SeaWaves Today in History January 26, 2007 ********************************************************************* January 26 Australia Day - All warships in Australian ports dress overall 1700 - Earthquake of enormous magnitude hits the Pacific NW coast 1788 - The first British colony in Australia was formally founded, Marines hoisting the Union Flag at Sydney Cove. HM Ships Sirius and Supply led the thirteen ship "First Fleet", which had sailed from the Solent in May 1787, carrying several hundred convicts, North America no longer being available for the transportation of criminals following the Revolution. The colony of New South Wales totaled 568 male and 191 female convicts with 13 children, guarded by 206 marines with 26 wives and 13 children. Twenty officials administered the colony 1802 - Congress passed an act calling for a library to be established within the US Capitol 1837 - Michigan became the 26th state 1841 - Commodore Sir James Bremer formally took over Hong Kong as a Crown Colony, following its cession to Britain by China during the Opium War 1856 - Native Americans attack Seattle 1861 - Louisiana seceded from the Union 1870 - Virginia rejoined the Union. Actually, neither is exactly true. Louisiana's legislature VOTED to secede, and in Virginia's case, national political leaders VOTED to have Virginia (less that portion that had become West Virginia) "rejoin", not the Union, but in the sense of re-accepting that Commonwealth's own elected officials. The American Civil War has been attributed to causes including slavery, banking, economics, and social psychology, and all are true. But what it all boiled down to in hard practice was the very matter of ability to secede, which is why the Confederacy was seen throughout the Union as states in rebellion, its supporters were seen and commonly spoken of and written up as rebels, and why Lincoln said from the outset that his prime duty and the basic object of the war was to preserve the Union, regardless of anything else. No former Confederate state was ever actually out of the Union 1911 - 1st hydroaeroplane flight is witnessed by naval aviator 1913 - The body of John Paul Jones is laid in its final resting place in the Chapel of Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD 1918 - Cruisers HMS Conrad & Danae launched 1918 - Destroyer HMS Watchman commissioned 1920 - Destroyer USS Goldsborough commissioned 1932 - Submarine HMS Thames launched 1937 - Submarine USS Pickerel commissioned 1939 - Minesweeper FS Commandant Bory launched 1940 - Minesweeper USS Quail arrives at Palmyra Island with the first construction party to begin building a naval air station there 1940 - American-Japanese Treaty of Navigation and Commerce is allowed to lapse because the US government refuses to negotiate in protest against Japanese aggression in China 1940 - SS Durham Castle struck a mine laid by U-57 on 22 January off Cromarty & sank. The ship was in tow for Scapa Flow for use as an accommodation ship 1940 - Corvette HMS Marigold laid down 1940 - U-331 laid down 1941 - At 0212, the burning & abandoned Lurigethan was torpedoed & sunk by U-105. The ship had been bombed & damaged on 23 January in convoy SL-61 by a German Fw200 aircraft from KG 40. The survivors were picked up by corvette HMS Arabis, which stayed near the ship to wait for a tug 1942 - U-404's periscope was damaged during an air attack in the North Atlantic 1942 - U-753 was rammed & damaged in an attack by a British escort in the North Atlantic 1942 - Minesweeper HMS Antares laid down 1942 - Destroyer HMS Verulam laid down 1942 - Minesweeper HMAS Cessnock commissioned 1942 - Minesweeper HMS Boston commissioned 1942 - Destroyer USS Macomb commissioned 1942 - SS Traveler sunk by U-106 at 40N, 61.45W - Grid CB 5172 1942 - U-125 fired a torpedo at the unescorted SS West Ivis but missed. When the second torpedo struck, it broke her in two & she sank in 14 minutes. No survivors were ever found. Among the 45 men perished were 9 Armed Guards, which had to operate the 4in gun (The ship also had four 50 cal. and four 30 cal. aboard) 1942 - Tanker SS Refast sunk by U-582 while in Convoy ON-59 at 42.41N, 53.02W - Grid CC 2125 1942 - The Governments of Bolivia and Paraguay broke off relations with the Axis Powers 1942 - A Japanese convoy carrying reinforcements approaches Endau. They are attacked by nine RAAF Hudson and 12 Vildebeestes. No ships are hit and 5 of the Vildebeestes are shot down. In the evening, the old destroyers HMAS Vampire & HMS Thanet sail to attack the Japanese convoy 1942 - First American expeditionary force to go to Europe during World War II went ashore in Northern Ireland 1943 - U-302 had to break off her patrol in the Arctic Sea due to serious technical problems 