The U.S. African Slave Trade Patrol 1820 -1861 and the Royal Navy West Africa Squadron Anti-Slavery Patrols

Anti-slavery Operations of the US Navy

Long illegal, the infamous slave trade was declared by Congress in 1819 to be piracy, and as such, punishable by death. The Navy's African Slave Trade Patrol was established to search for and bring to justice the dealers in human misery. Never exceeding a few ships in number, the Patrol, which from time to time included USS Constitution, USS Constellation, USS Saratoga and USS Yorktown, relentlessly plied the waters off West Africa, South America, and the Cuban coast, a principle area for slave disembarkation. By the start of the Civil War more than 100 suspected slavers had been captured.

Britain attempted to stop slavery by legislation in 1807, and enacted stronger measures in 1827, declaring that participation in the slave trade was piracy and punishable by death; slavery was made illegal in the British Empire in 1833.

Interesting note on where slaves were landed from historian Henry Lois Gates, Jr.:

In the 360 years between 1500 and the end of the slave trade in the 1860s, at least 12 million Africans were forcibly taken to the Americas - then known as the "New World" to European settlers. This largest forced migration in human history relocated some 50 ethnic and linguistic groups.

Only a small portion of the enslaved - less than half a million - were sent to North America. The majority went to South America and the Caribbean. In the mid-1600s, Africans outnumbered Europeans in nascent cities such as Mexico City, Havana and Lima.

The Foote booklet referenced in the second video (at 1:06:18) can be found at African Squadron: Ashburton Treaty: Consular Letters

The American Flag has become deeply involved in the slave traffic. Of this as you are aware, from the reports of our officers on the African and Brazil stations and from our diplomatic agents in Rio de Janeiro, there is abundant evidence in the Navy and State Departments. To correct this abuse, and with the design more effectually to suppress the slave trade, Senator Clayton, at the last session, introduced a bill denying consular sea-letters to American Vessels when sold abroad, provided such vessels were bound to the coast of Africa. This wise and beneficent measure was adopted, the bill passing the Senate unanimously. It is greatly to be deplored that the same bill was not immediately taken up and passed by the House of Representatives.

It may be well here to remark in reference to sea-letters, that on the sale of an American vessel in a foreign port to an American citizen, the register of the vessel, which is her proof of nationality, cannot be transferred with the vessel itself; but a sea-letter, which is merely a transcript of the register and bill of sale with the consular seal appended, is given by the Consul as a substitute for said register for the purpose of nationalizing the vessel.

The greatest abuse of our flag has arisen from the facility with which these consular sea-letters have been obtained. More than two-thirds of the slavers on the African coast claiming American nationality, as may be found in documentary evidence, have been provided with this sea-letter. Or in other words, American vessels when sold abroad, have had their nationality perpetuated by this consular sea-letter for the express purpose of being employed in the African slave trade. And surely, when the evil arising from the issuing of this document becomes as well understood in the House, as it has been in the Senate, it may be supposed, that the bill, denying said sea-letters to African bound vessels, will also be passed unanimously by that body.

Friday Film: "Corvettes" of the Royal Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic

If you haven't read the book The Cruel Sea or seen the movie based upon the book, I encourage you to do so.

Trailer for the movie:

Friday Film: "Fourteen Hundred Zulu" Royal Navy in the Cold War (1965)

Interesting Read from "Think Defence on the UK Amphibious Capability - Today and Tomorrow"

The Royal Navy (and its sisters and cousins and aunts) has some amphibious capability, as set out by Think Defence in UK Amphibious Capability - Today and Tomorrow :

The UK maintains a fairly broad array of amphibious combat capabilities with contributions from the Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the British Army and a number of civilian providers.

In many ways, the future looks bright; improvements to naval gunfire, new support helicopters and attack helicopters on the horizon, and of course, the carriers and F-35B capability, joined by development in unmanned systems, all point to a strong future.

But with the impending ‘out of service’ date of HMS Ocean, block out of service of the amphibious shipping in the medium term, a changing threat and political landscape, and the constant pressure on budget, there are many difficult issues that remain to be resolved.

One issue is size. The RN is under-sized and under-funded.

More good reading at the Royal Navy website where "sea blindness" is being fought daily:

Maritime trade is the lifeblood of the UK economy and industry. 95% of Britain’s economic activity depends on the oceans. And every year Britain imports goods worth £524 billion.

