Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944

In case you were wondering what this day is famous for starting in 1944 try the Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944:

On 6 June 1944 the Western Allies landed in northern France, opening the long-awaited "Second Front" against Adolf Hitler's Germany. Though they had been fighting in mainland Italy for some nine months, the Normandy invasion was in a strategically more important region, setting the stage to drive the Germans from France and ultimately destroy the National Socialist regime.

It had been four long years since France had been overrun and the British compelled to leave continental Europe, three since Hitler had attacked the Soviet Union and two and a half since the United States had formally entered the struggle. After an often seemingly hopeless fight, beginning in late 1942 the Germans had been stopped and forced into slow retreat in eastern Europe, defeated in North Africa and confronted in Italy. U.S. and British bombers had visited ruin on the enemy's industrial cities. Allied navies had contained the German submarine threat, making possible an immense buildup of ground, sea and air power in the British Isles.

A story you might not have heard, about how 22 old, mostly useless merchant ships were intentionally sunk to create breakwaters and the role of the " Naval Armed Guards" in that process from here:

Sunken "Block Ships"

The story of how a modern [artificial] port was built at Omaha and Utah beaches has already been revealed. Armed Guards on some 22 merchant ships which were scuttled [deliberately sunk] to make a breakwater played a vital part in this operation. For days they endured the early fury of the German counter-attack and helped give fire protection to the forces ashore from their partly submerged ships. This was a task which required courage and the ability to do without sleep.

Block Ships in Position with Gaps for Ship/Shore Traffic

The 22 block ships were carefully prepared for their assigned operation. The heavy [deck] gun aft was removed and four 20mm [anti-aircraft guns] and a 40mm [anti-aircraft gun] were generally substituted. The ships were stripped of all unnecessary gear. About eight explosive charges were placed in the holds and large openings were cut in the transverse bulkheads. Necessary food supplies and ammunition had to be moved topside, for the decks of some of the ships were to be under water at times.

The men aboard the 13 ships scuttled off Omaha Beach and the 9 ships scuttled off Utah Beach had much the same experiences. Crossing the [English] Channel there were the [enemy] mines and the E-boats [small fast German motor torpedo boats also known as Schnellboote or S-Boats; similar to American PT-boats]. By day German 88mm guns fired at the block ships, and by night enemy bombers came over.

Beachhead from Above with Block Ships in Position

The James Iredell was the lead ship among the block ships and she was scuttled at the appointed position on the afternoon of June 7, 1944. At 2030 German artillery fire became so heavy that the Armed Guards on this ship and on the Baialaide and the Galveston were evacuated. But they returned to their ships on the morning of June 8. The Armed Guards of the Baialaide remained at their guns until June 17. At high tide the main deck of the ship was six feet under water. The Armed Guards on the James Iredell and the Galveston recorded air attacks every night until June 15, when they were relieved. On the George W. Childs, which was scuttled on June 8, the Armed Guards had narrowly missed being hit by artillery fire as they lay off the beach on the night of June 7. Mines and E-boats had been encountered while crossing the Channel. There were three or four air attacks at night and one bomb landed 50 yards from the Childs. She was credited with two assists [in shooting down enemy aircraft]. She established a kind of open house for visiting firemen by furnishing food and quarters to countless numbers of troops and small boat crews. One of her Armed Guards was wounded by a shell fragment. Not until June 17 did the Armed Guards leave the ship.

The Courageous reported E-boat attacks en route to Omaha Beach, artillery fire upon arrival on June 7, and air attacks every night from June 7 to 12. On June 9 her Armed Guards hit a [German] plane which in turn dropped a bomb so close that the decks were sprayed with fragments. The plane crashed. The Potter was forced to seaward on the night of June 7 by [German] 88mm [artillery] fire, but was scuttled the next day. Many shell fragments landed on her decks and one Armed Guard was wounded. Her crew was relieved on June 13. Several bombs landed close to the James W. Marshall. Her Armed Guard officer remained on board until June 22 in connection with the command of all Armed Guards on the scuttled ships. But Army personnel took over the gunnery duties on the Marshall on June 13. The Wilscox had a narrow miss on June 11. Her Armed Guards were also evacuated on June 13. The Armed Guards on the Audacious remained aboard until June 18. The Armed Guards on the Olambala reported some 32 air attacks to June 16, but only one merchant seaman was wounded before the merchant crew was removed. Fragments from 88mm guns which were scoring near misses hit the decks of the Artemus Ward on June 7. One Armed Guard was wounded on June 9. Bombs narrowly missed on June 10 and 11, and shell fragments hit on the latter date. Part of the gun crew was removed on June 19. Because of a storm from June 19 to 22 [this was the great storm which wrecked the artificial "mulberry" harbors at the Normandy beachheads], the ship cracked. The last Armed Guards were not removed until June 22. The West Grama fired about 19 times and scored one assist on June 9. One Armed Guard on this vessel was wounded while at Omaha Beach. A bomb landed close to the ship on June 14. Her Armed Guards left the ship on June 18. She was credited with two assists [in shooting down German aircraft]. Flight Command reported 30 to 35 alerts prior to June 15.

At Utah Beach the George S. Wasson went through 32 raids from June 7 to 14. The David O. Saylor was forced to withdraw from Utah Beach because of heavy artillery fire which was straddling her on June 7. She was also forced to withdraw once on June 8 but was successfully scuttled in the afternoon. Her Armed Guards left on June 13. The West Nohno helped shoot down several enemy planes on June 10. Her Armed Guards left on June 18. The Benjamin Contee Armed Guards withdrew from the ship on June 14 after 32 raids. Artillery narrowly missed the Matt W. Ransom at Utah Beach. Her Armed Guards reported many alerts and indicated that from 8 to 10 rounds of [German] artillery fire were observed each day to June 15. They left two days later. The Vitruvius reported that six planes were shot down by her fire and by the shore batteries on June 10. She was narrowly missed by bombs on the night of June 11. The Armed Guards on the Victory Sword brought down six planes on the night of June 10. The West Cheswald claimed one plane destroyed. Her Armed Guards were not removed until June 19. The West Honaker was damaged by two skip bombs on June 8 and part of the merchant crew and the Armed Guards abandoned ship. Not until June 10 was she scuttled about 400 yards from the beach. Her Armed Guards left on June 14. The Armed Guard crews from the block ships were returned to the United States on the Queen Elizabeth. There was no loss of life among the Armed Guards taking part in this dangerous operation.

