Pirates yet again with an American ship

Henning said:
1 in Somalia, there is nothing there that benefits the people of the US. Provide for our ships to defend themselves while in transit, much much much cheaper than naval escorts.

5. Yes, use Amish statecraft and "shun" them. Treat them like we've treated Cuba for half a century.
Click to expand...


I said this before. Your response was to arm the vessels. Which do you actually prefer? Not being a smart*ss, just curious.

The only reason to spend military assets there would be to avoid it from spreading. Somolia is a hell hole. No amout of aid will change that.
 
Anthony said:
I said this before. Your response was to arm the vessels. Which do you actually prefer? Not being a smart*ss, just curious.

The only reason to spend military assets there would be to avoid it from spreading. Somolia is a hell hole. No amout of aid will change that.
Click to expand...

While it's always a possibility, I don't think there's too much danger of it spreading - it would seem that Somalia's neighbors have been concerned for some time now...Ethiopia invaded a while back (2006?) to help prop up the region.

And, being as they had zero success, perhaps that should be a lesson to us - a regional power, presumably more familiar with the culture/customs/language/etc., had no success with military intervention...so why would we?
 
Found in my inbox:
US ship, Liberty Sun, escapes pirate attack while two more vessels are hijacked
Posted: 14 Apr 2009 03:45 PM PDT
Pirates off the coast of Somali remained active on Tuesday despite recent military actions taken by U.S. and French forces in order to free hostages. A total of 5 pirates were killed between the two incidents.
Tuesday the Liberty Sun, a U.S.-flagged cargo ship bound for Mombasa, Kenya with a crew of 20 Americans was attacked by pirates but managed to escape being hijacked. A statement issued by the vessels operator, the New York-based Liberty Maritime Corporation, said that the pirates fired rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons at the vessel which sustained damage. Liberty Maritime immediately requested the assistance of the United States Navy. The USS Bainbridge responded to the attack but the pirates had departed by the time it arrived some six hours later. The pirates never made it onto the ship and the vessel is now being escorted by a coalition ship, still bound for Mombasa, according to reports.
In a seperate incident on Tuesday, Somali pirates were able to hijacked the MV Irene EM, a 35,000-ton Greek-owned bulk carrier. The crew of the MV Irene EM was thought to be unhurt.
Later Tuesday, pirates seized the 5,000-ton MV Sea Horse, a Lebanese-owned and Togo-flagged vessel. Details about the ship and its crew weren’t immediately available.
On Monday, pirates hijacked two Egyptian fishing boats carrying a total of between 18 and 24 people.
 
Anthony said:
I said this before. Your response was to arm the vessels. Which do you actually prefer? Not being a smart*ss, just curious.
Click to expand...
:confused::confused::confused: I contradicted myself where? Arm the vessels for transit through the area and leave Somalia alone, completely. Those are not mutually exclusive ideals.
 
Henning said:
:confused::confused::confused: I contradicted myself where? Arm the vessels for transit through the area and leave Somalia alone, completely. Those are not mutually exclusive ideals.
Click to expand...


Oh, OK. Got it. Thanks for clearing that up. I thought you were saying to not even transit the area. FWIW, I agree.
 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
While it's always a possibility, I don't think there's too much danger of it spreading - it would seem that Somalia's neighbors have been concerned for some time now...Ethiopia invaded a while back (2006?) to help prop up the region.

And, being as they had zero success, perhaps that should be a lesson to us - a regional power, presumably more familiar with the culture/customs/language/etc., had no success with military intervention...so why would we?
Click to expand...

Overall, my point is that Somalia seems more and more to resemble a post-Soviet Afghanistan -- and we all know the mess that emanated from there. The pirate attacks are just one symptom of it, and the longer we throw up our arms and say, "Bah, it's an insolvable mess. Leave it alone!" the longer we allow it to be an incubator for problems much bigger than piracy.
 
ReverendSlappy said:
Overall, my point is that Somalia seems more and more to resemble a post-Soviet Afghanistan -- and we all know the mess that emanated from there. The pirate attacks are just one symptom of it, and the longer we throw up our arms and say, "Bah, it's an insolvable mess. Leave it alone!" the longer we allow it to be an incubator for problems much bigger than piracy.
Click to expand...