The UK is so dependent on the seas for its prosperity, that without the Royal Navy acting as a deterrent the effect on the economy would be overwhelming.

The UK has 77 commissioned ships, including "13 frigates and 6 destroyers." See also here. By comparison, Japan has 46 destroyers and naval vessels..

Somali Pirates: Counter-Piracy Heat

MOD Photo

More counter-Somali pirate operations revealed at "We're coming to get you! Somali pirate boat blown up by chopper as Navy frigate crew arrest 12" from Mail Online:

Flames erupt into the sky from a skiff floating adrift in the Indian Ocean, a powerful demonstration of the Royal Navy’s might as it fights the scourge of Somali piracy.

HMS Westminster

The boat was blown out of the water by a Merlin helicopter, flown from HMS Westminster, which strafed the vessel, setting fire to fuel tanks.

Somali Pirates: Royal Navy Nabs 13 and Mothership (U.S. Navy gets assist)

BBC News reports Royal Navy captures 13 Somali pirates:

Royal Marines apprehending pirates on dhow

RFA Fort Victoria and a US Navy vessel intercepted the pirates' boat, which had refused to stop despite warning shots from a Royal Navy helicopter.

Royal Marines in speedboats approached the vessel and boarded it, capturing 13 pirates and seizing weapons.
***
This latest operation was carried out around dawn on Friday. Capt Shaun Jones RFA, commanding officer on RFA Fort Victoria, said: "To manoeuvre such a large ship at speed in close vicinity of a nimble dhow takes extreme concentration and skill; my team were never found wanting." Capt James Sladden, who commanded the Royal Marines boarding party, added: "The moment of going on board the dhow was tense as we knew there were pirates on board who had refused to stop despite our warning shots. "Through our weapon sights we could see there were about 13 pirates, mostly gathered in the area of the bridge. We quickly boarded and secured the vessel before mustering the pirates on the bow."

If they can't get to sea, they can't capture ships. Containment. See here, here and here and at the links therein. Perhaps this time . . .

Somali Pirates: Royal Navy and the Dogs of (Pirate) War

Royal Navy Photo by LA(Phot) Dave Jenkins

Some sea dogs come in handy, as reported in Royal Navy catches Indian Ocean pirates :

The Royal Navy has detained seven suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean, the Ministry of Defence said today.
***
On Monday the supply ship, patrolling about 420 nautical miles from the Seychelles, received information that a Spanish fishing vessel had come under attack from a group of pirate vessels.

"The ship's Lynx helicopter was quickly despatched to investigate," the spokesman said.

"Once at the scene, the helicopter identified two suspect vessels, a whaler and a skiff, in the vicinity of the fishing vessel.

"The faster of the two, a skiff, sped away at over 25 knots as the helicopter gave chase.

"When the skiff ignored orders to stop, a specially trained sniper on board the Lynx helicopter fired warning shots ahead of the fleeing vessel which stopped and the suspected pirates on board were then taken to Fort Victoria via boat.

"Fort Victoria's Royal Marines boarding team then boarded the whaler and another skiff in the vicinity. As a result of the day's action, a total of seven suspected pirates were held on board Fort Victoria along with their whaler as evidence, with no injuries being sustained by either side."
***
The Foreign Office (FCO) said that a UK-trained police dog team had today gathered vital evidence to help prosecute the suspected pirates.

A spokeswoman said the dogs and their handlers were trained by the Surrey Police dog handling team as part of a Foreign Office and United Nations (UN) funded project to tackle piracy.

She said: "Providing sufficient evidence to convict pirates has been a real problem for the international community as pirates often throw their weapons overboard and claim to be fishermen.

"However, the dog handling team is able to search the suspected pirate vessel for traces of explosives and firearms.

"Rocket propelled grenades are a weapon of choice for the pirates, but even if they are disposed of in the sea they leave explosive residue that the dogs can identify.

"Today's search by Diesel (a spaniel) and Millie (a labrador) indicated that the suspected pirates' vessel may contain traces of explosives or firearms.

"This evidence will be passed to the Seychelles prosecutor who will conduct further investigations.

"The seven suspected pirates are alleged to have been involved in an attempted act of piracy on a vessel that supplies the Seychelles tuna fleet."

More at the Royal Navy News site here.