The Commander of United States Naval Forces in Europe highly commended the Armed Guard personnel for their participation in placing the block ships and defending the ships until relieved by Army personnel.

You want lessons in courage? D-Day at Normandy is just one example.


See "Ghost Ships of Normandy for more information on the "block ships." Block ships are an old military idea. Old merchant ships were not alone in being sunk as "block ships" - several old warships were also used. See here:

• HMS Centurion, old battleship sunk as a blockship in "Gooseberry" breakwater
• Courbet, Free Naval French Forces, old battleship sunk as a blockship in "Gooseberry" breakwater
• HMS Durban (light cruiser used as a blockship in "Gooseberry" breakwater)
• HNMLS Sumatra (Dutch, decommissioned due to crew shortages and losing her guns to HNMLS Flores and Soemba, used as blockship in"Gooseberry" breakwater)

The ships to be sunk were known as "corn cobs" and the breakwaters they created were known as "Gooseberries." Other components of the artificial harbors were "Mulberries." See here:

"Corn cobs" were block ships that crossed the channel either under their own steam or that were towed and then scuttled to create sheltered water at the five landing beaches.. Once in position the "Corn Cobs" created "Gooseberries". The ships used for each beach were:
Utah Beach (Gooseberry 1): Benjamin Contee, David O. Saylor, George S. Wasson, Matt W. Ransom,[7] West Cheswald, West Honaker, West Nohno, Willis A. Slater, Victory Sword and Vitruvius.

Omaha Beach (Gooseberry 2): Artemas Ward,[7] Audacious, Baialoide, HMS Centurion, Courageous, Flight-Command, Galveston, George W. Childs, James W. Marshall, James Iredell,[7] Olambala, Potter, West Grama and Wilscox.

Gold Beach (Gooseberry 3): Alynbank, Alghios Spyridon, Elswick Park, Flowergate, Giorgios P., Ingman, Innerton, Lynghaug, Modlin, Njegos, Parkhaven, Parklaan, Saltersgate, Sirehei, Vinlake and Winha.

Juno Beach (Gooseberry 4): Belgique, Bendoran, Empire Bunting, Empire Flamingo, Empire Moorhen, Empire Waterhen, Formigny, Manchester Spinner, Mariposa, Panos and Vera Radcliffe.

Sword Beach (Gooseberry 5): Becheville, Courbet, Dover Hill, HMS Durban, Empire Defiance, Empire Tamar, Empire Tana, Forbin and HNLMS Sumatra.

"Gooseberry"
The sheltered waters created by the Corn Cob block ships. Two of the "Gooseberries[8]" grew into "Mulberries", the artificial harbours.

You might gather that there was a great deal more involved in Normandy D-Day operations than sending landing craft ashore.

Take time to remember all those who took part in the French shore beginning of the liberation of Europe from the Nazis.

From Navy Art Gallery showing the Omaha beach just before the storm that wrecked much of the logistics structure - but also shows the Gooseberries in line offshore

Also from the Navy Art Gallery, Storm on "Gooseberry" by Dwight C. Shepler, Watercolor, June, 21 1944:

There, with decks awash in the roaring sea, the sunken block ships of the great harbor of "Mulberry" successfully rode out the storm. The part of the breakwater formed by the line of sunken ships was called "Gooseberry." Though they worked about on the bottom, the ships held their place throughout the unseasonal blow of June 19-22, 1944. At the height of the gale's fury, gunners stationed on a sunken merchantman sought safety on the fo'c'sle of the H.M.S. Centurion, an old British battlewagon which was the western bastion of Gooseberry.

Top photos from the Naval Historical Center. Photos of "block ships" from "Ghost Ships of Normandy, photo source unknown (but I am ready to learn and give proper credit).

UPDATE: Interesting read from the Navy Department Library:  Miracle Harbor:

AMERICAN and British officers planning the D-Day details in England were up against a tremendous problem. It was all very well to land troops on the beaches of Normandy, but once there they had to be kept supplied with immense quantities of ammunition, food, and weapons. How were these supplies to keep flowing without a harbor?

There was a limit to what landing craft could do. The rough Channel seas and the tide that rises and falls twenty feet meant that stuff put down on the flat Normandy beaches would be swamped by the tide before it could all be moved onto dry land. And the idea of starting off the invasion by capturing one of the heavily defended French ports was out of the question. It would take too long.

The story goes that one of the officers engaged in the planning remarked casually to one of his colleagues, not intending to be taken seriously, "Well, I suppose we'll have to take our harbors with us." This remark, it is reported, started the experts on a train of thought that ended at the point where the ramps of the prefabricated ports touched the Normandy shore.

Gasoline Pump Prices

What amkes up the price of a gallon of gas or diesel fuel at the pump? The federal Energy Infomatioon Agency has the info at Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update from whence cometh these graphics:

 

So, the biggest component is crude oil pricing. Which, in case you forgot, is driven by - supply and demand of crude oil.

Fearless Navy Bloggers Take to the Air: Midrats Episode 74 A Day Without Seapower 06/05 5pm Eastern on BlogTalk Radio

It's a radio!

Episode 74 A Day Without Seapower 06/05 by Midrats 5pm Eastern on Blog Talk Radio:

Almost a decade of involvement in two land wars in Asia combined with a series of costly and ill timed shipbuilding programs that have yet to produce ships anywhere near promised cost and performance has brought our Navy to the growing budget crisis in a delicate position.

The national security arena suffers from SeaBlindness about the critical requirements of seapower to the long term economic and security needs of a maritime, mercantile republic.

Battle of Midway, June 3-7, 1942

Sunday, June 5th at 5pm EST, using their work at The Heritage Foundation, Thinking About a Day Without Sea Power:Implications for U.S. Defense Policy as a starting point, join Sal from the blog "CDR Salamander" and me with our returning guests Mackenzie Eaglen and Bryan McGrath for the full hour to discuss the long view on the future direction of our Navy and Marine Corps team.