1943 - During training in Wesermünde an accident occurred onboard U-847 while the machinegun was being fired. One crewmember died, one was seriously wounded 1943 - U-905 laid down 1943 - U-905 commissioned 1943 - Frigate HMS Burges launched 1943 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Oxna launched 1943 - Destroyer escort USS Crouter launched 1943 - Aircraft carrier USS Hancock laid down 1943 - Destroyer USS Terry commissioned. This Terry (DD-513), was a Fletcher-class vessel; launched in 1942, she was in constant hard duty during WWII, and decommissioned in 1947. The second of that name, the first was of the Paulding-class, numbered as DD-25; laid down in 1909 and commissioned the next year, she served in WWI, was lent to the USCG in 1924 for anti-smuggling duty during Prohibition and renumbered as CG-19, serving until 1930, when she was given back, and decommissioned and scrapped in 1934 1943 - Frigates HMCS Charlottetown & Jonquiere laid down Lauzon PQ 1943 - At 0450 & 0506, U-607 hit the forepart of Kollbjørg with two coup de grâce. The forepart capsized and the U-boat tried to sink her by gunfire, but had problems with the deck gun. At 1609 U-594 missed the capsized wreck with a coup de grâce & sank her at 1621 by gunfire 1943 - Between 0245 & 0316, the sailing vessel Hassan was rammed five times by U-431 between Cyprus & Haifa. At 0333, the U-boat shelled the vessel with her 88-mm & 2-mm guns & set her on fire. The U-boat then left the burning & sinking ship 1943 - At 1533, tanker SS Nortind was hit near the bridge by one of two torpedoes from U-358 and caught fire immediately. About 1900, the tanker broke in two & sank. None of the 34 Norwegian, seven British and two Dutch passengers on board survived 1943 - SS Ufa sunk by U-255 at Grid AC 6751 1943 - Peru severed diplomatic relations with France. France took similar action against Peru, same date 1944 - SS Samouri sunk by U-188 at 13.13N, 55.56E - Grid MQ 4658 1944 - SS Surada sunk by U-188 at 13.00N, 55.15E - Grid MQ 4565 1944 - SS Walter Camp sunk by U-532 at 10.00N, 71.49E - Grid MS 79 1944 - At 0020, U-716 fired a spread of three FAT torpedoes on the convoy JW-56A, heard two hits & reported one ship with 7000 tons sunk & another of 7000 tons damaged. In fact, only the Andrew G. Curtin in station #61 was hit by one torpedo on the starboard side between the #2 and #3 holds. The watch below secured the engines as the ship settled by the head and listed to starboard. The deck cracked forward of the #3 hold and extended across the vessel. As the Liberty ship sank, the crack widened and the bow soon hogged about 25°. The complement of eight officers, 35 men and 28 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) abandoned ship in some confusion in one raft and four lifeboats aft of the crack. Two crewmembers drowned and one armed guard died in the explosion. The survivors observed the Andrew G. Curtin breaking in two before sinking. In less than 30 minutes, HMS Inconstant picked up the survivors and landed them later in Murmansk. The USS PTC-39 was on transfer from the USA to North Russia aboard the Andrew G. Curtin and was lost 1944 - U-545 I WO was washed overboard in the North Atlantic. [Oberleutnant zur See Hans Wilkening] 1944 - During operations against convoy JW 56A in the Arctic Sea, U-360 and U-601 collided, resulting in slight damage to both boats 1944 - President Ramirez of Argentina, informed President Roosevelt that he had signed a decree of breach of diplomatic relations with Germany and Japan 1944 - U-869, U-1230 commissioned 1944 - Corvette HMCS Bowmanville (ex-HMS Nunney Castle) launched Sunderland UK 1944 - Corvette HMCS Kincardine (ex-HMS Tamworth Castle) launched South Bank-on-Tees UK 1944 - Corvette HMCS Orangeville (ex-HMS Hedingham Castle) launched Leith, Scotland 1944 - HMC MTB 459 commissioned 1944 - Corvette HMS Arbutus launched 1944 - Frigate USS Moberly launched 1944 - Destroyer escort USS Peiffer launched 1944 - Destroyers USS Heywood L Edwards & Allen M Sumner commissioned 1944 - Escort carrier USS Marcus Island commissioned 1944 - Submarine USS Guitarro commissioned 1944 - Minesweeper HMAS Kiama commissioned 1945 - U-1051 sunk in the Irish Sea south of the Isle of Man, in position 53.39N, 05.23W, by ramming and depth charges from frigates HMS Aylmer, Calder, Bentinck & Manners. 