Somali Pirates: British Force Takes Down Pirate "Mothership"

HMS Somerset's Merlin helicopter fires warning shots across the bow of the pirate dhow [Picture: Leading Airman (Photographer) Dave Jenkins, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

Reported as British Commandos free 20 crew held hostage on pirate "mothership"in the Indian ocean:

Royal Marine Commandos staged a daring raid freeing 20 sailors held hostage on a pirate 'mothership' afloat in the Indian Ocean, it was revealed today.

Backed by gunfire from a Merlin helicopter, a boarding team stormed the cargo vessel, which had been hijacked by pirates to use as a base to attack merchant shipping in the area.

'Through my weapon sight I could see dark figures moving in the shadows on the bridge,' said Captain Rod Yapp, who led the assault.'We quickly boarded and secured the dhow, then mustered the 24 occupants on her bow.'

UK MOD report, with more pictures, here:

It is believed the dhow was hijacked by suspected pirates so that they could use it as a base, or mother ship, from which to launch attacks against merchant ships many hundreds of miles from Somalia. Throughout this time, the Pakistani crew of the dhow were held hostage onboard.

On Friday 14 October, some 200 miles (320km) off the coast, HMS Somerset and RFA Fort Victoria closed in on the dhow.

HMS Somerset's Commanding Officer, Commander Paul Bristowe, said:

"The mother ship was located by Somerset's Merlin helicopter at first light and the boarding teams brought to immediate notice whilst Somerset closed with the dhow."
***
In the run up to being boarded, the suspected pirates were observed by Somerset's Merlin helicopter ditching equipment and weapons overboard as well as setting one of their skiffs adrift. Despite their desperate attempts to cover their tracks, a large cache of boarding ladders, weapons, a second attack skiff, and equipment from a previously pirated ship were found onboard.

Captain Yapp said:

"There was a clear indication that the suspected pirates found on the dhow were well-practised and knew what they were doing. One of the weapons had recently been fired and was well maintained - as was the RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] rocket.

"I think that if we hadn't disrupted this group of suspected pirates, it is quite possible that they would have attacked another merchant vessel."

Somali Pirates: Italy says US, UK forces free ship from pirates

UK MOD photo

Update on earlier report here, a report that Italy says US, UK forces free ship from pirates:

U.S. and British forces have freed an Italian cargo ship that had been attacked by pirates off Somalia, the Italian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. The pirates surrendered and have been arrested.

The Montecristo was carrying a crew of 23—seven Italians, six Ukrainians and 10 Indians—when it was attacked Monday. The crew are free and safe, said a statement by the Foreign Ministry.

It said the raid had been carried out by two Navy ships, one British and one American.

The 11 pirates were apprehended, said the statement.

UPDATE: Early BBC report:

The UK's MoD said the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Fort Victoria and a US frigate were sent to help the seized vessel.

Pirates surrendered after the two naval ships approached the Montecristo, said the MoD.

UPDATE: Latest BBC report:

British and US naval forces freed an Italian ship from Somali pirates after hostages threw an SOS message in a bottle from a porthole, Italy's defence minister has said.

Ignazio La Russa said the 23 hostages had locked themselves in the strong room of the 56,000-tonne Montecristo.

The bulk carrier had been seized 620 miles (1,000km) off Somalia on Monday.

The Royal Navy met no resistance on boarding it and detained 11 suspected pirates, UK defence officials said.

Somali Pirates: Navy Helicopters and Irregular War Against Pirates

The "Unsexy"H-60S- with sidearms

LCDR B.J. Armstrong, a U.S. Navy H-60S pilot writes about the retaking of the MV Caravos Horizon at the U.S. Naval Institute blog in The M/V Caravos Horizon: Rotorheads and the Royal Navy in Maritime Security Operations:

When it comes to the hardware involved in this successful operation, a key takeaway is the vital importance of rotary-wing aviation. Irregular operations rarely require the expensive, fast, sexy, high altitude TACAIR jets that you’ll find in Hollywood movies. They need the quiet professionals of the often overlooked naval rotary-wing community. Helicopters embarked on the ships that conduct counter-piracy operations are a force multiplier that provide the ability to respond rapidly, develop critical ISR, and finally to provide overwatch and maritime air support for boarding operations. Sending a ship on counter-piracy or irregular warfare missions without an embarked helicopter significantly degrades the unit’s capability.

