SeaWaves Today in History May 10, 2008 ********************************************************************* May 10 1534 - Jacques Cartier 1491-1557 sights Cape Bonavista after three week crossing from France; stopped ten days by ice; then skirts east coast of Newfoundland; his first voyage to Canada 1774 - Louis XVI ascended the throne of France 1775 - Forces under Ethan Allan and Benedict Arnold cross Lake Champlain and capture British fort at Ticonderoga, New York 1790 - Spanish captain Francisco de Eliza y Reventa 1759-1825 takes possession of Nootka and builds a fur fort. Vancouver Island mountain Eliza Dome named in his honor 1800 - USS Constitution captures Letter of Marque Sandwich 1853 - Gerard Osborn 1822-1875 sails the Pioneer along east coast of Bathurst Island; until July 15; forced to winter in Wellington Channel 1853 - Sir Hugh Allan's Genova the first steamer of the Allan Line to arrive at Quebec; starts 14-day Montreal-Liverpool mail run; steamers Sarah Sands and Lady Eglinton will follow later in the year 1857 - The Sepoy Rebellion breaks out in Meerut, triggering the Indian Mutiny against British rule 1862 - Confederates destroy Norfolk and Pensacola Navy Yards 1905 - A special committee appointed by the Storting (Norwegian national assembly) submits a unilateral proposal for the establishment of a Norwegian consular service 1910 - Tug HMS Helespont launched 1915 - Destroyer USS Allen laid down. Allen would serve as a submarine target ship at Pearl Harbor in World War Two 1916 - Submarine HMS G6 completed 1917 - Patrol vessel HMCS Laurentian commissioned. Built by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Beverley, UK. 355/02, 149x24x11ft, 11kts, 1-12pdr, single screw, steam, triple expansion, 84 MHP. Post WW.I transferred to Marine & Fisheries Lighthouse supply & buoy tender. Paid off 1946 & broken up 1947 1917 - Submarine HMS L1 launched 1917 - Minesweeper HMCS Tuna paid off. Engine mounts beyond repair 1917 - RNAS Felixstowe, Curtiss H8 a/c #8675, F/S/Lt Henry James Bath RNAS, of Oakville, ON, flying as co-pilot, bombs a U-boat, 15 miles SE of the Hinder Light Vessel 1927 - Submarines USS Narwhal & Nautilus laid down 1928 - Destroyer FS Tornade commissioned 1939 - Federal Theatre Project enacts Flotilla of Faith historical pageant on the Columbia River at Vancouver, Washington 1940 - U-125 laid down 1940 - Destroyer HNLMS Van Galen served along her sister ships in the Netherlands East Indies until 1939, when she was ordered back to Holland. She arrived in Den Helder on May 8, only two days before the Germans attack. Two days later she was ordered to shell the German forces at the captured airfield Waalhaven near Rotterdam under fire. Before she could do so she was attacked by German aircraft and badly damaged. Nevertheless she made it to the Merwedehaven, where she finally sank. The ship was raised by the Germans on 23 October 1941, and being not worth repairing she was scrapped in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht 1940 - Submarines HNLMS O-21 & O-22 commissioned 1940 - Boom defense vessel HMS Barcliff launched 1940 - Submarine HMS Tuna launched 1940 - Germany invades France 1940 - Neville Chamberlain resigns as Prime Minister and Winston Churchill forms a coalition wartime government, saying - "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat" 1940 - The British Admiralty initiates plans to withdraw shipping from the Low Countries, to block the main ports and demolish installations, and to remove gold and diamonds 1940 - HMS Ark Royal, finding herself immersed in the middle of a gale, is unable to operate aircraft. Finally, at 1300, in position 70.50 N, 16.30 E, as the weather begins to abate RD/F picks up a group of German aircraft some 50 miles off. In response, at 1320, a trio of Skuas is sent up, but the enemy disappears before they can close. While this is going on the ship begins sending off fighter patrols for Narvik, Lieutenant (A) W. H. Martyn, RN departing with three 801 Squadron Skuas at 1400. They gave chase to a single He-115 over Harstad, but it escaped in the low clouds. At 1505, Lieutenant W. P. Lucy, RN led his three-plane section of 803 Squadron off on the next patrol. One of the sections again managed to intercept a solitary He-111, but it also escaped into the clouds. Two further patrols, dispatched at 1645 and 1715 sighted nothing of interest. The last patrol returned at 2100 reporting the cloud base was down to 2,000' and further flights were suspended 1940 - Royal Marines are landed at Reykjavik, Iceland from two cruisers. The landing is unopposed. Iceland declared itself independent of Denmark last month. The occupation of this strategically important island, which has no defense force, pre-empts German hopes of using it as an