47 dead (all hands lost) 1945 - The following AP report was released to the newswires - A Berlin broadcast asserted today that U-boats had sunk six fully-laden Allied supply ships and two destroyers en route from Britain to France. The broadcast declared that the cargo ships totaled approximately 43.900 tons and included three large tankers. There has been no Allied confirmation. The following AP report was released to the newswires - The French news agency today quoted Ankara reports that one of Germany's new secret weapons is an "artillery submarine" which might be used for terror bombardments of American coastal cities. Neutral travelers who reached the Turkish city were declared to have said the submarines were in the final stages of construction. But the program was reported delayed by patriot sabotage so that there was little chance they could be used before the fall of Berlin 1945 - U-3529, U-3530 launched 1945 - Minesweeper HMS Bramble launched 1945 - Destroyer USS Dyess launched 1945 - Submarine USS Irex launched 1945 - Tug HMCS Beamsville assigned to Esquimalt 1945 - Submarines USS Moray & Capitaine commissioned 1945 - Frigate HMS Manners torpedoed by U-1172. Constructive total loss. Sold for scrap on 3 Dec 1946 Torpedoed by U-1172 and declared a total loss. Sold for scrap on 3 Dec, 1946 1945 - U-3524 commissioned 1946 - Frigate HMCS Cape Breton paid off Esquimalt BC 1949 - USS Norton Sound, first guided-missile ship, launches first guided missile, Loon 1950 - India officially proclaimed itself a republic as Rajendra Prasad took the oath of office as president 1953 - U .S. Coast Guard forces assisted civilian authority in evacuating 191 persons from the Coxuille Valley flood area 1960 - USS John S. McCain rescues the entire 41-man crew of the sinking Japanese freighter, Shinwa Maru, in the East China Sea 1965 - Destroyer HMCS Yukon arrived Esquimalt 1966 - USS Enterprise port Hong Kong 1967 - USS Bon Homme Richard commences Vietnam deployment 1972 - USS Enterprise port call Subic Bay 1979 - Former Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller died in New York at age 70 1991 - USN lost an F/A-18 in non-combat operations. The aircrewman ejected over the Persian Gulf and was recovered safely 1991 - USN aircraft attack an Iraqi patrol boat in a Kuwaiti harbor. Boat last seen burning. A-6s have engaged and left a TNC-45 patrol boat burning 1991 - An estimated 120 million gallons of oil continues to spew into the Persian Gulf from the Sea Island Terminal, and the oil slick -- partly afire from January 25 engagement between USN and Iraqi patrol boat -- is now 31 miles long and 8 miles wide. ASD (PA) Pete Williams denounces deliberate spill as "indiscriminate environmental war" causing catastrophic environmental damage to entire Persian Gulf region, and refutes Iraqi allegation that US or coalition sabotaged facility and caused spill. US is sending a team of US Coast Guard, NOAA and EPA oil pollution and environmental experts to scene to assist Saudi Arabian efforts to contain the spill 1995 - Frigate HMCS Toronto arrived Halifax from Yugoslavia blockade 2003 - MV Cape Knox & Cape Kennedy activated from New Orleans RRF 2004 - Queen Mary 2 arrives Fort Lauderdale after first Atlantic crossing. Escorted into port by destroyer USS Carney due to terrorism fears 2004 - USCGC Sea Lion arrives Bellingham for first time. Official in-service date March 13, 2004 2005 - The Coast Guard received a report at 0520 from tug Emma Foss that a barge carrying wood chips was taking on water. The master of the tug later confirmed that barge was listing. The master reported no injuries or pollution and remains in contact with the Coast Guard. Salvage action by the tug’s crew included precautionary deployment of a boom. The master received permission from the Coast Guard to intentionally beach the barge in order to fully evaluate the situation are currently located 2 miles southwest of Shilshole Bay, Wash. Washington State Department of Ecology has been notified however, there is no threat to the safety of any persons, no oil on the barge or threat of pollution to the environment. The Coast Guard remained in contact with the Emma Foss throughout the entire situation and the Emma Foss remains in control of the barge. A Coast Guard 41-foot utility boat from Coast Guard Station Seattle is on scene and is investigating the cause 2005 - VT Halter Marine, Inc., a subsidiary of Vision Technologies Systems, Inc., announced that it will build another Fisheries Survey Vessel for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA exercised its option for the third of four planned vessels under an existing contract. This vessel is valued at approximately $38 million. Construction will begin later this year with delivery planned during the second half of 2007. VT Halter Marine designed the 208’ FSVs in accordance with strict guidelines for acoustic quieting set by the International Council for Exploration of the Seas. The first ship in the class—Oscar Dyson—was delivered to NOAA on January 5, 2005 and is one of the most technologically advanced fisheries ships in the world. These NOAA sister ships, with