Bulgaria (ship)

Bulgaria () was a class 785/OL800 Russian river cruise ship (built in Komárno, Czechoslovakia) which operated in the Volga-Don basin. On 10 July 2011, "Bulgaria" sank in the Kuybyshev Reservoir of the Volga River near Syukeyevo, Kamsko-Ustyinsky District, Tatarstan, Russia, with 201 passengers and crew aboard when sailing from the town of Bolgar to the regional capital, Kazan. The catastrophe led to 122 confirmed deaths (bodies recovered and identified).
The sinking of "Bulgaria" was Russia's worst maritime disaster since 1986, when the collided with a cargo ship and 423 people died.
Ship.
"Bulgaria" was built at Slovak shipyard in Komárno, Czechoslovakia, in 1955 as "Ukraina", and was renamed "Bulgaria" in February 2010 after the Volga Bulgaria. Her length was , her beam was , her draft was , and her power output was . She had two engines and two decks. Her cruising speed was , and her original passenger capacity was 233 (later reduced after overhaul).
At the time of the sinking, "Bulgaria" was owned by Kamskoye Rechnoye Parokhodstvo, which leased the ship to OOO Briz, which in turn subleased it to OOO Argorechtur, which operated it, according to media reports, on a bareboat charter. That means OOO Agrorechtur accepted sole liability for technical maintenance and crew placement. Investigators claim that Argorechtur was operating the cruise ship without a proper licence, and the director of OOO Agrorechtur was arrested on 12 July 2011.
On 22 July with the help of two salvage cranes "Bulgaria" was partially lifted to the water surface. On 23 July it was moved to the nearby shallow Gulf of Kirelsky, where its hold was sealed. On 25 July the bodies of the last two missing passengers were found in their cabins. On 26 July "Bulgaria" was moved to floating dock for further disaster investigation.
Sinking.
On 10 July 2011, "Bulgaria" was traveling in Tatarstan on the Volga River when she was caught in a storm and sank at about 13:58 Moscow time (09:58 UTC), several hours after beginning her cruise.
Survivors say that during the cruise, "Bulgaria" encountered stormy weather, and listed sharply to starboard. This was apparently compounded by the captain trying to turn the boat around, and soon water rushed into the vessel through portholes that had been opened because the ship had no air conditioning. According to a survivor, the sinking came without warning, and the vessel "listed to starboard ... and capsized and sank." The boat sank within minutes, plunging nearly to the river bed. The sinking occurred about from shore, in the Kamsko-Ustyinsky District.
Casualties.
At the time of the incident, "Bulgaria" total complement of passengers and crew is estimated to have been at 201, though she was only rated to carry 120.
On 11 July 2011, a government official from the Ministry of Emergency Situations said that the likelihood of finding additional survivors was slim, leaving a presumed total of up to 129 dead. On 12 July 2011, the divers recovered bodies of "Bulgaria"'s captain Alexander Ostrovsky and his spouse. As of 25 July 2011, the officially confirmed death toll was 122, with all bodies found so far identified. Among the dead were believed to be at least 50 children.
Seventy-nine people (56 passengers and 23 crew members) were reported to have survived. Of those, 76 were rescued by the cruise ship "Arabella", a few others were saved by other boats, and one swam to the shore.
Passed ships.
According to survivors' accounts, two ships (the oil tanker "Volgoneft-104" [other sources claim it could have been the "Volgoneft-38"] and the freighter "Arbat") passed by after the "Bulgaria" had sunk. The passing ships did not stop to help and the ICRF has launched an official investigation into these claims.
In accordance with Russian criminal code, article 270, the captain of a ship that refuses to help in disaster could be sentenced to up to two years of deprivation of freedom. However it may be that these ships, being heavy freight barges with minimal crews, were not technically capable of stopping while passing, or of turning back in an acceptable time. The barge owners refused to comment. The technical reasons may not be sufficient to justify the refusal, as the article 270 of the Russian criminal code allows the only reason to refuse help when it could endanger a ship or its crew or passengers. Assistance from the towboat "Dunaisky 66", which was towing two barges, was refused by "Arabella"'s captain who believed that the towboat would not have provided useful help and would only hinder the rescue. Both Volgoneft-104 and Volgoneft-38 are equipped with life boats and, while coordinates are not precisely tracked, were in the region of the accident. Investigators did not charge captains of any oil tankers in relation to the "Bulgaria" disaster as of 15 July 2011; the only captains charged with failure to save are captains of "Arbat" (Yuri Tuchin) and "Dunaisky 66" (Alexander Egorov). These two ships seem also equipped with life boats.
On 28 February 2012, Alexander Egorov was found guilty by court. However, the court imposed only a relatively minor penalty of 190,000 RUB (less than 4,900 EUR). Egorov pleaded not guilty, claiming that entering the disaster area while towing barges would have hindered the rescue operation. He is considering filing an appeal.
Cause.
On 11 July, an anonymous source close to the committee investigating the sinking said that the likely cause was portholes that were opened because of the lack of air conditioning on the vessel, which allowed water to enter "Bulgaria" when the captain attempted to turn the ship during stormy weather.
Evidence suggested that a number of safety violations could have caused or compounded the disaster. According to one survivor, emergency exit doors on the boat had been sealed or locked shut. Investigators also suggested that the boat set sail with a list to the right, possibly due to full sewage or fuel tanks on that side, and with one of its engines not properly functioning. According to investigators, sailing with a malfunctioning engine is a serious violation of passenger boat regulations. Some survivors told Russian news agencies that they begged the captain to turn round because of the list, but were ignored. There were conflicting reports about whether the boat and the cruise operator were properly licensed for passenger cruises. Survivors from the crew claimed that "Bulgaria" had lost electric power minutes before she sank, which effectively disabled ship controls, and prevented the crew from making a distress call over radio. For some unknown reason the emergency power did not come in. It was not until "Arabella" picked up first survivors that authorities found out the name of the vessel and the true scale of the disaster.
While the ship was not licensed to carry the number of passengers that were on board, it probably was not technically overloaded as in the past it had been tested with as many as 2000 passengers.
Government reaction.
President Dmitry Medvedev on 11 July ordered "a complete check on all means of passenger transport" in Russia in response to the sinking of "Bulgaria", and also declared 12 July a national day of mourning for those killed in the incident.


SS Swarthmore Victory

SS "Swarthmore Victory" (MCV-737) was a type VC2-S-AP2 Victory-class cargo ship built for the United States during World War II. The ship was built as part of the Emergency Shipbuilding program by Permanente Metals Corporation in Yard 2 of the Richmond Shipyards in Richmond, California. Named after Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Caomplete on April 7, 1945 "Swarthmore Victory" delivered supplies for the Pacific War and was operated by the United States Lines.
Post war.
In 1948 Catalina Wild Life Expeditions, owned by Noel Rosefelt, hired "Swarthmore Victory" to import animals including elephants. The four baby elephants for Tom Packs Circus in New Orleans became known to the world before coming to America. "Swarthmore Victory" was delayed by two typhoons coming from Siam. The ship ran out of hay for the elephants four days before landing and worms for the birds on board. So started "Operation Haylift". The "Swarthmore Victory"s captain radioed the Naval Air Station Alameda that the ship had an emergency need of food for the hungry 6 four year elephants for a circus and tropical birds for zoos. The Navy sent a large flying boat, a Martin JRM Mars named the "Marshall Mars". The plane dropped Hay and worms in waterproof bags into the ocean. The food was retrieved by the ship's crew. The November 1948 trip by the "Marshall Mars" was a round trip of . The six Elephants and tropical birds arrived safely in the United States. One elephant, Sue arrived at the Sacramento Zoo in November 1948 and lived at the zoo until her death in April 1989.
In 1950 she was laid up at the United States Navy reserve fleets in Astoria, Oregon.
Vietnam War.
In 1966 she was removed from the Reserve Fleet and reactivated for Vietnam War and operated by the Pacific Far East Line. She delivered goods for the United States Merchant Marine, Military Sea Transportation Service, and Military Sealift Command in Vietnam. In Vietnam, in 1969 "Swarthmore Victory" took several direct hits from an ambush. In 1973 she was laid up at Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet. In 1988 she was scrapped at Kaohsiung.


Hiawatha (riverboat)

The Hiawatha is an American paddlewheel river boat. The vessel has a maximum capacity of 120 (117 passengers and 3 crew).
Title.
It was named after another paddlewheel riverboat that was destroyed during the spring ice thaw in 1914. That boat was named after an Iroquois Indian chief named Hiawatha who was instrumental in bringing together the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy and lived in Pre-Columbian America.
Route.
The vessel is routed in the West Branch Susquehanna River from Williamsport (origin), upstream through Woodward Township, Susquehanna Township to Linden (turn around point) back down stream. This is the usual routing however some cruises can be lengthened, some cruise are known to go as far upstream as Piatt Township when water levels are viable.
The Hiawatha cannot go downstream past Williamsport due to the Williamsport Dam located near the border to Loyalsock Township.


Sokzhoy class patrol boat

The "Sokzhoy"-class fast patrol boat, also known as Project 14230, is a Russian Coast Guard vessel. The patrol craft is designed to operate on the coast, rivers, lakes, ports and other littoral areas. It will perform standard Russian Coast Guard missions such as protection of Russian maritime borders, law enforcement, enforcement of navigational rules, search and rescue, and fisheries protection. Both boats, PSKR-500 and PSKR-501, are currently part of the Black Sea Fleet.
Design.
The patrol craft have a modern design and are equipped with a basic suite of armament and sensors/systems to perform the missions required of the vessels. The armament consists of a single 30 mm AK-306 which is controlled by a Kolonka ring sight fire control director, and small arms. The craft carry a navigation radar and basic communication systems. The vessels have protection against the effects of weapons of mass destruction. The vessels are equipped with 2 x 5000 hp M-533-02OMZ diesels, 2 fixed pitch propellers, this allows them to reach speeds up to 55 knots.