airbase from which to attack Allied convoys 1941 - U-86, U-374 launched 1941 - Submarine HMS Una launched 1941 - At 0442, U-556 attacked Convoy OB-318 SE of Cape Farewell in 59°23N/35°25W (grid AK 1470) and reported two ships of 10.000 tons sunk. The xB-Dienst assumed from a SOS message that one of the ships was the Dutch SS Hercules, but in fact the torpedo missed the British steam merchant Chaucer. In fact, only the Aelybryn was hit & damaged. The ship was towed to Reykjavik by HMS Hollyhock, arriving on 17 May. One crewmember was killed. ASW trawler HMS Daneman picked up the master and 43 crewmembers 1941 - At 0752, the Empire Caribou, dispersed from Convoy OB-318, was torpedoed and sunk by U-556 about 465 miles SW of Reykjanes. The master, 31 crewmembers and two gunners were lost. Nine crewmembers and two gunners were picked up by destroyer HMS Malcolm, landed at Reykjavik and brought to Greenock by destroyer HMS Scimitar 1941 - SS Gand sunk by U-556 at 57.54N, 37.34W 1941 - Submarine HMS Tribune departed Halifax with escort for Convoy HX-126 to UK 1941 - Minesweeper HMAS Bendigo commissioned 1941 - Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy, parachutes into Scotland in an effort to negotiate a peace settlement, but is arrested and imprisoned for the remainder of the war 1942 - At 0905, the unescorted Clan Skene was hit by two torpedoes from U-333 & sank about 300 miles SE of Cape Hatteras. U-333 had been badly damaged by depth charges of an escort ship three days before and was limping back to France. Cremer wrote in the KTB, that the sinking of this ship was like a balm after these terrible depth charges. Nine crewmembers from the Clan Skene were lost. The master and 72 survivors were picked up by USS McKean & landed at San Juan, Puerto Rico 1942 - At 0931, the unescorted Aurora was struck by a torpedo from U-506 on the starboard side aft of the bridge in the #6 tank about 40 miles off Southwest Pass, Louisiana. She immediately took a list to starboard, but by shifting ballast returned to an even keel. The master proceeded and kept most of the men on deck near lifeboats. 90 minutes later a second torpedo hit just aft of the first, in tank #8 and a third torpedo struck at the #4 tank. U-506 surfaced and began shelling the tanker, causing a fire in the paint locker. The armed guards did not return fire with the 5in gun on the stern and the two .30cal guns. Shrapnel wounded the radio operator and the chief mate, who died later on one of the rafts. All hands (nine officers, 29 men and 12 armed guards) abandoned ship in two boats and three rafts. Würdemann thought that the tanker will sink and departed. Later the master reboarded the Aurora. At 1700, USS Onyx & YP-157 picked up the survivors. USCG tug Tuckahoe arrived & sent a rescue party on board with fire hose and extinguishers. Together with the tug Robert W. Wilmot, the Aurora was towed to Algiers, Louisiana, where she was repaired 1942 - The Battle of the St. Lawrence. An RCAF aircraft spots U-553 thirty miles off Perce Rock in the Gaspe. This sighting marks the first enemy raider seen in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The first German action resulted in the sinking of two merchant ships by U-533, KptLt. Karl Thurmann, Knight's Cross, CO. The British freighter Nicoya (5,364 GRT) and the Dutch freighter Leto (4,712 GRT) were sunk south of Anticosti Island. Nicoya went sank in position 49.19N, 64.51W, with the loss of six people from the 87 onboard. Leto was sunk two and a half hours later in position 49.32N, 65.19W, with the loss of 12 people from the 43 onboard. These were the first ships sunk by enemy fire in Canadian waters since the War of 1812 1942 - SS Kitty's Brook (4,031 GRT) Newfoundland-registered Bowater Co. merchantman was torpedoed and sunk by U-588, Kptlt Viktor Vogel, CO, off Cape Sable, in position 42.56N, 063.59W. The ship had been on route from New York City to Argentia, Newfoundland. Nine of her 32 crewmembers were lost. The survivors were able to row into Lockport, NS. U-588 was a medium-range Type VIIC U-boat, built by F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, at Keil. She was commissioned 18 Sep 41. U-588 conducted four patrols & compiled a record of eight ships sunk for a total of 38,344 tons and one ship damaged for another 7,460 tons. HMCS Skeena & Wetaskiwin sank U-588 on the night of 30-31 Jul. Victor Vogel was born in 1912, in Tübingen. He joined the navy in 1932 & served extensively in anti-submarine & minesweeping flotillas until he transferred to the U-boat force in Mar 41. He underwent the U-boat commander's course between Jun & Aug 41 & was appointed to the command of U-588 on 18 Sep 41 at the age of 28. He was promoted to KKpt posthumously on 01 Aug 42 1942 - USS Ranger launches 