a cutting-edge low acoustic signature, will have the ability to perform hydro-acoustic surveys of fish. They will also be able to conduct bottom and mid-water trawls while running physical and biological-oceanographic sampling during a single deployment--a combined capability unavailable in the private sector. When completed, the ship will be home ported at the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Mississippi Laboratory in Pascagoula, Miss. along with NOAA ships Oregon II and Gordon Gunter 2005 - NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, announced today that the Office of Coast Survey has started a large hydrographic surveying and charting effort in coastal Louisiana aimed at updating charts of the Atchafalaya River, Bay and nearby offshore waters. The survey effort, which will include new shoreline and hydrographic surveys, started this week and will continue for several months 2005 - Coast Guard units enroute to the disabled 591-foot Motor Vessel Explorer with 990 people aboard that is in 35-foot seas and winds gusting above 50 miles per hour approximately 650 miles south of Adak. This ship was disabled after a reported 50-foot wave broke bridge windows and damaged bridge controls and injured two crewmembers. The Explorer is a 25,000-ton, Bahamian-flagged vessel that was en route Japan from Vancouver, Canada. The ship currently operating on one of its four engines which can only keep the ship's bow into the heavy seas. The crew is using emergency steering to maintain its course. The Explorer was being used as a platform for a semester at sea program. Of the 990 people aboard, 681 are students and 113 are faculty and staff. The other 196 are ship's crew. The ship does have internal electrical power and good communications with the Coast Guard. A medical staff of two doctors and two nurses is also aboard. The Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center for the Pacific Area located in Alameda, Calif., is coordinating the response effort. The 378-foot Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis is getting underway from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, to assist the Explorer. Three Coast Guard HC-130 long range aircraft are en route to the stricken vessel. Two from Kodiak, Alaska and one from Barbers Point Hawaii. The Explorer is approximately 1,600 miles from Honolulu and 800 miles from Midway Island. The Coast Guard has also coordinated with four merchant vessels to divert and assist. The Coast Guard was notified of the Explorer's situation at about 1429 today 2005 - The Dutch pilot organization for the area of Rotterdam-Rijnmond has been awarded the world’s first International Standard for Pilot Organizations (ISPO) Code certificate by Lloyd’s Register EMEA. The ISPO Code was developed by the European Maritime Pilots Association (EMPA) with guidance from Lloyd’s Register EMEA 2005 - Colonna’s Shipyard Inc., Norfolk, Va., awarded a $5,554,254 firm-fixed-price contract for the Drydocking Phased Maintenance Availability of the USS Whirlwind and USS Thunderbolt. Work includes miscellaneous structural, electrical, and mechanical repairs including shipalts and alterations equivalent to repairs. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va., and is expected to completed by June 2005 2005 - After delivering more than one million pounds of humanitarian relief supplies ashore during Operation Unified Assistance, the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard arrived on station in the Persian Gulf 2005 - Tugboats towed the freighter SS Shirley Lykes from the James River Reserve Fleet (JRRF) at approximately 0940 to Bay Bridge Enterprises in Chesapeake, VA, where it will be dismantled. The departure schedule is subject to weather and safety clearances. The Shirley Lykes will be the eighth vessel to leave the James River Fleet for disposal since last June; the disposal contract for the ship was announced Dec. 20, 2004. The Shirley Lykes was built in 1962 at the Bethlehem Shipbuilding yard in Sparrows Point, MD, for the Lykes Bros. Steamship Company. It was originally built as a breakbulk ship, and was modified in 1972 to carry containers. Preparations for towing the Shirley Lykes must be made under the scrutiny of the US Coast Guard. Towing can take place only when the preparations are deemed safe and seaworthy, and if weather permits. Maritime Administration (MARAD) officials emphasize that the process is thorough and that safety considerations may delay the towing schedule. MARAD's National Defense Reserve Fleet, of which the JRRF is a part, was established to hold ships that would support cargo movement requirements during military activity or national emergencies 2005 - Cruise ship Aurora left