SeaWaves Today in History November 28, 2008 1520 - Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after passing through the South American strait that now bears his names 1775 - Congress adopts first rules for regulation of the "Navy of the United Colonies." 1797 - North West Company starts to build Sault Ste. Marie Canal; completed in 1801; destroyed by Americans in 1812 1861 - The Times of London published a letter breaking the news that the British mail steamer Trent had been intercepted by the USS San Jacinto on 8th November in the Old Bahama Channel. The incident involved warning shots from the San Jacinto, an armed boarding party placed aboard the Trent and the removal of two Confederate Commissioners. The whole affair nearly led to war between the UK and the USA. It was an event that remains more entrenched in American minds rather than the British. Protestations came from the mail agent aboard the Trent, a Commander Williams Royal Navy 1888 - North Pacific Canning Company gets charter; builds salmon cannery in Port Edward, 740 km north of Vancouver, at the mouth of the Skeena River; closed in 1981; today a museum 1889 - The crew of the Evanston, IL, Life-Saving Station earned the Gold Lifesaving Medal for the rescue of the crew of the steamer Calumet. Most of the crew consisted of students from Northwestern University 1898 - Yarmouth Nova Scotia - East Coast gale sinks SS Portland, drowning 91. 400 others killed by the same storm 1914 - During the operations against German colonial forces in Tanganyika, Commander Ritchie, of the battleship HMS Goliath, took a pinnace and a pair of other small boats into Dar-es-Salaam to demolish the port installations. The boats came under heavy fire, and Ritchie was wounded eight times in the space of twenty minutes. However, he continued to direct operations until he eventually lost consciousness from loss of blood. The harbor was wrecked and three German ships disabled. Ritchie was awarded the Victoria Cross 1916 - Zeppelin LZ61 was shot down off Lowestoft by Royal Naval Air Service aircraft. However, a German naval pilot succeeded in flying his aircraft to London, just missing Victoria railway station with his bombs 1917 - Submarine HMS L22 laid down 1917 - Cruiser HMS Cairo laid down 1918 - Submarine HMS R8 launched 1923 - Destroyer FS Mistral laid down 1932 - Submarine HMS Swordfish commissioned 1935 - Submarine HMS Seawolf launched 1939 - King of England signs orders in council for the seizure of German exports on the high seas 1939 - Patrol vessel HMS Pintail commissioned 1939 - U-47 fired one torpedo at cruiser HMS Norfolk, but failed to hit it 1939 - Escort carrier HMS Avenger laid down 1939 - Corvettes HMS Nigella & Penstemon laid down 1939 - British Order in Council extended British contraband control to German experts 1940 - Corvettes HMS Abelia & Zinnia launched 1940 - Sloop HMS Ibis launched 1940 - Destroyer HMS Lance launched 1940 - Submarine HMS Thrasher launched 1940 - ASW trawler HMS Mazurka launched 1940 - Corvette SAS Protea laid down 1940 - U-47 fired two torpedoes without success at a lone ship in the North Atlantic 1940 - Corvette HMS Mayflower commissioned 1940 - U-103 sank SS Mount Athos & St Elwyn 1940 - U-95 damaged SS Ringhorn 1940 - Submarine HMS Regulus reported missing in Aegean Sea 1940 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Manx Prince mined & sunk off the Humber 1940 - U-209 laid down 1940 - U-104 listed as missing NW of Ireland. Cause of loss unknown 1941 - HMS Prince of Wales & Repulse arrive at Colombo, Ceylon. They will form the British Far East Fleet based at Singapore. The carrier Indomitable was scheduled to join them, but was damaged on the 3rd while training in the West Indies 1941 - U-95 sunk in western Mediterranean SW of Almeria in position 36.24N, 03.20Wby submarine HNLMS O-21. 35 dead and 12 survivors 1941 - U-272 laid down 1941 - U-164 commissioned 1941 - Destroyer USS Ellyson commissioned 1941 - Corvette HMCS Battleford departed for first operational patrol with the Sydney to Liverpool Convoy SC-57 as escort to Iceland. The convoy arrived Liverpool on 15 Dec 41 after 3 ships were sunk by U-130 1941 - Corvette HMCS Oakville arrived Halifax from builder Montreal PQ 1941 - In the evening, U-205 encountered a British submarine in the Mediterranean, but neither boat attacked 1941 - Minesweepers USS Seer, Sentinel, Skill, Staff laid down 1941 - USS Enterprise sails from Pearl Harbor for Wake Island to ferry Marine aircraft to island 1942 - Destroyers HMS Talybont & Barfleur laid down 1942 - Minesweeper USS Vigilance laid down 1942 - U-67 damaged SS Empire Glade 1942 - U-508 sank SS Empire Cromwell 1942 - U-181 sank SS Evanthia 1942 - U-177 sank SS Nova Scotia in the Indian Ocean & rescued two crewmembers 1942 - U-172 sank SS Alaskan 1942 - Minesweeper HMS Mariner (ex-HMCS Kincardine) & Marmion (ex-HMCS Orangeville) ordered 1942 - U-424 launched 1942 - U-199, U-232, U-341 commissioned 1942 - U-519 transferred an ill crewmember to U-118 in the mid-Atlantic 1942 - Destroyer HMS Ithuriel