8 NAVY NEWS, DECEMBER 2008
● Royal Marines in sea boats from HMS Cumberland approach the dhow after a gun battle in which two suspected Somali pirates died
Pirates killed in gun battle
EIGHT suspected pirates skiff, around 60 nautical miles The ensuing firefight resulted in Marines, whose bravery and “This has been underlined by Cumberland for the action they
subdued and apprehended
south of the Yemeni coast, inside the deaths of two men, believed to professionalism played a critical the hijacking of the merchant have taken while defending a
after a gun battle with
a designated Maritime Security be Somali pirates. part in the successful conclusion vessel Sirius Star [a 320,000- Danish ship against pirates.
crew members from HMS
Patrol Area.
At that point the fishing boat’s
of this operation. tonne Saudi supertanker]. “They carried out their
Cumberland have been handed
After various ‘non-forcible’
crew surrendered, allowing a
“I am extremely proud of the “The taking of such a large mission with courage and
compliant boarding.
over to the Kenyans.
methods failed to stop the fishing
men and women involved. vessel so far out to sea represents professionalism.”
A Yemeni national was also
The suspected pirates were
vessel, a Royal Marines boarding
“HMS Cumberland has since a step change in capability for the He added “This incident
found injured on the dhow, but
caught on Tuesday November 11
party was despatched in rigid
resumed her counter-piracy patrol pirates.” demonstrates NATO’s
when frigate HMS Cumberland,
inflatable boats from Cumberland
he later died, despite receiving
duties. There was also praise from determination to play its part in
deployed to the Gulf of Aden,
to intercept the vessel.
emergency treatment from
“But we are no under no NATO Secretary General Jaap deterring piracy off the Somali
spotted a Yemeni fishing vessel
The boarding party sea boats
Cumberland’s doctor.
illusions about the scale of the de Hoop Scheffer, who said: coast, as the UN has asked us
which had earlier taken part in
circled the vessel in an attempt to
The Yemeni vessel and its crew
challenge presented by piracy. “I commend the crew of the to do.”
an attack on Danish-registered
encourage it to stop, but during
were subsequently released while
merchant ship MV Powerful. the manoeuvre the pirates opened
the suspected Somali pirates
were transferred to tanker RFA
Cumberland approached fire, prompting the Royals to
Wave Knight, which docked in
the dhow, which was towing a return fire in self-defence.
Mombasa to hand them over to
the Kenyan Police.
The suspects are exspected to
undergo prosecution through the
Kenyan courts.
Minister for the Armed Forces
Bob Ainsworth, who was visiting
Nairobi in Kenya at the time, said:
“This is clear evidence that we will
take every opportunity to combat
the pirates who disrupt legitimate
trade and add significant costs to
goods UK consumers rely on.
“We are sending a strong message
to pirates that their activities will
not be tolerated and that the global
community is united in its efforts
to deter and disrupt them.”
Cumberland, commanded by
Cdr Peter Sparkes, is part of a
NATO force providing security to
shipping in the Gulf of Aden.
● HMS Northumberland destroys pirate skiffs after the pirates had fl ed the scene of a raid
She is one of three ships from
Standing NATO Maritime Group
2 involved in Operation Allied
Provider – the others, Greek
frigate HS Themistokles and
Italian destroyer ITS Durand de
Northumberland halts
la Penne, have been escorting
freighters into Somalian ports
as part of the UN’s World Food
Programme.
Mr Ainsworth added: “I would
smugglers off Yemen
like to pay tribute to the crews
of HMS Cumberland, RFA
Wave Knight and to the Royal
ALTHOUGH HMS Cumberland was attacked, and although too ashore where the big cats, taken
may have taken the headlines, Type far away to catch the pirates, the by poachers, are prepared to be
23 frigate HMS Northumberland warship’s approach scared off the released back into the wild.
has also been playing her part in raiders, who left their skiffs. Others went on truncated safaris
making the seas off East Africa They were sent to the seabed by while the ship was in Mombasa in
safer for merchant ships. the frigate’s guns. Kenya.
Dhows and skiffs are commonly Days later the ship shadowed a The ship is now considerably
used in these waters by both legal suspect dhow, which put into port, heavier, too, as she is carrying
fisherman and pirates. but the pirates gave themselves what appeared to be several tonnes
Unfortunately, pirate vessels no up to a Danish ship after having of ‘woodies’ – carved wooden
longer look like the Black Pearl sailed again out into the open sea – animals and figures hawked by
and Cap’n Jack Sparrow certainly victims, apparently, of mal de mer. local craftsmen and women.
does not hoist the ‘Jolly Roger’ Northumberland’s ill-fated
flag to obligingly let you know he
Northumberland then
‘maggot danglers’ still live in hope
is a pirate.
assumed the role of drugs-
of catching something; their belief
So the challenge of deciding
buster when she intercepted
which vessels are pirates and which
a dhow suspected of
that the Med is a piscatorial desert
belong to innocent fisherman is
smuggling drugs towards
has now extended to the Indian
constant.
the Yemeni coast.
Ocean as well.
But some of the casual swimmers
“As part of this identification The dhow was about to trans- were not convinced about a lack of
process we carry out routine ship the contraband to smaller fish – particularly those that bite
boarding operations,” said the boats for the run ashore when or sting – preventing some taking
frigate’s Commanding Officer, Northumberland appeared on the advantage of the Hands to Bathe.
Cdr Martin Simpson. scene, and although many packages The bathing facilities were
“They mostly involve local were dumped into the sea one was impressive – a shallow end of
fishermen and cargo boats, retrieved and found to contain around 2,500 metres, for example
and allow us to speak to local many bags of cannabis resin. – but the risk of becoming part
seaman about their concerns and The ship estimated some 1.5 of the food chain, or of having
observations in the area, while also tonnes was ditched overboard. to scramble up the net rigged on
hopefully reassuring them. Northumberland took on fresh the side of the hull, still played on
“It is often forgotten that local supplies and refuelled in Djibouti some minds.
fishermen and small cargo ship on a couple of occasions, and The ship also hosted a traditional
owners are frequently the victims there were also chances to relax in visit by the Court of King Neptune
of piracy as much as the larger between patrols, afloat and ashore. as she crossed the Equator.
international carriers.” Snorkellers and divers swam After a visit to the Seychelles to
Within a couple of days of with whale sharks, dolphins and coincide with Remembrance Day,
Northumberland starting her manta rays, while Cdr Simpson the ship is due to head south to
patrol, the merchant vessel Action found a cheetah sanctuary Cape Town in South Africa.
008_NN_dec.indd 1 20/11/08 15:10:18
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