Southampton for a German shipyard where it will be repaired for 10 weeks. The vessel will undergo repairs at Bremerhaven before returning to Southampton in April. The company said it selected repairers Lloyd Werft as they have a proven track record with complex cases and are close to the motor manufacturers in Germany 2006 - Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency James Tegnelia hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for DTRA's new headquarters building, the Defense Threat Reduction Center, on the grounds of the McNamara Headquarters Complex, Defense Logistics Agency, at Fort Belvoir from 0900 to 1100 EST. Guest speakers for the ceremony include: Kenneth J. Kreig, under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics; Dale E. Klein, assistant to the secretary of defense for nuclear and chemical and biological programs; Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, commander, US Strategic Command; and Sen. Richard A. Lugar. Following a brief question/answer opportunity with the DTRA director, media representatives will be offered a tour of designated DTRC areas 2006 - Members (AM) in the Military Division of the Order of Australia named: Commodore Russell Richard Baker AM RAN ACT - For exceptional service to the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Defense Force as Director General Navy Strategic Policy and Futures. Commodore Peter John Law AM RAN ACT - For exceptional service to the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Defense Force as Director General Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance 2006 - Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) awarded to Principal Chaplain ERIC Burton CSC RAN ACT - For outstanding achievement in the performance of duty as Director General Chaplaincy-Navy; Captain Timothy William Barrett CSC RAN ACT - For outstanding achievement in the performance of duty as Commanding Officer HMAS Albatross and as Chief of Staff Navy Aviation Force Element Group Headquarters; Captain Richard Malcolm McMillan CSC RAN ACT - For outstanding achievement in the performance of duty as Director, Sea Power Center-Australia; Captain Robert Stephen Pearson CSC RAN NSW - For outstanding achievement in the performance of duty as the Commander of the Navy Aviation Systems Program Office; Lieutenant Commander James Mackintosh Hillock CSC RAN NSW - For outstanding achievement as Executive Officer HMAS Sydney 2006 Awarded Distinguished Service Medal: Lieutenant Commander Tony Colin Johnston DSM NSW - For distinguished command and leadership in action as Mission Commander of HMAS Adelaide's Helicopter during Operation Catalyst and Petty Officer Andrew Edward Keitley DSM WA - For distinguished leadership in action as leader of HMAS Adelaide's boarding team during a confrontation with heavily armed militant forces on Operation Catalyst 2006 - Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the Military Division awarded to: Commander Ross Alexander Wendt OAM RANR NSW - For meritorious service in raising the awareness of safety and environmental issues in the Royal Australian Navy; Lieutenant Commander Mark Leonard Burton OAM RAN ACT - For meritorious leadership in the Royal Australian Navy, especially when posted as Head - Management and Strategic Studies Faculty, Royal Australian Naval College, and as the Maritime Engineer Adviser to the Papua New Guinea Defense Force; Chief Petty Officer Peter James Jones OAM NSW - For meritorious service in the performance of duty as the Combat Systems Manager in HMAS Stuart and in previous postings as the Combat Systems Supervisor in HMAS Brisbane, Combat Systems Instructor at HMAS Waterhen, and Senior Instructor and Chief Petty Officer at the Recruit School, HMAS Cerberus 2006 - Awarded Conspicuous Service Medal (CSM) awarded to: Lieutenant Commander David Jason Tietzel CSM RAN NSW - For outstanding service in the performance of duty as the Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2004 Coordinator on the staff of United States Third Fleet from December 2002 to December 2004; Chief Petty Officer Gregory Ralph Dunnicliff CSM - For outstanding service as a member of the Australian Fleet Combat Support Group and the Major War Vessel Sea Training Unit; Chief Petty Officer IAN Richard Gould CSM NSW - For outstanding performance of duty as the Stores Accounting Officer in HMAS Anzac 2006 - A multi-agency, multi-commercial vessel mass rescue exercise held in Myrtle Beach SC to test a rescue operation plan to respond to an emergency involving one of the area’s high-passenger casino cruise ships. Five separate local, state and federal agencies and five more local commercial vessel operators will respond to the hypothetical emergency scenario set