SeaWaves Today in History September 25, 2008 1493 - Christopher Columbus set sail from Cadiz, Spain, with a flotilla of 17 ships on his second voyage to the Western Hemisphere 1513 - Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama to reach the Pacific Ocean 1851 - Denny Party scouts arrive at mouth of Duwamish River 1912 - Battleship USS Wyoming commissioned 1914 - Torpedo boat HMCS Tuna commissioned 1916 - The beginning of lighthouse work in the United States was commemorated, when a bronze tablet was unveiled at the Boston Light Station on the 200th anniversary of its establishment 1918 - Destroyers USS McCalla & Rodgers laid down 1920 - Aircraft carrier USS Saratoga laid down 1935 - Destroyers USS Blue & Helm laid down 1936 - U-31 launched 1939 - U-36 sank SS Silesia 1939 - Aircraft carrier USS Hornet laid down 1939 - U-137, U-138, U-139, U-140, U-141, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-147, U-148, U-149, U-150, U-151, U-152, U-153, U-154, U-155, U-156, U-157, U-158, U-161, U-162, U-163, U-164, U-165, U-166, U-501, U-502, U-503, U-504, U-505, U-506, U-551, U-552, U-553, U-554, U-555, U-556, U-557, U-558 ordered 1940 - Destroyer HMS Quentin laid down 1940 - U-581 & U-582 laid down 1940 - U-29 sank SS Eurymedon in Convoy OB-217 1940 - U-43 sank SS Sulairia in Convoy OB-217 1940 - U-32 sank SS Mabriton in Convoy OB-216 1940 - AMC HMCS Prince Robert intercepted & seized German freighter Weser 9,472 GRT, 15kts, renamed SS Vancouver Island. The "Three Princes" were one of the most wasteful programs in the RCN's wartime expansion plan. The Chief of Naval Staff convinced the Defense Minister that armed merchant cruisers were urgently required to supplement Canadian the destroyer force. In Sep 39, the Admiralty was advised that three passenger liners could be obtained from Canadian National Steam Ships (CNSS). At 6,000 tons displacement and 385 feet in length, the Admiralty considered the Princes to be "somewhat small" for conversion but finally relented and agreed to release stocks of equipment accumulated in Halifax since 1937 for this purpose. On 19 Dec 39, Treasury Board approved the purchase of two liners for $1.2M but CNSS was not in agreement with the price since the ships had been built for $2M apiece in 1930. Eventually a deal was reached and the total cost for three ships was $2.2M. Another $2,234,300 was expended to convert the ships for military use. Prince Robert was completed by the end of Jul 40 but Prince David and Prince Henry were not delivered to the navy until Dec 40. Total cost was over $4.5M. The armament fitted to the cruisers was obsolete. The 6-inch guns were from old King Edward class battleships built at the turn of the century and the 3-inch guns were 1916-18 vintage weapons. There was no modern direction or fire control equipment fitted. The guns were also not capable of firing against aircraft. Knowing, by this time, that German disguised merchant raiders were fitted with modern 5.9-inch guns and excellent direction equipment, it was obvious that the Princes had no chance whatever of successfully engaging either an enemy merchant cruiser or a warship. They also required crews of nearly 250 men, a major drain on the already overburdened training system. The cost of the AMC program was exorbitant. A Tribal-class destroyer cost $2.1M and had a crew of 185 men. A River-class destroyer cost $1.4M and had a crew of 145 men. British Grimsby-class sloops, which had been recommended to the RCN by the Admiralty in 1936, cost $750,000 (cheaper versions cost as little as $500,000) and had a crew of 100 men - six Grimsby-class sloops could have been purchased for the cost of the three AMCs and manned with fewer sailors. The sloops had the same speed as the AMCs (20 knots), better endurance (over 6,000 miles), modern dual-purpose weaponry, the latest anti-submarine sensors and weapons, and effective communications outfits. Sloops were the pre-eminent escort vessel design of the inter-war period and were the 'platform of choice' for senior escort group commanders. AMCs proved to be extremely vulnerable to submarine attack and they were withdrawn from escort service with convoys in late '40 to early '41. Lacking useful employment, the Princes were given costly conversions again, this time to either an anti-aircraft cruiser (Prince Robert) or landing assault ships. The latter proved to be their most useful employment. Occasionally described as "the most powerful ships in the RCN prior to the arrival of the cruiser Uganda", the Princes were, in fact, an expensive testament to the inept and amateur planning efforts of the Canadian naval staff. The very rare successes recorded in the AMC role did not justify the expense in money and manpower. 