Nasser-class ship

Nasser () is a class of auxiliary ships built by Iranian shipyard Arvandan and operated by the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Type.
Arvandan Shipbuilding Co., the manufacturer of these vessels, is a civilian shipyard that specializes in light passenger ferries. According to "Jane's Fighting Ships", the ships in the class are yard auxiliary general (YAG), while the International Institute for Strategic Studies classifies them as transport ship (AP). The U.S. Navy has variously described the class as "auxiliary patrol vessel" or "light personnel transport".
Design.
Dimensions and machinery.
The class design is long, would have a beam of and a draft of . It uses two shafts coupled with two diesel engines that provide power for a top speed of . "Nasser" vessels can carry 86 troops or 35 tons of supplies.
Armament.
Joseph Trevithick, a fellow at GlobalSecurity.org, says the vessels seem "lightly armed", adding that it "did not necessarily mean it might not have been threatening". Trevithick also opines that they could be used as minelayers. The 2015 edition of "Jane's" mentions that the ships are equipped with one 12.7mm machine gun, as well as unknown electro-optic systems. In June 2020, Iranian media published footage of a Sevom Khordad transporter-erector-launcher and radar (TELAR) unit aboard afterdeck of a ship named "Shahid Siyavashi", launching a missile.
Ships in the class.
Known ships in commission the class are:


MS West Grama

MS "West Grama, sometimes spelled as West Gramma, was a diesel-powered cargo ship of the United States Maritime Commission (USMC) that was sunk as part of the "gooseberry" breakwater off Utah Beach during the Normandy invasion. Prior to her diesel conversion, she was known as SS "West Grama. In 1919, she was briefly taken up by the United States Navy under the name USS "West Grama" (ID-3794).
SS "West Grama" was built as a steam-powered cargo ship in 1918 for the United States Shipping Board (USSB), a predecessor of the USMC. She was part of the "West" boats, a series of steel-hulled cargo ships built on the West Coast of the United States for the World War I war effort, and was the 9th ship built at Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in San Pedro, California. She was commissioned into the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS) of the United States Navy as USS "West Grama" (ID-3794) in January 1919. She became the first American-flagged vessel to enter Bulgarian waters when she delivered a load of wheat flour to Varna in early 1919. After her one overseas trip for the Navy, she was decommissioned in June 1919 and returned to the USSB.
SS "West Grama" sailed between Genoa and New York early in her civilian career. In 1927, "West Grama" was outfitted with a diesel engine that replaced her original steam engine as part of a pilot program by the USSB. After her conversion, she sailed primarily between East Coast ports and South America. By the late 1930s, she had been laid up, but was reactivated for merchant service during World War II. She sailed primarily in the Caribbean until March 1944 when she sailed from the United States for the final time. She was scuttled in June as part of the "gooseberry" breakwater off Omaha Beach during the Normandy invasion, earning a battle star in the process.
Design and construction.
The "West" ships were cargo ships of similar size and design built by several shipyards on the west coast of the United States for the USSB for emergency use during World War I. All were given names that began with the word "West", like "West Grama", the ninth of some 40 "West" ships built by the Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company of Los Angeles. "West Grama" (Los Angeles Shipbuilding yard number 9) was one of three Los Angeles Shipbuilding ships launched on 4 July 1918, and was completed in December.
"West Grama" was , and was long (between perpendiculars) and abeam. She had a steel hull that displaced 12,225 t with a mean draft of . Her hold was deep and she had a deadweight tonnage of . "West Grama"s power plant, as built, consisted of a single triple-expansion steam engine driving a single screw propeller, which moved the ship at up to .
Military career.
"West Grama" was taken over by the U.S. Navy on 9 January 1919 at San Pedro, California, and was commissioned into the NOTS the same day with Lieutenant Commander Eugene McCarthy, USNRF, in command. "West Grama" headed north to San Francisco to take on a load of wheat flour for delivery to Europe. After undergoing boiler repairs at Union Iron Works, she departed San Francisco for Norfolk, Virginia, on 28 January. "West Grama" transited the Panama Canal on 14 February and got underway again on 19 February, after a four-day layover in the Canal Zone.
On 25 February, a half-submerged ship was spotted some east-northeast of Nassau, Bahamas. Upon investigation, it was determined to be the wreck of the American schooner "Nettie Shipman", but, with no signs of life aboard the hulk, "West Grama" continued on to Virginia, where she arrived three days later.
After general repairs and fuel replenishment, "West Grama" got underway for the Mediterranean on 13 March. Touching at Gibraltar, she next headed to Constantinople, Turkey, to unload part of her cargo, and then proceeded into the Black Sea. She arrived at Varna, Bulgaria, to unload the remainder of the flour, and, in the process, became the first American-flagged vessel to enter Bulgarian waters. After departure from Varna, "West Grama" returned to the United States via Gibraltar. She carried a mixed load of 13 depth charges and of general cargo. In early June, during her return voyage, "West Grama" was disabled by some unspecified problem while west of Bermuda. The U.S. Navy cargo ship , en route from New Orleans to Cardiff, assisted "West Grama", and the Navy dispatched the icebreaker from Boston to aid "West Grama". It is not known what assistance was provided or if "West Grama" was even able to proceed on her own, but she arrived at Norfolk on 11 June. Five days later, "West Grama" was decommissioned and returned to the USSB for civilian service.
Civilian career.
After her return to the USSB, "West Grama" sailed on a Genoa – Gibraltar – New York route through 1920. In April 1920, "West Grama" carried some 52 passengers from Genoa and Gibraltar to New York. There is no mention in sources of the ship's activities over the next seven years, but in June 1927, the "Los Angeles Times" reported that "West Grama" had been selected for a $400,000 conversion from steam-power to diesel-power. By late November, the conversion, undergoing at the Fore River Shipyard near Boston, was nearly complete. The new engine was a McIntosh & Seymour double-acting diesel, the first of its type built in America. On 8 December, during successful sea trials of "West Grama"s new diesel power plant, a malfunction in a steam boiler used to heat the crew quarters caused minor damage to the ship.
Allocated to the American Republics Line for service to the east coast of South America, "West Grama" sailed for Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she had arrived by late January 1928, and back to New York by late March. In October 1929, "West Grama" was reportedly assigned to the new Pacific–South Africa Line by the USSB, an around-the-world venture under the management of J. J. Moore & Company. The Pacific–South Africa Line—the world's only all-diesel around-the-world service, as described by the "Los Angeles Times"—sailed from Los Angeles to South Africa via the Straits of Magellan, across the Indian Ocean to Japan and China, across the Pacific to San Francisco, and back to Los Angeles. It's not clear how long, if at all, "West Grama" sailed for this line. In July 1929, a report in "The New York Times" shows that "West Grama" was still in South American service, sailing to Santos, Brazil.
Sources are not clear as to all of "West Grama"s movements over the next years. Hints can be gleaned from contemporary news accounts. In March 1930, the "Los Angeles Times" reported that "West Grama" was en route from Balboa to San Francisco. "The New York Times" reported "West Grama"s arrival from Portland, Oregon in September, her departure for Fremantle, Western Australia in October 1933, and her arrival from Baltimore in March the following year. After these mentions, "West Grama" disappears from contemporary news accounts, and by 1939, "West Grama" had been laid up in a reserve fleet.
World War II.
In December 1940, the USMC, a successor to the USSB, announced that it was seeking bids for the sale of 24 ships from its reserve fleet, including "West Grama". In January 1941, the USMC announced that a consortium of Commonwealth shipping lines had been the high bidders for 19 of the 20 ships still offered. The highest bid for "West Grama" was $80,000, but it is not clear if the bid was, in fact, accepted; by November, "West Grama" was sailing between Antofagasta, Chile, and New York, but remained under the American flag. From July 1942 through February 1944, "West Grama" sailed between the United States and Caribbean ports, frequently traveling in convoys. The ship's recorded movements show her calling at Cristóbal, Guantánamo Bay, Trinidad, Key West, and Pilottown, Louisiana. In mid-February 1944, "West Grama" sailed from Key West to New York, and from there, on to Boston.
Final voyage.
"West Grama" had been selected to become one of the blockships for the Allied invasion of France, then in the planning stages. Though the specific modifications performed on "West Grama" are not revealed in sources, modifications for other ships do appear. In November 1944, "The Christian Science Monitor" reported that blockships dispatched from Boston, like "West Grama", had been loaded with "tons of sand and cement" and had been rigged with explosive charges before departing the port. Further, existing antiaircraft weapons had been moved higher up on the ship and supplemented by additional guns. An account by Cesar Poropat, chief engineer aboard , another blockship dispatched from Boston, mentions that shipyard workers proceeded to cut holes in "strategic places".
"West Grama" departed Boston on 25 March and arrived at Halifax two days later. Departing from that port on 29 March, she sailed in Convoy SC-156 and arrived at Barry Roads on 13 April, and by 7 May, she had arrived at Methil. "West Grama"s whereabouts and movements through early June are not recorded. Other ships that had been selected as blockships assembled in a "corncob" fleet at Oban, though it's not clear if "West Grama" did or not. The "corncob" fleet was the group of ships intended to be sunk to form the "gooseberries", shallow-water artificial harbors for landing craft. Poropat reports that once the ship crews were told of their mission while anchored at Oban, they were not permitted to leave the ships.
Three "corncob" convoys, consisting of what one author called the "dregs of the North Atlantic shipping pool", departed from Poole and reached the Normandy beachhead the next day, shortly after the D-Day landings. Poropat reports that the corncob ships traveled under cover of darkness and, stripped of all unnecessary equipment, carried no radios, having only a signal lamp (with a spare bulb) for communication. Once at the designated location, the ships were put into position and scuttled over the next days, under heavy German artillery fire. Naval Armed Guardsmen manned the guns on all the gooseberry ships to protect against frequent German air attacks. All the while, harbor pilots—about half of the New York Bar Pilots Association, according to one source—carefully positioned the ships. "West Grama" was sunk off Omaha Beach on 8 June, though she continued to serve as an antiaircraft platform manned by Navy gun crews. On 9 June, "West Grama"s gunners fired 19 times and were credited with assisting in the downing of one German airplane; only one of "West Grama"s Navy gunners was wounded during the attack. On 14 June, "West Grama" escaped serious damage when a bomb landed near the ship. By the time her Naval Armed Guardsmen were replaced by Army crews on 18 June, they had received credit for a second assist, and had been awarded a battle star for their participation in the Normandy Landings.


Konstantin Simonov (ship)

The Konstantin Simonov () is a "Dmitriy Furmanov"-class (project 302, BiFa129M) Soviet/Russian river cruise ship, cruising in the Volga – Neva basin. The ship was built by VEB Elbewerften Boizenburg/Roßlau at their shipyard in Boizenburg, East Germany, and entered service in 1984. The ship is named after Soviet writer and poet Konstantin Simonov.
Her home port is currently Nizhny Novgorod. Captain of the "Konstantin Simonov" (2014) is Aleksandr Kazakov.
Features.
The ship has two restaurants "Neva" and "Volga", two bars, souvenir store, solarium, conference hall and sauna.