The longer we keep diddling in the region, the longer things stay and grow in that incubator. Turn the incubator off, let all the eggs hatch, the chicks will fight it out until they figure it out or kill each other and there's only one chick left squawking. What keeps the mess going is interference by well meaning but stupid do gooders. The only thing that we can do there that won't make the situation worse as a result of our efforts is to walk away. If we wanted to do something "for the region" we would have stepped in in Rwanda and Sudan during the blood bath there, but we didn't. The only reason to go into Somalia at this point is to flex muscle. There is nothing the western world can do there that will have a positive long term outcome except nuking the place. The results will be much the same as letting the situation solve itself (there will be no solution without blood letting, get that right out of your head) only quicker and more humane. Kinda like putting your dog down vs. letting him die of cancer. The death is inevitable. For us, the best long term result will to be from just letting them kill each other.

BTW, the big mess that you refer to in Afghanistan is brought about as a direct consequence of us getting involved, and the regime we backed, turned around and attacked us. So yeah, the situations are similar enough we should learn to mind our own business. In that situation we had justification for getting involved, here there is none.
 
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I'm posting the following email I received from a friend from a friend from a friend, with names removed by me. I can't vouch for its authenticity, but the email headers are all navy domain...

as originally received, except for removal of multiple email word-wraps and removal of names

CAUTION - contains a little sailor language
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: xxxxx
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 10:55 AM
Subject: Terry & the Pirates - 2009


This is the first-hand account from a sailor onboard the USS Boxer.

Jargon key located at the bottom.


How did YOU spend Easter!? I spent mine watching some pirates get
spattered off the coast of Somalia!

I've been taking notes on facts and (well noted) speculation and rumors.

What I know is on the eleventh of April, 2009 at 1600 two C17 cargo planes
flew over Boxer and out of the back four parachutes emerged. Then came the
boats! Four very fast 1300 hp SWCC boats with radar and guns!

After those were safely extracted the personnel and SEALs jumped.

About 95 people in all arrived in the water near Boxer.

Swam to the ship and entered the well-deck.

I spoke with some of the SEALs in the hangar bay where they are staging
their gear for the time being. He was rearranging his gear and talking to a
younger looking Ops guy with shoulder-length hair and a feeble semblance of a
beard. I struck up a conversation with them and they're really friendly the
older SEAL finished with his bag and reached for a rifle case casually unzipped
it and pulled out a Mark 416 a highly specialized carbine and as he explained
"it's basically an M -4, but made by H&K so it's better!"

"Visible and non-visible lasers, collapsible stock. It's nice."

"And is that an advanced armament suppressor?" I asked.

"Yeah that just makes it sound better, and the ladies love it!"

I asked him if it's the coolest job in the navy.

"Well I haven't ever flown an F-18 off a carrier, but yeah, pretty much!"

"You guys don’t wear any insignia."

"We don't wear it, but we're still in the Navy."

"I know that but what's with that?"

"Well I'm a Chief, and he is a second-class"

"Oh, ok"

"So, Chief, did you come in as a SEAL?"

"Yep, you don't have to be formal, that's why we don't wear it. It gets in
the way and besides, we know who's in charge."

"Well I have to get back to watch."

"OK, any time you see us over hear and just want to chat and shoot the
****, feel free!"

"Cool, thanks"

"Any time"

I also found out from the CPO that the guys flew in from VB on C17's and
that took 18 hours!

They parachuted into the ocean! That’s cool as hell!

At 2100 on Saturday we were headed for the area where the USS Bainbridge
(DDG 96) was already in position several hundred miles east off of Somalia's
coast.

And on Sunday there were so many parts of our engine that were broken from
traveling at flank speed (full Bendix) that we stopped the shaft engaged the
jacking gear, pinned the gear and tagged out the ************! I spent three
watches fabricating parts, helping replace sight-flow indicators on journal
bearings and running around the ship.

On Easter Sunday night, at around 1530 I was making my hourly rounds
through the hangar bay and heard four distant rifle reports and knew exactly
what happened. There was an orange capsule being towed by Bainbridge.

