SeaWaves Today in History July 27, 2009 1661 - Parliament confirms the Navigation Act 1778 - Vice Admiral Keppel with thirty ships of the Channel Fleet fought the Comte d'Orvilliers, with thirty French ships, at the Battle of Ushant. The action was indecisive and first Keppel, and then Rear Admiral Palliser, who had commanded the rear division of the fleet, subsequently faced courts martial. Both were acquitted but resigned their commissions. A Pro-Keppel mob ripped the gates off Admiralty House 1810 - Admiral Vasily Stepanovich Zavoiko (or Zavoika) born. He sailed around the world twice. In the Crimean War, he cut short an attacked by outnumbering French and English squadrons on Petropavlovsky Port (Kamchatka) and oversaw the construction of Nikolaevsky Port on the Amur 1816 - War of 1812 - Destruction of the Negro Fort on the Appalachicola River, manned by the remnants of Edward Nicolls' company of Colonial Marines 1862 - Steamer "Golden Gate" burns & sinks off West Coast of Mexico 1866 - Cyrus W. Field and his Anglo-American Telegraph Company finally succeed, after two failures, in laying the first workable underwater telegraph cable 1,686 miles long across the Atlantic Ocean to Wales; had set up operations in Newfoundland, and the steamship Great Eastern successfully retrieved and mended the broken cable from earlier attempts 1903- Submarine HMS A1 completed 1916 - Battleship FS Lorraine commissioned 1917 - Submarine USS O-2 laid down 1918 - Submarines USS O-9, R-15 commissioned 1918 - Minesweeper USS Widgeon commissioned 1918 - Light cruiser HMAS Adelaide launched 1920 - Destroyer USS Wolverine commissioned 1929 - Destroyer HMS Antelope launched 1934 - Light cruiser HMAS Perth launched 1938 - Submarine USS Sculpin launched 1938 - Minesweeper FS Elan launched 1939 - Minesweeper HMS Sphinx commissioned 1939 - Destroyers HMS Nizam, Norman, Pytchley, Tynedale, Whaddon laid down 1940 - At 0258, the Sambre in Convoy OB-188 was hit in the stern by one torpedo from U-34 and sank slowly SSW of Rockall. The master and 47 crewmembers were picked up by HMS Winchelsea and landed at Liverpool. U-34 also sank motor tanker Thiara in this action 1940 - Destroyer HMS Codrington bombed & sunk at Dover. Loss not announced until May 18, 1945 1940 - U-73, U-141, U-142 launched 1940 - Corvette HMS Clematis commissioned 1940 - Destroyer HMS Wren is bombed and lost off Aldeburgh on the East Coast as she gives AA cover to minesweepers. He111s of KG 53 took the credit. HMS Montrose damaged in this same attack 1940 - Destroyer HMS Codrington is bombed and sunk in Dover 1940 - Corvette HMCS Collingwood launched Collingwood ON 1940 - Patrol vessel HMCS Cleopatra assigned to Quebec City PQ 1941 - The ships that escorted Convoy Substance to Malta arrive safely back in Gibraltar 1941 - The ground echelon of the USAAF's 33d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) sails for Iceland in the transport American Legion. The ship is part of Task Force 16 consisting of the battleship USS Mississippi, heavy cruisers USS Quincy & Wichita, five destroyers, the miscellaneous auxiliary Semmes, store ship Mizar and the cargo ship Almaack. Within a few days, TF 16 is joined by the aircraft carrier Wasp, carrying the air echelon of the 33d Pursuit Squadron, heavy cruiser Vincennes and destroyers Walke & O'Brien 1941 - Japanese diplomats deliver a protest to the US State Department regarding the shipment of US supplies to Vladivostok, USSR, through Japanese waters 1941 - At 2351, U-126 fired four bow torpedoes and then two stern torpedoes at Convoy OG-69 200 miles west of Cape Finisterre. They reported that one ship exploded, another hit on a small ship beyond and hits by the stern torpedoes on two different ships aft and amidships. The last vessel was seen sinking after it broke in two. However, only two ships were reported sunk at this time, the Erato (probably the first ship hit) and the Inga I (probably the ship, which broke in two). The master, 22 crewmembers and four gunners from the Erato were picked up by corvette HMS Begonia and landed at Gibraltar. Eight crewmembers and one gunner were lost. Three crewmembers from Inga I (Master Lorentz Tvedt) were lost. An escort vessel rescued the master and 15 crewmembers 1941 - At 0254, U-203 attacked Convoy OG-69 about 800 miles SW of Fastnet and reported the sinking of two ships, totaling 14,000 tons. However, only the Hawkinge was torpedoed and sunk. 13 crewmembers and two gunners were lost. The master and five crewmembers were picked up by corvette HMS Sunflower and landed at Londonderry. Seven crewmembers and three gunners were picked up by destroyer HMS Vanco and landed at Liverpool 1941 - Between 0021 & 0024, U-79 fired a spread of four torpedoes and the stern torpedo at Convoy OG-69 about 350 miles WNW of Cape Finisterre and had to dive because a destroyer