in the Little River Mass Rescue Exercise. This effort better prepares emergency response personnel to manage and respond to a mass rescue incident. No single agency or commercial entity has the ability or the resources to manage such an incident alone. Emergency responders and coordinators from North Carolina and South Carolina have developed a plan through a coordinated effort to effectively respond to a mass rescue incident on the Little River. Under the plan, rescue coordinators and support personnel will set up an incident command post to direct rescue operations and effectively manage resources 2006 - ROK Coast Guard seized a Russian transport ship that earlier lost 2,000 pieces of timber in the East (Sea of Japan) Sea. The maritime authority of Jeju Island said the 4,516-ton Tyumen was apprehended 102 kilometers south of Hwasun port in the southern part of the island after it ignored orders to halt. It said a 3,000-ton cutter and a helicopter took part in the seizure 2006 - USCGC Dauntless medevaced a 53-year-old fisherman with a severed arm from the fishing boat Capt. Linwood, this morning, approximately 90 miles southeast of Galveston. While handling fishing tackle, the crewmember's arm was caught by the trawling gate and severed above the elbow. The crew of Capt. Linwood contacted the Coast Guard at 0256 and requested assistance. The Dauntless met the fishing boat and medevaced the injured crewman. From there he was hoisted by a Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, from Air Station Houston, and taken to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for treatment. The fisherman was reported to be in stable condition. Capt. Linwood, a 76-ft fishing boat, is homeported in Brownsville. The Dauntless is a 210-ft medium endurance cutter from Galveston. An HU-25 Falcon jet from Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, flew cover to provide communications during the medevac 2006 - A 264-foot barge containing crushed limestone sits in the Intracoastal Waterway at mile marker 171, west of the Harvey Locks in Louisiana. The Coast Guard established a safety zone around the barge and will oversee offload and salvage operations. The barge is owned and operated by Lalande Towing Operators LLC, based in Iberia, La 2006 - Crews from Coast Guard Station Grand Isle, La., responded lto a call that led to the seizure of more than 10,100 pounds of fish from a fishing vessel allegedly engaged in illegal fishing activities, including the use of live bait, a violation of federal fisheries regulations. Using an intelligence report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service Office for Law Enforcement (OLE), a Station Grand Isle crew intercepted the fishing vessel Master Ray, a commercial, longline fishing vessel, near Dulac, La. Upon boarding the vessel, the Coast Guard found the fish, which included 9,000 pounds of yellowfin tuna, 600 pounds of swordfish, 300 pounds of wahoo and 200 pounds of escolar. In coordination with OLE special agents, the fish were seized and sold at the fair market value of $37,162, which will be held in escrow until the case is adjudicated. The Coast Guard will conduct the investigation and forward a report to NOAA's General Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation for potential issuance of civil penalties and permit sanctions. Coast Guard Station Grand Isle has been working closely with the OLE to track and interdict fishing vessels in violation of federal fisheries regulations 2006 - Tahiti was subjected to fallout from each of France's atmospheric nuclear tests 1,200 kilometers (720 miles) away more than 30 years ago, according to a French Polynesia Assembly report leaked to the local news media 2006 - At 2100 Port State Control Offices from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency detained the 10,669 ton Maltese flagged Ro-Ro Sea Runner at the Port of Fleetwood. Sea Runner was detained after it was involved in a pollution incident when approximately 2 cu meters of fuel oil was pumped into the River Wyre. It has subsequently been found by the attending Port State Control officer that fuel oil had been pumped overboard from a ballast tank. The ballast tank is adjacent to the fuel oil bunker tank. As such it is believed that the division between the tanks has been breached. Due to the breach between tanks the safety of the ship has been compromised. The bilge/ballast system has been contaminated with oil 2007 - North Atlantic Council meets at the level of foreign ministers at NATO Headquarters ============================================================= 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 2007 Seawaves Publishing Inc 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.