Two SEAL snipers laying prone on the fantail with Barrett .50 cal rifles
pointed at the small craft.

CAPT. Richard Phillips of Vermont was swimming toward the RHIB sitting
close to the lifeboat.

When the Navy said that we want to see proof of life the good captain
jumped into the water and started to draw fire from the pirates. The Snipers
fired.

I had to return to my watch station and at close of business I assumed my
next watch: CNN's live broadcast of speculation and grievous bull****! I
haven't decipher all of this crap for you.

At 2300 Africa time the Maersk Alabama safely docked in Mombasa, Kenya and
the crew was debriefed by the FBI for some reason.

Captain Phillips was Logged onboard Boxer at 1836 and one skinny, short,
pitiful-looking (and never in a million year is he sixteen) pirate, who was
escorted, handcuffed despite the wounds, wearing blacked out ski goggles,
through the hangar bay by like 20 marines and MA's.

He has asked for amnesty. He'll probably get a UN Trial for international
piracy.

(I witness all of this and have to wonder: hasn't copyright protection gone
just a little too far? I mean, why are we killing folks over some illegal
DVDs?)

"We always laugh and joke about pirates onboard and don't realize that this
is one of the world's most serious crimes!"

-Me, four hours ago.
Monday, APR 13, 2009.

At 0930 USS Boxer sits of the coast of Somalia and the Bainbridge is at her
stern on the port side in tow, the life boat containing three lifeless pirates
dispatched into oblivion by the best sharpshooters the world around.

The corpses are transferred under the heaviest morgue security I've seen
since President Ford's funeral to the USS Boxer's chilled holding facility.

At 1000 the lifeboat from Alabama is hoisted onto Boxer's flight deck by
the local crane.

I was there when the boat arrived onboard. Standing next to some chopper
refueling buddies and joking about the incident.

"Hey, what's orange, full of blood and hanging from a crane?"

"What?"

"That boat that some pirates got smoked in."

Probably the most interesting Easter I've ever spent!

Looking closely at the boat, I see four large bullet holes on the STB side
where "justice" entered the pirate's minds.

Some brain matter sloshed around in the boat.

I was told before I left San Diego that I would hate the Boxer, I tell you
now, I wouldn't rather be on any other ship.
Broken parts and all I like it.

1025
"Maersk Alabama, Departing." is heard over the 1MC.
The name of the ship is used to describe the Captain as he is at the top of
the command.

Personal speculation and trusted brass scuttlebutt says that our AOR has
shifted from the Gulf of Aden where there aren't any pirates, to where we sit
now.

16 ships and 200 hostages from various countries still remain stranded…

Not for long, I predict.

As always, keeping it real on the high seas with the US Navy,
XXXX XXX, XXX USS Boxer, Somalia
-------------------------------------
KEY:
SWCC, Special Warfare Combatant Crewman, brown water
H&K, Heckler and Koch, famous German weapon's designer's world renowned
for their popular .45 cal USP (universal service pistol) and other
highly precise firearms.
CPO, Chief Petty Officer, USN, E7
VB, Virginia Beach, Virginia, East coast headquarter of Special Warfare.
DDG, Guided Missile Destroyer
Flank, the fastest speed the ship can travel, equal to about 35 knots
RHIB, (rib) Rigid-hulled inflatable boat
STB, Starboard (right)
1MC, numeric designation for the main announcing circuit used on U.S. Navy vessels.
AOR, Area Of Responsibility, the confines within which we roam.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Sent to me:
This is an email from one of the Engineers on the Maersk Alabama shortly after everything went down. The person referred to as Mike is the Chief Engineer.
Pretty interesting.


M/V ALABAMA


Everyone on here is okay. We're on our way to Mombasa with Navy
protection on board.Captain Phillips is still hostage in the lifeboat
with the 4 pirates.I hear they're flying out reliefs for everyone,
but I'm not sure what all's going to happen once we get to Mombasa. Supposedly the FBI is coming out to investigate the crime.Maybe we'll
be on the next CSI Somalia.

I wanted to let you know some of the lessons we learned so you guys can
better prepare yourselves for something similar. The only guys actually
captured by the pirates were on the bridge: Capt, 3/M, and 2 AB's.

