SeaWaves Today in History June 25, 2009 Argentina - National Day. (Marks the start of Argentine rebellion against Spain.) Visiting warships Dress Ship overall. Twenty-one gun salutes are fired at sunrise and are repeated at noon and again at sunset 1758 - James Wolfe finally silences Louisbourg's island battery after six days of bombardment; opened fire on the 19th from Lighthouse Point; all external batteries now secure 1759 - James Wolfe nears Quebec with 8,500 men and a fleet of 168 ships commanded by Admiral Charles Saunders 1853 - John Rae 1813-1893 leaves York Factory to survey west coast of Boothia Peninsula; between Castor and Pollux River and Bellot Strait 1855 - Great Western Railroad puts its steamers Canada and America into service from Hamilton to Oswego, NY; route to New York City and Erie Canal 1915 - Submarine HMS H8 completed 1917 - Navy convoy of troopships carrying American Expeditionary Forces arrives in France 1921 - Submarine HMS K15 was moored alongside light cruiser HMS Canterbury, in the tidal basin at Portsmouth. Most of the crew was on leave when a watch keeper discovered that the submarine was sinking, with the stern already awash. The watch were quickly roused and scrambled aboard Canterbury. The submarine slowly submerged amid streams of bubbles. The accident was caused by hydraulic oil expanding in the hot weather and contracting as the temperature dropped causing a loss of hydraulic pressure and causing vents to open 1936 - German cruiser Leipzig omitted courtesy visit to League High Commissioner Sean Lester, at Danzig 1940 - Lt (A) Alexander Beaufort Fraser Fraser-Harris RN awarded DSC 1940 - HMCS Givenchy commissioned as accommodation vessel for Fishermen's Reserve 1940 - HMCS Fraser, a Crusader or C-class destroyer known as River-class in the RCN, Cdr. Wallace Bourchier Creery, CBE, RCN, CO, was sunk after a collision with the British Carlisle or C-class light anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Calcutta. Fraser sank with the loss of 60 lives (47 Canadian, 13 RN). Vickers-Armstrong Ltd., at Barrow-in-Furness, UK, built Fraser and served in the RN as HMS Crescent. She was purchased and commissioned into the RCN on 15 Jun 38. Fraser was stationed at Esquimalt at the start of the war and arrived in Halifax on 15 Sep 39. She was first employed on escort duty in the western Atlantic and in the Caribbean. Fraser was deployed to the UK and arrived at Plymouth on 03 Jun 40. Fraser and HMCS Restigouche ex-HMS Comet in company with HMS Calcutta were returning from evacuation duty in the vicinity of Bordeaux, France, when she was sunk. While in the Gironde Estuary, in conditions of poor visibility, a change of formation was ordered. A destroyer was on each of the cruiser's bows and these ships were to assume line astern, with the cruiser leading. Fraser, who was on Calcutta's starboard bow, turned to port with the intention of turning inward and passing down the cruiser's starboard side. Calcutta thought she intended to cross her bows and then move down her port side. Calcutta turned to starboard, striking Fraser on her starboard side and sheering through her forecastle. Vickers Ltd., at Barrow-in-Furness built Calcutta. She was commissioned on 21 Aug 19. Her service during WW I was performed on the American and West Indies Station, as the flagship for Rear-Admiral Sir Allan Everett, commander of the Eighth Light Cruiser Squadron. In 1938, she was began conversion to an AA cruiser, completing in July 39. At the outbreak of WW II, Calcutta joined the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow with the Seventh Cruiser Squadron. She was temporarily transferred to the Second Cruiser Squadron of the Humber Force in Sep 39 before returning to the Home Fleet in Apr 40 for the Norwegian campaign. Later, she participated in Operation DYNAMO, the evacuation from Dunkirk. In Jun 40, while covering the evacuation of western France, she collided with the destroyer Fraser in the Gironde, and sank her. At the end of Aug 40, Calcutta was transferred to Gibraltar with Force H and then served in the eastern Mediterranean, where she covered several Malta convoys, and, with the Third Cruiser Squadron, participated in the attack on Benghazi in Sep 40. In Apr 41, Calcutta was involved in the Greek campaign, which was followed by the evacuation of Crete in May 41. On the morning of 01 Jun 41, the cruisers Calcutta and Coventry, a Ceres-class light anti-aircraft cruiser, were enroute to from Alexandria to a rendezvous with Force D, under the command of Vice-Admiral King, which was returning from the final evacuation from Sphakia. The two ships were about 100 miles from Alexandria when two German Junkers 88 bomber aircraft attacked them. Calcutta was hit by two bombs and sank within a few