68 USAAF Curtiss P-40E fighters off the coast of Africa. The aircraft land at Accra, Gold Coast and then proceed across Africa to India for service with the Tenth Air Force 1942 - The possibility of increasing the range of small aircraft, by operating them as towed gliders, is demonstrated at the US Naval Aircraft Factory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when two pilots hook their Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters to tow lines streaming behind a twin-engined Douglas BD (USAAF A-20), cut their engines and are towed for an hour at 180 knots at 7,000 feet 1943 - Ville-class steel tugs HMCS Lawrenceville, Adamsville, Beamsville, Marysville, Auburnville, Parksville, Otterville, Radville & Hodgeville ordered 1943 - Frigate HMCS Toronto (ex-Giffard) laid down Lauzon PQ 1943 - U-380 rescued five German soldiers escaping from Tunisia in a small boat. She brought them to La Spezia May 16 1943 - U-403 had a gunnery duel with the Dutch ship Dexterous 1943 - HMC ML 088 commissioned 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Ricketts launched 1943 - Sloop HMS Crane commissioned 1943 - Destroyer USS Bush commissioned 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Carlson commissioned 1943 - Submarine USS Cisco commissioned 1943 - Frigates HMS Bligh & Braithwaite laid down 1943 - Destroyer HMS Cadiz laid down 1943 - Escort carrier HMS Smiter laid down 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Maloy laid down 1943 - Destroyer USS Mertz laid down 1943 - Aircraft carrier USS Randolph laid down 1943 - Minesweeper USS Rebel laid down 1944 - James V. Forrestal becomes US Secretary of the Navy to succeed Frank Knox 1944 - Frigate HMS Loch Insh launched 1944 - Escort carrier USS Admiralty Islands launched 1944 - Sloop HMS Peacock commissioned 1944 - Minesweeper USS Barrier commissioned 1944 - Destroyer escort USS Le Ray Wilson commissioned 1944 - Frigate HMCS Jonquiere commissioned 1944 - Corvette HMCS Sudbury completed forecastle extension refit Vancouver 1944 - Corvette HMCS Shediac arrived Esquimalt from Halifax 1944 - Coast Guard manned FS-155 was commissioned. She was assigned to and operated in the Southwest Pacific area 1944 - Coast Guard-manned Army vessel FS-171 was commissioned. Her first commanding officer was LTJG Lawrence O. Bragg, USCGR. He was succeeded on September 2, 1916, by Lt. (jg) Lemuel K. Hartsook, USCGR. In November 1944, she stranded on a reef in Astrolabe Bay between Finschaven and Hollandia, New Guinea, and was pulled off by Coast Guard-manned LT-636. She was decommissioned 22 September 1945. 1945 - U-889 surrender, at sea, to RCAF. U-889 hoisted the black flag of surrender to the RCAF Liberator. It took two low passes by the Liberator before the flag went up. They were arming depth charges & setting the bombsight when she made the hoist. The Liberator stood by until RCN ships appeared 1945 - Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage the destroyer USS Brown and light minelayer USS Harry F. Bauer 1945 - Minesweeper HMCS Poplar Lake launched New Westminster BC 1945 - Destroyer USS Damato laid down 1945 - U-977, in Norwegian waters when Germany surrendered, put ashore those men who did not wish to accompany the rest of the crew on a desperate voyage to Argentina 1945 - Destroyer USS Cone launched 1945 - U-889 surrender, at sea, to RCAF, U-889 hoisted the black flag of surrender to the RCAF Liberator. It took two low passes by the Liberator before the flag went up. They were arming depth charges & setting the bombsight when she made the hoist. The Liberator stood by until the ships appeared. U-889 a IXC/40 type U-boat, built by Deutsche Schiff und Machinbau Ag Weser, Bremen, launched in 1944 & commissioned 4 Aug 44. U-889 Kptlt Friedrich Braeducker, CO had sailed from Germany by way of Norway in early April. After an uneventful weather ship patrol & at the end of hostilities in accordance with instructions U-889 surfaced & was spotted by an RCAF Liberator some 250 miles SE of Flemish Cap on 10 May 45. Subsequently HMCS Oshawa, Rockcliffe, Saskatoon & Dunvegan intercepted U-889 that day 175 miles SSE of Cape Race. Rockcliffe & Dunvegan were instructed to escort U-889 into Shelburne NS. However, 24hrs after the interception, the 2 ships passed their charge to the frigates HMCS Buckingham & Inch Arran of EG-28 some 140 miles SSE of Sable Island. An "official" surrender of U-889 took place 13 May 45 off the Shelburne Whistle Buoy, 7 miles from the antisubmarine boom gate. HMC ML 121 then escorted U-889 into Shelburne. U-889 was commissioned HMCS U-889 on 14 May 45, for testing & evaluation. Of particular interest were her acoustic torpedoes & highly developed German GHG hydrophone array. U-889 was one of 10 U-boats assigned to the US, as