I don't really know why they stayed on the bridge until the pirates got
up there. Then they had keys to everything and were able to unlock
everyone's rooms. The pirates got up to the bridge very quickly once
they were onboard. We had a locked cage door over the ladder well from
main deck, but it only took a second for them to shoot it off.They then
got to the bridge up the outside ladders. By that time we had taken
control of the engine and steering down below. Mike stayed in the ECR
and the C/M was out on deck tracking the pirates' movement. We kept swinging the rudder side to side.The pirates' boat capsized, though I'm
not sure exactly when or what caused it.After about 20 minutes the engine was killed,I don't know by whom.At that point I shut off the air bottles
and Mike killed power. He was also able to get outside and trip the fuel
shutoff for the EDG.

I think this was critical.The pirates were very reluctant to go into the
dark.We will be looking at a way to shut off the EDG from the ECR in the
future. All the crew had been mustered and secured in the steering gear.
Our pirates didn't have any grenades, so they would have never been able
to break in there. The previous day we had welded a padeye on the inside
of the hatch to the fantail so it was secured from the inside. The only
problem with the steering gear was the heat and the shortage of water.In
the future we will store food and water in various spots for emergency
usage.

I think we will also run a fresh water line into the steering gear. We
were able to make a run from the steering gear to the E/R water fountain
and fill up some empty oil sample bottles we had back there. The C/M was
also able to get some fruit and sodas from the galley and drop them down
the line standpipe. The pirates sent the 3/M unescorted to go look for
crewmembers, so he was able to get away. One of the pirates then went
with an AB down to the E/R to look for people.Mike was able to jump him
in the dark and we took him prisoner in the steering gear. No one else
came down into the E/R. As the day went on the pirates became desperate
to get out of there.There boat was sunk, and they couldn't get our ship
moving.

The Captain talked them into taking the MOB boat. The three remaining
pirates went down in the MOB boat with Phillips. We were then able to
negotiate with them over the radio. We dropped some food, water and
diesel to them. We started getting the plant back on line.
Unfortunately, the MOB boat wouldn't start. A couple of guys got in the
lifeboat and dropped it. They motored over and traded the lifeboat for
the MOB boat.We were supposed to exchange their guy for the Captain, but
they ended up keeping him.They motored off in the lifeboat. They had no
way of getting back aboard, so we followed them. The Navy showed up a
few hours later. We stayed close by for some time, but then the Navy
asked us to head out. I heard that several other pirate vessels were
heading our way and the Navy wanted us out of the way. That's about it.
I'll give you all the details some other time.

Just to reiterate the most important points:
Have a well fortified location with food and water supply.
Kill all the lights.
Leave the alarms going, the noise helped cover our movements through
the house. Flashlights and radios are very handy, as well as the
sound-powered phone.

Anyway,it was a pretty stressful situation.I have to say I am impressed
with how the entire crew responded. We didn't have anybody who wanted to
give up. I'm pretty confident that Phillips will end up ok.They have to
know that if they kill him they'll be done. I assume the company will be
forced into taking some kind of action to assure our security from now on.
 
We drink and we pillage and we do what we please
We get all that we want for free
We’ll kick your ass
And rape your lass
Somalian pirates we
So with a yo ho ho
And with a yee hee hee
We take to the African sea
We’ll brave the squalls
And bust your balls
Somalian pirates we

We left our homes and we left our mothers
To go on a pillaging spree
We’ll cut off your ears
And break your toes
And make you drink our pee
And if you sail into our waters
You best hear this decree
We’ll take your boat
Set your ass afloat
Somalian pirates we

With a yo ho ho (yo ho ho)
And a tricky lah-tee do (tricky lah-tee do)
We’ll shoot you in the face with glee
Then we’ll cut off your c$%^
And feed it to a croc
Somalian pirates we
Somalian pirates we
Somalian pirates we

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Rev. Slappy has forgotten who Bainbridge was, the Philadelphia and "the shores of Tripoli".

What really makes one think that after 200 years we can change this?

And yes, that's one quick thinking crew.....that needs armament.
 