Kamikawa Maru-class seaplane tender

The was a type of cargo ship of Japan, serving during the 1930s and World War II. Four of the five ships of the class were converted to seaplane tenders during the war.


Dredge pipe pieces

Dredge pipe pieces are a variety of pipes on board of dredgers like bend pipe, T-pipe, pitched T-pipe, Y-pipe, cross pipe, strait pipe, and conical pipe.
These dredge pipe pieces are used on-board of dredgers to connect the dredge pump with the discharge pipe.
Mostly the pipes are made from cast steel. Sometime welded pipes are used.
Dredge pipe pieces may have different thicknesses, shapes and lengths, they are also provided with lifting lugs for easy handling. They supposed to have smooth surface for low frictions. In most cases the flanges are cast together with the pipe to provide a stronger connection between flange and pipe.
It is also very important that the entire dredge pipe pieces to follow the shape of the flow resulting in low frictions and to avoid vortexes.
The materials used to manufacture the dredge pipe pieces are both manganese alloy that provides high elongation and impact value or high chromium, nickel and molybdenum alloy that gives high yield, high tensile and very high hardness values.


MV Delight

The MV "Delight" is a Hong Kong-flagged grain carrier. It was attacked and hijacked in the Gulf of Aden in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Yemen in the Horn of Africa by Somali pirates on 18 November 2008 at 2 p.m. The "Delight", chartered by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, was carrying a cargo of 36,000 tonnes of wheat, and was heading for Iran's Bandar Abbas port. The 25 crew members are from India (7), Pakistan (2), Philippines (7), Iran (7), Ghana (2). The ship was released on 10 January 2009.
Ransom.
On 22 November, India's Directorate General of Shipping announced that communication had been established between the pirates and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines' Emergency Response Committee.


E-Flexer-class ferry

The E-Flexer is a class of Chinese-built Ro-Pax ferries ordered by Stena RoRo for European line service. Nine vessels of the class are on order, and upon delivery will be operated by Stena Line, Brittany Ferries, and DFDS Seaways. Stena Line are to take five vessels of the class, Brittany Ferries three (two of which will be powered by LNG), and a single vessel will go to DFDS. All of the vessels will be delivered to Stena RoRo with the Stena Line vessels transferred to that company and the Brittany Ferries and DFDS examples long-term chartered to those operators.
History.
Following about two years of design work, Stena ordered the first four vessels of the class from Chinese shipbuilder AVIC Weihai in April 2016, with options for four more ships. Stena originally planned to utilize the four ferries on Irish Sea services out of Belfast, but later agreed to charter the third ship in the series to Brittany Ferries. In February 2018, the keel was laid for the first ship, with her delivery scheduled for early 2020. Stena RoRo ordered a fifth ship in April 2018, which will enter service with DFDS Seaways on a ten-year charter upon delivery. The following month, Stena RoRo ordered a sixth ship, to be placed with Brittany Ferries on a ten-year charter beginning in late 2021. Construction on the second ship in the class began in June 2018. In July, Stena Line ordered two more ships, accounting for all the options in the original 2016 order, while Stena RoRo announced that it had agreed to take new options for four more vessels.
Service.
The first ship in the class, named "Stena Estrid", was launched in January 2019 and was delivered in China on 15 November. On arrival in Holyhead, faulty seals on over 20 windows were discovered. Repairs were carried out prior to her maiden voyage, which took place on 13 January 2020. She is regularly operated on Stena's route between Holyhead and Dublin.
"Stena Edda", the second E-flexer earmarked for Stena Line's fleet, was delivered to Stena RoRo on 15 January 2020. Following bunkering in Singapore and Gibraltar, and an outside port limits call at Galle, the crew travelling from Weihai were also checked by local authorities for coronavirus infection, with no evidence of the disease being present. She entered service on Stena's route between Belfast and Liverpool, where "Stena Embla", the fourth ship of the series, is planned to operate upon her delivery in early 2021.
"Galicia" was delivered on 3 September 2020, with her entry into service expected in 2021. She will operate out of Portsmouth, England, to Santander, Spain and Cherbourg, France. Brittany Ferries plans to take delivery of "Salamanca" in 2022, followed by "Santoña" in 2023.
The fifth ship in the series, to be operated by DFDS, will be named "Cote d'Opale". She will differ significantly from the other E-Flexer vessels as she will have additional public spaces in areas where passenger cabins are located on the Stena Line and Brittany Ferries ships. The drastic changes from the rest of the E-Flexer class come about from the fact that she will be put on the Strait of Dover cross-channel service, which is a short crossing - only taking 90 minutes from Dover to Calais.
Design.
E-Flexer-class ships were designed by Stena and Deltamarin. The specification for the first six ships of the type calls for a weight of approximately and dimensions of in length, a beam of and a draft of . The car/lorry deck has a capacity of 3,100 lane meters, with additional space for roughly 120 cars, except for the ships bound for Brittany Ferries, where the car space will be utilised for other purposes. The seventh and eighth ships are specified to be long, with 3,600 lane meters of freight capacity. Passenger capacity is quoted at around 1,000 passengers, though the interior layout is tailored to the operator's needs.
The first five ships to be built are each powered by two MaK M43C diesel engines, with a total power output of , driving two propellers that give the ships a service speed of . Those engines are designed to be compatible with liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel after modifications. Brittany Ferries' second and third ("Salamanca" and "Santoña") ships will be modified to be capable of running on LNG from delivery, though both will have reduced freight capacity as a result of the space occupied by their LNG tanks. All of the E-Flexer ships ordered to date will be ice-classed, either to 1A or 1C requirements.


Lafayette-class submarine

The "Lafayette" class of submarine was an evolutionary development from the of fleet ballistic missile submarine, slightly larger and generally improved. This class, together with the , , , and classes, composed the "41 for Freedom," the Navy's primary contribution to the nuclear deterrent force through the late 1980s. The "James Madison" and "Benjamin Franklin" classes are combined with the "Lafayette"s in some references.
Design.
The first eight submarines initially deployed with the Polaris A-2 missile, later being refitted with the longer ranged Polaris A-3, with having the A-3 missile from the start. In the mid-1970s all were upgraded to carry the Poseidon C3 missile; their missile tubes were slightly larger than the "Ethan Allen" and "George Washington" classes and Poseidon was designed to take advantage of this. Unlike twelve of the similar "James Madison" and "Benjamin Franklin" classes, none of the "Lafayette"-class submarines were refitted with Trident I (C4) missiles.
The "Lafayette"s and their successors were equipped with a hovering system to manage trim more effectively when firing missiles; this increased the missile rate of fire from one per minute to four per minute.
"Daniel Webster" was originally built with diving planes mounted on a "mini-sail" near the bow, leading to her nickname "Old Funny Fins". This configuration, unique to US submarines, was an attempt to reduce the effect of porpoising. While successful, the "mini-sail" required to contain the operating mechanism reduced hydrodynamic efficiency and lowered her overall speed. During a mid-1970s overhaul these unusual planes were removed and standard fairwater planes were installed.
Fate.
The "Lafayette"s were decommissioned between 1986 and 1992, due to a combination of SALT II treaty limitations as the SSBNs entered service, age, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. One ("Daniel Webster") remains out of commission but converted to a Moored Training Ship (MTS-626) with the missile compartment removed. She is stationed at Nuclear Power Training Unit Charleston, South Carolina, along with .
Boats in class.
Submarines of the "Lafayette" class:


SS West Cajoot

West Cajoot was a Design 1013 cargo ship built in 1919 by the Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co of Los Angeles. She was one of many ships built by the company for the United States Shipping Board.
Design and Construction.
The "West" ships were cargo ships of similar size and design built by several shipyards on the West Coast of the United States for the United States Shipping Board (USSB) for emergency use during World War I. Most were given names that began with the word West. The ship was laid down at Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co shipyard (yard number 13, USSB hull number 767), and launched on 3 November 1918. Due to her yard number being 13, she was launched as "12-A" to escape the sailors' hoodoo. She was named allegedly after a Native American woman, Cajoot, some relative of Pocahontas. As built, the ship was long (between perpendiculars) and abeam, a mean draft of . "West Cajoot" was assessed at 5,899 GRT, and 8,350 DWT. The vessel had a steel hull, and a single 422 nhp triple-expansion steam engine, with cylinders of , , and 78 inches diameter with a stroke, that drove a single screw propeller, and moved the ship at up to .
Operational history.
"West Cajoot" was launched on November 3, 1918 and delivered to the United States Shipping Board on May 1, 1919. Upon delivery, she became the first vessel allocated to Los Angeles Pacific Navigation Company.
Los Angeles Pacific Navigation Company (1919-1920).
On May 16, 1919 she left Los Angeles loaded full for the Orient with a general cargo consisting among other things of steel rails, automobile supplies, roofing paper, and old newspapers. After touching off at Honolulu on May 26, she arrived in Manila on July 1., then proceeded to Hong Kong arriving there on August 17, and finally returned to San Francisco on September 11, 1919. Among other cargo she brought back, there were approximately 8,000 tonnes of graphite ore, representing by far the largest amount shipped to the Pacific US thus far.
"West Cajoot" departed on her next voyage on November 24, 1919 sailing from San Francisco with a variety of cargo including 1,275 bales of cotton bound for Japan. She arrived in Yokohama on December 25, 1919. On January 12, 1920 she arrived in Shanghai, stopped in Manila on January 22, touched off at Hong Kong on January 27 before heading back. "West Cajoot" left Hong Kong on February 4 and arrived in Honolulu on February 23, 1920.
Cosmopolitan Steamship Company (1920-1921).
At about the same time "West Cajoot" was allocated to Cosmopolitan Steamship Company to operate on their routes. On May 10, 1920 "West Cajoot" was reallocated to Struthers & Dixon to operate on Pacific routes following an affiliation of Cosmopolitan Steamship Company and Struthers & Dixon. This reassignment turned her journey into a round-the-world trip, as her destination was changed to New York City. After leaving Honolulu on February 24, she passed through Panama Canal on March 16, 1920 with a load of rice bound for Santiago de Cuba, arriving there on March 20. From Cuba she proceeded north and arrived in Philadelphia on April 29. She left Philadelphia on May 5 after loading 2,712 tonnes of bituminous coal, arrived in New York City on May 7, and from there proceeded to St. Nazaire and reached it on June 23, 1920. Continuing on her voyage, "West Cajoot" left France on June 29, and reached New York City on July 15. At the end of July she sailed for Norfolk where she arrived on August 2 and was hired to transport coal for the US Naval base of Pearl Harbor. "West Cajoot" departed Norfolk on August 10, 1920, arriving in Panama Canal zone on August 31. She stayed here for 11 days while undergoing repairs to her engines, eventually leaving for Hawaii on September 10. She arrived in Honolulu in early October. On October 10, 1920 while being towed due to a broken propeller blade, "West Cajoot" collided with steamer "Claudine". Fortunately, the damage to either vessel was minimal. After undergoing repairs, "West Cajoot" departed Honolulu on October 24, and arrived in San Francisco on November 1.
In December 1920 "West Cajoot" was chartered to transport among other things about 1,000 tonnes of various equipment for an oil exploration project in the Philippines. She left San Francisco on December 15, 1920 arrived in Manila on January 14, 1921, and unloaded all the equipment in the mouth of Pagsanghan River a few days after. From there she proceeded to Hong Kong and Shanghai loading cargo, and departing on February 28 for a return trip. She returned to San Francisco on March 29, 1921 bringing among other things almost 13,000 bales of camel wool (3,450 tonnes) from China. The wool was shipped via railroads to New York and Boston.
On April 22, 1921 "West Cajoot" was returned to the USSB due to the overabundance of cargo space and laid up.
Struthers & Barry (1923-August 1926).
In October 1923 "West Cajoot" was put for maintenance at Crawley Shipyards of Oakland in preparation of her return to active service. After the maintenance was finished, she was allocated to Struthers & Barry to serve on their Pacific route from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Yokohama, Kobe, Shanghai, Manila, Hong Kong and Singapore as part of their American Far East Line. On her first trip she sailed out from San Francisco on January 8, 1924, stopped at Kobe on February 14, Manila on March 10, and after completing her oriental trip, she discharged about 1,100 tonnes of cargo in Los Angeles before dropping anchor in San Francisco on May 12, 1924. Among the cargo she brought back, there were 130,000 feet of Philippine mahogany, copra and furniture.
For her next trip she loaded up, among other things, with cases of oil and gasoline and departed from San Francisco in mid-September 1924. She arrived in Yokohama on October 5, 1924, and proceed through Chinese ports to Singapore where she arrived on November 8, 1924. Leaving Singapore on November 13, "West Cajoot" returned to San Francisco on January 5, 1925.
She again left for the Orient in mid-January 1925, through Yokohama (February 17), Shanghai (February 26), Haiphong (March 6) arriving in Singapore on March 21, 1925. She left from Singapore on March 26, arriving in Zamboanga on April 1, and after visiting a handful of small ports in the Philippines, "West Cajoot" departed Manila on March 15, heading to Hong Kong and from there to San Francisco. She dropped the anchor on May 16, bringing among other things, 449 tonnes of wild animal collection of noted hunter Frank Buck. The animals came from India and were loaded on board in Singapore and included cobra collection destined for New York City Zoo, snakes, elephants, leopards, tigers etc. Most of the cargo was consigned to Al G. Barnes, a circus owner.
On June 6, 1925 "West Cajoot" departed San Francisco for another trip to the Orient, arriving in Yokohama at the end of June. Leaving from Yokohama on June 30, she touched off at Yokaichi (July 1), Kobe (July 2), Dairen (July 8), Taku Bar, Tsingtao (July 13) arriving in Shanghai on July 17. From there she headed to Hong Kong on July 20 where she arrived on July 24. From Hong Kong she traveled to the Philippines and arrived in Manila on July 30. From Manila "West Cajoot" proceeded to visit a variety of small Philippine ports, such as Cebu, Zamboanga, Davao and so on, eventually returning to Manila at the end of August. She sailed out on September 1 for Hong Kong, and from there continued on to San Francisco. She returned to San Francisco on October 2, 1925, and from there proceeded to Los Angeles where she arrived on October 8.
She immediately sailed out for her next trip to the Orient, departing from San Francisco on October 23, arriving in Yokohama on November 19. From there she proceeded to Kobe, and then on to Korea, touching off at Busan on November 26, and Chemulpo 4 days later. "West Cajoot" continued on her trip touching off at several Chinese ports such as Dairen and Tsingtao before a stop in Shanghai on December 15. From there she touched off in Hong Kong and continued on to the Philippines arriving in Manila on Christmas Day. She then stopped off at various small ports around the Philippines before departing for San Francisco where she arrived on February 13, 1926 bringing back coconut meal, copra and by-products. After unloading "West Cajoot" proceeded to Los Angeles where she arrived on February 21, 1926. She was immediately put into dry-dock to undergo installation of deep tanks to allow transportation of vegetable and coconut oil from the Philippines.
The work was finished in mid-March and on March 19 "West Cajoot" sailed from Los Angeles with a cargo of case oil and took course to the Orient. After stopping off in San Francisco on March 20, and taking on more case oil, "West Cajoot" sailed next day to Shanghai. She arrived in China in mid-April, visiting ports like Hong Kong and Foochow before heading to the Philippines. After stopping off at a variety of small ports "West Cajoot" departed from Manila on June 8, arriving in San Francisco on July 8, 1926.
On June 17, 1926 it was reported that USSB decided to consolidate the American Far East Line and the Pacific Australian Line and put the consolidated line under Swayne & Holt management.
"West Cajoot" departed from San Francisco for her last journey under Struthers & Barry flag on August 10, 1926 to Yokohama. She arrived there on August 27 and from there proceeded to Chinese ports, including Hong Kong where she touched off on September 10, and from there proceeded to Singapore. "West Cajoot" made a stopover in Singapore on October 10, picking up among other things a few boxers on their way to a tournament in Manila. After touching off at several ports in Philippines, "West Cajoot" returned to San Francisco on December 4, 1926 with a cargo of copra.
Swayne & Holt (August 1926-1928).
"West Cajoot" departed San Francisco on her first journey under a new management company on December 29, 1926. After stopping off in Los Angeles two days later, she proceeded on her way with a load of general cargo, and almost 2,000,000 feet of timber to New Zealand and Australia. She arrived at Auckland on January 27, 1927, and from there proceeded to Wellington (February 5), Melbourne (February 15), Sydney (February 21), Brisbane (February 28). From Brisbane "West Cajoot" sailed towards the Philippines, visiting Davao, Zamboanga, Cebu, and Manila. From there she proceeded to Hong Kong and then took course back to San Francisco where she arrived on May 6, 1927 with a load of copra and Philippine hardwood.
On her next trip "West Cajoot" departed Los Angeles on June 18, 1927 laden among other things with 200 barrels of asphalt, 25,000 cases of gasoline and 800 barrels of resin. The ship arrived in Melbourne on July 20, Sydney on July 26, 1927 and from there proceeded to Brisbane (arriving on August 2). After stopping off at Port Moresby on August 21 to load 525 tons of copra, the ship proceeded to Hong Kong, Manila and the Philippines. "West Cajoot" left Manila on September 23, 1927 with 1,223,583 pounds of coconut oil destined for a soap company in Los Angeles. In the early morning of October 2, 1927, the vessel struck some obstruction in Van Diemen Straits, off the Japanese coast, forcing the ship to alter her course for Kobe, where she arrived on the evening of October 3, 1927. Repairs to the vessel were made on dry dock. "West Cajoot" left Kobe early on November 1, 1927, stopping off at Yokohama, and arriving at San Francisco on November 22, 1927. She was dry-docked at that port for further examination, and left for Los Angeles on November 29, arriving at her destination on the morning of December 1.
Oceanic & Oriental Navigation Company (1928-1937).
In October 1927, the "Los Angeles Times" reported on the impending sale of "West Cajoot" and 18 other Swayne & Holt ships to a San Francisco financier. The ship later became a part of the fleet of the Oceanic and Oriental Navigation Company, a joint venture between Oceanic-Matson, a subsidiary of Matson Navigation Company, and the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company, established to take over operation of transpacific routes that had been managed for the USSB by Swayne & Holt Lines. On April 3, 1928 it was reported that 8 ships acquired by Matson were renamed - , , "West Cajoot", , , , , and becoming "Golden State", "Golden Fleece", "Golden Bear", "Golden Harvest", "Golden Eagle", "Golden Kauri", "Golden Coast", and "Golden Forrest", respectively.
"Golden Bear" made her first voyage under a new flag from Los Angeles on October 1, 1928, arriving in Auckland on October 27. After stopping at several New Zealand ports, the ship left Lyttelton on November 17 for Honolulu and San Francisco, arriving there on December 21, 1928. The ship then proceeded to the Pacific Northwest where it loaded up timber and departed Vancouver on January 14, 1929. After a stop in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles to load more cargo, the ship took course to Auckland where she arrived on February 27, 1929. After stops at several ports in New Zealand, "Golden Bear" left Timaru for Honolulu (arrived April 12) and San Francisco. From there, the ship again proceeded to the Pacific Northwest to load timber, and departed on another trip, this time to Australia. Leaving Tacoma on May 9, the ship made stopovers in Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles to load general cargo and case oil before heading for Melbourne where she arrived on June 20. After stopping off at Sydney (July 1) and Newcastle (July 4), "Golden Bear" proceeded to Honolulu and San Francisco, reaching it on August 15.
The vessel continued travelling between Pacific Coast of the US, carrying mostly timber, oil, and general cargo to Australia, and occasionally New Zealand through 1937. She departed for her last trip from Tacoma on February 20, 1937, stopped off to load more cargo at Los Angeles on March 10, 1937 before proceeding to Auckland. On March 30, 1937 it was reported that Oceanic & Oriental Navigation Company (O&ON) would be halting the service to Australia as of April 1. At the time the measure was considered temporary due to uncertainty of the renewal of mail rates by the new Maritime Commission. As the new contract was not granted to O&ON, the service was suspended indefinitely due to economic hardship to operate the route without a substantial subsidy from the government.
After reaching Auckland on April 12, "Golden Bear" proceeded to Australia where the ship stopped at several ports before loading 406 tons of coal at Newcastle and sailing for Rabaul on May 14. "Golden Bear" was present in Rabaul harbor during the great Rabaul eruption on May 30, 1937 and assisted in evacuation of approximately 750 town inhabitants to Kokopo. The ship returned to Rabaul on June 12 before departing for Solomon Islands, and from there continued on to San Francisco where the ship arrived on July 21. "Golden Bear" remained berthed in San Francisco for the remainder of the year. In mid December it was reported that O&ON was dissolved with the fleet being divided between the Line's co-owners. Matson acquired "Golden Eagle", "Golden River", "Golden Bear" and "Golden State", while the rest of the ships were acquired by American-Hawaiian Steamship Company.
Operational history under Soviet Union flag.
Far Eastern State Sea Shipping Company (6 November 1942 - 19 December 1947).
As per Lend-Lease Agreement the ship "Kailua" (ex. "West Cajoot") was adopted by the Soviet procurement commission on 6 of November, 1942. The ship was renamed Выборг (Russian: "Vyborg") and included in the Far Eastern State Sea Shipping Company (it was renamed Far Eastern Shipping Company later). During the World War II the ship was used as one of the paramilitary ships of the Far Eastern Basin, the ship carried out export-import shipments between the Pacific ports of the USSR and its allies. The steamer was lost in Nagaev Bay due explosion of dangerous cargo on December 19, 1947, and excluded from the list of ships of the Ministry on 22 December 1948.
The Soviet classification of the ships marked all design 1013 ships under Soviet Union flag, ex US West-class ships, as Belorussia-class cargo ships.
To see article "Belorussia-class cargo ships".