was running in, so Kaufmann only saw a column of fire and heard several detonations. He reported three ships sunk and two others probably damaged. In fact, only the Kellwyn was hit and sunk, the later explosions must have been depth charges from the escorts. The master, 10 crewmembers and three gunners were lost. Nine crewmembers were picked up by armed trawler HMS St Nectan and landed at Gibraltar on 1 August 1941 - Soviet destroyer Smely sunk by German MTB S54 in the northern Gulf of Riga 1942 - In the Aleutian Islands, the bombardment of Kiska Island by the 2 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers and destroyers of the USN's Task Force 8, is postponed due to limited surface visibility and the ships retire to Kodiak. While covering TF 8, four USN PBY Catalinas bomb Kiska 1942 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Texada launched 1942 - Destroyer HMS Tyrian launched 1942 - Submarine HNLMS Dolfijn launched 1942 - Destroyer USS Murphy commissioned 1942 - The light cruiser USS Boise departs Pearl Harbor via Midway Islands towards Japan. The Boise is tasked with emitting enough radio traffic to create the impression of an approaching American task force 1942 - German submarine U-166 completes mining operations off the Mississippi River Delta south of New Orleans 1942 - An RAF 311 Sqn Wellington attacked U-106 killing the I WO Oberleutnant zur See Günter Wißmann and wounding the Commander. The boat had only left Lorient two days earlier and was forced to return, arriving on July 28 1942 - At 1740, the unescorted Elmwood was torpedoed and sunk by U-130 northeast of St Paul Rocks. Kals misidentified the victim as Almwood. The 44 crewmembers, six gunners and one passenger (RAF personnel) were rescued. The master and 19 survivors landed at Freetown. The second officer and eleven survivors landed about 200 miles further along the coast at Bissao, Portuguese Guinea on 11 August. The chief officer and 18 survivors were picked up by the American Liberty ship Davy Crockett and landed at Capetown 1942 - SS Stella Lykes sunk by U-582 at 06.40N, 25.05W. Two men, the captain and chief engineer, were captured by the U-boat and became POWs 1942 - At 1414, the Leikanger in Convoy FN-20 was hit by two torpedoes from U-752, broke in two and sank immediately. The master, 16 crewmembers and one British gunner were lost. Twelve crewmembers and one British gunner managed to get on two rafts, which floated nearby. They found a crate containing signal flags and used them as protection against the sun during the day and for warmth during the night. The survivors were picked up on 31 July by the Harry Luckenbach and landed in Capetown on 12 August 1942 - U-427 laid down 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Loeser laid down 1943 - Light cruiser USS Providence laid down 1943 - Submarine USS Queenfish laid down 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Fair launched 1943 - Frigate USS Van Buren launched 1943 - Submarine USS Ray commissioned 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Tomich commissioned 1943 - The Japanese Navy's Operation "KE GO," the evacuation of their forces from Kiska, continues. The light cruisers HIJMS Kiso & Abukuma and escorting destroyers take off 5,183 men undetected by US forces. Three midget submarines based on Kiska are destroyed by the retreating troops 1943 - The Japanese Navy begins laying the LaPerouse minefield between Hokkaido and the Kurile Islands. This is an attempt to prevent US submarines from operating in this area 1943 - Submarine HMS Usurper sinks the French Château Yquem (2536 BRT) 1943 - U-883 laid down 1943 - U-719 commissioned 1943 - U-373 was attacked by Avenger and Wildcat aircraft from the escort carrier USS Santee on 24 July. The boat was damaged by a Fido homing torpedo hit killing two (Matrosenobergefreiter Franz Schulte, Matrosengefreiter Peter Regneri) and wounding 7 men. The boat did not have to abort her mission 1943 - U-466 was attacked by a Liberator aircraft, the boat was damaged and 5 men were wounded 1943 - U-255 shelled & Soviet survey ship Akademik Shokalskij off Sporyji Navolok 1944 - The 10-minute documentary Battle Stations is released in the US Narrated by James Cagney and Ginger Rogers, this short describes the role of the US Coast Guard's SPARS and how they are freeing men for service overseas in World War II 1944 - HM S/M Unseen arrives Digby NS for ASW training 1944 - US regains possession of Guam from Japanese 1944 - Submarine USS Lizardfish launched 1944 - Submarine USS Blenny commissioned 1944 - Destroyer escort USS Vammen commissioned 1944 - Soviet submarine V-1 (ex-HMS Sunfish) bombed in error by a RAF Coastal Command Liberator off Norway, during passage from Dundee to Murmansk on 27 July 1944. V-1 was not in her assigned area and she was diving when the aircraft came