quay C. H.4109 was named ‘MSC TOMOKO’ by Miss Tomoko Ushirogata, daughter of Mr. Masanori Ushirogata, Managing Director of MSC Japan and was delivered on the same day. As for the other vessel, H.4110 was named ‘MSC HEIDI’ by Mrs. Heidi Matthews, spouse of Mr. Lawrence Matthews, Director of the Liner Office MSC Geneva and will be delivered to her owner by October of this year. On the following day, at Quay D1, another naming ceremony was held for H.1161, a 170,800 TDW Bulk Carrier ordered by KLC. The vessel was named ‘ADONIS’ in the presence of 80 people and other guests. Delivery closing is set for July 26th 2006 - A search for Bonhomme Richard, the flagship of Capt. John Paul Jones, father of the US Navy, kicked off in the waters off Flamborough Head 2007 - Capt. Glen R. Sears II was relieved as Commander, Sealift Logistics Command Central; Commander, Task Force 53 and Commander, Logistics Forces, US Naval Forces Central Command by incoming commodore Capt. Anthony Dropp 2007 - US Navy will hand over mangrove forests and wetlands that make up more than a third of a former military base for conservation by the Puerto Rican government. The property transfer, approved by the Interior Department, is part of a plan to discard all 8,600 acres of the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station that closed in 2004. The land slated for transfer includes a 36-bed hospital and 2,968 acres of undeveloped conservation areas. The soil in one mangrove parcel was contaminated by a jet fuel spill in 1999. Efforts to repair the damage are under way 2007 - Steven Blaney, MP for Lévis-Bellechasse, announced today that the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Amundsen will spend the next 15 months as a platform for major scientific missions that will be conducted in Canada’s High Arctic 2007 - Pakistan announced the promotion of Rear Admirals Noman Bashir and Saleem Ahmed Meenai to the rank of Vice Admiral with immediate effect 2007 - BOURBON has announced the intention of Grupo Boluda Corporacion Maritima to purchase the harbor towage activity of Les Abeilles 2007 - An Indonesian Navy ship opened fire at a Vietnamese fishing vessel in Indonesian waters, killing two fishermen and injuring another 2007 - The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) took one step closer to breaking ground for the expansion of the Panama Canal Tuesday, when it officially awarded the first expansion construction project contract to Constructora Urbana S.A. (CUSA) 2007 - Submarine USS Buffalo arrived at new homeport Apra, Guam 2007 - After 62 years' service to the RAN, the last three 40/60 Bofors guns were fired for the final time at West Head Gunnery Range at HMAS Cerberus 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