a result "a Canadian steaming crew". Sailed on 11 Jan 46 for Portsmouth NH. U-889 was Paid off 12 Jan 46 & turned over to the USN. Friedrich Braeucker was born in 1919, at Munich. He joined the navy in 1937. He was posted to the Torpedo School at Stralsund when the war broke out & in Apr 40 was transferred to the 1st & 2nd Torpedo-boat Flotillas. He joined the U-boat force in Aug 43 & after conversion training, went directly to the U-boat commander's course. He was promoted to Kptlt on 01 Jul 44. Braeucker was appointed to command U-889 on 04 Aug 44 & remained with her until the capitulation. He was detained after the war & was not freed until Dec 48, one of the last U-boat commanders to be released 1946 - Destroyer USS Eversole commissioned 1949 - First shipboard launching of Lark, guided missile by USS Norton Sound 1954 - Coastal escort (ex-minesweeper) HMCS Kentville commissioned 1960 - USS Triton completes submerged circumnavigation of world in 84 days following many of the routes taken by Magellan and cruising 46,000 miles 1960 - The aircrew and aircraft strength for each of the two remaining Reserve air squadrons, VC 920 (Toronto) and VC 922 (Victoria), was established at eleven pilots and three Expeditors apiece (Naval Board Minute 620-2). Both squadrons would be paid off just less than four years later on 31 March 1964 1964 - USS Oriskany completed Vietnam deployment 1965 - USS Independence commenced Vietnam deployment 1969 - USS Oriskany port call Subic Bay 1972 - Lt. Randy Cunningham and Lt. Willie Driscoll, flying a Navy F-4J Phantom from the USS Constellation knocked down three MiGs in one combat mission. Added to two previous victories, this made Cunningham and Driscoll the first American aces of the Vietnam War (and the only US Navy aces of the war) 1973 - USS Enterprise port call Subic Bay 1982 - Canadian Energy and Northern Affairs announces $600 million oil and gas exploration program in Beaufort Sea, NWT 1982 - HMS Sheffield sinks under tow on way back to the UK 1997 - MCDV HMCS Nanaimo commissioned Nanaimo BC 2003 - SS Cape Island laid up at Tacoma WA in RRF 2003 - MV Cape Kennedy laid up New Orleans LA RRF 2003 - MV Cape Vincent laid up Beaumont TX RRF 2004 - A sailor on frigate USS Gary was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound aboard the ship 2004 - Passengers and crew were evacuated by lifeboat and passing ships after ferry LeConte struck a reef and became stuck on the Cozian Reef in the Peril Strait about 30 miles north of Sitka. All 86 passengers & 23 crewmembers were safely evacuated with no injuries 2004 - An F-14 Tomcat from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8's Fighter Squadron (VF) 213 Black Lions, homeported out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Va., launched from USS Ronald Reagan, in what was the final Tomcat to leave the deck of the ship 2005 - Swedish submarine Gotland loaded onto transport Eide for shipment to San Diego, where she will be used in Littoral Warfare ASW training 2005 - The first of the Armidale Class Patrol Boats being used to protect Australia's northern coastline will arrive in Darwin today after completing most of its mission trial, Defense Minister Robert Hill announced today. NUSHIP Armidale, which was designed and built in Australia, is the first of 12 Armidale Class Patrol Boats to have advanced systems and excellent sea-keeping capability for coastal surveillance and protecting Australia's coastline. Senator Hill said these vessels will replace the Navy's Fremantle Class Patrol Boats 2005 - Port of Los Angeles Air Quality Mitigation Program Vendor Fair Designed to connect maritime companies with environmental product companies to learn how to receive up to $20 million in Port funding. Conceptual ideas and submissions are coupled with existing inventions and programs. Project submissions are due in June and selected projects are anticipated to go before the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners in December 2005 - Rodger Cuzner, Member of Parliament for Cape Breton - Canso, today announced on behalf of Geoff Regan, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, that the Government of Canada will provide funding in the amount of $4.4 million for repairs and improvements at eleven fishing harbors in Cape Breton Island and in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. A major harbor development project will start this year at Main-à-Dieu, an increasingly active harbor on the easterly tip of Cape Breton Island. The entrance to the harbor basin is exposed to the prevailing winds which can lead to undertow conditions at the wharf, making it unsafe for fishing vessels to unload or tie-up. Vessel overcrowding at the landing wharf also contributes to inefficient operations. This