minutes. Coventry rescued 23 officers and 232 ratings, but two officers and 116 ratings were lost 1940 - France surrenders to Germany 1940 - Prime Minister Churchill said Britain had consented to French armistice 1940 - Operation 'Aerial' ends with over 215,000 servicemen and civilians successfully evacuated from France by the Royal Navy 1940 - HMS Snapper torpedoes and sinks German armed trawler V 1107/Portland south of Stavanger 1941 - Corvette HMCS Spikenard arrived Halifax from Convoy OB 332 1941- Minesweeper HMCS Medicine Hat launched Montreal PQ 1941 - Corvette HMCS Midland launched Midland ON 1941 - Corvette HMCS Lethbridge commissioned 1941 - HMS Parthian torpedoes Vichy French submarine Souffleur 1941 - Churchill reads his Battle of the Atlantic directive of March 6, to the House of Commons meeting in Secret Session. He also reports on the improvements to the clearance of goods especially from the congested ports of the West Coast. Goods are now shipped inland to 'sorting depots' from where they are more properly dispatched. Railway lines to the ports have been enlarged 1942 - Destroyer HMCS Huron launched Newcastle-on-Tyne 1942 - Corvette HMCS Moose Jaw repairs completed Saint John NB 1942 - Axis naval action begins today on Lake Ladoga, against naval forces of the USSR. The 12th Flotilla, part of the Naval Detachment "K" under Finnish operational control, together with the German 31st Kuestminenboot Flotilla with four small KM boats (numbers 3, 4, 8, and 22) and the German Einsatzabt Fahre Ost with 7 heavy and 6 light armed motor pontoons, 8 transport pontoons, and 7 small infantry transport boats. The only Finnish boat was the torpedo boat "Sisu." The German pontoons were supported by an air detachment of 15 fighters and 7 recon planes, and the Finnish Air Force allocated their 3rd Air Regiment (with Fokker and Fiat planes). The Italian Navy sent four torpedo boats (MAS 526 to 529) of 12th MAS Flotilla, commanded by Capitano di Corvetta (Lt-Comm) Bianchini, with four officers, 19 NCO's, and 63 other ranks. The target of the 12th Flotilla is the ramshackle Soviet flotilla on Lake Ladoga (estimated at 6 gunboats, 2 large and 5 small torpedo boats, 32 armed minesweepers, 9 armed transport ships, 17 armed tugboats and 1 submarine, plus another 25 other boats). The first day of operations, MAS 526 is rammed by the Sisu and then run aground on Mokerikki Islet. MAS 526 will be out of commission until October 1942 - PBY-5 Catalinas of USN Patrol Squadron Seventy One based at Noumea, New Caledonia, bomb Japanese installations on Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands 1942 - US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill conclude their conference in Washington, D.C. One of the agreements is to conduct joint US-British research and development of an atomic bomb 1942 - U-701 torpedoes a Norwegian freighter off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The ship is beached and later salvaged 1943 - LCdr Roland Fraser Harris RCNR awarded DSC 1944 - HMS Truculent sinks a Japanese sailing vessel with gunfire in the Malacca Strait. 1944 - USS PT-193 grounded in enemy waters and destroyed to prevent capture Noemfoor Island New Guinea 1944 - U-269 (Type VIIC) Sunk in the Channel SE of Torquay, in position 50.01N, 02.59W, by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Bickerton. 12 dead & 39 survivors. (The wreck was located in 1951 during the search for the British submarine HMS Affray, which sank with all hands on 16 April, 1951 when her snorkel mast broke off near Alderney) 1945 - USN PB4Y-2 Privateers based on Okinawa again sow mines off Korea. After completing the mining operations, the Privateers strafe targets of opportunity, e.g., lighthouses and shipping. The USAAF's XXI Bomber Command in the Marianas flies Mission 222 - During the night of 25/26 June, 26 B-29 Supefortresses plant mines in Shimonoseki Strait and at Maizuru and off Obama Island 1945 - HMS Selene sinks two Japanese coasters and a sailing vessel with gunfire in the Gulf of Siam 1945 - Submarine HMS Alderney launched 1945 - USN underwater demolition teams (UDTs) begin clearing the beaches at Balikpapen, Borneo, in advance of the invasion by Australian forces 1945 - Corvettes HMCS Louisburg, Saskatoon & Norsyd paid off Sorel PQ 1945 - HMC ML 088 paid off 1946 - Submarine HMS Tabard completed 1947 - VP-HL-9 ex VP-119 to VP-ML-7 1950 - North Korea invades South Korea beginning Korean Conflict 1954 - Frigate HMCS Buckingham recommissioned after modernization 1955 - Thousands cheer the ferry Kalakala's entry into Victoria 1956 - Submarine HMS Porpoise launched 1956 - 51 die in collision of Andrea Doria & Stockholm (Cape Cod) 1966 - USS Yorktown port call Yokosuka 1966 - USS Stalwart capsized & sank after fire at San Juan 