1941 - Patrol boat HMCS Kuitan launched 1941 - Corvettes HMCS Summerside & Drumheller arrive Halifax from builders 1941 - U-124 sank SS Empire Stream in Convoy HG-73 1941 - During a battle against convoy HG-73 U-124 unsuccessfully attacked a British cruiser with two torpedoes 1941 - In first successful US Navy escort of convoys during World War II, Navy escort turn over HX-150 to British escorts at the Mid-Ocean Meeting Point. All ships reach port safely 1942 - U-66 had to put an ill crewmember on shore in El Ferrol, Spain 1942 - Frigate HMS Nith launched 1942 - Destroyer escort USS Austin launched 1942 - Submarine HMS Trespasser commissioned 1942 - U-216 sank SS Boston in Convoy RB-1 1942 - U-96 damaged SS New York in Convoy RB-1 1942 - U-442 sank SS Empire Bell in Convoy UR-42 1942 - U-253 sunk NW of Iceland, in approximate position 67.00N, 23.00W, by a British mine. 45 dead (all hands lost) 1942 - The British Foreign Office announced that Madagascar had been placed temporarily under military jurisdiction "in order to ensure law and order and to provide for the administration [in Madagascar] pending the establishment of a friendly regime" 1943 - U-667 shot down RAF Wellington, Squadron 179/F in the Gibraltar Straits 1943 - Minesweeper USS Skill sunk after being torpedoed by U-593 south of Capri, Italy 1943 - Corvette HMS Thorlock laid down 1943 - Frigates HMS Inglis & Inman laid down 1943 - Minesweeper USS Skill sunk after being torpedoed by U-593 south of Capri 1943 - Destroyer escorts USS John J Powers & O'Toole laid down 1943 - USS LST-167 stricken after being damaged beyond repair by Japanese aircraft off Vella Lavella 1943 - Destroyer escorts USS Gillette & Marsh launched 1943 - Submarine USS Flasher commissioned 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Greenwood commissioned 1943 - Escort carrier USS Guadalcanal commissioned 1943 - U-318, U-481, U-482 & U-924 launched 1943 - U-904 commissioned 1943 - U-364 was damaged in a collision with the tug Werner on the river Elbe 1943 - U-387 set a ground reconnaissance team ashore on Spitzbergen (north coast of Alexandraland) 1943 - Corvette HMCS Summerside completed forecastle extension refit Saint John 1943 - Frigate HMCS Lanark laid down Montreal PQ 1944 - U-2349, U-2528 & U-3522 laid down 1944 - Destroyers USS Hart, Metcalf, Shields & Wiley launched 1944 - Corvette HMCS Beauharnois commissioned 1944 - Destroyer escort USS McGinty commissioned 1944 - Light cruiser USS Manchester laid down 1944 - Minelayer USS Miantonomah sunk by a mine off Le Havre 1944 - Crewmember of U-1221 committed suicide. Matrosengefreiter Emil-Heinz Motyl jumped overboard in the North Atlantic after a punishment for sleeping on the watch 1944 - Three U-boats, U-711, U-739 & U-957 attacked and destroyed the Soviet radio station Sterlingova at Novaja Sjemla. Five men were captured 1944 - Minesweeper HMS Prompt commissioned 1944 - HMC ML 082 paid off 1944 - Coast Guard-manned Army vessel FS-317 was commissioned at Mathis Shipyard, Camden NJ with LT C. B. Christiansson as her first commanding officer. He was succeeded by LTJG T. B. Barron, USCGR, who in turn was succeeded on 14 November 1945 by LTJG J. V. Harrison, USCG. She departed New York on 22 October 1944 for the Southwest Pacific area where she operated during the war 1945 - Frigate HMCS Chebogue paid off Milford Haven. Constructive total loss. Sold to Wager, Stein & Greene 1950 - Aircraft carrier USS Oriskany commissioned 1957 - In project Stratoscope; Office of Naval Research obtains sharp photographs of sun's corona from first balloon-borne telescope camera 1959 - Frigate HMCS Victoriaville recommissioned after ASW modernization 1964 - USS Kearsarge port call Hong Kong 1966 - USS Intrepid port call Subic Bay 1967 - USS Kearsarge port call Yokosuka 1973 - USS Constellation port call Yokosuka 1989 - Destroyer HMCS Annapolis arrived Esquimalt after transfer from Halifax 1993 - Destroyer HMCS Iroquois departed Halifax for Operation Sharp Guard off Yugoslavia 2003 - Asia surpassed Europe as the Port of New York and New Jersey's (PNYNJ) largest market for the first time in its history, thanks to the booming Asia-North America container trade 2003 - Largest passenger ship ever built, Queen Mary 2 begins sea trials 2003 - Corvette SAS Amatola delivered 2005 - The eighth of the series of Indo-US Naval Exercise MALABAR 05 held in the Arabian Sea from 25 Sep to 4 Oct 05, in which frontline ships from both navies. From the US Navy, USS Nimitz, aircraft carrier (with FA-18 Super Hornet fighters and E2C Hawkeye Air Early Warning aircraft), two destroyers, one Los Angeles class SSN and P3C Orion aircraft will participate. From the Indian Navy, INS