SS George Ade

SS "George Ade" was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Indiana writer, newspaper columnist, playwright, and namesake for Purdue University's Ross–Ade Stadium, George Ade.
Construction.
"George Ade" was laid down on 30 June 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2314, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; and launched on 9 August 1944.
History.
She was allocated to American West African Line Inc., 18 August 1944. She successfully completed her seatrials on 20 August 1944.
While in transit from Key West, Florida, to New York City, she was torpedoed on 12 September 1944, off the coast of North Carolina, by . Her rudder was damaged but she stayed afloat. and , heading to assist the crew of "George Ade", were caught in the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944 the day after, sinking both cutters and killing 47 Coast Guardsmen. A U.S. Navy seaplane rescued the survivors.
After repairs she was allocated to the Parry Navigation Co., Inc. on 18 July 1946, and again on 17 November 1946. On 17 September 1947, she was allocated to the South Atlantic Steamship Line, for transfer to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in Mobile, Alabama. She was sold, On 21 February 1967, for $48,259 to Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation, to be scrapped. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 8 March 1967.
Bibliography.


USS Lake Superior (ID-2995)


Brumaire-class submarine

The "Brumaire"-class submarines were built for the French Navy prior to World War I. There were sixteen vessels in this class, of the Laubeuf type.
All saw action during the First World War, with three boats lost.
Naming.
The French Navy built 34 Laubeuf-type submarines between 1906 and 1911. These are usually described as two classes, of which the "Brumaire" class was one, the other being the "Pluviôse " class.
(Another source treats the vessels as one group, divided by the yards that built them).
The boats had two naming schemes; the earlier vessels were named after the months of the French Revolutionary calendar, and the later ones after French scientists. However, apart from the name ship of the class, only two were named after months; the remaining thirteen boats of the "Brumaire" class were named for scientists.
Design.
The "Brumaire" class were Laubeuf type submarines, following the Laubeuf standard design of double hull and dual propulsion systems (as were the "Pluviôse" class).
The "Brumaire" boats had electric motors for underwater propulsion, and are usually listed as having diesel engines for surface propulsion, though in practice this was mixed. While most had diesels several of the earlier boats had steam engines. These had been preferred by Laubeuf in the early stages, though later Laubeuf type submarines, such as the , predecessors to the "Pluviôse" and "Brumaire" classes, had used diesel engines, and some of the later "Pluviôse" boats had diesels.
Construction.
The "Brumaire" class were ordered in the 1906 programme and the first vessels were laid down the same year. However construction proceeded more slowly than the "Pluviôse" boats, and the first of the class, was not launched until four years later, priority being given to the "Pluviôse" boats. The boats were built at three of the French Navy’s dockyards, at the Arsenals of Cherbourg, Rochefort and Toulon. The first of the class, "Brumaire", was launched in April 1911, and the last, "Franklin" in March 1913.
Armament.
The "Brumaire"-class submarines were armed with torpedoes, of which eight were carried. They had one 17.7 inch torpedo tube mounted in the bow, with one torpedo loaded and one carried as a reload, and six carried externally.
Of these four were in Drzewiecki drop collars and two in external cradles alongside the conning tower.
Service history.
The "Brumaire" class were acknowledged to be good sea boats and saw action throughout the First World War on patrol and close blockade duty. Of the sixteen built, four were lost in action. Two vessels ( and ) were mined; another () was sunk by aircraft, the first incidence of such a loss. The fourth, was lost attempting to penetrate the Austro-Hungarian naval base at Pola. She was later raised by the Austrians and put into service by them, but was returned after the Austrian surrender.


United States H-class submarine

The United States H-class submarines were Holland 602 type submarines used by the United States Navy.
The first three submarines of the class were laid down in March–April 1911 as , "Nautilus" and , and were renamed "H-1", "H-2" and "H-3" while still under construction on 17 November 1911, as part of a forcewide submarine redesignation. They were commissioned in December 1913/January 1914.
In 1915 the Imperial Russian Navy had ordered 17 H-class submarines from the Electric Boat Company, to be built in Canada at a temporary shipyard near Barnet, Vancouver, British Columbia to avoid US neutrality concerns, which had derailed the delivery of ten similar submarines to the British. The shipyard was owned by the British Pacific Construction and Engineering Co. Eleven were delivered, and served as the American Holland-class submarines, but the shipment of the final six was held up pending the outcome of the Russian Revolution of 1917, and the boats were stored in knockdown condition at their construction yard. All six were purchased by the United States Navy on 20 May 1918 and assembled at Puget Sound Navy Yard before being commissioned as "H-4" to "H-9" in late 1918.
 ran aground and was wrecked off the coast of Mexico on 12 March 1920, while the remaining eight submarines were decommissioned in late 1922, and laid up in the Reserve Fleet. Finally stricken from the Navy List in 1930, they were sold for scrap in 1931 and 1933.
Design.
These vessels included some features intended to increase underwater speed that were standard on US submarines of this era, including a small sail and a rotating cap over the torpedo tube muzzles. For extended surface runs, the small sail was augmented with a temporary piping-and-canvas structure (see photo). Apparently the "crash dive" concept had not yet been thought of, as this would take considerable time to deploy and dismantle. This remained standard through the N class, commissioned 1917-1918. Experience in World War I showed that this was inadequate in the North Atlantic weather, and earlier submarines serving overseas in that war (E class through L class) had their bridge structures augmented with a "chariot" shield on the front of the bridge. Starting with the N class, built with lessons learned from overseas experience, US submarines had bridges more suited to surfaced operations in rough weather. The streamlined, rotating torpedo tube muzzle cap eliminated the drag that muzzle holes would otherwise cause. In the stowed position, the submarine appears to have no torpedo tubes, as the holes in the cap are covered by the bow stem. This feature remained standard through the K class, after which it was replaced with shutters that were standard through the 1950s.


H-class container ship

The H class is a class of container ships operated by the Danish shipping company Maersk Line. The ships were built by Hyundai Heavy Industries at their shipyard located in Ulsan, South Korea.
The ships are each long and wide. The ship has 21 container bays and can carry a maximum of 21 containers wide on deck. They are not designed with a specific speed and draft in mind and thus can be deployed on both east-west and north-south trade routes.
The first 9 ships were ordered by Maersk in 2015. In 2018 Maersk announced it had ordered 2 additional ships from the same shipbuilder.
2018 Maersk Honam fire.
On 6 March 2018 a large fire broke out in one of the cargo holds of the "Maersk Honam". It took more than 3 days to get the fire under control and the ship continued to burn for several more days. Four crew members lost their lives. The ship was salvaged and the damaged parts of the vessel were rebuild. The ship was renamed "Maersk Halifax" before entering into service again.


Temple Hall (ship)

The Temple Hall was a British cargo ship built in 1954. In 1981 she ran aground off the coast of the Canary Island Lanzarote, Spain, and as of 2018 still remains in position adjacent to the islands power station.
History.
The cargo Ship "Temple Hall" was built by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd. in Dundee, Scotland in 1954.
In 1977 she was re-named the Telamon, managed by Armour Shipping Inc. in Greece.
On the 31st October 1981, The Telamon was on route from Ivory Coast to Thessaloniki when she sprung a leak and was forced to run aground in Arrecife, Lanzarote.