bombed & sunk at Bone 1942 - Ensigns George W. Carlson and Mac A. Cason, SC, USNR organize rescue parties to help rescue people from the fire at the Coconut Grove nightclub in Boston, MA. They are credited "the cause of saving more lives than any other single agency." A very popular venue, the club had been decorated wholesale for the holidays, and that night the place was packed with every sort of person from odd tourists to people celebrating a college football victory, and numerous military personnel. It had a 600-person occupancy permit, but about 1,000 were in there. A 16-year-old busboy lit a match to replace a bulb removed by a patron. Somehow the small flame caught a bit of an artificial palm tree decoration, and within 12 to 15 minutes the entire place was ablaze. Its two revolving doors quickly jammed shut against a mob trying to escape. En fin, 492 perished in the blaze, and another 166 were injured. Among the dead was Charles "Buck" Jones, long a very popular film actor in serial Westerns. This disaster prompted a succession of heavy-duty reforms in fire prevention and escape planning for all buildings in public use. These included requiring regular doors that opened outward on each side of any revolving door; that exits be all outward hinged, be numerous, and be marked with lit-up red EXIT signs all the time; that decorations be made of fire-resistant materials; requiring sprinkler systems; and many other reforms and changes to building code and use rules. The Coconut Grove fire remains a major Boston disaster, and one of the most deadly fires in US history 1942 - The Vichy admiralty issued statement on the scuttling of the fleet at Toulon. Action was taken "in accordance with the standing instruction dating from the time of the Franco-German armistice, which had ordered the fleet to scuttle rather than be taken over by a foreign power. When the Vichy Ministers for the Navy, Army, and Air Force were informed of the German Government's decision to occupy Toulon, Admiral Abrial tried immediately to get in touch with the local authorities at Toulon, but could not do so" 1942 - Submarine HMS Unruly launched 1942 - The Indian Ocean Island of Reunion is occupied by Free French Forces 1942 - Admiral Carleton Wright, USN, is placed in command of US naval TF 67 replacing Admiral Kincaid. Admiral Kincaid has been transferred to the North Pacific area 1943 - Submarine HMS Vulpine launched 1943 - U-453 laid 24 mines off Brindisi (Italy), but without any success 1943 - U-713 suffered some damage after striking bottom in the Arctic 1943 - Frigate HMCS Cape Breton arrived Halifax from builder Quebec City PQ 1943 - U-407 damaged HMS Birmingham 1943 - U-542 sunk north of Madeira in position 39.03N, 16.25W, by depth charges from a British Wellington aircraft with "Leigh light" (Sqn 179/H). 56 dead (all hands lost) 1943 - Destroyer minelayer USS Henry A Wiley laid down 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Holt laid down 1943 - Destroyer escorts USS McClelland, Baker, Coffman launched 1943 - Destroyer USS Blue launched 1943 - Submarine USS Cobia launched 1943 - Conference of President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, and Premier Stalin at Tehran 1944 - Destroyer USS Orleck laid down 1944 - U-80 sunk west of Pillau in position 54.25N, 19.50E, in a diving accident. 50 dead (all hands lost) 1944 - Frigate HMCS Hallowell commences duty as escort for convoy HX-322 1944 - Corvette HMCS Smiths Falls commissioned 1944 - Submarine USS Archerfish sighted a large Japanese aircraft carrier screened by four escorts leaving Tokyo Bay. After six and one-half hour surface pursuit of the elusive, high-speed target, she finally obtained a position ahead of her pray, took careful aim, and fired six torpedoes. Moments later, a great glowing ball of fire climbed up the Japanese ship's side and the Americans soon heard a series of tremendous explosions while the enemy vessel disintegrated. It was not until after the end of the war that the Americans learn that Archerfish had sunk the still unfinished Shinano, a 59,000-ton Japanese aircraft carrier 1945 - The first Allied ship convoy arrives at Antwerp, led by the Canadian-built Fort Cataraqui. Although the port had fallen to British forces earlier in the year, it was the fighting of the 1st Canadian Army which cleared the approaches to the port by eliminating the German presence on either bank of the West Scheldt estuary 1945 - Patrol vessel HMCS Alachasse paid off 1945 - Frigates HMCS Inch Arran & Sea Cliff paid off 1945 - Minesweeper HMCS Daerwood paid off 1945 - Corvette HMCS Tillsonburg paid off 1945 - Destroyer USS Fiske commissioned 1945 - Minesweeper HMS Fierce commissioned 1945 - Destroyer HMS Quality commissioned 1945 - Manitoulin Island gets permanent highway bridge linking it with the rest of Ontario; end of ferry service except from Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsulas 1953 - Lt(P) Allan John Woods RCN was ferrying a British 'Attacker' jet a/c this date from RCAF Stn Namao to Halifax for