Viraat, aircraft carrier (with Sea Harrier fighters and Sea King helicopters), Delhi-class guided missile destroyer, Godavari-class guided missile frigate, Shishumar-class submarine, underway replenishment tanker, TU 142M Long Range Maritime Patrol and anti-submarine aircraft, Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol aircraft and other multi-role helicopters are scheduled to take part in this exercise 2005 - The Captain of the Port of New Orleans reopened the Lower Mississippi River at 11 a.m. today. The Lower Mississippi River was closed for Hurricane Rita. Due to the lack of proper Aids to Navigation (ATON) south of mile market 0, the Captain of the Port, under the authority of the Port and Waterways Safety Act, has established a safety zone on the Lower Mississippi River from the Southwest Pass sea buoy to mile marker 0. This safety zone restricts all deep draft vessels to daylight transits only. All mariners are advised to transit at their slowest safe speed in the vicinity of any salvage operations. The Port Allen Route, Baptiste Collette, and Red River are open. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is open from mile marker 20 eastward 2005 - Coast Guardsmen from various Great Lakes units have headed south to lend a helping hand after yet another hurricane ravaged the Gulf Coast Region. A total of 45 men and women from the Ninth District make up the Search and Rescue Detachment (SARDET) and will be conducting search and rescue missions. This is the second SARDET sent south in the last two months. "We're headed down there to help out people in serious need of our help," said LCDR Karl Willis, Assistant Branch Chief of the District's Office of Search and Rescue who will be leading the SARDET. "We've got a lot of hard work ahead of us and a lot to live up to. The last SARDET did an outstanding job," said Willis as he was addressing the crew. Ten small boat crews will make up the detachment. The original plan is work in the Texas/Louisiana border area for 30 days. The SARDET left this morning for Alexandria, LA, to await further word on where they are needed 2005 - Canadian Governor General-designate Michaëlle Jean renounces French citizenship 2006 - With the signing of a new 10-year contract between the National Park Service and Hornblower Cruises and Events, Alcatraz Cruises, a division of Hornblower Cruises and Events, will take over the route, now handled by Blue and Gold Fleet. Two hybrid-electric ferries will eventually be crossing to the famed former penitentiary Alcatraz Island from San Francisco, San Jose Mercury News reported 2006 - Singapore hosts inaugural Maritime Week from September 25-29. The Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) event showcased a diverse range of events as Singapore becomes a major Asian venue for international maritime activities 2006 - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia, Mr. Alexander Downer, visited NATO Headquarters 2006 - Omani Government has signed at the Ministry of Finance premises in Muscat an agreement for management and operation of Duqum Dry Dock yard project in the wilayat of A’Duqum with Daewoo Ship Building and Marine Engineering Co. Ltd. of Korea 2006 - At least two people have been killed after Islamist fighters opened fire on crowds protesting against the takeover of the Somali port city of Kismayo by the Islamic Courts Union 2006 - Overseas Shipholding Group Inc and Maritrans Inc jointly announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which OSG will acquire 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 vessels serving the East coast and US Gulf coast trades 2006 - The officers and crew of FNS Pohjanmaa stood to attention on the deck of the Finnish Navy's flagship to salute a Danish warship sailing past to St Petersburg with the remains of Maria Fyodorovna, the mother of Russia's last tsar, Nikolai II 2006 - MV Kity, was on passage to Colombo when it sustained "a glancing blow" from frigate INS Dunagiri, around 30 nautical miles off Mumbai 2007 - Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Charles Luke Milam, 26, of Littleton, Colo., died while conducting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Milam was a hospital corpsman assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Lejeune 2007 - USCG Commandant Admiral Thad W. Allen will deliver opening remarks at the kickoff event for the National Capital Area Combined Federal Campaign at the Pentagon 2007 - The Navy has decided to award the contract for the first DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer to Bath Iron Works 2008 - VS-32 deactivation ceremony at NAS Jacksonville 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