Part of the Invasion Fleet, D-Day Normandy, June 6, 1944

Join us here.

Illegitimi non carborundum

American spirit:



If Grand Rapids is dying today, look for its rebirth shortly after its death certificate has its ink dried.



Backgrounder.

Looks like someone forgot that "can do" spirit that is the bedrock of U.S. culture.

Anti-Pirate Proof of Concept? U.S. Navy Riverine Forces Take to the Sea

 Navy Times report "Riverine boats operate with amphib in test":

The prospect of meeting a sleek, armored riverine command boat and its fearsome array of .50-caliber machine guns at sea would undoubtedly induce second thoughts among pirates who prey on shipping in the Gulf of Aden.

That much is certain. But the boats have to get there first.

Tuesday, the Navy tested the ability to dock and secure the RCB and the smaller riverine patrol boat in the well deck of the anchored dock landing ship Oak Hill during a proof-of-concept test held at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

Riverine force leaders gave the demonstration a thumbs-up. If senior Navy leaders agree, the riverine force could find itself with a new post-Iraq war mission set outside the green-water arena for which it is designed, and the Navy with yet another capability for the flexible and heavily deployed amphibious force.

With a few wrinkles removed, sounds like a good idea to try in the real world.

One of those wrinkles is that a lot more boats are needed to do the anti-piracy mission right.

And a really good strategy would be good, too.

U.S. Navy photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael R. Hinchcliffe

What to do about Somalia and its pirates?

U.S. Navy Admiral Robert Willard says Somalia needs governance to defeat piracy:

A top U.S. commander Wednesday said piracy in Somalia can only be defeated if the international community helps restore governance in the poor, lawless African country.

Adm. Robert Willard, chief of the Pacific Command, said navy patrols alone cannot stop the hijacking of ships if pirates' bases onshore are allowed to operate without interference. The international community is spending millions of dollars a day maintaining a flotilla of warships to protect key shipping lanes off East Africa.

"The organizers, the funders are the central problem ... but the international community has been unable to determine how to tackle the problem onshore," Willard told a regional forum in Malaysia.

"Clearly, one thing is to help Somalia recover from being the ungoverned state that it is," he said.

"Unless the international community goes to the root, and not the far end of the problem, it won't be solved."

Not so very much different are the thoughts of the top Chinese military commander, as reported here:

On a visit to the U.S. this week, China's top military commander Chen Bingde suggested that the international coalition patrolling the Gulf of Aden and the waters off the coast of Somalia ought to take decisive action against pirate dens on land. So far, the counter-piracy strategy has focused on the pirate "mother-ships," usually retrofitted trawlers that tow little skiffs out into the deep sea. Yet the pirate problem emanating from lawless Somalia cost the global economy over $8.3 billion in 2010. And China has a huge stake in securing its ever-increasing economic interests in the region.

Chen, the chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army, told reporters:

For counter-piracy campaigns to be effective, we should probably move beyond the ocean and crash their bases on the land... It is important that we target not only the operators, those on the small ships or crafts conducting the hijacking activities, but also the figureheads.

India, another potential major player in any activity that might be taken against the pirates, is backing off from its previously aggressive pursuit and arrests of Somali pirates, apparently responding to coercion by the pirates, as reported here:

The government has effected a policy shift in its anti-piracy operations, asking Navy not to arrest any more pirates, and also not to bring them to India's mainland. The government fears that its aggressive operations, especially the arrest of pirates and their incarceration in Mumbai, may have backfired. Somali pirates are retaliating against India's proactive stand by targeting Indian sailors, the security establishment believes. Presently, 43 Indian sailors are in the custody of pirates.

The situation is worrying for India, given the fact that over 10% of total seafarers working for shipping companies around the world are Indians. "We believe they are retaliating. Recently, while rest of their colleagues was released, seven Indians on a particular ship were taken to Somalia. We are still waiting to hear from them," a senior official said.

Another major shipping nation has not backed off in its treatment of Somali pirates it has captured. The Republic of Korea (South Korea) has sentenced a pirate leader to life imprisonment and other Somali pirates to multi- year sentences:

Aul Brallat, said to have fired at the commandos during an initial unsuccessful raid on January 18, was jailed for 15 years, while two other pirates were each sentenced to 13 years.

In the United States, several Somali pirates have received lengthy jail terms including life. It looks like, due to plea agreements, life sentences are pending for the Somali pirates involved in the capture of an American yacht that resulted in four U.S. citizen deaths, as reported here:

The guilty announcement are part of plea agreements that will allow them to avoid the death penalty, but face life in prison.

Spain has sentenced Somali pirates to lengthy jail terms as set out here:

A court in Spain has sentenced two Somali pirates to 439 years in prison each for their role in the 2009 hijacking of a Spanish fishing vessel.

A Dutch court has sentenced a pair of Somali pirates to 5 year prison terms.

Of course, there are Somali pirates imprisoned in the Seychelles, Kenya, Somalia, Yemen and other places.

However, since piracy is one of the few profitable ventures in Somalia, there is no shortage of new young men to venture to sea and to replace the imprisoned or dead.

The two military leaders have it right - the seat of piracy is on the land. But, as I have asked before, who wants to lead the way into Somalia?

UPDATE: South Africa and Mozambique have signed a Memorandum of Understanding covering anti-piracy activity (and Exclusive Economic Zone protection) it is reported here:

It emerged last month that the recently approved – but as yet unpublished – strategy includes plans to cover the country's entire exclusive economic zone (EEZ) with “some form of sensor, or combination of sensors that will produce the most optimal coverage”. Sisulu avered this in answer to a parliamentary question by Democratic Alliance MP SP Kopane. “It is obvious that such an integrated system will require the cooperation of many stakeholders and will benefit the RSA in order to ensure that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our maritime zones remain intact,” Sisulu said. “Such an integrated system forms part of the deliberations on a maritime security strategy for the RSA.”