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OK, Henning, slight translation needed:

I figured out E/R= Engine Room
ECR= Engine Control Room
3/M = 3rd Mate?
C/M = Chief ummm... Mechanic?
ABs?
MOB? boat
EDG = Engine ...DG? (Diesel Generator? These have electric motors like a sub?)
 
mikea said:
OK, Henning, slight translation needed:

I figured out E/R= Engine Room
ECR= Engine Control Room
3/M = 3rd Mate?
C/M = Chief ummm... Mechanic?
ABs?
MOB? boat
EDG = Engine ...DG? (Diesel Generator? These have electric motors like a sub?)
Click to expand...


3/M Third Mate

C/M Chief Mate (First Mate is a landlubbers term)

AB, Ablebodied Seaman. A tested but unlicensed rating.

MOB Boat is a Man Overboard Boat, typically a fast RIB on a davit that can be operated by the one person who is in the boat to execute the rescue. Also known as Rescue Boat.


EDG Emergency Diesel Generator. Typically a small generator on the upper deck that provides electricity to power the wheelhouse and radio room as well as the rest of the ships emergency systems in case the generator room goes underwater.

Yes, some ships are diesel electric, but the EDG won't propel the ship.
 
Last edited:
Hmmm. The Italians have noe fired on he pirates from a cruise ship. http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-world/20090426/Piracy/ (BTW, Leslie's dream vacation is to the Seychelles!)

An interesting quote:
"There is a consensus in the shipping industry that, in the vast majority of cases, having an armed guard is not a good idea. The No. 1 reason is that it could cause an escalation of violence and pirates that have so far been trying to scare ships could now start to kill people," said Roger Middleton, an expert on Somali piracy at London-based think tank Chatham House.
Other experts disagree, saying piracy off the coast of modern-day Somalia is unique in that the pirates are most interested in human cargo.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, the pirates seem to be improving:
Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy 5th Fleet, noted that the distance from the Somali coast — 500 miles — was a sign of the pirates' increasing skill. Until last year, the majority of pirate attacks occurred within 100 miles of the Somali shore but he said that last fall there had been a "definite shift in their tactical capabilities."
Click to expand...
 
And what if it suddenly results in ships being reasonably armed, as the only one of us who has any significant maritime experience (Henning) suggests, or in some other reasonable safeguard?
 
I wonder if he would make the same statement against Jeanine Garofalo for her comments?
 
KennyFlys said:
I wonder if he would make the same statement against Jeanine Garofalo for her comments?
Click to expand...

Probably doesn't even know who she is.

The only reason I recognize the name is because of Team America. I have absolutely no idea who she really is.
 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
Probably doesn't even know who she is.

The only reason I recognize the name is because of Team America. I have absolutely no idea who she really is.
Click to expand...
Comedian, actress and limited career as a radio talk show host on Air America.

Henning said:
What did she say?
Click to expand...
She made limited headlines last week by calling the Tea Party gatherings "racist."

That's about all that needs to be said here.
 
KennyFlys said:
Comedian, actress and limited career as a radio talk show host on Air America.


She made limited headlines last week by calling the Tea Party gatherings "racist."

That's about all that needs to be said here.
Click to expand...


Oh blah blah blah, she's a funny enough actress, but who in the hell decided "Celebrity Status" lends validity or credibility to their opinions? Good God please help us all....
 
Henning said:
Oh blah blah blah, she's a funny enough actress, but who in the hell decided "Celebrity Status" lends validity or credibility to their opinions? Good God please help us all....
Click to expand...
The idiots who use them for their news source? Unfortunate but true.
 
KennyFlys said:
I wonder if he would make the same statement against Jeanine Garofalo for her comments?
Click to expand...

If she said something as moronic and incendiary as Limbaugh did about the piracy, I imagine he would. But she didn't as far as I know.


Trapper John
 
Did Rush really say that???

DO people REALLY listen to that jackhole??!!:nonod:
 
Please, keep politics out or the thread gets it!
 
SCCutler said:
Please, keep politics out or the thread gets it!
Click to expand...
No problem as long as someone doesn't dispute what I've said when it's clear they didn't even read the post. Why do you think I left that pig pen known as the Spin Zone?