year's work will involve removal of a derelict wharf, installation of floating docks and commencement of the development phase of a project which will include reinforcement and extension of the west breakwater to improve protection of the harbor entrance. The breakwater work will take place over the next two years. A severe winter storm in late December of 2004 inflicted a significant amount of damage at a number of harbors along the Gulf of St. Lawrence coast of Cape Breton. Repairs are already underway at some harbors such as Judique (Baxters Cove) where the project involves repairs and electrical work on the wharf. At Cheticamp (LaDigue), the shore protection also sustained substantial damage as a result of the storm. The project consists of reconstruction of the damaged protective structure as well as repairs to the adjacent service area. Work is expected to start in September and be completed by the end of the year. Finlay Point, another storm-damaged harbor, will be the site of a repair project. Work will take place on the breakwater and service area to return them to safe condition for users. It is anticipated that this work will be completed in the fall of this year. Work at Murphys Pond involves repairs to 100 meters of wharf structure, which has fallen into disrepair due to natural deterioration after years of use. The wharf repair project is expected to start in the fall of this year and be completed in the spring of 2006. In addition to this work, repairs will be undertaken to stabilize the breakwater damaged by last winter's storm. The breakwater repairs will be undertaken early in the fall of this year. Three Guysborough County harbors will be the site of advance planning and engineering work in preparation for possible future construction. At Queensport and Canso, the work will prepare for wharf reconstruction and harbor development. The project at Margaree Harbor includes the design and environmental assessment of proposed future harbor enhancements including inner breakwater improvements, dredging, marginal wharf extension and floating wharf installation. The advance work will permit effective timing and planning to obtain the most efficient and cost-effective delivery of these future projects. The multi-year, major harbor development project at Petit-de-Grat will continue this year with completion of the service area, installation of floating docks and major wharf reconstruction. Two other harbors will see work finish this year on facility improvement projects. The Harbor Authority of Louisbourg is pleased that the major capital project at their harbor will be completed this year with paving of the service area. As well, ongoing harbor development work at Mabou Harbor consisting of wharf reconstruction and floating wharf installation continues with scheduled completion in June 2005 - Indonesian marines and US Navy SEALs parachuted into the sea off Jakarta in a joint anti-terrorism exercise Tuesday, the latest sign of increased cooperation between the two militaries despite a ban on full contacts due to human rights concerns. The exercises, involving seven US servicemen and more than 40 Indonesians, are designed to strengthen cooperation in dealing with "threats in our waters, including piracy and terrorism," said Lt. Col. Edi Fernandi, a spokesman for Indonesia's western fleet 2005 - Capt. Danny Ellis assumed the duties of Sector Commander at a ceremony establishing Coast Guard Sector Seattle. Sector Seattle is a consolidation of three separate commands: Group Seattle, Vessel Traffic Service Puget Sound, and Marine Safety Office Puget Sound. Capt. Ellis is presently the Commanding Officer of Marine Safety Office Puget Sound, and will remain in command of the Puget Sound area of responsibility as the new Sector Seattle Commander, including the authority of Captain of the Port. Cmdr. Mark Dix will assume the duties of Deputy Sector Commander. The establishment of Coast Guard Sector Seattle is a significant strategic achievement that will integrate the command functions of Coast Guard Group Seattle, Vessel Traffic Service Puget Sound, and Marine Safety Office Puget Sound under one operational commander to more effectively manage the sweeping changes to the Coast Guard’s operational environment that resulted from the attacks of September 11, 2001. Unifying the Coast Guard operational command and control functions into the sector command places the full range of Coast Guard missions and authorities under a single, local operational commander, the sector commander. The establishment of Sector Seattle is a premier example of the Coast Guard’s flexibility and responsiveness to meet the nation’s changing needs. Sector Seattle will be the lead federal organization for maritime Homeland Security, and