The minister added that the military had determined that a full spectrum of electronic and optical sensors, deployed from a variety of platforms would be “the optimal solution for managing the surveillance of our maritime zones.” She did not elaborate, other than noting the length of coastline “measures 3924 kilometres and the EEZ extends, for practical reasons, 370 kilometres to seaward of the baselines that approximate this coastline. The EEZ thus covers an area of approximately 1 537 000 square kilometres of open sea.

“Approximately 29% of the coastline is covered by fixed land-based radars (radar horizon depends on the height of the antenna) with a radar horizon of approximately 25 kilometres. It is thus clear that use must be made of a variety of platforms (ships, surveillance aircraft, helicopters) with a variety of sensors (eg radar, Automatic Identification System (AIS), Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT), electro-optical, optical and others) in order to monitor the EEZ of the RSA,” the minister explained.

UPDATE2: In re-reading the above update, I think it needs a little explanation- the import of the RSA and Mozambique agreement is that, in theory, puts up a sort of "southern limit line" on further expansion of the Somali pirates into the sea lines of communication in the area covered by the agreement.

Somali Pirates: Late May Activity

MV Orna

Somali pirates have been somewhat inactive due to sea conditions. See NATO summary here:

The current situation is generally quiet throughout the AOR as the weather is not conducive for pirate operations.

The MV ORNA is underway and last located in the vicinity of 12 17N 062 43E At 302136ZMAY11. She appears to be operating as a Mothership.

A Dhow PAG is probably active in Northern Arabian sea.

In South Red Sea and in the vicinity of Bab al Mandeb Strait a Dhow PAG is probably active based on several attacks in that area.

As set out in part of this NATO Shipping Centre SOMALIA PIRACY UPDATE 31st MAY 2011, much of the activity that has occurred has involved the movement of a suspected pirate mothership, the captured ship MV Orna:

MAY 31,2011
Latitude: 12 58N Longitude: 062 58E
Alert Number 191 / 2011
--- UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE ---
At 1316 UTC / 31 MAY / a previously hijacked ship MV ORNA was reported in position 12 58N 062 58E course 282 / 6.2 kts.
It is likely that this vessel is conduction mothership operations.
___________________________________________
MAY 31, 2011
LATITUDE 13 32N LONGITUDE 042 41E
Alert number 193 / 2011
--- UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE ---
At 0403 UTC / 31 MAY / a merchant vessel was reported under attack by 1 skiff in position 13 32 N 042 41 E.
6 POB in skiff, weapons and ladder reported.
***This vessel managed to evade hijack***
The Pirate action group is still in the area.
________________________________________________
MAY 29,2011
Latitude: 14 44N Longitude: 042 06E
Alert 192 / 2011
At 1157 UTC / 29 May a Merchant Vessel was attacked by two skiffs with six persons on board at position 14 44N 042 06E. Small arms have been fired.
*** vessel managed to evade hijack ***
_______________________________________
MAY 29,2011
Alert Number 191 / 2011
--- UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE ---
At 2252 UTC / 28 May / Hijacked vessel MV ORNA was reported in position 09 32N 058 07E. Course 076 / 8.2 kts
It is likely the ship is being used as a pirate mothership
______________________________________
MAY 28, 2011
Alert Number 191 / 2011
---UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE---
At 0150UTC / 28 MAY / a previously hijacked ship MV ORNA was reported in position 07 57N 055 16E Course 068 / 7.5 kts
It is likely that this ship is being used as a pirate mother ship.
________________________________________
MAY 27, 2011
Latitude 07 09N Latitude 053 20E
Alert Number 191 / 2011
---UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE---
At 0830 UTC / 27 MAY / a previously hijacked ship was reported in position 07 09N 053 20E Coure 078 / 7.5 kts
It is likely that this ship is being used as a pirate mother ship.
________________________________________
MAY 26, 2011
Latitude 06 09N, Longitude 050 33E
Alert Number 191 / 2011
---ALERT ALERT ALERT---
At 0908 UTC / 26 MAY / a previously hijacked ship MV ORNA was reported in position 06 09N 050 33E Course 072 / 7kts
It is likely now that ship is being used as a pirate mother vessel.

The "Orna Track":

Track of MV Orna (click to enlarge)

Memorial Day

Today we honor and remember those who died in the the service of their country.

Remembered at places like this:

Take a moment and thank them.

This Week in a Cartoon

Thank you, Scott Adams.

Western "Weather Machines" "Stealing" Iranian Rain- Says Wacky Ahmadinejad

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Europe "stealing Iran's rain":

"Western countries have designed plans to cause drought in certain areas of the world, including Iran," Mr Ahmadinejad said in the city of Arak in Markazi province.

"Stolen Rain"

"According to reports on climate, whose accuracy has been verified, European countries are using special equipment to force clouds to dump" their water on their continent, he said.

By doing so, "they prevent rain clouds from reaching regional countries, including Iran," Mr Ahmadinejad charged.

Next, Mr. Ahmadinejad, we'll be exporting tornadoes to plague you personally. We have plenty to share.

 For another example of crazy theories of weather modification see here.

Fearless Navy Bloggers Take to the Air: Episode 72 Lawfare and the Long War 05/22 on Midrats

Modern warfare and counter-terrorism bump up against international law and the "law of war" on a moment to moment basis - and that's the subject of this week's Midrats show - Episode 72 Lawfare the Long War 05/22 by Midrats on Blog Talk Radio:

Never in our history have we fought a war where law, lawyers, and layers of legalese have impacted all levels of the war, Political, Strategic, Operational, and Tactical.

Why do we find ourselves here and in what direction are we going?

From Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and even domestically, the legal definition of the use of military power is evolving.

To discuss the impact of Lawfare for the full hour with Sal from the blog "CDR Salamander" and EagleOne from "EagleSpeak" will be David Glazier, CDR USN (Ret.).

David is a Professor of Law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. Prior to Loyola, he was a lecturer at the University of Virginia School of Law and a research fellow at the Center for National Security Law, where he conducted research on national security, military justice and the law of war. He also served as a pro bono consultant to Human Rights First.