loading on board HMCS Magnificent for return to the UK, when an engine flame-out was experienced at 30,000ft some 60 miles from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. Despite having only 2000ft ceiling at the Sault, Woods made a successful dead-stick landing. The fault was repaired and the trip resumed; however, about 60 miles out of Ottawa the engine failed once again and Woods made a second dead-stick landing. Once the a/c was repaired, Woods completed the flight without further incident. He was later awarded the Queen's Commendation for valuable service in the air. The machine was equipped with an ejector seat and could have been abandoned on either occasion of engine failure, but Lt Woods' coolness and judgement, to quote from the citation, "saved a valuable aircraft from damage or destruction and reflects considerable credit on himself and his Service" 1957 - Submarine HMS Oberon laid down Frigate HMCS Sussexvale recommissioned after modernization 1970 - Destroyer HMCS Iroquois launched 1972 - USS Kitty Hawk completed Vietnam deployment 1980 - Destroyer HMCS Fraser participated in rescue of 12 British seamen of fishing vessel St Irene off Holland 1980 - Destroyer HMCS Margaree towed from Montreal to Halifax during refit to avoid being icebound in St Lawrence 1990 - With Operation Sharp Edge, ceasefire is accepted by opposing factions in Liberia 1995 - Frigate HMCS Fredericton departed Halifax for Operation Sharp Guard off Yugoslavia 2003 - Flexible command ship HDMS Absalon laid down 2003 - Submarine SAS Assegaai decommissioned; last South African Daphne-class boat 2004 - Eight crewmembers were missing after Taiwanese fishing boat Shin Jyi Wanq exploded in the Pacific 57 miles off Central America 2005 - Diana Shipping Inc today announced that it has taken delivery of the Bolina, a 73,583 dwt Panamax dry bulk carrier built in 2004, to be renamed Thetis. The vessel is chartered to Bunge S.A., Geneva, Switzerland for a period of about 36-38 months, at the charterer's option, at a rate of $25,000 per day, gross of commissions, that commenced on August 4, 2004. Diana Shipping Inc. has assumed the vessel's current charter from the seller. With the delivery of this vessel, Diana Shipping Inc. has increased its fleet to twelve vessels (eleven Panamax dry bulk carriers and one Capesize dry bulk carrier) 2005 - OMI Corporation of Stamford CT announced it has entered into two time charters, each for a three year period, the first on the 2004-built Handymax product carrier Horizon and the second on the 2005-built Handymax product carrier Brazos. The vessels are both chartered at a fixed rate, and will add approximately $15.5 million to the Company's contracted time charter revenue for each of the next three years 2005 - UK Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw has highlighted the need for comprehensive measures to tackle illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing on the high seas. In an address to the United Nations General Assembly, he described the practice as a fundamental threat to sustainable fisheries and ocean ecosystems. He said it also led to a major loss of revenue for States, notably developing countries. Mr Bradshaw, speaking at the UN General Assembly's Oceans Debate on behalf of the European Union, also highlighted the work of the High Seas Task Force, which he chairs. The Task Force is a group of world fisheries ministers and international Non-Government Organizations working together to combat IUU fishing in international waters. Mr Bradshaw said the group will report in March 2006 with concrete recommendations for urgent action on IUU fishing. The Minister also highlighted two forthcoming UN processes, which he urged the international community to engage in rigorously with a view to taking the necessary further measures. The first is the Secretary-General's review of actions by States to protect sensitive marine ecosystems, such as seamounts and cold-water coral reefs from destructive fishing practices, including the use of prohibitions. The second is the UN's wide-ranging consideration in February 2006 of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Mr Bradshaw said the international community will need to consider new approaches, such as marine protected areas, to conserving deep sea marine ecosystems, including their valuable genetic resources 2005 - USCGC Healy, the nation’s largest icebreaker, returned home to Seattle after completing her 2005 North American circumnavigation. Healy commanded by Capt. Daniel K. Oliver, left Seattle June 1 for a scientific deployment in the Arctic Ocean. Healy was designed in cooperation with the National Science Foundation as an arctic research vessel to be operated by the USCG. During the Arctic deployment of 2005, Healy achieved several milestones including the third visit to the geographic North Pole by a US surface ship and the second ever Trans-arctic expedition by surface ships. Additionally, Healy hosted the Ocean Exploration branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for