will perform all Coast Guard missions within Puget Sound 2005 - MarineMax, Inc., the nation's largest recreational boat retailer, today announced that it has expanded its nationwide reach with the opening of an on-the-water retail location in Destin, Florida. It is the Company's 69th location. The store, located on Destin Harbor, will focus on selling premium fishing and cruising brands, such as Bertram, Grady White, Meridian, and the Ferretti Group of products and will also offer yacht brokerage services. The Destin area is one of the fastest growing boating markets on the Gulf Coast and draws from some of the wealthiest demographic areas in the Southeast 2005 - John Reid MP visited HMS Illustrious in Greenwich during his first official visit as the new Secretary of State for Defense 2005 - At 2148 last night, Portland Coastguard were alerted by a Portland resident via a 999 call, reporting a red flare which had been seen in the direction of Lyme Regis. A vessel confirmed this report at sea a few minutes later following an Urgency Broadcast on VHF radio. West Bay and Lyme Regis Coastguard Rescue Teams immediately began a shore line search and following a second flare sighting some 90 minutes later, the Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat began a search of the bay. Portland Coastguard requested helicopter Rescue-169 from RAF Chivenor, which carried out an aerial search of the area using a Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR) camera and Night Vision aids. The search continued into the early hours of the morning when the Weymouth RNLI All Weather Lifeboat was also launched to search an area offshore from Charmouth. Weather on scene overnight was North Westerly winds force 4 with choppy seas and excellent visibility 2005 - Iran has started to manufacture midget submarines that can land troops and fire rockets, state media reported yesterday. State television showed pictures of a bottle-green midget submarine docked in the southern port of Bandar Abbas, but said it could not show the production line for security reasons. “We are currently making a number of these submarines and we are proud of it," said Admiral Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who heads the plant producing the submarines. First unit believed to be named Ghadir 2005 - Lloyd’s Register Asia has completed the first safety case in Korea for dual-fuel electric propulsion in association with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) and Wärtsilä. The system is for the new large LNG tanker designs of 200,000 cubic meters and above being put forward by Korean yards. Lloyd’s Register Asia has worked with DSME and Wärtsilä to help to ensure that the technology is properly qualified for installation onboard the next generation of LNG tankers. The safety case methodology involves two key elements: a hazard identification study, which identifies critical issues and looks at engine room arrangements and layout, and a hazard operability study, which looks at ship systems including, for example, a detailed examination of piping and instrumentation diagrams from a safety and operability point of view. It is essentially a method of evaluating the safety and integrity of an installation, a system or a product through a formal process of risk assessment which can give stakeholders confidence in a new technology or design 2006 - Royal Canadian Mounted Police conducted a one-of-a-kind police operation, seizing off the shores of Africa an impressive 22.5-ton shipment of hashish intended for the Canadian market directly from the hands of its suppliers. Three conspirators linked to the West End Gang criminal organization have been arrested, meaning that an "import" cell of this Montreal-based criminal organization has now been dismantled 2006 - Jay F. O'Brien, from Cohasset MA, a technical advisor at the USCG Maritime Intelligence Fusion Center Atlantic in Virginia Beach received the 2005 Department of Homeland Security's Secretarial Meritorious Service Award (silver medal) at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington DC 2006 - Stolt-Nielsen S.A. announced its wholly owned subsidiary, Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group (SNTG), has acquired two parcel tankers, each of approximately 8,600 deadweight tons, to meet growing customer demand in the Company's inter-European service. The sisterships M/T Bow Wave and M/T Bow Wind, previously on time charter to Odfjell ASA, were purchased from Iino Lines for $18.5 million each. SNTG expects to take delivery of the ships between July and November of this year 2006 - DryShips Inc. announced it has scheduled to take delivery of MV Atacama a 2001 built, 75,941 deadweight ton, or dwt, Panamax drybulk carrier on Thursday, May 11, 2006. The