Royal Navy Lynx

The rapid response by the RN Lynx to the scene allowed for the development of early situational awareness which became a key factor for success. The follow on arrival of Bay Raider allowed the ISR net to be cast further away from the attacked vessel. It was able to find two skiffs, which they believed were the suspected “sea bandits.” Our Knighthawk remained overhead briefly as a visible deterrent, and the skiffs turned away from the shipping lanes and headed off at high speed. The two aircraft together could cover hundreds of square miles and help develop situational awareness far beyond the capability of a single surface combatant. When time came for the boarding, the ability to have Bay Raider provide armed overwatch and ISR while the Lynx conducted the insertion was an important element of protecting the boarding party and helping to ensure their success.

The MH-60S Block III Armed Helo’s that now deploy with amphibious assault ships like BATAAN come in the gunship variant. These aircraft have a wide range of armament options that make it a highly capable platform. You can buy nearly a squadron of them for the cost of one Joint Strike Fighter. . . .***

Isn't always about using the right tools for the job? Even when that hammer is not the fanciest one in the tool box?

UPDATE:
2010mh-60s

Libya: Mine Warfare and Vessel Borne Improvised Explosive Devices

Like a cornered animal, the forces loyal to Khadafy have tried a number of tricks to slow the import of assistance to Libyan rebel groups. These have included the sowing of mines as set out in this NATO Shipping Centre NAVWARNS:

CHART BA 3402
1. NATO AND COALITION SHIPS DETECTED THE LAYING OF MINES IN
VICINITY OF MISURATA HARBOUR ON 29 APRIL 11. THREE MINES WERE
IDENTIFIED.
2. MINE COUNTERMEASURE OPERATIONS HAVE REDUCED THE THREAT TO SHIPPING.
3. MARINERS ARE THEREFORE ADVISED TO ADOPT SIMPLE PRECAUTIONS WHEN
ENTERING AND LEAVING MISURATA HARBOUR SUCH AS:
- ADDITIONAL LOOKOUTS FROM THE FORECASTLE,
- REDUCED SPEED IN SHALLOW WATERS.
4. THE PORT OF MISURATA IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE PORT AUTHORITY
WHO WILL ADVISE SHIPS ENTERING AND LEAVING ON THE SECURITY SITUATION
IN THE PORT. NATO DOES NOT CONTROL THE PORT.

You will note that mine countermeasures were employed, as set out here:

Mine destroyed by HMS Brocklesby (Royal Navy Photo)

HMS Brocklesby, one of the Royal Navy’s Mine Counter-Measures Vessels, has destroyed a mine laid by pro-Qadhafi forces in the port of Mistrata on the Libyan coast.

Forces loyal to Colonel Qadhafi have made repeated attempts to close down the port to limit the flow of humanitarian assistance to the population of Misrata.

Using her sonar and Under Water Mine Disposal System, Seafox, HMS Brocklesby successfully located and destroyed a buoyant mine just one mile from the entrance to the harbour.

The mine, containing more than 100 kilograms of high explosives, had been crudely placed by pro-Qadhafi forces using an inflatable dinghy to transport it to sea.

Another ploy by Khadfy loyalists has been the use of Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) stuffed with explosives and "crewed" by mannikins. This "Vessel Borne Improvised Explosive Device" (VBIED) threat, too, has thus far been defeated. See NATO Maritime assets thwart another attack on Misrata by pro-Qadhafi forces:

NATO photo of explosive laden RHIB

In the early hours of 16 May, maritime forces engaged in the NATO-led Operation Unified Protector detected two rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) that appeared to have deployed from the vicinity of Zlintan and were headed towards Misrata. NATO forces reacted by sending warships and helicopters to investigate and identify the RHIBs.

NATO Photo of approx 1 metric tonne of explosives on Rhib

NATO Photo of Semtex on RHIB

As NATO forces made their approach, one RHIB stopped in the water as the second escaped at high speed to the West, towards Zlintan.

An explosive ordnance disposal team from an allied warship was deployed to inspect the abandoned RHIB and discovered a large quantity of explosives (approximately one tonne) and two human mannequins. In view of the obvious threat posed by the explosives, the decision was made to destroy the RHIB at sea. This was carried out by the allied warship using small arms fire.

NATO Photo of RHIB being destroyed by naval gunfire

This incident bore similarities with a recent incident, where pro-Qadhafi forces laid sea-mines in the approaches to the port of Misrata. However this is the first evidence of an attempt to use an improvised explosive device with decoy human mannequins to threaten commercial shipping and humanitarian aid in the area of Misrata.