Before attending law school, Glazier served twenty-one years as a US Navy surface warfare officer. In that capacity, he commanded the USS George Philip (FFG-12), served as the Seventh Fleet staff officer responsible for the US Navy-Japan relationship, the Pacific Fleet officer responsible for the US Navy-PRC relationship, and participated in UN sanctions enforcement against Yugoslavia and Haiti.

Glazier has a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law, an MA from Georgetown University in government/national security studies, and holds a BA in history from Amherst College.

So, with experience ranging from warrior to law of war scholar, Professor Glazier has some interesting (and sometimes unexpected) views on the matters described above.

Join us this Sunday at 5pm Eastern as we delve into the world of "lawfare." I promise that the name of Hugo Grotius will be invoked somewhere along the way.

Somali Pirates: Armed Guards on Maersk Alabama Scare Away Pirates

Reported here:

The Maersk Alabama, escaped another pirate attack last weekend in the Gulf of Aden.

The famous victim of a 2009 attack, in which its captain was held hostage for three days on a lifeboat until U.S. Navy snipers killed the kidnappers, escaped the recent attack with the help of an armed security team, according to a Danish media report and two industry sources with deep ties to various sectors of the maritime industry.

Five pirates in a speedboat rapidly approached the small container vessel on Saturday night and fled when private security guards onboard the vessel fired warning shots in the air, the Danish newspaper Borsen reported on its Web site.

The vessel is owned and operated by Maersk Line Ltd., the U.S. subsidiary of Denmark’s Maersk Line, the world’s largest container shipping company.

The attack occurred in the international transit corridor patrolled by international naval forces in the Gulf of Aden, according to the sources, who asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of their business relationships with Maersk. The vessel was on its way from Salaleh, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Both sources stressed the Maersk Alabama never was in any danger and was never fired upon.

Such probes, to test the ability of merchant ships to defend themselves or take evasive action, are relatively common in the Gulf of Aden, but the Maersk Alabama attracts more attention when it encounters pirates because of its history.

The use of shipboard armed security teams is deterring some pirate attacks.

Take a look at these reports involving the Indian Ocean area from 6 May to 16 May 2011, (from the Anti-Shipping Activity Messages found here):

Date of Occurrence: 05/16/2011 Reference Number: 2011-247
Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 24° 11' 00" N 61° 11' 00" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: MERCHANT VESSEL
Description: AROUND 81 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CHAHBAHAR, IRAN: A merchant vessel reported coming under attack at 1036Z on 16 May in position 24-11N 061-11E in the Gulf of Aden. Vessels are advised to keep 100 miles clear of this position and to exercise extreme caution.

Date of Occurrence: 05/15/2011 Reference Number: 2011-246
Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 14° 09' 00" N 55° 25' 00" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: MERCHANT VESSEL
Description: AROUND 171 MILES NORTHEAST OF SOCOTRA ISLAND, YEMEN: A merchant vessel reported coming under fire at 1639Z on 15 May in position 14-09N 055-25E. Vessels are advised to keep 100 miles clear of this position and to exercise extreme caution.

Date of Occurrence: 05/14/2011 Reference Number: 2011-244
Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 13° 54' 42" N 57° 56' 12" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CARGO SHIP
Description: AROUND 220 MILES OFF SOCOTRA ISLAND, YEMEN: A general cargo ship underway spotted a mother vessel launch a skiff which approached the ship at 25 knots. Duty officer raised alarm, increased speed, altered course SSAS activated, security team onboard alerted and crew went to the citadel. The security team fired rocket flares when the skiff was at a distance of 1.5 miles but the skiff continued to approach the ship. When the skiff closed to 600 meters, the security team fired warnig shots the skiff continued its approach and the next warning shots were fired when the skiffs were at a distance of 400 meters from the vessel. This resulted in the pirates aborting the attempted attack and moving towards their mother vessel.

Date of Occurrence: 05/14/2011 Reference Number: 2011-242
Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 19° 13' 00" N
60° 19' 00" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CHEMICAL TANKER
Description: AROUND 190 MILES OFF RAS AL HAD, OMAN: Pirates in a dhow and a skiff chased a chemical tanker underway. Master raised alarm, icreased speed and took evasive maneuvers resulting in the pirates aborting the attempted attack. There were 4-5 pirates in the skiff with ladders sighted.

Date of Occurrence: 05/14/2011 Reference Number: 2011-243
Geographical Subregion: 63 Geographical Location: 8° 32' 00" N
67° 53' 00" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: TANKER
Description: AROUND 304 MILES WEST OF MINICOY ISLAND, INDIA: About five pirates in a skiff chased and fired upon a LPG tanker underway. Ship raised alarm, increased speed and took evasvie maneuvers resulting in the pirates aborting the attempted attack.

Date of Occurrence: 05/13/2011 Reference Number: 2011-245
Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 13° 10' 42" N
48° 37' 00" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CONTAINER SHIP
Description: GULF OF ADEN: A small fast contact was noticed on radar approaching a container ship underway at 4 miles. Duty officer monitored the contact and at a distance of 1.6 miles it was observed as a skiff and alarm was raised. When the skiff approached at a distance of 50 meters the bridge team noticed 4-5 pirates onboard with a hook ladder. The onboard security team fired two shots in to the skiff when the skiff closed to 30 meters resulting in the pirates aborting the attempted attack.

Date of Occurrence: 05/11/2011 Reference Number: 2011-236
Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 18° 42' 00" N
59° 32' 00" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: PRODUCT TANKER
Description: AROUND 220 MILES SOUTH OF RAS AL HAD, OMAN: Pirates in a skiff armed with rpg and guns chased and fired upon a product tanker underway. Master raised alarm, took evasive maneuvers and instructed crew to proceed into citadel. Armed security team took measures to deter boarding of pirates resulting in the pirates aborting the attck. Crew and ship are safe.

Date of Occurrence: 05/10/2011 Reference Number: 2011-237
Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 25° 17' 48" N
58° 06' 48" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: CONTAINER SHIP
Description: GULF OF OMAN: Two skiffs approached a container ship. The vessel altered course, increased speed raised alarm, crew went to citadel. There were four pirates in each boat. Long rods attached with hooks and ladders were noticed on the skiffs. The skiffs followed the vessel at a distance of 1-3 cables astern. Later the skiffs aborted the attempt and moved away.