Suwa Maru

 was a Japanese ocean liner owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK). The ship was launched in 1914 by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. at Nagasaki, Japan. The ship was named for the Suwa Jinja, a noted Shinto shrine located in Suwa, Nagano.
Background.
"Suwa Maru" and her near sister, "Fushimi Maru" were slightly larger versions of the previous "Katori Maru" class steamships, built specifically for NYK’s European routes. Although somewhat smaller than comparable European passenger liners, these vessels were noted for a high standard of luxury. Their typical routing in the 1920s was from Yokohama, Kobe, Moji, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malacca, Penang, Colombo, Aden, Suez, Port Said, Naples, Marseilles, Gibraltar and London.
The 10,672-ton steel-hulled vessel had a length of , and a beam of , with a single funnel, two masts, and double screws. Her two reciprocating steam engines could drive the ship at a maximum speed of 16.4 knots. "Suwa Maru" provided accommodation for 129 first class, 59 second class, and 62 third class passengers.
Civilian career.
"Suwa Maru" was completed in September 1914. On its maiden voyage from Yokohama to London in October–December 1914 it carried 110 men of the Shanghai British Contingent, returning to Britain to join the armed forces. Later assigned to NYK’s northern Pacific route to Seattle, the ship suffered from a fire in her first class cabins in summer 1921, and underwent extensive repairs in Nagasaki.
One of the passengers aboard "Suwa Maru" in 1918 was Commander Isoroku Yamamoto, the future Commander in Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Yamamoto was travelling at the time to Harvard University for studies.
From the 1930s, she was placed in NYK’s European service. Charlie Chaplin was a passenger on "Suwa Maru" from Singapore on his spontaneous trip to visit Japan in 1932.
"Suwa Maru" was briefly requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army on 29 August 1937 to transport troops and materials to China for the Second Sino-Japanese War, but was returned to NYK on 9 January 1938. She resumed civilian operations until requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army again on 8 July 1941.
Military career.
From July 1941 to February 1942, "Suwa Maru" was employed as a troop transport used primarily to shuttle troops and supplies from Manchukuo and various ports in Japan and Taiwan to points along the China coast and to French Indochina. On 18 February 1942, she was one of 56 transports assigned to the Japanese force for the Japanese invasion of Java. On the successful completion of her mission, she returned to Moji on 11 April. On 18 April, she was released back to NYK but was then requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy on 8 August and attached to Kure Naval District. She spent the remainder of the year shuttling men and material between Japan and Truk, the Marshall Islands, Kavieng on New Ireland, and Rabaul.
After repairs during the month of January 1943, "Suwa Maru" departed Yokosuka on 28 January with 511 passengers to be offloaded at six different island locations. She arrived safely at Saipan on 7 February, Ponape on 18 February, Jaluit on 23 February and Emiedj on 24 February, Wotje on 1 March and Kwajalein on 3 March. She departed Kwajalein on 25 March with 1091 passengers for Wake Island. On 28 March 1943 "Suwa Maru" was sighted by at dawn approximately 16 kilometers from Wake. The submarine fired two torpedoes, one of which struck the No.4 and No.5 hold, blowing the stern off the ship, To prevent sinking, "Suwa Maru" was beached on a nearby reef at approximately ., with 14 passengers killed.
The wreck was abandoned, but was attacked again on 5 April by . She was removed from the navy list on 1 July 1943.


Corona Seaways

Corona Seaways is a Roll-on/Roll-off Cargo ship that was built in 2008 for DFDS Seaways (Freight Division) to operate on the Tor Line. This continued until major restructuring within DFDS with the Tor Line brand being merged into DFDS Seaways. The ship was operated by DFDS Seaways until 2018 when it was moved to Transfennica.
2013 onboard fire.
"Corona Seaways" was chartered to operate an average 6-day circular freight hauling route between Fredericia, Copenhagen Denmark, Klaipėda, Lithuania and occasionally Kiel, Germany. At 2100 on 3 December 2013, a cargo that included 170 vehicles, 10 of which had drivers, was loaded. At 2110, "Corona Seaways" set sail for Klaipėda via Copenhagen. A fire was discovered at 0215 on 4 December 2013. The fire was declared out at 1325 and after dampening the hot spots, the ship was handed back to the crew at 2110. The vessel suffered structural damage to the upper deck and to the electrical system. There were two vehicles at the location of the fire. One was a Renault Premium 250.18 truck and the other was a Renault Mascott-Master can that it was carrying. Another Renault Premium 410 cab was also severely damage along its nearside along with the other vehicles surrounding.
The main cause was put down to the primary vehicle involved being un-roadworthy with the fire being started by faulty wiring within the engine compartment, particularly the starter motor. Due to the way the electrical system works with the key left in the ignition, there would have been a continual current flow in the cable from the battery despite the key being in the stop/park position. Once the fire started, it quickly spread to the rest of the vehicle. Due to the response of the crew along with the fire extinguishing system, along with the emergency services back at port, minimum damage was caused to both cargo, and vessel and following repairs at Landskrona, she re-entered service on 29 December 2013.


Phobos (launch platform)


Kaidai-type submarine

The was a type of first class submarine operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) before and during World War II. The type name was shortened to Navy Large Type Submarine.
All "Kaidai"-class submarines originally had a two-digit boat name, from "I-51" onwards. On 20 May 1942, all Kaidai submarines added a '1' to their names. For example, "I-52" became "I-152". Ships are listed by the three-digit boat name if they had one, two-digit if they were not granted one or left service before 20 May 1942.
Class variants.
The "Kaidai"-type submarines were divided into seven classes and two subclasses:
Kaidai I ("I-51" class).
Project number S22. The prototype for the class. The sole Kaidai I, "I-51", was based on World War I-era German submarines. She was completed in 1924, refitted with new engines in 1932 and scrapped in 1941. "I-51" never saw combat.
Kaidai II ("I-152" class).
Project number S25. There was only 1 Kaidai II, "I-152" planned under the Eight-six fleet together with the "I-51". She was completed in 1924, used as a training vessel until mid-1942, then struck from service. She was scrapped in 1946.
Kaidai IIIa/b ("I-153" class and "I-156" class).
Project number S26 (Kaidai IIIa) and S27 (Kaidai IIIb). The nine Kaidai IIIs were based on earlier designs, but featured a strengthened hull. The "IIIb" types were 40 cm longer and had a different bow design. All nine boats were constructed between 1927 and 1930.
Of the nine Kaidai IIIs, seven survived the war, as they spent much of their time as training vessels. These were scuttled or scrapped shortly after the end of World War II. "I-63" was sunk in a collision with "I-60" in 1939, the former losing all her crew. "I-63" was refloated and scrapped in 1940. "I-60" was later sunk by .
Kaidai IV ("I-61/162" class).
Project number S28. Slightly smaller than her predecessors and with only four torpedo tubes, three Kaidai IVs were constructed between 1929 and 1930; "I-61, I-162", and "I-164". "I-61" was lost in a collision in 1941. "I-164" was sunk by on 17 May 1942. "I-162" survived the war.
Kaidai V ("I-165" class).
Project number S29. Three Kaidai Vs were constructed; "I-165, I-166", and "I-67" which were all completed in 1932. The design saw the upgrade of the deck weapon from a 50 caliber to a 65-caliber long dual-purpose gun. The submarine was also slightly wider and taller, with an increased crew complement of 75 and an increased maximum depth of 230 ft (70 m). "I-165" was modified in 1945, her gun removed and two "Kaiten" manned torpedoe suicide attack craft substituted.
None of the Kaidai Vs survived World War II. "I-67" was lost with all 87 crew during an exercise in 1940. "I-165" was sunk on 27 June 1945, off the east coast of Saipan. "I-166" was sunk by the British submarine on 17 July 1944, off the coast of Singapore.
Kaidai VIa/b ("I-168" class and "I-174" class).
Project number S31 (Kaidai VIa) and S34 (Kaidai VIb). They were built in 1931-34 under the 1st Naval Armaments Supplement Programme ("Maru" 1) and the 2nd Naval Armaments Supplement Programme ("Maru" 2) for the expansion of the Japanese navy. Constructed between 1934 and 1938, eight Kaidai VIs were built; , "I-169", "I-70", "I-171", "I-172", "I-73", "I-174", and "I-175". At 23 knots, this type had the fastest surface speed for any submarine at the time of construction, although the speed was bettered slightly by later Japanese submarines. "I-174" and "I-175" were of the Kaidai VIb sub-type. They were 30 cm longer, 25 tons heavier, and equipped with a 50 cal deck weapon instead of a 65 cal.
Kaidai VIs contributed to the sinking of two American aircraft carriers during World War II. The destruction of these submarines also hold some milestones; "I-70" was Japan's first major warship casualty in World War II, and the sinking of "I-73" represented the first warship kill by a United States Navy submarine in the war.
Kaidai VII ("I-176" class).
Project number S41. The final design in the Kaidai class, ten Kaidai VIIs were ordered in 1939 ("I-176" "I-185"), and were completed over the course of 1942 and 1943. They were built in 1939 under the Maru 4 Programme. The IJN called unofficially, and intended to replace this type with Kaidai III and Kaidai IV. Instead of possessing some aft-firing torpedo tubes as all other predecessors did, the Kaidai VII's six tubes all faced forward. They had an endurance of 75 days.
Seven of the ten Kaidai VIIs were sunk within their first year of operation and all ten vessels were sunk by October 1944.


British L-class submarine

The British L-class submarine was originally planned under the emergency war programme as an improved version of the British E-class submarine. The scale of change allowed the L class to become a separate class.
The armament was increased when the 21-inch torpedoes came into service. The Group 3 boats had two QF 4-inch guns fore and aft of the lengthened conning tower. Also, 76 tons of fuel oil was carried in external wing tanks for the first time in British submarines. Several of the Group 1 boats were configured as minelayers including "L11" and "L12". In the Group 2 boats, "L14", "L17" and "L24" to "L27" were built as minelayers carrying 16 mines but without the two beam torpedo tubes.
The introduction of the L class came too late to contribute significantly in World War I. was accidentally depth-charged by three American destroyers in early 1918. torpedoed the German submarine . torpedoed the German destroyer "S33" in October 1918 but was sunk by accompanying destroyers.
 was sunk in 1919 during the British naval intervention in the Russian civil war by Bolshevik Russian destroyers. She was salvaged by the Russians and who re-commissioned her with the same name.
The L class served throughout the 1920s and the majority were scrapped in the 1930s but three remained operational as training boats during World War II. The last three were scrapped in 1946.
Parts of uncompleted L-class submarines were used for the Yugoslav s.
Design.
The L class emerged as an improvement on the earlier E class; the first two members of the L class were originally ordered as lengthened E-class boats, and were initially named "E57" and "E58". The design returned to the circular pressure hull of the E-class boats, as the irregularly shaped hulls of the G and J classes had proved to be unsuccessful, particularly because the circular hull shape was much better at withstanding the force of underwater explosions.
Characteristics.
The L-class boats were divided into three separate sub-classes: the I, II, and III types. The I-type boats were long overall and they had a beam of and a draught of at normal loading. They displaced surfaced and submerged. The II-type boats were slightly longer, at overall, with the same beam and draught. They displaced surfaced and submerged. The III-type submarines were long, with the same beam but a draught of . They displaced more than their half-sisters, at surfaced and submerged. The three sub-classes had crews of 35, 38, and 44, respectively.
All three sub-classes had the same propulsion system: two diesel engines for use while surfaced and two corresponding electric motors for use submerged. The diesel engines were rated at , while the electric motors produced . They could cruise at while surfaced and while submerged. While running on the surface at , the submarines could cruise for a range of ; range figures for the Type-III boats were instead at .
The L-class submarines were armed with a primary armament of six torpedo tubes. The Type-I boats were equipped with six tubes, with four in the bow and two on the broadside. These were supplied with a total of ten torpedoes. The Type-II boats exchanged the 18-inch bow tubes for more powerful tubes; these had eight torpedoes in total. The 18-inch broadside tubes retained a single torpedo apiece. Those Type-II submarines that were completed as minelaying submarines kept their bow tubes but were not fitted with the broadside tubes. They instead had a capacity for fourteen to sixteen naval mines. The Type-III boats were equipped with six 21-inch tubes, all located in the bow. The first two sub-classes were also equipped with a deck gun for use whilst surfaced, while the Type-III submarines had two such guns. The gun was mounted on a revolving platform on the bridge level to increase its range and permit it to engage surfaced enemy submarines beyond torpedo range and in heavier seas.