This is also the third incident in recent weeks where pro-Qadhafi forces have been active on the seas, a change in their operations that signifies their continued intent to bring harm to civilians or to attack NATO vessels.

NATO photos from here.
UPDATE: NATO video brief from 17 May 11. Discussion of RHIBs begins about 6:15 mark:

Libya: The beginning of NATO boot prints?

One of my concerns over the Libya mess has been with the rebels and their logistics support - see Libya: How are the rebel logistics?

An unconfirmed report of a partial solution to rebel logistics - British boots on the ground in Libya strike:

The United Kingdom will send a Royal Navy taskforce of 600 marines and at least six ships to Libya this week as part of a humanitarian mission to provide medical and food aid to rebel-held towns, the London-based Times reported on Sunday, without disclosing where it got the information.

HMS Liverpool

The marines, who are due to fly out to Gibraltar later this week, will be used to protect ports where supplies will be unloaded, the newspaper reported in its paper edition. The ships in the taskforce, which are due to leave in the next two days, will include the landing platform Albion, the type-42 destroyer Liverpool and four support ships, the Times said.

HMS Albion in New York

What this tells us is that the rebels will be receiving supplies and that at least one NATO country will have forces in the field, albeit for reportedly limited purposes.

If Gaddafi has a lick of sense, he'll leave the Brits alone. However, given our experience with him so far . . .

Somali Pirates: Brits Take Down "Mother Ship", Rescue Hostages

HMS Cornwall in background as her boarding team investigates

From the Royal Navy's web site:

A request for assistance from a South Korean Merchant Vessel in the Indian Ocean on 10th February led to Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) warship HMS Cornwall securing the release of Yemeni crew of a pirated dhow from their 17 Somali captors and returning the fishing vessel to its rightful owners. Items found with the dhow confirmed that it was acting as a ‘mother ship’ for Somali pirates who had captured it on 11th November 2010.

HMS Cornwall is currently the Command Platform for Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, the counter-piracy mission of CMF. On 10th February Cornwall’s Officer of the Watch observed a dhow acting suspiciously and received a distress call from the South Korean Merchant Vessel Yong Jin reporting a potential pirate threat.

HMS Cornwall’s arrival on scene disrupted the attack, and the warship’s boarding teams, supported overhead by her Lynx helicopter, searched and secured the Yemeni-flagged dhow. An initial search found 22 people on board, three skiffs, powerful outboard motors and various items of equipment associated with pirates boarding merchant vessels, such as ladders, enabling the dhow to act as ‘mother ship’ for a group of pirates operating in the area.

Five of the people on the dhow were the original Yemeni crew who had been held hostage for 92 days.

HMS Cornwall’s commanding officer, Commander David Wilkinson, said:

“Our presence in the area has had a hugely significant effect on the lives of five Yemeni fishermen, who have been freed from over three months of pirate captivity and can now return to their families.

In addition we have restored a merchant vessel to legitimate use on the high seas and my highly trained team have conducted a very slick boarding operation which has ensured that this pirate vessel is no longer able to operate.

This demonstrates the reassurance and security offered by the presence in these waters of HMS Cornwall and other warships from Combined Maritime Forces“

 BZ Cornwall!

All photos from the Royal Navy.

Somali Pirate Fail: MV Beluga Fortune Recovered

Some interesting photos of a boarding party from HMS Montrose getting aboard MV Beluga Fortune to ensure teh Somali pirates who held it briefly were gone at Pirates fail in pirating MV BELUGA FORTUNE in Somali Basin:

The warship HMS Montrose, operating under NATO’s naval force, headed towards the vessel as it was the closest ship from the scene of attack. As a result, the pirates set fire to part of the superstructure and immediately abandoned the ship on 25 October. “A team of Royal Marines from HMS Montrose boarded the vessel this afternoon and released them from the safe room,” explained NATO. “None of the crew were injured.”

Somali Pirates: Action by the Royal Navy and Marines

The Royal Navy recently has undertaken efforts to slow down the Somali pirates as set out here in an article devoted to describing the efforts of HMS Montrose in enforcing a semi-blockade of one area of the Somali coast:

. . . The ship was alerted yesterday to a gang of ten men acting suspiciously in a small boat off the coast of Somalia near to a known pirate camp. Their boat, loaded with ladders and fuel drums, was towing two other smaller vessels that have been traditionally used for pirate attacks against ships,said the UK Ministry of Defence.

HMS Montrose, which left HM Naval Base Devonport this summer, launched her Lynx helicopter and a boat of Royal Marines and sailors to investigate.