1966 - USS Kearsarge port call Pearl Harbor 1977 - VAdm Andrew "Andy" Laurence Collier awarded Commander-Order of Military Merit. Capt (N) Christopher Gratrix Pratt awarded Officer-Order of Military Merit. PO1 Donald Brown, LCdr Frank Frederick Stockwell awarded Member-Order of Military Merit 1983 - Cdr (S) Geoffrey Huish Tullidge RCN(R) awarded Member-Order of Canada 1988 - Capt (N) James Bryan Elson, LCdr Frederick Leo Jardine awarded Officer-Order of Military Merit. CPO2 Daniel Robert Allan David Briand, CPO1 James David Carroll, Lt (N) Wilfred Joseph Caskanette, CPO1 Frederick Childs, CPO2 Raymond Lewis During, CPO1 Gordon Arnold Mielke, CPO2 David W Mollison & CPO1 Joseph Arthur Raymond Marc St George awarded Member-Order of Military Merit 1989 - Soviet submarine 192 (ex-K 131) CTL after reactor fire north of Norway 1993 - HMS Unicorn (later HMCS Windsor) commissioned 1994 - ex-HMCS Saguenay sunk 1100hrs between Cross Island & Sculpin Shoal, outside Lunenburg NS as "divers wreck" 2003 - Destroyer USS James E Williams launched at Pascagoula 2003 - Frigate INS Trishul commissioned in St Petersburg 2004 - New Italian Navy base at Taranto officially opened, several ships and 4,000 personnel 2005 - Belfast Coastguard has experienced a busy afternoon with a range of incidents from missing persons to pleasure boat incidents and the imparting of sound safety advice. The Coastguard has been assisting the Enniskillen Police for the search of a missing person at 1319 on the River Arney, Upper Lough Erne. At 1327 Belfast Coastguard received a call from a member of the public, relaying a report that a RHIB Cuchulain with 9 persons on board had broken down and was drifting in the North Channel. A French yacht Dracho was standing by the RHIB. Redbay RNLI inshore lifeboat was requested to launch and took the RHIB under tow to Redbay. A motor cruiser Bayliner Calypso went aground on rocks off Bangor with 2 persons aboard. Another Motor Cruiser towed Calypso safely into Bangor at 1459. Belfast Coastguard tasked the local Sector Manager to the scene to deliver safety advice. At 1440 a call was received from motor yacht Va Va Voom with 7 persons on board, reporting engine loss and making for Bangor Marina, entrance to Belfast Lough. The casualty was able to restore engine power and is safely alongside at Bangor Marina. At 1450 Belfast Coastguard received a VHF call on channel 67 from a RHIB Conchuir with 2 persons aboard, reporting to be aground on a sandbank, Lough Foyle and requiring assistance. Greencastle Coastguard boat was tasked through Malin Head Coast Guard and is currently standing by the casualty 2005 - A fishing vessel sank off Bunessan, Isle of Mull after going aground. The vessel had one person on board who was found on nearby rocks. Clyde Coastguard received a VHF radio call at 1802 from the fishing vessel George Ramsden (30 foot) informing them that the vessel had gone aground with no damage at Bunessan. A second radio call was made shortly afterwards reporting the vessel was sinking fast. The Ross of Mull Coastguard rescue team was sent to the area and the Rescue helicopter R177 from RNAS Prestwick was scrambled. The RNLI Tobermory lifeboat was requested to launch 2005 - Yarmouth Coastguard has been coordinating the search and rescue of a vehicle that left the Lowestoft Bridge in the early hours of this morning. At 0042 a vehicle was seen to leave the bridge by an official at the Harbor Control Station, the alarm was immediately raised to the Yarmouth Coastguard 2005 - At 0040 Eyemouth RNLI lifeboat station informed Forth Coastguard that a 70 foot fishing vessel Supreme (LH109) had experienced engine failure some 60 miles northeast of Eyemouth with 5 persons on board and requested assistance. Forth Coastguard established communications with the vessel via their satellite cell phone and it was established that the craft was drifting south-southeast at approximately one knot. Eyemouth RNLI all weather lifeboat was requested to launch and finally located the craft and established a tow at 0450 2005 - Four adults and three children are safe after members of a Homer-based Coast Guard Auxiliary crew and a Good Samaritan pulled them from their 18-foot burning boat near the Homer Spit. Radio operators at the communications center at Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak received a distress call at 1701. The Auxiliary vessel, a high-speed 27-foot Secure All-Around Flotation Equipped (SAFE) boat used primarily by the Coast Guard as a quick response platform for search and rescue cases and maritime security, patrolling the area, received the call and rushed to the scene eight nautical miles south of the Homer spit. Once on scene, the crew plucked five of the seven passengers from the vessel. The Good Samaritan