USS Armadillo

USS "Armadillo" (IX-111), the lead ship of her class of tanker was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the armadillo, an insect-eating mammal which has an armorlike shell encasing its back and head.
Construction.
She was laid down 24 September 1943, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull No. 1900, as the Type T1 tanker "Sidney Howard", by California Shipbuilding Corporation, Terminal Island, Los Angeles, California; launched on 26 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. S. Howard; renamed "Armadillo" and designated IX-111; acquired by the Navy on a bareboat basis, and simultaneously placed in commission at San Pedro, California, on 18 November 1943, Lieutenant Michael R. Meyer in command.
Service history.
Following her commissioning, the vessel began a period of final fitting out and shakedown training off the southern California coast. In January 1944, "Armadillo" was assigned to Service Force, US Pacific Fleet, and sailed for Pearl Harbor. From early February through early April 1944, the vessel carried personnel and petroleum products between Pearl Harbor and Tarawa, Gilbert Islands. On 22 April, she reported to Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands, where she served as a station tanker through late August. "Armadillo" then shifted to Ulithi, Caroline Islands, to perform the same duty. This service was broken by trips to Guam and Saipan in the Mariana Islands and to Peleliu in the Palau Islands.
"Armadillo" left Ulithi on 10 April 1945, and shaped a course for Okinawa. She arrived there on 18 April, and began providing services to various ships of the Pacific Fleet. On 1 February 1946, the tanker departed Buckner Bay, Okinawa, and headed for the East Coast of the United States. She transited the Panama Canal on 13 March, and continued on to Norfolk, Virginia. The vessel reached that port on 23 March, and began preparations for her inactivation. "Armadillo" was decommissioned on 29 May 1946, and, on the same day, was delivered to MARCOM's War Shipping Administration (WSA) at Lee Hall, Virginia, and laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet's James River Group. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 19 June 1946.
Merchant service.
Acquired by Hasler & Co., agents, for the Windsor Navigation Co., on 3 February 1948, the ship was delivered to her purchaser at Baltimore, Maryland, on 14 April 1948. Renamed "Dean H." She was later sold to Liberian interests in November 1954, but returned to the US flag on 3 March 1959. Sold to Winco Tankers, Inc., on the same day, she was renamed "Chris H.", and carried that name until the title returned to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) the day after Christmas of 1962. Then operated by Winco Tankers, Inc., under a bareboat charter, "Chris H." was deactivated on 7 February 1963, and returned to the James River Reserve Fleet where she remained until purchased by N. V. Intershitra on 22 February 1972. She was delivered to her purchaser on 10 March 1972, to be broken up for scrap in the Netherlands.
Awards.
"Armadillo" earned one battle star for her World War II service.
Bibliography.
Online resources


SS Attleboro Victory

SS "Attleboro Victory" was a Victory ship built for the War Shipping Administration late in World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. It saw service in the European Theater of Operations in the Atlantic Ocean during 1945, and in the immediate post-war period. "Attleboro Victory" was part of the series of Victory ships named after famous cities. This particular ship was named after the city of Attleboro, Massachusetts. It was a type VC2-S-AP2/WSAT cargo ship with the United States Maritime Commission (MCV) -"Victory"; hull number 642, shipyard number 1597 and built by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Baltimore, Maryland. Phyllis O'Neil of Attleboro, Massachusetts christened "Attleboro Victory" with a champagne bottle.
"Attleboro Victory" was one of many new 10,500-ton class ships to be known as Victory ships, designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used solely for World War II, whereas Victory ships were designed to last longer and to serve the US Navy after the war. Victory ships differed from Liberty ships in that they were faster, longer, wider, taller, and had a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure. In addition, they had a long raised forecastle.
World War II.
"Attleboro Victory" was operated by the Stockard SS Company for the duration of World War II. On June 14, 1945 at midnight, "Attleboro Victory" hit a mine in the Black Sea. She was traveling from Odessa Russia to Constanța Romania. The mine made 16 by 16 foot hole in the port side and flooded cargo hold #2. The ship was not in danger of sinking, so she continued to port. The ship was later repaired and put back in service. There were no injuries in the explosion.
War relief and Seacowboys.
In 1946, after World War II, "Attleboro Victory" was converted to a livestock ship, also called a cowboy ship. From 1945 to 1947, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and the Brethren Service Committee of the Church of the Brethren sent livestock to war-torn countries. These "seagoing cowboys" made about 360 trips on 73 different ships. The "Heifers for Relief project" was started by the Church of the Brethren in 1942; in 1953, this became "Heifer International". "Attleboro Victory" made five trips moving horses, heifers, and mules, as well as a some chicks, rabbits, and goats. Her trips were to Greece, Crete, Poland and Czechoslovakia.
After the war relief in 1948, she was sold to the United States Lines of New York and renamed SS "American Attorney".
Korean War.
"American Attorney" served as a merchant marine ship supplying goods for the Korean War. About 75 percent of the personnel serving in the Korean War were delivered by the merchant marine ships. "American Attorney" transported goods, mail, food, and other supplies. About 90 percent of the cargo was moved by merchant marine ships to the war zone. "American Attorney" made trips between 1951 and 1952. "American Attorney" serviced in the Inchon-Seoul Operation, App E, Task Organization of Joint Task Force Seven.
Post-war service.
After the Korean War, in 1956, she was sold to Transyork Shipping Corporation in New York and renamed SS "Transyork".
In 1957, she was sold to Cia Naviera Continental of Monrovia, Liberia.
In 1959, she was sold to Prudential SS Corporation of New York and given her original name SS "Attleboro Victory".
In 1968, the United States Department of Commerce in New York leased her back to Prudential.
In 1970, she was laid up in the James River as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet. She was scrapped at Brownsville, Texas six years later.


List of auxiliary ship classes in service

The list of auxiliary ship classes in service includes all auxiliary ships in naval service in the world. For combatant ships, see the list of naval ship classes in service.


MS Fridtjof Nansen

MS "Fridtjof Nansen" is a Norwegian cruise ship (though marketed as an "expedition ship"). Named after polar explorer and scientist Fridtjof Nansen, it is a near identical twin to MS "Roald Amundsen". It is a hybrid powered ship built by Kleven Yards Ulsteinvik for Hurtigruten, and is in the PC6 Polar Class with a strengthened hull for sea ice.


USS Azimech

USS "Azimech" (AK-124) was a commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II, named after the Azimech, the other name of Spica, the brightest star in constellation Virgo. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Construction.
"Mary Patten" was laid down on 21 July 1943, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 1725, by the Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 2,Richmond, California; launched on 11 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Otis A. Kent; acquired by the Navy on 7 October 1943; renamed "Azimech" and designated AK-124 on 11 October 1943; converted for naval service at Oakland, California, by the Moore Dry Dock Company; and commissioned on 29 October 1943, Lieutenant Commander Earl P. Gaither in command.
Service history.
After a brief shakedown, the cargo ship got underway on 11 November, for Hawaii. At Pearl Harbor, she was assigned for duty to Service Squadron 8, US Pacific Fleet. The ship discharged her cargo and then entered the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard for an overhaul of her main engines and boilers. "Azimech" was on keelblocks for 16 days, then began loading cargo. She set sail on 28 December, for the Gilbert Islands.
Supporting Tarawa operations.
"Azimech" reached Tarawa on 8 January 1944, and began unloading her cargo. The process was hampered by frequent enemy air attacks and reefs in the lagoon which permitted the ship to unload only at high tide. "Azimech" made additional stops at Makin and Apamama Islands before heading back to Pearl Harbor. After a brief stop in Hawaii, "Azimech" continued on to the US West Coast and moored at San Pedro, California, on 6 March. Following an availability period at Terminal Island from 10 March until 9 April, she filled her holds with cargo at Oakland, California, and began the voyage back to Hawaii on 26 April.
Providing service at Majuro and Eniwetok.
On 7 May, "Azimech" sailed from Pearl Harbor with a convoy bound for Majuro. They reached that naval base on 18 May, and reported to Service Squadron 10 for duty. The cargo ship lay at anchor in Majuro lagoon, issuing stores to forces ashore, until 3 June, when she got underway for Eniwetok. After serving at that atoll until 24 August, she steamed back to Hawaii; paused for one day at Pearl Harbor; and then pushed on to the US West Coast.
Servicing Ulithi and Kossol Roads.
The ship reached San Francisco, California, on 13 September, to begin reloading operations. While taking on cargo, she also received minor repairs and alterations before heading west again on 26 September. After stops at Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, "Azimech" arrived at Ulithi on 2 November. She operated there until 16 November and then steamed in company with to Kossol Roads. Two days later, the ships reached their destination, and "Azimech" began issuing supplies. On 5 December 1944, the vessel weighed anchor and traveled back to Pearl Harbor via Ulithi and Eniwetok.
Overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard.
Following the holidays, "Azimech" got underway for Seattle, Washington, and entered the Puget Sound Navy Yard on 16 January 1945, for repairs. On 15 February, she began steaming for Eniwetok and reached that atoll on 11 March. Following eight days at Ulithi, she set sail for the Ryūkyūs.
Supporting Okinawa and Guam.
"Azimech" remained anchored off Kerama Retto from 18 to 29 April. On the latter day, she shifted berth to Hagushi beach, Okinawa, her base until 7 May, when she sailed for Guam. The cargo ship began loading cargo there on 24 May, and did not finish the task until 8 June. She then got underway for Ulithi and, on 10 June, anchored in that lagoon where she remained for the duration of the war.
Inactivation and decommissioning.
On 23 August, "Azimech" shaped a course for the coast of southern California. Reaching San Pedro, California, on 15 September, the ship unloaded her ammunition and provisions to prepare for a yard period. She sailed again on 13 October, bound for Norfolk, Virginia. After transiting the Panama Canal on 25 October, "Azimech" reached Hampton Roads on 3 November.
She immediately began preparations for deactivation. The cargo ship moved to Baltimore, Maryland, on 21 November for a final yard period and was decommissioned on 11 December. Her name was struck from the Navy List on 3 January 1946.
The ship was subsequently laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia. "Azimech" was sold for $80,007 on 12 September 1972, to Isaac Varela. She was delivered 8 December 1972, and subsequently scrapped in Spain.
Military awards and honors.
"Azimech" won one battle stars for her World War II service:
"Azimech"s crew was eligible for the following medals:
Bibliography.
Online resources


Marine Adder-class transport

The "Marine Adder" class of transports were Type C4-class ship built for the United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) during World War II. They were converted after the war for use by the United States Navy (USN) for troop transports. "Marine Adder"-class ships also served in the Korean War..