Once the suspected pirates spotted the helicopter and boarding team, four of the suspected pirates took one of the smaller boats and tried to flee to shore. The remaining men stopped in the water and when the Lynx helicopter hovered overhead they tried to get rid of their ladders overboard.

After the Royal Navy boarding team confiscated all the pirate gear, thus ensuring that the gang could no longer pose a threat to merchantmen, they were transferred to the remaining skiff.

Previous action by the ship thwarted an attack on a merchant ship.

The Royal Marines, as presented in an article by LCPL Ryan Gorman found in The Globe and Laurel (and forwarded to me by a kind reader) engaged in a little blockade work of their own as they undertook a raid against a Somali pirate haven:

After lots of surface searches along the Somali coast we gained a lot of intelligence on the main pirate camps and identified some that had not been recorded before. We noticed that the pirates kept their whalers (large skiffs with an inboard engine carrying around 16-20 barrels of fuel on board) anchored just off the shore. They used them to store all their fuel, to refuel their skiffs, and packed them to act as mother vessels for launching attacks at sea.

To counter this capability a plan was formed to insert, stealing the whalers, tow them out into deeper water and blow them up, this became known as a small Commando raid.

One of the three Whaler type boats that HMS Lancaster destroyed

The first raid was on two whalers positioned 200m from the beach. There was a lot of activity on the beach and a pirate camp was hidden in the caves behind the beach. As we approached the beach, some jack pirates retreated in a skiff, leaving one of their oppos in a whaler. As the team in the RIBs approached, they detained the pirate that had been left behind and started cutting the whalers loose and towing them away from the beach. It was decided to leave the whaler behind with the captured pirate in it. Before the whaler was left behind, Capt Eaton and LCpl Wilson smashed the parrels open with an axe and poured 1kg of sugar into each (supposedly this makes it unusable). The whaler that was towed away was then blown up by Lancaster's 30mm gun; it looked like a scene from a Hollywood film as a nice big fireball erupted!

Having completed over 50 AAVs and 15 boardings, we have been one of the busier teams in recent years. In total we managed to capture six pirates, blow up two whalers and sabotage another one (a total of around 50 barrels of fuel destroyed). This will definitely disrupt pirate operatios in the area for a while. The raids were an interesting new tactic for the Navy and it is the first time that any boarding team has conducted such a task in recent years. Hopefully the standard has now been set and other RMBTs can continue to sabotage, dirupt and imprison more pirates in the future!

Lower two photos from HMS Lancaster website.

UPDATE: An earlier report of Turkish inshore action from Saturn 5 here:

The ship's helicopter was scanning the southern Somali coast for pirate activity when a suspicious vessel was seen not far from the shore and near a suspected pirate camp, some 100 miles south of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

Initial reports from the helicopter crew stated seeing the kind of equipment commonly used by pirates on the vessel. TCG Gokceada's boarding team was quickly dispatched and boarded the suspicious vessel.

The seven-man boarding team found 21 drums of fuel, enough to sustain a small vessel at sea for many days, and a long ladder with hooks (the kind typically used by pirates to board large cargo vessels).
Approval was given for the boarding team to transfer the three personnel on the vessel ashore, to confiscate the fuel and ladder, and sink the vessel.

Royal Navy: Ships Needed

The "dangerously weak" Royal Navy will put trade routes at risk from pirates and terrorists unless the Government buys more frigates, a think tank has warned.:

It pointed out that 95 per cent of British trade by volume and 90 per cent by value was carried out by sea.

But the Navy's policing role risked being undermined if it did not receive extra funding, they argued. The article added that it would be a "grave failure" if the review "attended principally – or worse, exclusively" to the financial squeeze from the Government and political pressure over Afghanistan.

"No one associates the full supermarket shelves, the availability of a range of other goods and the supply of fuels to power our homes, cars and industry with the free flow of sea trade."

The report said future orders should be "seriously cost-constrained" so ships were more basic and more could be bought. The MoD has said one of its long-term aims will be to use less specialised, cheaper ships that are easier to sell abroad.

One former naval officer notes that most of the work is done by helicopters, anyway. No report how he suggests the helicopters get out to sea to do their work.

So much for Rule Britannia:

Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves:
Britons never will be slaves.

It is an island, after all.

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,--
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "King Richard II", Act 2 scene 1

Of course, maybe they could work a deal with the Danes. That's a Danish design up at the top.