The door was opened with a posted claim by a party to the original story. I responded with fact by another source, not my opinion. If this thread was to be in the Spin Zone by supposed policy, it missed the boat by more than 300 posts back.
 
SCCutler said:
Please, keep politics out or the thread gets it!
Click to expand...

Ummm...

KennyFlys said:
If this thread was to be in the Spin Zone by supposed policy, it missed the boat by more than 300 posts back.
Click to expand...

That is the most right on Kenny has ever been. This is one of the two threads that I can't believe wasn't banished to SZ on its first or second page.
 
gkainz said:
I'm posting the following email I received from a friend from a friend from a friend, with names removed by me. I can't vouch for its authenticity, but the email headers are all navy domain...

as originally received, except for removal of multiple email word-wraps and removal of names

CAUTION - contains a little sailor language
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: xxxxx
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 10:55 AM
Subject: Terry & the Pirates - 2009


This is the first-hand account from a sailor onboard the USS Boxer.

Jargon key located at the bottom.


How did YOU spend Easter!? I spent mine watching some pirates get
spattered off the coast of Somalia!

I've been taking notes on facts and (well noted) speculation and rumors.

What I know is on the eleventh of April, 2009 at 1600 two C17 cargo planes
flew over Boxer and out of the back four parachutes emerged. Then came the
boats! Four very fast 1300 hp SWCC boats with radar and guns!

After those were safely extracted the personnel and SEALs jumped.

About 95 people in all arrived in the water near Boxer.

Swam to the ship and entered the well-deck.

I spoke with some of the SEALs in the hangar bay where they are staging
their gear for the time being. He was rearranging his gear and talking to a
younger looking Ops guy with shoulder-length hair and a feeble semblance of a
beard. I struck up a conversation with them and they're really friendly the
older SEAL finished with his bag and reached for a rifle case casually unzipped
it and pulled out a Mark 416 a highly specialized carbine and as he explained
"it's basically an M -4, but made by H&K so it's better!"

"Visible and non-visible lasers, collapsible stock. It's nice."

"And is that an advanced armament suppressor?" I asked.

"Yeah that just makes it sound better, and the ladies love it!"

I asked him if it's the coolest job in the navy.

"Well I haven't ever flown an F-18 off a carrier, but yeah, pretty much!"

"You guys don’t wear any insignia."

"We don't wear it, but we're still in the Navy."

"I know that but what's with that?"

"Well I'm a Chief, and he is a second-class"

"Oh, ok"

"So, Chief, did you come in as a SEAL?"

"Yep, you don't have to be formal, that's why we don't wear it. It gets in
the way and besides, we know who's in charge."

"Well I have to get back to watch."

"OK, any time you see us over hear and just want to chat and shoot the
****, feel free!"

"Cool, thanks"

"Any time"

I also found out from the CPO that the guys flew in from VB on C17's and
that took 18 hours!

They parachuted into the ocean! That’s cool as hell!

At 2100 on Saturday we were headed for the area where the USS Bainbridge
(DDG 96) was already in position several hundred miles east off of Somalia's
coast.

And on Sunday there were so many parts of our engine that were broken from
traveling at flank speed (full Bendix) that we stopped the shaft engaged the
jacking gear, pinned the gear and tagged out the ************! I spent three
watches fabricating parts, helping replace sight-flow indicators on journal
bearings and running around the ship.

On Easter Sunday night, at around 1530 I was making my hourly rounds
through the hangar bay and heard four distant rifle reports and knew exactly
what happened. There was an orange capsule being towed by Bainbridge.

Two SEAL snipers laying prone on the fantail with Barrett .50 cal rifles
pointed at the small craft.

CAPT. Richard Phillips of Vermont was swimming toward the RHIB sitting
close to the lifeboat.

When the Navy said that we want to see proof of life the good captain
jumped into the water and started to draw fire from the pirates. The Snipers
fired.

I had to return to my watch station and at close of business I assumed my
next watch: CNN's live broadcast of speculation and grievous bull****! I
haven't decipher all of this crap for you.

At 2300 Africa time the Maersk Alabama safely docked in Mombasa, Kenya and
the crew was debriefed by the FBI for some reason.