in sight instead of staying on the surface and firing recognition signals as instructed. All crew including the British liaison staff were lost 1944 - U-2336 laid down 1944 - U-2505, U-3503 launched 1945 - LCT(6)-1050 sunk off Ie Shima Ryukyu Islands 1945 - Minesweepers HMCS Comox & Fundy paid off 1945 - Minesweeper HMCS Willow Lake launched Nanaimo BC 1945 - Cruiser HMCS Uganda relieved by HMS Argonaut & departs for Esquimalt. Preparation for a Canadian all-volunteer "Pacific Tiger Force" for the invasion of Japan provoked a manning review that led to a vote by the majority of Uganda's crew to return home 1945 - 24 B-29s drop mines in Shimonoseki Strait, at Fukuoka, Niigata, Maizuru, Senzaki, and in Fukawa Bay; 1 other mines an alternate target; 3 B-29s are lost to heavy flak and 1 crash lands on Iwo Jima and is subsequently scrapped 1945 - Submarine HMS Sentinel launched 1945 - Submarine HMS Talent commissioned 1945 - Submarine HMS Tasman completed 1945 - While off Okinawa USS Corbesier was attacked by a Japanese torpedo plane during on the night of 27 July 1945. The torpedo missed its target and the plane crashed on Okinawa 1946 - Test pilot, cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union Toktar Ongarbaevich Aubakirov born. He was the first to take off from the deck of an aircraft carrier in a MiG-29 and spent a week in orbit on the Mir space station in 1991. Kazakhstan considers him its first cosmonaut 1949 - RCNAS Glider training terminated Schweizer SGS 2-12 glider for disposal 1953 - Destroyer HMCS Cayuga suffered fire in # 3 boiler room 1953 - Korean War armistice signed at Panmunjon, Korea and Korean cease-fire went into effect at 10 PM. North Korean Islands evacuated and handed back to North Korea under the terms of the Armistice. 1954 - Destroyer HMCS Cayuga hosted Korean orphans at Paeng Yong Do 1954 - Armistice divides Vietnam into two countries 1961 - Destroyer HMCS Yukon launched North Vancouver BC 1963 - Destroyer HMCS Yukon departed Esquimalt for Halifax 1963 - Washington State Ferry Nisqually collides with Chinese freighter 1965 - Captive killer whale Namu arrives in Seattle 1966 - USS Yorktown completed Vietnam deployment 1967 - USS Constellation port call Subic Bay 1968 - USS Hancock port call Pearl Harbor 1968 - USS Constellation port call Subic Bay 1970 - Destroyers HMCS Skeena & Annapolis and supply ship HMCS Protecteur depart Halifax for Arctic operations 1972 - USS America port call Subic Bay 1993 - Frigate HMCS Montreal accepted from builder 2003 - Destroyer HMCS Iroquois arrived St. John's from Operation Apollo. 1,200 vessels were stopped and 44 were inspected 2004 - Former Type 22 frigates HMS Brave & Boxer towed out of Portsmouth to be sunk as targets 2005 - The Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force presented its 2005 Legacy Awards for Oil Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response at its annual meeting in Anchorage, Alaska 2005- A fire broke out on a major oil platform 100 miles west of Mumbai and was completely destroyed. 271 persons rescued 2005 - Mr Alan Huckle appointed Governor of the Falkland Islands and Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in succession to Mr Howard Pearce CVO who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Huckle will take up his appointment in spring 2006 2005 - The Coast Guard has suspended the search this afternoon for two of four crewmen who were forced to abandon their fishing vessel after it capsized Tuesday evening near Cape Flattery, Wash. The search for the Canadian vessel Ocean Tor was suspended at 1505. The Coast Guard initiated the search for Ocean Tor at 1906 on the 26th after the vessel's onboard emergency position indicating radio beacon (406 EPIRB) was activated, sending a distress signal to the Thirteenth Coast Guard District’s command center in Seattle. The Coast Guard immediately diverted one of its already-airborne helicopters to the vessel's location, 35 miles west of Cape Flattery. The Coast Guard Cutter Active, homeported in Port Angeles was also nearby and diverted to assist. Within the first hour, two crewmen were rescued by the crew of the Canadian vessel Osprey One when they responded to the Coast Guard’s Urgent Marine Information Broadcast; a call out made to all area vessels to provide assistance if possible. Other Coast Guard assets launched included a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Port Angeles and a second helicopter from Coast Guard Group/Air Station Astoria. Both helicopters and the 47-foot motor lifeboat searched past midnight while the Active continued searching throughout the night and through the remainder of today’s search efforts. The Active was joined this morning by a helicopter from Coast Guard Group/Air Station Port Angeles. The accident’s cause is being investigated 2005 - Teekay Shipping