Somali Pirates: HMS Chatham destroys pirate boats

 Everyone seems to be picking on the Somali pirates.

From the British MOD - HMS Chatham destroys pirate boats:

In a co-ordinated search with an EU Naval Force maritime patrol aircraft, operating out of the Seychelles, HMS Chatham's Lynx helicopter spotted a larger vessel towing the two attack boats approximately 150 miles (240km) off the coast of Tanzania on Friday 14 May 2010.

After monitoring the vessel through the night, at dawn, in a well planned operation, the pirates were forced to surrender by the overwhelming force posed by HMS Chatham, her Lynx helicopter and fast boats containing the ship's Royal Marines detachment.

The Royal Marines team boarded the larger craft and found ten Somalis and a large amount of fuel on board; the suspected pirates had been observed throwing items, including their weapons and other piracy-related equipment, into the sea.

The two smaller attack boats were fitted with powerful outboard engines and again contained a considerable amount of fuel. These were separated from the larger craft by the Royal Marines team and HMS Chatham and her Lynx helicopter used their combined firepower to destroy the smaller craft, ensuring that the suspected pirates could not continue with their mission.

Disarmed and without the means to commit an act of piracy, the ten Somalis were left with only enough fuel in the larger vessel to return to Somalia.

To which I must say, "It's about time." Keep it up!

More on Chatham here.

Hat tip to reader Simpson##### for the "heads up" email.

Somali Pirates: Royal Navy Forces Pirates to Give Up a Ship

Reported as HMS Chatham Forces Release of Pirated Dhow:

An Indian flagged dhow, the VISHVAKALYAN, which had been seized by Somali pirates and used as a pirate mother ship has been intercepted by the NATO warship HMS Chatham in the area to the East of the Gulf of Aden. The Royal Navy frigate, which is part of NATO’s counter piracy Operation Ocean Shield, spent three days shadowing the vessel, exerting pressure on the Somali pirates on board until the mother ship ran out of fuel and was forced to stop. Stricken and overwhelmed by the warship which closed to the point of bringing the mother ship alongside, the pirates were directed to leave the VISHVAKALYAN under the shadow of HMS Chatham’s close range weapons and Royal Marine marksmen. They then fled back to the Somali coast in a smaller skiff, leaving the dhow and her crew unharmed.

It is believed that the dhow had been used to mount an unsuccessful attack against at least one merchant ship over the proceeding days, before she was intercepted by HMS Chatham. In response to the night time attack on 6 Apr, the NATO warship diverted to the scene and launched her Lynx helicopter which quickly located the suspect dhow. HMS Chatham closed their position and this initial action was sufficient to ensure that the pirates could not continue with their mission.

As HMS Chatham approached, it became clear that the personnel on board were carrying a variety of weapons including Rocket Propelled Grenades and AK47 rifles. The action taken by the warship, her helicopter and fast boats with Royal Marines embarked, over the three days, left the pirates no option but to comply with NATO’s demands and peacefully abandon the dhow.

The Master and fourteen other crew members of the VISHVAKALYAN were extremely relieved to be released and grateful to HMS Chatham, who provided them with medical assistance, water and fuel to allow them to proceed towards their next port.

Commander Simon Huntington, HMS Chatham’s Commanding Officer, said

“We have actively disrupted a group of pirates who had hijacked this dhow, taking the crew hostage, and they were obviously intent on seizing a larger merchant vessel and its crew, for criminal means. I am extremely pleased that due to the actions of my Ship’s Company, HMS Chatham quickly found and intercepted them, forcing them to abort their mission; but what is most rewarding for all of us involved in this operation, is that we have secured the release of this dhow and her crew unharmed and without the need for an escalation in violence.”

Haiti: Port Repair, Port Operations and Fuel Operations

It's been a week or so since we last looked in on how the recovery operation for Haiti's vital ports has been going (click on one of "labels" down below to see earlier reports). Since then the U.S. Navy and other cooperating forces have made substantial progress in opening up the vital sea life line to the Haitian people:

(1) Fuel Operations Resume at Haiti's Main Terminal Varreux:

WIN Group, the Haitian enterprise that owns and operates Terminal Varreux in Port-au-Prince, and SEACOR Holdings Inc. ... announced that emergency repairs have enabled crucial tanker shipments of fuel to resume to Haiti.

