SeaWaves Today in History November 1, 2008 1610 - Henry Hudson realizes it is too late to leave for England; orders Prickett and Staffe and his crew to haul the Discovery aground at the bottom of James Bay near the mouth of the Nottaway River and prepare winter quarters. They are not able to leave until June 18, 1611 1755 - The ocean floor off the coast of Portugal shifted and bowled a tidal wave into Lisbon — the main player in history's "Lisbon Earthquake" was what we'd now call a tsunami; killing upwards of 30,000 people, many of them in churches observing All Saints Day 1841 - "Mosquito Fleet" commanded by LCDR J. T. McLaughlin, USN, carries 750 Sailors and Marines into the Everglades to fight the Seminole Indians. But one of the many US efforts in the succession of Seminole Wars, the American forces never did succeed in actually conquering the Seminole Indians -- whose long-accepted tribal label was not really tribal at all in origin, but in fact a word from the Creek Indian dialect, which meant "wanderers", laid on them when large numbers of them left their original homelands for the Florida region, seeking security from encroachment. Led by a brilliant chieftain named Osceola, by and large the Seminole persistently kept the frustrated American forces variously at bay or avoided altogether. The warring went on for so long, that it finally began to get so much attention by the northern press that the Seminole began to be perceived almost as victims. It was about that time when promises of peace-making talk induced Osceola, who wanted nothing else, to enter an American fort setup, where he was taken prisoner and finally died in captivity. But the Seminole, to this day, have never surrendered, are yet in Florida, and do well peddling feathers and trinkets to tourists 1843 - Secretary of Treasury Spencer issued new "Rules and Regulations for the governing of the Revenue Cutter Service" centralizing control of cutters under Revenue Marine Bureau, but leaving superintendence and direction with Collectors of Customs 1853 - The manifesto of Emperor Nicholas I declaring a war with Turkey was published 1870 - US Weather Bureau made its first meteorological observations, using reports gathered by telegraph from 24 locations 1884 - Prince George, later George V, drives the last spike of the Harbour Grace Railway, opening traffic on Newfoundland's first railway between St. Johns and Harbour Grace; Prince visiting the province as a midshipman aboard HMS Cumberland 1899 - The first contingent of Canadian troops is enroute to South Africa to assist Britain against the Boers. Conditions aboard the troopship are cramped as 50 men are unable to find a place to sleep. Ironically, the ship's name is Sardinian 1899 - The battleship Varyag was launched, which became a legend of the Russian Navy 1914 - In the Pacific, off Chile, the first major naval engagement of the First World War was fought at Coronel. Vice-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock commanded a squadron of largely elderly Royal Navy ships, the most modern vessels being concentrated in the North Sea and Mediterranean. His opponent was Vice-Admiral Graf Von Spee, commanding the German East Asiatic Squadron, which was attempting to return to Germany. Cradock had left his most powerful but slowest ship, the old battleship HMS Canopus, guarding the Falkland Islands. In appalling weather, his two armored cruisers, HMS Good Hope (flagship) and HMS Monmouth, fought gallantly but with little effect against the far more modern German cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, and went down with all hands, including Cradock. The light cruiser HMS Glasgow, and an armed merchant cruiser, Otranto, managed to escape. The Admiralty immediately dispatched a powerful battle-cruiser squadron to the South Atlantic. Spee's squadron was destroyed at the Falklands on 8 December, both Canopus and Glasgow playing a key part in the action. Midshipmen Palmer, Silver, Hatheway and Cann were graduates of the Royal Naval College of Canada and were lost along with Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock and all hands of his flagship HMS Good Hope at the Battle of Coronel. They were the first Canadian casualties of the First World War. The Coronel Memorial Library at Royal Roads Military College (now Royal Roads University) was named in their honor 1915 - Submarine HMS E30 completed 1915 - Submarines HMS K1 & K14 laid down 1915 - Submarine HMS E33 completed 1916 - Submarine HMS J7 completed 1917 - Submarines HMS R7 & R8 laid down 1918 - Submarine USS S-24 laid down 1918 - Submarine HMS H41 completed 1918 - Submarine HMS G7 sunk by enemy action in North sea 1919 - Submarine HNLMS K X laid down 1920 - Drifter HMC CD 58 loaned to USN. Later sold as commercial Mary Currie in Canada 1920 - The Arethusa-class light cruiser HMCS Aurora, Capt. H.G.H. Adams, CBE, RN, CO, and the Thornycroft M-class destroyers HMCS Patriot, Lt. CT Beard, RCN, CO, and HMCS Patrician, Lt. G.C. Jones, RCN, CO, were commissioned at Devonport, U.K. Capt. Adams remained in command of Aurora until she was decommissioned in 1922 1921 - Liner SS Andania launched 1921 - Light cruiser HMS Durban commissioned 1922 - Naval base HMCS Naden commissioned Esquimalt BC 1928 - The USSR and Yemen signed a treaty on friendship and trade which established the diplomatic relations between the two countries 1932 - Trawler HMCS Ypres paid off into reserve 1936 - Torpedo boat L'Iphigenie commissioned 1938 - Destroyer HMS Legion laid down 1939 - Destroyers USS Wilkes & Nicholson laid down 1939 - Destroyer USS Trippe commissioned 1939 - U-50 launched 1939 - The first HN/ON convoys between the Firth of Forth and Norway sail in November and are covered by the Home Fleet. They are discontinued in April 1940 - U-158, U-252, U-509, U-510 laid down 1940 - U-124 sank SS Empire Bison in Convoy HX-82 1940 - Corvette HMS Heather commissioned 1940 - US Navy today orders 379 Martin PBM-3 Mariner flying boats 1940 - Submarines HMS Thetis and Thunderbolt completed 1941 - Corvettes HMCS Kitchener renamed Vancouver & Fort William renamed Fredericton 1941 - Schooner HMCS Venture commissioned as guard ship Tuft's Cove, Bedford Basin (Halifax) NS 1941 - Minesweeper HMAS Bunbury laid down 1941 - Destroyer HMS Grenville laid down 1941 - Submarine USS Hake laid down 1941 - Corvettes HMS Fritillary & Coltsfoot commissioned 1941 - Submarine USS Drum commissioned 1941 - U-68 sank SS Bradford City 1941 - U-166 launched 1941 - U-214 commissioned 1941 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt places Coast Guard under jurisdiction of Department of the Navy for duration of national emergency 1942 - Trawler HMS Bowell renamed HMS Miscou 1942 SS Agnes torpedoed & sunk by Soviet submarine SC-406 12 miles north of Rixhoft 1942 - Destroyer escort USS Edsall launched 1942 - Destroyer USS Borie sank from damage received after ramming U-405 in the North Atlantic. 27 crew lost. 49 men died when this U-boat was lost. There were no survivors 1942 - U-565 shot down RAF 233 Sqn Hudson & heavily damaged another 1942 - U-126 sank SS George Thatcher 1942 - U-174 sank SS Elmdale in Convoy TRIN-20 1942 - U-178 sank SS Mendoza 1942 - Patrol Vessel District YP-205 destroyed by grounding 1942 - U-173 sailed from France on her second and final patrol 1942 - U-664, on her maiden patrol, was severely damaged by depth charges dropped by a Catalina of USN Squadron VP 84, and had to abort to France 1942 - Finnish SS Agnes sunk at Rixhöft by Soviet sub Shtsh 406 1942 - Corvettes HMCS Baddeck & Port Arthur arrived at Londonderry, having escorted the 50-ship convoy SC-105 from St. John’s. Both ships were Flower-class corvettes. SC-105 departed New York City on 11 Oct 42 and arrived safely in Liverpool on 31 Oct 42 with all of ships intact 1943 - Escort carrier HMS Nabob ran aground on Roberts Bank off Fraser River enroute to Vancouver from Tacoma 1943 - Submarine HMS Veldt completed 1943 - Corvette HMCS Amherst completed forecastle extension refit Charlottetown PEI 1943 - Destroyers HMS Barfleur & Wager launched 1943 - Escort carrier USS Fanshaw Bay launched 1943 - Frigate HMS Seymour launched 1943 - Escort carrier USS Saginaw Bay laid down 1943 - Submarine USS Sea Dog laid down 1943 - Destroyer escorts USS Edmonds, Richard W Suesen & Shelton laid down 1943 - Destroyer escort USS John J Powers launched 1943 - Destroyer escorts USS Gustafson, James E Craig & Vance commissioned 1943 - Landings made on Bougainville, Solomon Islands 1943 - Submarine USS Trigger sinks two cargo ships at 29-12 N, 134-37 E 1943 - Submarine USS Haddock sinks a transport and cargo ship at 09-02 N, 150-43 E 1944 - Destroyer USS John A Bole launched 1944 - Frigate HMS Morecambe Bay launched 1944 - Destroyer USS Abner Read sunk by Kamikaze attack in Leyte Gulf Philippines 1944 - Destroyer escort USS Charles E Brannon commissioned 1944 - Submarine USS Lionfish commissioned 1944 - Minesweeper USS Superior commissioned 1944 - Captain-class frigate HMS Whitaker constructive total loss after being torpedoed by U-483 1944 - Destroyer USS Abner Read sunk by kamikaze aircraft in Leyte Gulf. 22 crew lost. 1944 - Japanese "Frances" twin-engine bomber crashed into destroyer USS Ammen resulting in 21 wounded & 5 dead. Four other destroyers hit in air attacks 1944 - U-2342 commissioned 1944 - U-2358, U-4703 laid down 1944 - Landings by a brigade of the British 52nd Division and 3 commando groups today on Walchern Island. The planned air support is cancelled due to bad weather but HMS Warspite and two monitors bombard 1944 - Submarine USS Trigger sinks two cargo ships at 29-12 N, 134-37 E 1944 - Submarine USS Haddock sinks a transport and cargo ship at 09-02 N, 150-43 E 1944 - Submarine USS Atule sinks an armed transport at 20-17 N, 117-08 E 1944 - Submarine USS Blackfin sinks an armed transport at 12-57 N, 120-12 E 1944 - Submarine USS Ray sinks two tankers, one at 12-57 N, 120-12 E and one SW of Manila 1945 - Minesweeper HMCS Rossland paid off 1945 - Minesweepers HMCS Suderoy IV, Suderoy V & Star XVI returned to owners 1946 - Corvette HMCS Morden arrived Hamilton ON for scrapping 1947 - Frigate HMCS Royalmount sold for scrap to New York buyer 1949 - Authority to reestablish the Women's Reserve of the Coast Guard Reserves (SPARS), approved by the President on 4 August 1949 became effective 1950 - Minesweeper HMCS Wallaceburg recommissioned as coastal escort 1952 - United States exploded the first hydrogen bomb, in a test at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands 1954 - Algeria began its rebellion against French rule 1954 - Destroyer HMCS Haida arrived Halifax from Korea via Suez Canal 1954 - Royal Canadian Navy's utility aviation Sqn VU-33 took to the skies to begin life as the small but hard-working West Coast Unit of Canada's naval air arm. The new squadron was under the command of LCdr Douglas Fisher RCN, who was responsible for the activities of two AS-3 Avenger a/c & 24 officers & men. In 1956, two years after the Sqn was formed, an additional a/c, a C-45 Expeditor, #2238, was added 1956 - Destroyer HMCS Columbia launched North Vancouver BC 1957 - Destroyer HMCS Margaree departed Halifax for Esquimalt 1958 - Cruiser USS Chicago redesignated CG-11 1965 - USS Ticonderoga port call Subic Bay 1965 - USS Coral Sea completed Vietnam deployment 1967 - Operation Coronado IX began in Mekong Delta 1967 - USS Ranger port call Pearl Harbor 1979 - Beginning of retirement of Polaris A-3 program begins with removal of missiles from USS Abraham Lincoln. Last Polaris missile removed in February 1982 1984 - The largest marijuana bust in West Coast history took place November 1 as the cutter Clover nabbed the 63-foot yacht Arrikis 150 miles SW of San Diego. The yacht was loaded with 13 tons of marijuana 1989 - Viktor Pugachev landed his SU-27K military plane on the deck of the “Tbilisi” aircraft-carrier. Later that day, the pilot Toktar Aubakirov launched his Mig-29K plane from the deck of that aircraft-carrier. Prior to that it was only the Yak-38 planes of vertical launching and landing that were used on aircraft carriers 1989 - Destroyer HMCS Iroquois commenced TRUMP refit Marine Industries Ltd Sorel PQ 1990 - USS Midway Carrier Battle Group relieves USS Independence in Gulf 1993 - Destroyer HMCS Skeena paid off 2002 - Frigate HMCS Winnipeg joined the Canadian Naval Task Group deployed on Operation Apollo 2003 - USN VF-102 Diamondbacks transferred from NAS Lemoore to NAF Atsugi, Japan replacing VF-154 in CVW-5 onboard USS Kitty Hawk 2004 - Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston held a public memorial service Monday to honor Kingston war hero Leonard Birchall. The retired air commodore, a highly decorated Second World War pilot who was dubbed the “Savior of Ceylon” by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, died in hospital Sept. 10. He was an RMC graduate who joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1937 and unknowingly became a Canadian war hero in April 1942, when, as leader of RCAF 413 Squadron, he was piloting a twin-engined Catalina. The aircraft was shot down by the