Corporation announced it has been awarded contracts to charter two 155,000 cubic-meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers to the Tangguh LNG project in Indonesia. The contractual relationship for the 20-year fixed-rate charters will be with The Tangguh Production Sharing Contractors, a consortium led by BP Berau, a subsidiary of BP plc. The vessels will be chartered at fixed rates, with inflation adjustments, commencing in late 2008 and early 2009. In connection with this award, Teekay has exercised shipbuilding options with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. to construct two LNG carriers at preferential prices compared to current market values. Teekay is entering into these transactions with an Indonesian partner who has taken a 30 percent interest in the vessels. In accordance with existing agreements, Teekay is required to offer its ownership interest in these vessels and related charter contracts to its 78-percent-owned subsidiary Teekay LNG Partners LP 2005 - The Coast Guard ended the voyage of an intoxicated man on a recreational boat near Bainbridge Island, Wash. A Coast Guard Marine Safety and Security Team Seattle boarding team conducted a safety inspection on the 32-foot recreational boat Amazing Grace after the master of the vessel was reported to be operating at a high rate of speed in the Ballard Locks. The Amazing Grace moored in Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island. The boarding team requested assistance from the Bainbridge Island Police Department in conducting a field sobriety test on the master of the vessel. The test found the vessel operator had a blood alcohol content of 0.19. The Coast Guard boarding team completed a boarding report and then turned the master of the vessel over to Bainbridge Island Police custody. The police then turned the master of the vessel over to the custody of his wife. The master was cited by the Coast Guard for operating a vessel while intoxicated 2005 - The Northern Dockyard in St Petersburg hosted the keel-laying ceremony of the patrol vessel Boyky for the Russian Navy. Boiky will be the third patrol vessel to be built as part of the Almaz design bureau's Project 20380. The ship, which has a 2,000-ton displacement, a 27-knot speed and 100 crewmembers. The construction of the lead ship of the series, The Steregushchy, began in December 2001. The hull, power system and topsides of the vessel have already been completed. The second corvette, Soobraziltel’nyy, has been under construction since May 2003. Its hull is already completed 2006 - Cmdr. David Cinalli of USCGC Valiant turns over command to Cmdr. David Fiedler 2006 - USCG National Vessel Documentation Center Director Thomas Willis testifies before the House Armed Services Committee on ship repairs at sea 2006 - The Piraeus coast guard is investigating evidence which indicates that shipping company NEL had been selling tickets to passengers for a trip to Santorini on a non-existent ferry route. Sources said NEL had sold 229 tickets for a Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Thera ferry route on the high-speed ferry Aeolos Kenteris for Friday even though the ship was not expected to have returned from Italy where it had been sent for repair work 2006 - Capt. David A. Cinalli relieved by Cmdr. David S. Fiedler as the Commanding Officer of USCGC Valiant at Coast Guard Integrated Support Command on Miami Beach 2006 - Kirby announces that it has acquired Houston-based Capital Towing, which operates 11 towboats, for $15mm, and Baton Rouge-based Marine Engine Specialists, Inc., a diesel engine distributor and service provider, for $3.6mm 2006 - ExxonMobil affiliate, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN), has started up the East Area Additional Oil Recovery project located approximately 17 miles offshore Nigeria 2006 - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc. and Zachry Construction Corporation, a major construction company in the US, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has received an engineering, procurement and construction contract for two LNG storage tanks from Sabine Pass LNG, LP, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheniere Energy, Inc., a major US LNG terminal owner and operator. The tanks are to be built at Cheniere's Sabine Pass LNG receiving terminal that is currently under construction on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana 2006 - The “Otopan,” a ship stalled for seven years at Amsterdam Port, is expected to arrive at Izmir-Aliaga within three weeks to have its asbestos coverings removed. The Mexican ship was towed from Dutch waters by naval police after it was declared not seaworthy. Informed by Zaman daily about the dispatch of the ship to Turkey, the Turkish Environment and Forestry Ministry was put on alert 2006 - A 2007 