vessel's crew rescued the remaining two. None of the passengers entered the water or sustained any injuries. The rescuers safely transported the seven boaters to Homer aboard the SAFE boat 2005 - Steven O. Donathan, aged 50, was reported missing about 1825 after he was 35 minutes overdue from his dive near the sunken Canadian destroyer Yukon, lifeguard Sgt. Troy Keach said. The initial report prompted a 40-minute search of the area by the crew of a USCG cutter and lifeguard divers, lifeguard Lt. John Greenhalgh said. Thirty divers from various agencies searched for Donathan Sunday, but turned up no clues, Keach said. About 60 dives were made, with 90 percent of the interior of the ship and a large amount of the perimeter covered, Keach said. Donathan was last seen at a depth of at least 75 feet, where only the most experienced divers go when at the Yukon, Keach said. Divers were scheduled to return beginning at 6 a.m. Monday to double check "a lot of dark spots" in the ship, he said. The 366-foot Yukon was intentionally sunk to a depth of 100 feet nearly five years ago as an artificial reef and an attraction for scuba divers 2006 - Maritime and Coastguard Agency live exercise to test a number of agencies but in particular the Cornwall County Fire Brigade's response team element, which are part of the recently formed national Maritime Incident Response Group 2006 - Oil pollution has been reported in the Menai Straits to Holyhead Coastguard, who are now working with authorities to identify the source 2006 - Two men were rescued from the water off Wallog near Borth after their vessel capsized, both were wearing life jackets. A passing vessel dialed '999' on mobile telephone to report two persons in the water after their boat had capsized at 2:15 p.m. The crew of the passing vessel, one of which a member of the RNLI, were able to recover the two men to the safety of their vessel and await the arrival of the Borth Inshore RNLI lifeboat, that had been requested to launch by the Milford Haven Coastguard. Once on scene the crew transferred the two casualties to the lifeboat, and recovered them to the shore at Wallog where they were met by Borth Coastguard Rescue team and the awaiting ambulance personnel. The two casualties were cold but well, and were able to be treated on scene 2006 - Two Coastguard Rescue Officers are in Wansbeck hospital after their vehicle rolled 20 foot down a cliff, whilst attending an incident of a sinking cabin cruiser off Newbiggin Point. Humber Coastguard had received a call at 8:30 a.m. from a fishing vessel 'Bona Venture' informing them they had seen a hand held red flare coming from a small cabin cruiser at Newbiggin Point, Northumberland. The fishing vessel made its way to the cabin cruiser and informed the Coastguard there were 3 adults and 1 child aboard, and the vessel was sinking. Humber Coastguard requested the fishing vessel to standby the cabin cruiser in case evacuation was needed and sent the Newbiggin Coastguard Rescue team to provide communications from a good nearby vantage point, Beacon Point. Newbiggin RNLI lifeboat was requested to launch 2006 - A Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew air lifted a 36-year-old woman in medical distress off the Cruise Ship Carnival Victory approximately 150 nautical miles east of Cape Cod. Carnival Victory was enroute New York City from Halifax, Nova Scotia when the Coast Guard was notified about the woman experiencing severe abdominal distress. The helicopter arrived on scene at 1100, hoisted the woman and landed at Logan International Airport at 1258. A waiting ambulance transferred the woman to Mass General Hospital 2006 - A 590-foot cargo ship that ran aground has been pulled to deeper water and is being held offshore of Port Canaveral until safe to enter port. Shenandoah Highway, a cargo ship carrying automobiles, left Southampton UK and attempted to enter Port Canaveral at about 0530. A few minutes later the ship ran aground. Coast Guard inspectors from Marine Safety Detachment Port Canaveral boarded tugs and a small boat crew from Station Port Canaveral to assess the situation. Crews didn't spot any pollution when they arrived at the Shenandoah's position and started making preparations to remove the ship from the sandy bottom 2006 - A Polish tanker claims to have discovered the wreck of German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin 2007 - FS Dupleix and USNS Kanawha responded to a distress call from a North Korean-flagged merchant vessel at approximately 1826 local time in the Arabian Sea 2007 - Dominican Navy seized I60 kilos of cocaine on a boat plying Dominican territorial waters 2008 - An unused life jacket from the doomed Titanic sold for $68,500 in New York 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