Captain Phillips was Logged onboard Boxer at 1836 and one skinny, short,
pitiful-looking (and never in a million year is he sixteen) pirate, who was
escorted, handcuffed despite the wounds, wearing blacked out ski goggles,
through the hangar bay by like 20 marines and MA's.

He has asked for amnesty. He'll probably get a UN Trial for international
piracy.

(I witness all of this and have to wonder: hasn't copyright protection gone
just a little too far? I mean, why are we killing folks over some illegal
DVDs?)

"We always laugh and joke about pirates onboard and don't realize that this
is one of the world's most serious crimes!"

-Me, four hours ago.
Monday, APR 13, 2009.

At 0930 USS Boxer sits of the coast of Somalia and the Bainbridge is at her
stern on the port side in tow, the life boat containing three lifeless pirates
dispatched into oblivion by the best sharpshooters the world around.

The corpses are transferred under the heaviest morgue security I've seen
since President Ford's funeral to the USS Boxer's chilled holding facility.

At 1000 the lifeboat from Alabama is hoisted onto Boxer's flight deck by
the local crane.

I was there when the boat arrived onboard. Standing next to some chopper
refueling buddies and joking about the incident.

"Hey, what's orange, full of blood and hanging from a crane?"

"What?"

"That boat that some pirates got smoked in."

Probably the most interesting Easter I've ever spent!

Looking closely at the boat, I see four large bullet holes on the STB side
where "justice" entered the pirate's minds.

Some brain matter sloshed around in the boat.

I was told before I left San Diego that I would hate the Boxer, I tell you
now, I wouldn't rather be on any other ship.
Broken parts and all I like it.

1025
"Maersk Alabama, Departing." is heard over the 1MC.
The name of the ship is used to describe the Captain as he is at the top of
the command.

Personal speculation and trusted brass scuttlebutt says that our AOR has
shifted from the Gulf of Aden where there aren't any pirates, to where we sit
now.

16 ships and 200 hostages from various countries still remain stranded…

Not for long, I predict.

As always, keeping it real on the high seas with the US Navy,
XXXX XXX, XXX USS Boxer, Somalia
-------------------------------------
KEY:
SWCC, Special Warfare Combatant Crewman, brown water
H&K, Heckler and Koch, famous German weapon's designer's world renowned
for their popular .45 cal USP (universal service pistol) and other
highly precise firearms.
CPO, Chief Petty Officer, USN, E7
VB, Virginia Beach, Virginia, East coast headquarter of Special Warfare.
DDG, Guided Missile Destroyer
Flank, the fastest speed the ship can travel, equal to about 35 knots
RHIB, (rib) Rigid-hulled inflatable boat
STB, Starboard (right)
1MC, numeric designation for the main announcing circuit used on U.S. Navy vessels.
AOR, Area Of Responsibility, the confines within which we roam.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click to expand...

Henning said:
Sent to me:
This is an email from one of the Engineers on the Maersk Alabama shortly after everything went down. The person referred to as Mike is the Chief Engineer.
Pretty interesting.


M/V ALABAMA


Everyone on here is okay. We're on our way to Mombasa with Navy
protection on board.Captain Phillips is still hostage in the lifeboat
with the 4 pirates.I hear they're flying out reliefs for everyone,
but I'm not sure what all's going to happen once we get to Mombasa. Supposedly the FBI is coming out to investigate the crime.Maybe we'll
be on the next CSI Somalia.

I wanted to let you know some of the lessons we learned so you guys can
better prepare yourselves for something similar. The only guys actually
captured by the pirates were on the bridge: Capt, 3/M, and 2 AB's.

I don't really know why they stayed on the bridge until the pirates got
up there. Then they had keys to everything and were able to unlock
everyone's rooms. The pirates got up to the bridge very quickly once
they were onboard. We had a locked cage door over the ladder well from
main deck, but it only took a second for them to shoot it off.They then
got to the bridge up the outside ladders. By that time we had taken
control of the engine and steering down below. Mike stayed in the ECR
and the C/M was out on deck tracking the pirates' movement. We kept swinging the rudder side to side.The pirates' boat capsized, though I'm
not sure exactly when or what caused it.After about 20 minutes the engine was killed,I don't know by whom.At that point I shut off the air bottles
and Mike killed power. He was also able to get outside and trip the fuel
shutoff for the EDG.

