Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.



Alert - Community Build 8th Session

The 8th session of our MSW Community Build is coming to a close soon, make sure you have your progress shots ready, uploaded, and posted in your Blog by 2/1/09, EST to be in the running for this months point awards!!


On Display - German Type II A, "Einbaum"

MSW crew mate Jan Klarbæk (MrMox) shares his latest build with us, Special Navy's 1/72 scale Type II A German Submarine, in this "On Display" Feature!
On Display




"Kaiten" type Human Torpedoes

Today’s website is "Kaiten" type Human Torpedoes. This webpage is from the Naval Historical Center’s Online Library and features photographs and line drawings. Enjoy.
Website




This Day in U.S. Naval History

1911 - The first hydroaeroplane flight is witnessed by a naval aviator.
1913 - The body of John Paul Jones is laid in its final resting place in the chapel of the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.
1949 - USS Norton Sound (AV 11), the first guided-missile ship, launches first guided missile, Loon.
1960 - USS John S. McCain (DL 3/DDG 36) rescues the entire 41-man crew of the sinking Japanese freighter, Shinwa Maru, in the East China Sea.


Navy Frigates Deploy to Med and Gulf
Source: UK Ministry of Defence

Royal Navy frigates HMS St Albans and HMS Richmond both sailed from Portsmouth Naval Base this morning to conduct maritime security patrols in the Mediterranean and the Gulf respectively.

HMS St Albans will join a NATO Task Group in the Mediterranean and conduct maritime security patrols protecting busy shipping trade routes and providing a visible presence in the region.

Joining the NATO-led 'Operation Active Endeavour', the frigate will help monitor illegal maritime and air activity throughout the Mediterranean. Actively providing maritime and air patrolling and surveillance since October 2001, the NATO security operation has proved an effective deterrent to terrorist-related illegal activity, significantly improving security in the Mediterranean.

Commander Adrian Pierce, Commanding Officer of HMS St Albans, said:

"After successfully completing our operational sea training in December and enjoying some well-deserved Christmas leave, we have worked really hard these last two weeks to be fully prepared and equipped to face any eventuality at sea during the next few months in the Mediterranean. There is a real buzz of anticipation around the ship and we are all looking forward to getting back to sea, working closely with our NATO allies, the shipping industry and the civil authorities, to make a real difference with our presence."

The NATO Task Group plans to conduct a wide range of activities including participation in Operation Active Endeavour and other joint/maritime exercises that will be conducted in the Mediterranean area.

HMS St Albans will also play a role as part of the NATO Response Force (NRF) providing an immediately available capability to be deployed anywhere that NATO decides there is a mission for the NRF. The ship will also have a varied port visit programme, highlights among the many port visits will be visits to Majorca, Italy and Egypt.

HMS Richmond deploys to the Gulf on Operation Telic as part of the UK's contribution to the international coalition of warships conducting maritime security in the region. The frigate will relieve her sister ship HMS Lancaster which will return to Portsmouth at the end of February following a six-month deployment.

Commander Mark Southorn, the Commanding Officer of HMS Richmond, said:

"HMS Richmond will depart on Monday ready in all respects to make a genuine contribution to the security of the Gulf region; having had extensive training tailored to our mission I am confident that HMS Richmond and her ship's company are able to deal with any eventuality."

Both warships will focus on selected maritime contacts of interest, tracking and monitoring suspect vessels to determine their operations. Vessels may be boarded by Royal Navy teams and full inspections of cargo, documentation and crew may be carried out.
Powerful and versatile, the Royal Navy's Type 23 frigates form 50 per cent of the total frigate/destroyer force in the Royal Navy. Originally designed for the principal task of anti-submarine warfare, they are multi-purpose ships with the capability to operate anywhere in the world.


Russian destroyer escorts 3 commercial ships off Somalia
Source: Russian Navy

A Russian Pacific Fleet destroyer on Monday started escorting three commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden during its current anti-piracy mission off Somalia, a Russian Navy spokesman said.

"The Admiral Vinogradov destroyer is currently escorting a convoy comprising Russian ship Nadezhda, bulk freighter Trust Fortuna of Singapore, and cargo vessel Radonezh sailing under a Liberian flag," Captain 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said.

The Admiral Vinogradov has recently replaced the Baltic Fleet's Neustrashimy missile frigate on a mission is to escort civilian vessels through areas where Somali pirates are active.

During its tour-of-duty in the Gulf of Aden from October 2008 to January 2009, the Neustrashimy escorted over 20 convoys along the Somali coast. It is now heading back to its base in Baltiisk in Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad.

Meanwhile, Russia's Fotiy Krylov salvage tug from the Pacific Fleet has successfully escorted the CEC Future ship, which is operated by Danish Clipper Group, to Oman.

The Danish vessel and its crew members had been held off the Somali coast since early November before being released on Thursday after the payment of a ransom believed to be up to $2 million.

Pirates have been increasingly active in the waters off Somalia, where over 110 ships were attacked in 2008, with 42 vessels seized and 815 crew members abducted. Up to 20 warships from the navies of at least 10 countries are involved in anti-piracy operations off the coast of the lawless East African nation.


Photo of the Day



Sailors aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) watch the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) breakaway from the Military Sealift Command dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE 1) after a replenishment at sea.

Gator