vessel will be renamed Maganari. Upon delivery, Maganari will immediately be employed under the existing time charter at a daily rate of $29,000 until February 2007 and thereafter at a daily rate of $18,400 until February 2008 2006 - Professor Günther Zade, founding father and former Vice-Rector and Academic Dean of the World Maritime University (WMU) has died in Germany. He was 70 2006 - A crewmember from the fishing vessel Wayward Wind refused a medical evacuation from a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater rescue helicopter 70-miles west of Marco Island, Fla. The Coast Guard received a call at about 0845 that Chuck Sullivan, a 53-year-old crewmember from the 50-foot fishing trawler was suffering from a diabetic seizure. When the rescue helicopter arrived on scene the rescue swimmer administered first aid bringing Sullivan back to consciousness. Sullivan began feeling better and refused to be taken off the fishing vessel. The Coast Guard flight crew made sure he was stable and departed the scene 2006 - A Coast Guard rescue helicopter crew airlifted an injured 40-year-old man from a sea barge 140 nautical miles southwest of New Orleans. The Coast Guard was notified late Tuesday night that Quinn Brown, of Houma, La., aboard the vessel American Horizon had fallen and badly injured his back, requiring medical assistance. An HH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter crew was dispatched early this morning from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans to perform the rescue. Brown was hoisted off the vessel and transported to West Jefferson Hospital in New Orleans and is reported to be in stable condition 2006 - UK Shipping Minister Stephen Ladyman announced that following a competitive bidding contest, Aberdeen-based firm Subsea 7 has been chosen as the main contractor for a detailed, underwater seabed survey of the fishing vessel Trident. Trident, a UK registered trawler (PD 111), disappeared in October 1974 while in transit from the west coast of Scotland to her homeport of Peterhead in the northeast. She had on board a crew of seven, all of whom were lost 2006 - A Coast Guard helicopter crew hoisted three men to safety this evening from their disabled catamaran before it was hit by a storm. The boat was adrift 38 miles east of Freeport, Texas 2006 - The Coast Guard will court martial Chief Petty Officer Jerry Tarr on two counts of disobeying a lawful order after the former commander of the Chincoteague Coast Guard Station towed a disabled vessel off private property 2006 - The Coast Guard is responding to a distress call involving a injured mariner who fell from a crane on board a chemical carrier at Ambrose Anchorage about 15 miles off shore between Long Island and Sandy Hook NJ around 1320. The mariner fell approximately 15 feet while working on the crane and was reported to have suffered head injuries caused by the fall. A Coast Guard rescue helicopter crew from Air Station Atlantic City NJ was nearby conducting training operations when they received the call and responded immediately. A Coast Guard rescue boat crew from Station Sandy Hook NJ also responded. The Coast Guard rescue helicopter crew medevaced the mariner to the Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, NY. The cause of this incident is under investigation 2006 - USCG searching for a twin engine Aztec aircraft carrying two passengers reported missing, 18 nautical miles southeast of US Virgin Islands Saint Thomas, Airport. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Juan, Puerto Rico received a call at 1942 from the San Juan Center Air Traffic Control Tower reporting they had lost radar contact and communications with the aircraft on a trip from Saint Thomas to Saint Croix. The Coast Guard immediately launched an HU-25 Falcon jet from Air Station Miami and diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Sapelo to search the vast area. A Coast Guard 25-foot response boat was launched from Marine Safety Detachment Saint Thomas to assist with the search efforts 2006 - Plans outlined by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission call for the World War I & II-era battleship to be dry-berthed, refurbished and ready for public display by 2011 2006 - A top official of the Ministry of National Defense confirmed in the Legislature that the Taiwanese military is planning to purchase mini-submarines from the United Arab Emirates 2006 - Dutch Vice Admiral Jan Willem Kelder presented decorations to crewmember of submarine Bruinvis for duties with Task Force 150 off the Horn of Africa 2006 - Two motor boats, one en route to Bandar Rig in Ganaveh, Bushehr from Kuwait and the other vice-versa, sank in Persian Gulf waters due to stormy weather 2006 - At approximately 2300 