Date of Occurrence: 05/10/2011 Reference Number: 2011-239
Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 17° 34' 00" N 58° 00' 00" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: BULK CARRIER
Description: AROUND 235 MILES EAST OF SALALAH, OMAN: Pirates in two skiffs armed with rpgs and guns chased and fired upon a bulk carrier underway. Master raised alarm, SSAS activated increased speed, took evasive maneuvers and contacted warships for assistance. Due to the aggresive maneuvers, the pirates aborted the attempted attack. The ship and crew members are safe.

Date of Occurrence: 05/08/2011 Reference Number: 2011-232
Geographical Subregion: 63 Geographical Location: 12° 09' 00" N 59° 20' 18" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: BULK CARRIER
Description: AROUND 280 MILES EAST OF SOCOTRA ISLAND, YEMEN: Two skiffs with firve pirates in each armed with rpg and automatic weapons chased and fired upon a bulk carrier underway. Ship sent distress message, raised alarm, increased speed and made evasive maneuvers. Bulk carrier also deployed the security team onboard and contacted authorities for help. A military aircraft was deployed. Onboard armed security team fired warning shots resulting in the pirates aborting the attack.

***

Date of Occurrence: 05/06/2011 Reference Number: 2011-234
Geographical Subregion: 62 Geographical Location: 16° 14' 00" N 55° 47' 00" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: PRODUCT TANKER
Description: SALALAH, OMAN: Armed pirates in a skiff chased and fired upon a product tanker underway. The tanker took evasive maneuvers and contacted the coalition naval forces. The naval vessels in the area responded to the distress call and the pirates aborted the attack. Vessel and crew are safe.

Ten days, 4 thwarted attacks due to armed security teams.

India: Growing a Navy - Adding 101 Ships Over Next 20 Years

Reported at Worldmaritime News - India Expects to Invest Nearly USD 50 Billion for 101 New Warships:

India is expected to invest nearly $50 billion to strengthen its naval forces over the next 20 years, adding 101 new warships, ranging from destroyers to nuclear submarines, the Indian Express reported.

“Going by the investment value, India is expected to build sophisticated destroyers, new generation and new radar vessels, nuclear submarines, and amphibious ships,” the paper quoted US naval analyst Bob Nugent as saying.

Nugent said China would likely spend $24 billion to build 113 war vessels, focusing on aircraft carriers, over the same period.

INS Mysore (D60)

Let me recommend Robert Kaplan's book, Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power to you. Here's a quote from a interview with Mr. Kaplan by Tom Ricks:

The surprise of this book is that future wars and conflicts may be vastly different than the ones of the moment. Instead of fighting neighborhood by neighborhood in Baghdad or Kandahar, we may in the future have to influence vast spaces on the map through naval maneuvers.

All of which makes the point that India sits on some major sea lines of communication on which flows a substantial amount of the world's energy and commercial shipping.

As a rapidly developing nation, India has a vital interest in protecting its sea lanes and is apparently making a serious commitment to protecting them.

Somali Pirates: USS Bulkeley and Its Helicopter Protects Large Tanker, Pirates Unsuccessful in Dodging Bullets

Reported as USS BULKELEY PROTECTS MV ARTEMIS GLORY FROM PIRATE ATTACK:

USS Bulkeley (DDG-84)

At 1035 a.m. (local) May 16, MV Artemis Glory came under attack from pirates.

The German owned, Panama flagged very large crude carrier (VLCC) was on route from Juaymah Terminal in Saudi Arabia to China with a cargo of crude oil. The motor vessel came under attack whilst sailing south east through the Gulf of Oman.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Diligence (A132) received a mayday call from the MV Artemis Glory, saying that their ship was under attack by pirates.

MV Artemis Glory

RFA Diligence relayed the mayday message to Combined Maritime Forces. UKMTO confirmed in a conversation with the Master of the MV Artemis Glory that she was being pursued by a skiff with four individuals on board who were firing small arms at the vessel.

USS Bulkeley, (DDG 84) operating with Combined Maritime Forces, responded to the mayday and launched her helicopter, an SH-60B from “Vipers” helicopter squadron, light (HSL) 48, detachment four to investigate the mayday call.

SH-60B (U.S. Navy photo)

The helicopter observed the MV Artemis Glory under attack by four individuals in a skiff, who were firing upon the Artemis Glory with small arms.

Under the principle of ‘extended unit self defence’ and in order to provide protection to the crew of the MV Artemis Glory, Bulkeley’s helicopter engaged the pirates. All of the pirates are believed to have been killed.

MV Artemis Glory has 23 crew persons onboard. No crew members were injured in the attack.

MV Artemis Glory photo by Ivan Meshkov from Shipspotting.com and used in accord with terms of that site.

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:

Somali Piracy Warnings: 16 May 11

NATO Shipping Center warnings from here:

MAY 16, 2011
LATITUDE 07 17N LONGITUDE 053 26E
Alert Number 175 (update) / 2011
---WARNING WARNING WARNING---
At 1310 UTC / 16 MAY / a previously hijacked ship MV EAGLE was reported in position 07 17 N 053 26 E course 260 / 7 kts.
It is likely now that the ship is being used as a pirate mother vessel.
____________________________________________
MAY 16, 2011
LATITUDE 24 11N LONGITUDE 061 11E
Alert Number 183 / 2011
At 1036 UTC / A merchant ship was reported under attack by a single skiff at posn 24 11N, 061 11E, small arms have been fired at the vessel.
________________________________________
MAY 15, 2011
Latitude 14 09N Longitude 055 25E
Alert Number 182 / 2011
---WARNING WARNING WARNING---
At 1639 UTC / 15 MAY / A merchant vessel was reported under attack by pirates. The vessel was fired upon by small arms.
This vessel manged to evade hijack. The Pirate Action Group is still in the area.
_______________________________________
MAY 15, 2011
Latitude 14 13N Longitude 058 19E
Alert Number 181 / 2011
---WARNING WARNING WARNING---
At 1112 UTC / 15 MAY / A Pirate Action Group consisting of a dhow towing a skiff was reported in at the above position, crs210, 5.0 kts.