Restoration of Terminal Varreux's marine operations included the installation of an interim vessel mooring system, the repair and testing of critical piping systems and the revision of terminal operating procedures. Additional emergency construction at Terminal Varreux is also providing the capability to receive containerized cargoes, furthering recovery efforts.

The first tanker began discharging its initial load of fuel at the restored berth on Friday, February 5. The shipment was completed in the early morning hours on Sunday, February 7 and the vessel has departed from the terminal.

"We are all taking a deep breath now that the fuel supply to Haiti has been restored," said Youri Mevs, managing partner of WIN Group. "Without fuel the recovery effort is clearly paralyzed. We commend SEACOR for mobilizing so quickly to address this dire situation, as well as WIN Group's staff in Port-Au-Prince. They all worked around the clock through very challenging circumstances. As a result, Terminal Varreux will continue its role as a key element of Haiti's long-term recovery efforts."

Terminal Varreux is located five miles from the epicenter of the devastating January 12 earthquake, and suffered damage to its piers and facilities, but the bulk of the port's 18 storage tanks were undamaged. Terminal Varreux's tanks have a total capacity of approximately 45 million gallons.

(2) Port salvage and repair ops:

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Feb. 21, 2010) An aerial view of the logistical area near the port in Port-au-Prince. Several U.S. and international military and non-governmental agencies are conducting humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Response after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake caused severe damage in and around Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Meranda Keller/Released)

(3) Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) is moving cargo:

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Feb. 20, 2010) Service members conducting joint logistics over the shore operations at the main seaport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti off-load construction vehicles and equipment assigned to the U.S. Army 7th Sustainment Brigade from the British-flagged Crowley Shipper. Several U.S. and international military and non-governmental agencies are conducting humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Response after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake caused severe damage in and around Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kim Williams/Released)

(4) American sailors, solidiers and Marines are moving food and water to the people of Haiti - by trucks and by strong backs:

PORT-AU-PRINCE Haiti (Feb. 22, 2010) Operations Specialist 2nd Class Roberto Piedra, assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2, and Haitian citizens offload rice at Varreoux Beach in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. ACB-2 is conducting construction, humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Response after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused severe damage in and around Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Meranda L. Keller/Released)

(5) From Gitmo, other sailors are helping the Haitians:

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (Feb. 18, 2010) Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Jose Gomez, assigned to Navy Reserve Naval Cargo Handling Battalion 13, loads lumber to a crane to be transported to Haiti. More than 180,000 board feet of lumber was sent to support Operation Unified Response. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael B. Watkins/Released)

All this work is helping the Haitians. See here:

- WFP and partners have reached over 3.7 million people with food assistance since the start of the response; some 102 community out-patient care centres for the treatment of severely acute malnutrition, along with 18 mobile units, are operating throughout the country.

- WASH partners are currently reaching 850,000 people with 5 litres of water a day, covering 83 per cent of the target population. . .

UPDATE: UK sends RFA Largs Bay:

The British amphibious landing ship Royal Fleet Auxiliary Largs Bay arrived off Haiti loaded with essential stores and equipment in aid of the earthquake victims yesterday, Thursday 18 February 2010.
RFA Largs Bay

The ship's mission is on behalf of the Department for International Development, Save the Children and the International Federation of Red Cross.

The 16,160-tonne ship sailed from the Sea Mounting Centre at Marchwood, near Southampton, on 3 February tasked with delivering bulky items that are not suitable for air freight.

Her cargo includes 5,700 sheets of corrugated iron to build much-needed shelters, 40 vehicles and 15 containers of general stores.

Hat tip to Lee and Charles.

Somali Pirates: Disarming suspected pirates

Reported as British ship 'disarms suspected pirate skiffs':

British frigate HMS Portland intercepted two suspicious skiffs in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday and troops boarded them, preventing a possible pirate attack, the US Navy said.

The boarding party "found articles that indicated the skiff had been involved or was about to conduct an act of piracy, and were clearly not those of an innocent fishing vessel," the Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet said.

The skiffs, with 10 people aboard, were carrying extra barrels of fuel, grappling hooks and a cache of weapons that included rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and ammunition, the statement said.

The suspected pirates were disarmed and released because there was insufficient evidence to directly link them to a specific attack, it added.

"Having prevented this group of pirates from reaching their merchant traffic prey Portland destroyed one of the skiffs and confiscated all their weapons," the statement said.

Sounds like the guys in the skiffs were after some really BIG fish...