military construction and veterans spending bill was recently approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee and, if passed by the full Senate, would mean good news for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. Per request of Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, the bill allows $9.6 million for the construction of a new dry dock waterfront support facility at PNSY. The new facility would replace the submarine port, which is over 60 years old and "in need of replacement," said Snowe and Collins in a joint statement 2006 - CH2M HILL hired by USAID to manage the first phase of an overall revitalization of three Sri Lanka fishing harbors damaged by the 2004 tsunami, as part of the Reconstruction Program 2006 - Coast Guard Capt. Mark S. Carmel salutes Rear Adm. Manson K. Brown as he assumes command of Coast Guard Integrated Support Command Kodiak from Capt. Robert L. Lachowsky 2006 - Former submarine tender USS Orion departed James River mothball fleet for scrapping by North American Ship Recycling in Baltimore 2006 - The "Shamrocks" of Sea Control Squadron (VS) 41 held a sundown ceremony at NAS North Island to commemorate their decommissioning after 46 years of service. The ceremony of VS-41 marks one of the last chapters in naval aviation history for the S-3 Viking aircraft and the personnel who support it 2006 - NOAA’s National Ocean Service researchers, in collaboration with the Essential Image Source Foundation, embarked aboard the NOAA research vessel Nancy Foster to further examine the status in the Atlantic Ocean of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish. Research will be conducted off the coast of North Carolina from water depths of 115 to 150 feet deep, from Cape Lookout to Cape Fear 2006 - About 5,000 cubic meters of raw sewage have been released into the Baltic Sea off Russia's European enclave after an accident at a local sewage collector 2007 - President of Singapore accepted the advice of the Prime Minister that Rear Admiral (RADM) Chew Men Leong, currently Chief of Staff (Naval Staff), take over from RADM Ronnie Tay as Chief of Navy on 31 August 2007 2007 - Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen announced the following flag officer assignments: Rear Adm. (lower half) Walter M. Skinner assigned as program executive officer for tactical aircraft programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (research, development and acquisition), Patuxent River. Rear Adm. (lower half) (selectee) David A. Dunaway assigned as commander, Naval Air Warfare Center, weapons division, China Lake Secretary Of Defense Robert M. Gates announced today that the President has made the following nominations: Navy Vice Adm. Mark P. Fitzgerald for appointment to the grade of admiral and assignment as commander, US Naval Forces, Europe and commander, Allied Joint Forces Command, Naples. Navy Rear Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr. for appointment to the grade of vice admiral and assignment as commander, 6th fleet/commander, striking and support forces NATO/deputy commander, US Naval Forces Europe/commander, joint headquarters, Lisbon 2007 - The 2,200-teu Wan Hai 307 (built 2002) is said by a Japanese coastguard source to have suffered significant damage to the hull and some containers as a result of the collision with the 150,800-dwt Alpha Action (built 1994) 2007 - Coast Guard investigators continue to oversee the cleanup of about 100 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled into the water after a New Bedford MA-based fishing vessel with no one aboard sank at a pier in New Bedford Harbor 2007 - Military Sealift Command accepted delivery of dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Alan Shepard in San Diego. The ship was built by General Dynamics NASSCO 2007 - Cmdr. Scott Pappano relieved Cmdr. Brian Humm in command of submarine USS Buffalo 2007 - Rear Admiral Roger Girouard relinquishes command of Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific to Rear Admiral Tyrone Pile at Duntze Head in HMC Dockyard 2008 - Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) detained a Thai fishing boat with eight crew for illegal fishing off Kuala Terengganu 2008 - Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 3 relieved the commanding officer of the amphibious loading dock ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52). Rear Adm. Kendall Card relieved Cmdr. Xavier F. Valverde following a preliminary inquiry after a recent grounding incident in the Persian Gulf. Card expressed his loss in confidence in Valverde's ability to command. No injuries or damage occurred as a result of the incident. Capt. Mike Slotsky has assumed command of Pearl Harbor 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. 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