I added red arrows to the NATO Shipping Centre May incident map to point to the most recent alerts (175 revised, 183, 182, 181).

Somali Pirates: Danes Rescue Hostages, Kill and Capture Pirates

Esbern Snare

Reported as "ESBERN SNARE has been in a firefight with a pirate mother ship":

During patrols along the Somali coast on Thursday 12 May the morning approached ESBERN SNARE himself a pirate mother ship. Since ESBERN SNARE tried to stop the mother ship with Cry, was the pirate mother ship opened fire on ESBERN SNARE who immediately returned fire.

Shortly after the exchange of fire was from the pirate mother ship tossed more weapons overboard and were showing signs of surrender.

ESBERN SNARE subsequently took control of the pirate mother ship.

"Pirate mother ship after the surrender."- Royal Danish Navy Photo

44 people on the pirate mother ship
On board the pirate mother ship, there were 16 Iranian hostages and 28 presumed pirates. Were also found several weapons and other pirate-related equipment.

Following the gunfight, four suspected pirates killed. In addition, 10 others wounded, while 14 remained unharmed. All ten wounded pirates treated on board ESBERN SNARE.

They killed four suspected pirates have been buried at sea according to NATO procedures and taking account of Muslim traditions.

Hostages freed
The 16 Iranian hostages will be expected to look forward to an early reunion with their families.

The 24 suspected pirates are provisionally detained on ESBERN SNARE, while the Danish authorities to explore the possibility of prosecution.

Disaster Relief: Filling the Gaps with Volunteers

A couple of weeks ago, I was out providing disaster assessment (DA) evaluations for the Red Cross in the areas smacked hard by the North Carolina tornadoes. The Red Cross uses the DA evals to estimate the financial needs of the individuals/communities struck by such disasters and, later, will talk with those impacted about getting them some temporary shelter, money for groceries, clothing and bedding (as needed).

Everywhere the DA teams deployed, we saw the yellow shirted members of the NC Baptist Men disaster relief teams deployed, cutting up downed trees, clearing debris, helping with emergency home repairs and through their filed kitchens, providing meals to victims and volunteers.

Here's a nice piece from the Raleigh News & Observer noting this good work, under the headline,
"Tornado victims praise work done by N.C. Baptist Men crews":

It's been nearly a month since the tornadoes hit, and Baptist Men volunteers have provided more than 8,500 volunteer days, completed more than 1,050 jobs and served more than 70,000 meals.

Many volunteers are retired. Others use vacation time. All pay their own travel expenses and a small fee that covers housing, usually in a church, and meals, prepared by other N.C. Baptist Men volunteers.

Dwayne Patterson, neighborhood services supervisor for the city, said the Baptist Men fill a huge gap by doing on private property what the city can't do and insurance won't pay for and residents can't afford.

"And they're so efficient and so effective," Patterson said. "They've been able to get a tremendous amount of cleanup done that would have taken weeks or months."

The work helps the whole community, Patterson said, not just those on whose property the Baptists labor.

You might note in the comments that even these good deeds get challenged by people who either lack faith ("So although I don't believe in the bulk of the religious dogma that these folks do I can certainly appreciate the fine, charitable, humanitarian work they are doing. Its a conundrum that I'm all too aware of. I don't respect their beliefs but some of the good they do, evidenced here certainly gets my attention. That makes me think further that what's the difference what we believe or don't believe? Its the kind of people we are, aside from our beliefs, and what we DO and how we act toward each other that counts the most.") or who feel the NCBM gets too much favorable publicity to the detriment of other groups (". . . there are many individuals and groups that assist in disasters. But, these other groups are just not published about in this highly prejudicial newspaper that slants its articles in favor of the Southern Baptist Convention only.").

I did see other organizations out in the field (Methodist Men, Samaritan's Purse, Salvation Army for example) and know they all made outstanding contributions to helping the victims. I did not see any organization of avowed atheists or agnostics out marshaling their resources to help anyone. Maybe they feel that their tax money is enough. Though members of all the charitable orgs mentioned above also pay taxes.

Humans.

.

Online Wargame as Piracy Fighting Guide?

The U.S. Office of Naval Research is, among other things, trying some interesting ideas in looking toward the fleet of the future and the strategies it may employ. For instance, using the case of fighting Somali pirates as a jumping off point for testing "cloud" cooperation, as set out in this ONR press release, To Help Combat At-Sea Piracy, ONR Recruits Defense Community for Online Wargame :

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) intends to launch on May 16 a new Internet wargame, recruiting a community of more than 1,000 players to collaborate on solving real-world problems facing the Navy.

Scheduled to run for three weeks, the Massive Multiplayer Online Wargame Leveraging the Internet (MMOWGLI) exercise will recruit online players from across the government to suggest ways of combating piracy off the coast of Somalia.

“MMOWGLI is an online game designed to find and collectively grow breakthrough ideas to some of the Navy's most complex problems--those 21st-century threats that demand new forms of collaboration and truly outlying ideas,” said Dr. Larry Schuette, ONR’s director of Innovation, whose office is managing the project.

The piracy scenario was chosen as a means to demonstrate the platform, but MMOWGLI itself can be applied to any scenario, officials said.

ONR intends to produce varying results from a diverse group of players drawn from the ranks of academia, defense, and government and nongovernment organizations. The plan is for MMOWGLI to identify solutions to difficult challenges by tapping into the intellectual capital of a broader community.

“We hope MMOWGLI will help us to understand what happens when your insights are combined with the observations and actions of another player,” Schuette added. “Will that fusion result in a game-changing idea or solution, or will the MMOWGLI platform teach us something about our traditional thought processes?”

Interesting.

For the pirate-specific trial, I wonder how many "successful" strategies will involve not letting the pirates get to sea with their weapons and ladders?How many will involve an invasion of Somalia or a long, slow wait for some sort of civilization to assert itself over that failed land? Is there a "patience" meter?

Will the game reward more "action" oriented strategies (chasing pirates) or more "static" strategies like blockading pirate ports of operation?