on the US side of Cornwall Island, Coast Guard Station Alexandria Bay seized a boat with 83 pounds of hydroponic marijuana. Apparently, the vessel spotted the Coast Guard and then fled to Cornwall Island on the Canadian side. The suspect crew attempted to evade the Coast Guard by running the boat ashore and fleeing on foot. The vessel drifted free into US waters. The Coast Guard intercepted the unmanned boat and turned the contraband over to the Border Patrol 2007 - Navy Vice Adm. Eric T. Olson nominated for appointment to grade of admiral and assignment as commander US Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB. Olson is currently serving as deputy commander US Special Operations Command MacDill AFB 2007 - While conducting exercises in the South China Sea with the Republic of Singapore Navy, HMAS Adelaide has responded to a distress call from merchant vessel MV Padova. Padova had reported a fire in her auxiliary engine room and a seriously injured crewmember 2007 - Swedish and German researchers who have been looking into the sinking of the passenger ferry Estonia say an explosion can't be ruled out as the cause of the accident 2007 - Babcock announced acquisition of Devonport Management Ltd (DML) 2007 - Ukrainian frigate URS Ternopil will conduct Force Integration Training with NATO to prepare for participation in NATO's anti-terrorism Operation Active Endeavour (OAE). In preparation for the Ukrainian unit to join NATO's anti-terrorism operation and improving the inter-operability between NATO and Ukrainian units, a NATO core team will embark on the Ternopil at Sevastopol (Ukraine). They will coordinate the training of personnel from the Black Sea Fleet headquarters and the ship that will deploy to the Mediterranean to support the NATO operation 2007 - Officials in southern China are waiting to refloat a gas carrier, carrying 1,300 cu m of LPG, which ran aground off the coast of Shantou on the 7th. The Hong Ren, which is controlled by a subsidiary of Guangzhou-based logistics group Wide Shine Group, ran aground on a reef, known as the "Three Golden Drips" by local fishermen, off Nanao Island 2007 - A former sailor who claimed he suffered a mental injury after witnessing the Voyager disaster has won $20,000 compensation. John Robert Cavenett was 21 years old and a medic aboard the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne when it collided with the destroyer HMAS Voyager in February 1964, slicing it in half. It was Australia's worst peacetime naval disaster, claiming 82 lives during what was a routine exercise in Jervis Bay, off the NSW south coast 2007 - Chiefs of defense from the 26 NATO member nations today wrapped up two days of intensive discussions at NATO Headquarters on a wide range of military-related issues. Chiefs of defense and/or senior officers from 30 partner nations also attended the final day of meetings, in Partnership for Peace, Mediterranean Dialogue, NATO-Ukraine, and NATO-Russia formats 2007 - Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Southeastern New England, released a preliminary review of Weaver’s Cove Energy’s proposal to use smaller liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers capable of passing through the old Brightman Street Bridge in the Taunton River, between the cities of Fall River and Somerset, Massachusetts 2007 - Vice Adm. Mark Fitzgerald, Director Navy Staff, relieved Cmdr. Thomas C. Graves, Commanding Officer USS Constitution, due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command. Cmdr. William A. Bullard III has assumed command of the Constitution. Cmdr. Graves has been temporarily assigned to Surface Warfare Officers School Command ============================================================= Sources: Colton Shipping Report, NOAA, MARAD, Marine Digest, Leo Pettipas, Kommersant, Samuel Loring Morison, Frank Pierce Young, Navy Times, Naval Institute Proceedings, www.uboat.net, Andrew Etherington, John Nicholas, US Naval Historical Center, Ministry of Defense, US Coast Guard, Thomas N. Carlson, Jack Arrowsmith, Allan Snowie, Ken Hansen, Andy Barber, John Weiss, Jack McKillop, Bernard de Neumann, Sympatico Today in History, Washington History Link, Lloyds List, Fairplay, New York Times, I-Newswire and other news sources in the public domain. Additions, submissions and corrections are always welcomed. ============================================================= Today in History Archives at: http://www.seawaves.com/newsletters/today_in_history_archive.htm Copyright 2008 Shirlaw News Group ISSN 1710-6966 Photos courtesy of US Naval Historical Center, US Coast Guard Historical Center, Wikipedia Encyclopedia or Naval Museum of Manitoba unless otherwise noted. Images may be subject to copyright. Ask before you right-click.