an intensive one-month survey of marine life under the polar ice cap. Healy scientists and crewmembers used divers and remotely operated vehicles to complete this survey which included the discovery of multiple new species of marine life. The North Pole expedition began on Aug. 5 in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. On Sept. 1, Healy rendezvoused with the Swedish icebreaker Oden. The two ships worked together to navigate leads of open water and cracks through the ice to reach the North Pole. Along the way Healy's 47 embarked scientists from nine countries conducted seismic surveys of the sea floor, took salinity and temperature samples of the water column, sea ice samples, and sediment cores in depths reaching 2,800 meters. Healy and Oden continued to work together until reaching the eastern edge of the polar ice cap on Sept. 22. Information gathered from these expeditions will help to understand global climate change and provide valuable insight into the formation of the Arctic basin. During this deployment, Healy's 85-member crew sailed over 22,000 miles circumnavigating North America; 4,800 of these miles were ice covered. Healy visited five foreign ports in addition to transiting the Panama Canal 2005 - The captain of the trawler Elektron that recently evaded arrest in Norwegian waters said Monday he had personally made the decision to disobey the Norwegian authorities 2005 - A hot liquid asphalt spill from a barge that ran aground south of Richmond has closed the James River to all marine traffic, possibly for several days. The Coast Guard shut down a mile-long section of the river to prevent the spill from expanding and to give workers a better chance to contain and clean up the spill 2005 - A press report, dated yesterday, states: Lisbon-based Arcalia Shipping's passenger Funchal (9563 grt, built 1961) is lying in Safaga, Egypt, awaiting repairs to a damaged port engine. The vessel was enroute to Australia from Europe on a positioning voyage when it was stricken with mechanical difficulties. Its complement of passengers have been flown to Australia while its owners decide whether to make repairs in Safaga or bring the vessel to Suez 2005 - Los Servicios Industriales de la Marina SIMA Callao delivered tug Islay to owners Trabajos Marítimos SA 2006 - Meetings of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) at Heads of State and Government level in Riga on 28-29 November 2006 2006 - Vice Adm. Evan M. Chanik relieved Vice Adm. Mark P. Fitzgerald as commander of the 2nd Fleet in a ceremony at its headquarters building at the Norfolk Naval Station 2006 - Secretary-General Kofi Annan voiced alarm at the possibility of a coup d'état against the Fijian Government, warning the current political crisis could jeopardize the reputation of the Pacific island nation 2006 - MARAD sold the obsolete vessel Lexington for to Southern Scrap Material Corp of New Orleans. The tanker, built in 1958, is currently located in the Beaumont Reserve Fleet in Texas. Steel and other materials from the ship will be recycled 2006 - Bollinger Marine Fabricators delivered to Progressive Barge Line, Inc., Westwego, La., its first new leading edge double hull OPA'90 Lakes, Bays and Sounds tank barge. Barge PBL 3002 measures 297.6-feet in length, 54.0-foot beam 2006 - Russia has dismantled 145 out of 197 decommissioned Soviet-era nuclear submarines, the head of the Federal Agency claimed 2006 - Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. and Maritrans Inc. jointly announced today that OSG has completed the acquisition of Maritrans Inc., a leading US Flag crude oil and petroleum product shipping company that owns and operates one of the largest fleets of double hull Jones Act vessels serving the East and US Gulf coastwise trades 2006 - Tsakos Energy Navigation Ltd. (TEN) announced the sale of the 1989-built double hull Panamax tanker Bregen. Following the sale of 1987-built Crux and 1988- built Libra during the third quarter of 2006; the sale of the Bregen represents the disposition of the last remaining 1980's built tanker in the Company's fleet 2007 - In Iran, destroyer (corvette) Jamaran and a Ghadir-class submersible commissioned 2007 - HMS Endurance deploys from Portsmouth to the Antarctic for 18 months 2007 - Second of three Improved Talwar-class frigates for India laid down at Kaliningrad 2007 - Former top bureaucrat accused of accepting bribes in a scandal that has touched the finance minister. Former vice defense minister Takemasa Moriya arrested after hours of questioning. Prosecutors also raided Mr Moriya's residence in Tokyo and arrested his wife 2007 - USCGC Steadfast, homeported in Astoria OR seized a Costa Rican fishing vessel and retrieved more than 80 bales of cocaine from the Eastern Pacific Ocean with the cooperation of Costa Rican officials aboard the cutter 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. 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: 778-338-4073 Fax: 778-338-4074 Read our Maritime Mishap Blog Manage your subscription