I wonder how the game deals with alleged "allies" who show up to wave their national flag, but who don't really do anything meaningful to address the pirate issue?

Kobayashi Maru, anyone?

Somali Pirates: Record Levels

Well, after a few days away, here's a bit of frustrating news to welcome me back - the International Maritime Bureau reports "Attacks off the Somali coast drive piracy to record high":

Indian Ocean Area

Piracy at sea hit an all-time high in the first three months of 2011, with 142 attacks worldwide, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) global piracy report revealed today. The sharp rise was driven by a surge in piracy off the coast of Somalia, where 97 attacks were recorded in the first quarter of 2011, up from 35 in the same period last year.

Worldwide in the first quarter of 2011, 18 vessels were hijacked, 344 crew members were taken hostage, and six were kidnapped, IMB reported. A further 45 vessels were boarded, and 45 more reported being fired upon.

“Figures for piracy and armed robbery at sea in the past three months are higher than we’ve ever recorded in the first quarter of any past year,” said Pottengal Mukundan, Director of IMB, whose Piracy Reporting Centre has monitored piracy worldwide since 1991.

IMB 2011 Piracy Map to 10 May 11

In the first three months of 2011, pirates murdered seven crew members and injured 34. Just two injuries were reported in the first quarter of 2006.

Of the 18 ships hijacked worldwide in the first three months of the year, 15 were captured off the east coast of Somalia, in and around the Arabian Sea and one in the Gulf of Aden. In this area alone, 299 people were taken as hostage and a further six were kidnapped from their vessel. At their last count, on 31 March, IMB figures showed that Somali pirates were holding captive 596 crew members on 28 ships.

“We’re seeing a dramatic increase in the violence and techniques used by pirates in the seas off Somalia,” said Captain Mukundan.

He added: “The overwhelming number of vessels hijacked off Somalia took place east and north east of the Gulf of Aden. The positions of some of the attackers’ mother ships are known. It is vital that strong action is taken against these mother ships to prevent further hijackings.”

I guess the NATO/EU/CTF151 and all the other naval forces bobbing about in the Indian Ocean can take some solace in the fact that the numbers might be even higher without their efforts.

That's damning with faint praise.

You should also consider the number of attacks on merchant ships thwarted by armed security teams on board ships that came under attack by pirates . . . the IMB numbers are really only about 1/2 the story.

Libya: Refugee Ship Sinks Off Tripoli - Hundreds Aboard

Reported as Witnesses: Ship with hundreds sinks off Libya:

An overcrowded ship carrying up to 600 people trying to flee Libya sank just outside the port of Tripoli, the U.N. refugee agency said Monday, citing witness accounts.

Aid officials were still trying to confirm the fate of those people after the vessel broke apart Friday in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya, UNHCR spokeswoman Laura Boldrini said.

Witnesses who left the Libyan capital on another boat shortly afterward reported seeing remnants of the sunken ship and the bodies of some passengers floating in the sea, she told The Associated Press.

Other witnesses saw passengers swimming to shore but it was unclear how many survived, according to the International Organization for Migration

Somali Pirates: Hijacked ship with 24 Chinese sailors in Arabian Sea rescued by US and Turkish Navies

Reported as Hijacked ship with 24 Chinese sailors in Arabian Sea rescued:

The 24 Chinese sailors on board a Panama-flagged bulk cargo ship, hijacked by pirates yesterday at the Arabian Sea, have been rescued, as Turkey and U.S. navy ships in the nearby rushed to them and chased away the pirates, Xinhua News Agency reported.

About seven suspected Somali pirates have left the ship, "Full City", and the 24 Chinese workers are found safe, locking themselves in the safety vessel of the ship, the report said. Guarded by U.S. Navy ships, a group of Turkey Navy commandos boarded the pirated ship.

The pirates attacked "Full City" at midday on Thursday local time, and seized it about 450 nautical miles off the coast of Mumbai in India.

Update: More on the rescue from the Turkish Navy point of view from Saturn5 at his blog post TCG Giresun Saves M/V Full City:

Upon arriving to M/V Full City, that was damaged by the rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire of the pirates, communication with the crew of the ship was established.

Update2: India says its maritime patrol aircraft scared off the pirates here:

The pirates had boarded the vessel but the crew managed to lock themselves up in the safe house. Patrolling in the area, a Indian naval aircraft reached there and found a pirate mother ship next to the MV Full City and a skiff in the vicinity.

The naval aircraft warned the pirates on radio to leave the merchant ship immediately. Heeding to the warning, the pirates departed from the area at full speed. The ship was thus saved from being hijacked due to the prompt action.

Full City photo by Tomas Østberg- Jacobsen from Shipspotting.com and used in accord with the terms of that site.

In the hospital

Which may explain why there aren't many new posts.

Come back soon.

Somali Pirates: Hijacking, Attack and Counterattacks

Red=Hijacking, Orange=Attack (click on map to enlarge)

A report of a hijacking of a ship and an on-going attack on another, from the NATO Shipping Centre :

MAY 01 2011
Latitude 02 47S Longitude 043 03E
Alert Number 166/2011
---WARNING---WARNING---WARNING---
At 0733 UTC 01 MAY 11. A merchant vessel was reported hijacked by pirates in the above position.Two skiffs seen on board the vessel.
______________________________________
April 30th 2011
SOMALI BASIN
Latitude 07 01S Longitude 041 22E
Alert Number 165/2011
---WARNING---WARNING---WARNING---
At 0403 UTC April 30th A merchant vessel is currently under attack by pirates in the above position.

UPDATE: Report of a Singapore chemical tanker being taken off Kenya here:

The tanker, Gemini, was headed to Mombasa, Kenya when the incident took place, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said in a statement. A distressed call was received at about 0350 GMT.

The ship owners report the cargo of the ship is palm oil:

Glory Ship Management Pte. Ltd. said in a statement Sunday that pirates are believed to have seized the Singapore-registered MT Gemini and its more than 28,000 tons of crude palm oil.

Glory said the ship was en route to Mombasa, Kenya, from Indonesia when it was believed to be hijacked and is now likely headed to Somalia.