I think this was critical.The pirates were very reluctant to go into the
dark.We will be looking at a way to shut off the EDG from the ECR in the
future. All the crew had been mustered and secured in the steering gear.
Our pirates didn't have any grenades, so they would have never been able
to break in there. The previous day we had welded a padeye on the inside
of the hatch to the fantail so it was secured from the inside. The only
problem with the steering gear was the heat and the shortage of water.In
the future we will store food and water in various spots for emergency
usage.

I think we will also run a fresh water line into the steering gear. We
were able to make a run from the steering gear to the E/R water fountain
and fill up some empty oil sample bottles we had back there. The C/M was
also able to get some fruit and sodas from the galley and drop them down
the line standpipe. The pirates sent the 3/M unescorted to go look for
crewmembers, so he was able to get away. One of the pirates then went
with an AB down to the E/R to look for people.Mike was able to jump him
in the dark and we took him prisoner in the steering gear. No one else
came down into the E/R. As the day went on the pirates became desperate
to get out of there.There boat was sunk, and they couldn't get our ship
moving.

The Captain talked them into taking the MOB boat. The three remaining
pirates went down in the MOB boat with Phillips. We were then able to
negotiate with them over the radio. We dropped some food, water and
diesel to them. We started getting the plant back on line.
Unfortunately, the MOB boat wouldn't start. A couple of guys got in the
lifeboat and dropped it. They motored over and traded the lifeboat for
the MOB boat.We were supposed to exchange their guy for the Captain, but
they ended up keeping him.They motored off in the lifeboat. They had no
way of getting back aboard, so we followed them. The Navy showed up a
few hours later. We stayed close by for some time, but then the Navy
asked us to head out. I heard that several other pirate vessels were
heading our way and the Navy wanted us out of the way. That's about it.
I'll give you all the details some other time.

Just to reiterate the most important points:
Have a well fortified location with food and water supply.
Kill all the lights.
Leave the alarms going, the noise helped cover our movements through
the house. Flashlights and radios are very handy, as well as the
sound-powered phone.

Anyway,it was a pretty stressful situation.I have to say I am impressed
with how the entire crew responded. We didn't have anybody who wanted to
give up. I'm pretty confident that Phillips will end up ok.They have to
know that if they kill him they'll be done. I assume the company will be
forced into taking some kind of action to assure our security from now on.
Click to expand...

Those are soooo fake. :rolleyes:

There's a documentary right now on the Military Channel that is almost word for word what those say:
Somali Pirate Takedown - The Real Story
http://military.discovery.com/tv-schedules/special.html?paid=52.15846.128530.38275.0
 
but, but, but ... how can that be? I read it on the internet/got it in my email so it's GOT to be true!!! :)
 
The Maersk Alabama was stalked again by pirates, TWICE, but now they have armed security on board:
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The EU Naval Force says a suspected pirate skiff approached the American ship Maersk Alabama but turned back after a security team onboard fired warning shots.
..
In 2009, pirates boarded the ship and took the American captain hostage on a lifeboat for five days before three pirates were shot dead by Navy SEALs.

Guards aboard the Maersk Alabama repelled another pirate attack in November 2009.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...DyRDpA?docId=6a9f007870b54ea4a3b720fe0b071e38
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
mikea said:
The Maersk Alabama was stalked again by pirates, TWICE, but now they have armed security on board:
Click to expand...
As you said in the other thread, "GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY!"

It seems we've reached Peak Somali Pirate.

Somali pirates may have reached their limit, at least for now. Security agencies have suggested that Somali pirates are willing to negotiate lower ransoms to release ships they have seized -- because they are running out of room.

Somali pirates have made large swathes of the Indian Ocean a no-go area, but lately they've become victims of their own success. Security agencies report that pirate groups are more willing to negotiate the release of captured vessels lately -- in large part, experts believe, because their ports at Haradheere, Eyl and Hobyo are choked up with ships.
​
 
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