Japanese, but not before the eight-member crew alerted Allied Forces about an impending attack on Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka. Churchill called it “the most dangerous moment” of the Second World War – when the Japanese fleet was steaming toward Ceylon for a surprise attack on the British fleet. The warning gave the British and Ceylon time to prepare. As a result, the losses were small and the Japanese were stopped in their tracks. Mr. Birchall and his men spent the next 3½ years in a succession of Japanese prison camps, where they were starved, beaten and tortured. It wasn’t until the war ended that Mr. Birchall learned the hastily dispatched warning had reached Allied Command. Mr. Birchall finished his military career in 1967 as the commandant of RMC, after devoting 60 years of his life to the Canadian military. He was the longest-serving officer in the RCAF 2004 - USCGC Key Largo returned to service after Deepwater modernization 2004 - HMAS Whyalla decommissioned 2004 - HMS Marlborough deployed from Portsmouth to Persian Gulf for the last time 2004 - Prime Minister Blair reappointed Rear Admiral Roy Clare as Director of the National Maritime Museum 2004 - O'Higgins, the first submarine of the new Scorpene type and the first of two for the Chilean Navy, was undergoing tests off Lorient 2005 - In honor of The Navy Corps' "Navy Day", the Israeli Navy soldiers painted their base white. A memorial ceremony for the fallen soldiers from the Navy Corps took place yesterday at Elisheva Park in Ashdod, and was the opening event for the corps' day. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of defense, the Chief of General Staff, the Commander-in-chief of the Navy, various representatives from around the world, Officers and Soldiers from the Corps, both past and present, and bereaved family members. The soldiers in the unit were told the stories of their heritage, and stories of youthful courage, by veterans of the Corps. The operational branch of the Navy Corps is among the most strenuous in the IDF. In the passing years they have taken part in training exercises and developed a relationship of cooperation and trust between a variety of different countries, such as Turkey, the United States, Italy, Germany, Greece, Spain and more. With the IDF's disengagement from Gaza, the Navy has undergone vast changes, updating equipment and improving security systems, perfecting its control over the sea. Included in the improvements has been the establishment of new radar stations with the greater locating and identification strength than before. Additionally, for the first time, the cadets of the Navy's mates' course will complete their academic studies and receive their degrees from the University of Haifa, before the completion of the course. The cadets are allowed to choose from a range of courses in which to complete their B.A studies, including Political Science, Economics, Business Studies, as well as Ports and Sea Studies 2005 - USNS Niagara Falls, which ran aground while departing Malakal Harbor, Palau, at 1300 local time Oct 27, freed herself at 1620 local time Oct 29. There were no injuries or leakage from the ship. Over two days, the ship transferred fuel and cargo aft within the ship, reducing the weight of the forward area of the ship. During the afternoon high tide period Oct. 29, the ship was able to free itself under its own power and with the assistance of a local tug boat. Niagara Falls arrived in Guam today for inspections related to the incident. An investigation into the circumstances of the grounding is underway. A US Navy dive team arrived in Palau Oct 31 and will begin a detailed assessment of the reef Nov 1 2005 - The Maritime & Coastguard Agency emergency exercise from early dawn until mid afternoon. The exercise scenario will involve a notional helicopter accident over the Red Funnel ferry Red Eagle which will be anchored in the Western Solent. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service will be staging a fire onboard using special effects and at times the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter "India Juliet" will be hovering over this vessel. The south coast based Exercise SOLFIRE is a contingency plan developed to deal with maritime emergencies or non-routine incidents occurring within the jurisdictions of Solent Coastguard, Queen's Harbour Master - Portsmouth and Associated British Port of Southampton The exercise will be live and primarily intended to test the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's initiation of a major incident plan and subsequent notification cascades including activations of Search and Rescue units. The coordination of the exercise will be under the control of Solent Coastguard Maritime Rescue Coordination Center 2005 - A criminal case has been initiated against Valery Yarantsev, captain of the troubled Russian fishing trawler Elektron, on charges of illegal fishing and unauthorized detention of a person, sources in the Prosecutor General's Office said 2005 - A joint Israeli and Greek humanitarian aid exercise, simulating earthquake incidents began. Israel Navy forces, search and rescue teams and additional Home Front Command Forces, who are now in Greece will be participating in this exercise. This exercise aims to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries, and practice the immediate dispatch of forces in any case of crises, disaster, or need for humanitarian aid and rescue. This in continuing with the IDF's position of offering aid regardless of limits and borders. This exercise will be held over the course of several days and will take place in the Mediterranean Sea and in Greece 2005 - The Secretary of Defense approved a joint recommendation by US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and the Marine Corps to create a Marine special operations command as a component of USSOCOM 2005 - Environmental group Greenpeace said its flagship Rainbow Warrior accidentally struck a coral reef in a central Philippines marine park while on a trip to expose the impact of climate change in Asia, and that it has agreed to compensate the park. The Greenpeace ship briefly ran aground at the Tubbataha National Marine Park, a World Heritage Site in the Sulu Sea, 650 kilometers southeast of Manila, damaging a 96-square-metre area of the reef, a joint statement released by Greenpeace and the park said. Park officials estimated damage to the reef was valued at 384,000 pesos ($6,857 US), the statement said. Red Constantino of Greenpeace Southeast Asia blamed the incident on a faulty maritime chart that showed the Rainbow Warrior was supposed to be 2.4 kilometers from the reef when it ran aground. He said within minutes of the incident, Greenpeace contacted the marine park ranger station to inform them of what had happened 2005 - Foss Maritime have just taken delivery of the powerful new harbor tug Morgan Foss for service in Pacific Coast ports. This "compact" tug is the result of a unique collaboration between Owner, designer, and builder alike. The Morgan Foss is the second in the new series of designated Dolphin Class tugs for Foss, designed by Robert Allan Ltd. in collaboration with Foss' in-house engineering staff, and built in their own shipyard in Rainier, Oregon. The tug is essentially identical to her cousin Mikioi, delivered in 2004. The design incorporates a small number of refinements from the prototype tug, based on the operational feedback from crews on Mikioi. The tug is configured strictly as a high-performance day-boat, with a very compact wheelhouse atop a similarly compact deckhouse which contains only the engine exhaust casings, vent intakes, and a small day-room and lavatory for the crew. The general layout of the tug is illustrated on the General Arrangement Drawing attached. In addition to the overall contract design package, Robert Allan Ltd. was also tasked with producing the complete production engineering package for the shipyard. A complete 3-D steel product model for this series of tugs was developed in ShipConstructor software, and used for NC cutting of all steel parts 2005 - Rear Admiral Desmond William "Debby" Piers, DSC, CD, RCN (Ret'd), a Canadian naval legend and a celebrated wartime hero, died peacefully yesterday in Halifax, NS at the age of 92. Rear Admiral Piers was born in Halifax in 1913. In 1932 he joined the Royal Canadian Navy, the first graduate of the Royal Military College to do so, and began what would prove to be a highly distinguished naval career spanning over three decades. Rear Admiral Piers is best known for his courageous actions in 1944 when, as the 30-year old Commanding Officer of HMCS Algonquin, he directly participated in the invasion in France where he guided his ship and her crew through the conflagration of D-Day. In recognition of his actions he received L'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur, France's highest recognition for bravery in military action and service. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his vigorous and invaluable service at sea during the Battle of the Atlantic. Following the Second World War, Rear Admiral Piers went on to serve in a number of key positions including Command of the cruiser HMCS Quebec, Assistant Chief for Personnel and Administration at NATO Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, Senior Canadian Officer Afloat (Atlantic), Commandant of the Royal Military College, Honorary Aide-de-Camp to the Governor General, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff, Chairman of the Canadian Joint Staff and Commander Canadian Defense Liaison Staff in Washington DC 2005 - Petty Officer 2nd Class Allan M. Cundanga Espiritu, 28, of Oxnard, Calif., died from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in the vicinity of Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Espiritu was assigned to 2nd Force Service Support Group (Forward), II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) 2005 - Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), along with the city of Portsmouth VA dedicated Gosport Park as the first phase of the 'Path of History', a one-acre outdoor museum that features naval artifacts and attractive informational signs that highlight the shipyard’s 238-year history. Gosport Park is located just outside one of the shipyard’s entrances. Gosport was the original name of the NNSY, and was adapted from the Royal Dockyard in Portsmouth, England. The most prominent artifact at Gosport Park is the sail from the former submarine USS Thomas Jefferson 2006 - SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage was contracted by the building yard and their underwriters in Harlingen to assist in relaunching a 12,000 DWT newbuild tanker (Combined chemical and oil tank W-O Tsjoch, 7400 grt). The nearly completed vessel had broken its moorings during the severe morning storm and, due to the extreme high water having been swept up by the storm (storm surge), had ended up with its stern on top of the quay opposite the yard and with its bow into a dyke. A first quick attempt to pull the ship off during the evening high water today, already 1.5 meters lower than the previous one, has not succeeded despite the combined effort of six tugs, amongst which those of partners Rederij Noordgat. A salvage team is on site, inclusive of naval architects, to take charge of the operation 2006 - USCG, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), NJ State Police, Port Authority Police and Newark Police Dept searching for a stowaway who jumped from a container ship into Newark Bay NJ around 1400 2006 - The captain and crew of the Grand Republic Ferry and the Bridgeport Police Dept will be awarded for the rescue of three people in Long Island Sound 2007 - The only cat ever awarded the 'animal’s Victoria Cross’ remembered at a ceremony. Royal Navy officers are paying tribute to Simon the cat, a rat-catcher on the HMS Amethyst who continued his duties despite being hit by shrapnel and singed during shelling raids by Chinese communists on the Yangtze River in 1949. Simon stuck to his task despite injury during the 101-day summer siege that followed 2007 - USCG Commandant Admiral Thad W. Allen delivers closing remarks and presents this year’s innovation awards at the 2007 Coast Guard Innovation Expo in New Orleans 2007 - Japan order its ships supporting US-led forces in Afghanistan home after failing to strike a deal in parliament on extending its mission. Last ship refueled was a Pakistani Type 21 frigate 2007 - Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter and CNO Adm. Gary Roughead announced the Dept of the Navy is terminating construction of the fourth littoral combat ship (LCS 4) for convenience under the termination clause of the contract because the USN and General Dynamics could not reach agreement on the terms of a modified contract 2007 - Paul Tibbets, pilot of the US bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan August 6, 1945 died at age 92 Copyright 2008 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. 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