MV Target

MV "Target" is a semi-submersible heavy transport ship, built by Brodosplit in Yugoslavia.
History.
Built in 1990 as a tanker, MV "Jahre Target", MV "Target" is the second of six single hull tankers to be converted into heavy lift vessels. After completing submerging and sea trials, the former sealift vessel was delivered to the new owners, Dockwise on 24 December 2007.
Design.
MV "Target" was converted at the COSCO shipyard in Nantong, China. A new midsection was fitted to the bow and aft sections of the single-hull tanker. She has a carrying capacity in excess of 35,000 tons and an unobstructed deck area measuring 44.5 m x 130 m.
Service.
MV "Target" is designed to transport complex, high-value cargo, including semi-submersible and jack-up drilling units, as well as offshore structures. She is managed by Anglo-Eastern Ship Management who provide technical and crew management.
In 2009, MV "Target" transported the Royal Navy ice-strengthened survey ship, from the Falkland Islands to Portsmouth.


Anti-Invasion Floating Mortar

Also known as Naysmyth's Submarine Mortar and the Steam Ram, the Anti-Invasion Floating Hammer was a semi-submerged naval ship design conceived and published by inventor James Nasmyth in 1853. The mortar had a length of and a beam of and was equipped with a small steam engine that drove a single propeller. The walls of the mortar were thick, protecting it against potential enemy gunfire of that period. At the front of the boat was a hollow brass cap shaped like a ram that was 9 feet thick. Inside the ram was a case filled with a heavy charge of explosive powder. With only the funnel and a domed structure covering the pilot being visible above water, the mortar sought to attack enemy ships by ramming the hull with the explosive-filled ram at speeds of over . Because of potential dangers associated with its means of attack, the Anti-Invasion Floating Mortar was never built.


MV Federal Fuji

The Motor Vessel "Federal Fuji" is a bulk carrier built in 1986, by Nippon Kokan in Shimizu, Japan. The ship was built for Viken Lakers, based in Bergen, Norway. The "Federal Fuji" was involved in a collision with the M/V "Tecam Sea" in the port of Sorel, Quebec on 27 April 2000. The squat effect phenomenon is believed to be a factor in the collision.
Between 1993 and 1994, "Federal Fuji" was caught illegally dumping oil off the Canadian coast. The ship was flying a German flag at the time, and her owners were fined $25,000.


USS Cuttyhunk Island (AG-75)

USS "Cuttyhunk Island" (AG-75/AKS-23) was a "Belle Isle"-class miscellaneous auxiliary acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. "Cuttyhunk Island" was built as the war was coming to an end, and was used as a transport. She was later classified as a stores ship and eventually scrapped.
Constructed at Portland, Maine.
"Cuttyhunk Island" (AG-75) was launched 26 November 1944 by New England Shipbuilding Corporation, South Portland, Maine, under a U.S. Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. M. M. Dayo.
World War II-related service.
"Cuttyhunk Island" was acquired by the Navy 7 December 1944; outfitted at Eureka Shipbuilding Corp., Newburg, New York; and commissioned 1 September 1945, Lieutenant Commander N. G. Hole-man, USNR, in command.
"Cuttyhunk Island" departed Norfolk, Virginia, 24 November 1945 to carry troops from Bermuda to Boston, Massachusetts.
Post-war decommissioning.
She reported to Orange, Texas, 31 January 1946, and there was placed out of commission in reserve 3 May 1946. She was reclassified General Stores Issue Ship "AKS-23", 18 August 1951.


MSC Cordoba

MSC Cordoba is a container ship built in 2008 by the Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industries in Mangalia, Romania and currently operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. She is the sixth ship delivered to the Swiss company in a series of 12 ordered. The ship has a container capacity of 4,860 TEUs.


Maersk C-class container ship

The Maersk C class is a series of 8 container ships built for Maersk Line. The ships were built by Odense Steel Shipyard in Denmark and have a maximum theoretical capacity of around 9,640 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).
The last three ships were built with a slightly different design compared to the first five. Overall they are slightly wider and were built with a slightly taller bridge.
Between 2011 and 2016, five of the ships were upgraded at the Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry shipyard in China.


USS Arkab

USS Arkab (AK-130) was a commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II, named after Arkab, the star in constellation Sagittarius. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Built in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Before the start of her construction, SS "Warren Stone", a freighter built under a Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 2449) at New Orleans, Louisiana, by the Delta Shipbuilding Co., was slated for Navy use, renamed "Arkab", and designated AK-130 on 1 December 1943. Her keel was laid down on 4 December 1943; and the ship was launched on 22 January 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Charles E. Williams; acquired by the Navy; and commissioned on 21 February 1944 for passage to Mobile, Alabama; decommissioned there on 25 February 1944 for conversion by the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company; and recommissioned on 15 May 1944, Comdr. Finnan F. Knachel in command.
World War II Pacific Theatre operations.
"Arkab" held shakedown training in Chesapeake Bay through mid-June. She sailed on 30 June for the Pacific Ocean. After transiting the Panama Canal, "Arkab" moored at Pago Pago, Samoa, on 29 August. Cargo destined for New Caledonia was taken on board, and "Arkab" reached Noumea on 10 September. There, she embarked 200 military passengers for transportation to the U.S. west coast.
Supporting South Pacific Navy bases.
Upon her arrival at San Francisco, California, "Arkab" underwent voyage repairs. On 10 November, she departed the U.S. West Coast on the first of a series of supply runs to bases in the Pacific. By the end of November 1945 the ship had steamed some 60,000 miles. Ports of call included Pearl Harbor; Manus Island, Admiralty Islands; Milne Bay and Langemak, New Guinea; Saipan; and Eniwetok. Although not equipped to accommodate troops, "Arkab" transported over 1,200 passengers during her career.
End-of-war activity.
The ship terminated the final voyage of her career at Norfolk, Virginia, on 16 December.
Post-war decommissioning.
"Arkab" was decommissioned on 2 January 1946, turned over to the War Shipping Administration for disposal, placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, and laid up in the James River berthing area. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 21 January 1946. She was sold on 21 September 1971 to N. V. Intershitra, of Rotterdam, Netherlands, and scrapped.


SS Charles W. Stiles

SS "Charles W. Stiles" was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Charles W. Stiles, a parasitologist and zoologist for the U.S. government at the Bureau of Animal Industry in the Department of Agriculture (1891–1902), and was later chief zoologist at the Hygienic Laboratory of the US Public Health and Marine Hospital Service (1902–1931).
Construction.
"Charles W. Stiles" was laid down on 9 September 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2380, by J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia; she was sponsored by Mrs. P.O. Murphy, and launched on 18 October 1944.
History.
She was allocated to Seas Shipping Co. Inc., on 31 October 1944. On 28 February 1947, she was sold for $562,260.11 to Global Transport Ltd., for commercial use. She was reflagged for Panama, and renamed "Bygdin".


List of Esso Atlantic class supertankers

The two ships of the Esso Atlantic" class, Esso Atlantic and Esso Pacific", were two of only seven ships to surpass a half million tons deadweight in maritime history.
When plying the sea, the vessels had a fully laden draft of 25.3 m (83 ft), rendering them unable to navigate the English Channel, the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal when loaded to capacity.
"Esso Atlantic" (1977-1990)
 234,626 tons to 247,160 tons, 508,628 DWT.
10/02/1977 : "Esso Atlantic" launched and built

1/2/1983 : Transferred to Bahamian flag, owned by "Esso International Shipping Co Ltd", Nassau, Bahamas

Special road

A special road is the official classification of motorways in the United Kingdom. For a road to become a special road, it must have a Statutory Instrument sanctioned under the Highways Act 1980. A road which is not a special road is termed an "all-purpose" road. The vast majority of the roads in the UK are all-purpose roads. Most special roads are motorways.
The Special Roads Act 1949.
The passing of the Special Roads Act 1949 through Parliament allowed the UK to construct roads that were not automatically rights of way for certain types of user. All previous roads were automatically rights of way for all road users, including pedestrians, so it was not possible to build roads designated only for motorised traffic. The Act therefore allowed the construction of motorways.
The Special Roads Act was replaced by the Highways Act 1959, and later the Highways Act 1980
The first special road.
The Special Roads Act was first used in the late-1950s to designate the Preston By-pass in Preston, Lancashire, now largely part of the M6 motorway, as a special road.
Non-motorway special roads.
Although the majority of special roads in the UK are also motorways, there are a number of special roads that are not motorways. Quite a number of these are toll bridges, and several others are former motorways which have since been downgraded. In order to charge a toll on a newly built road, special road regulations are usually necessary.
In addition, a small number of non-motorway special roads are relatively newly built dual-carriageway roads, such as the A1 Dual Carriageway east of Edinburgh and parts of the A720 Edinburgh bypass, or parts of the A55 in North Wales. These particular roads have many of the same regulations as motorways, apart from the speed limit regulations, since that only applies to special roads which are also motorways. The usual speed limit regulations that apply to all-purpose roads do not apply to special roads, so a non-motorway special road must define a speed limit as part of its Statutory Instrument.


Airolite

The Airolite was an English motorcycle manufactured between 1923 and 1924, which featured a 110cc Simplex two-stroke engine.


Triumph Bonneville America

The Triumph Bonneville America is a British motorcycle designed and built in Hinckley, Leicestershire by Triumph Motorcycles Ltd.
Development.
Compared with the standard Bonneville, the Bonneville America has a very different ride, with the wheelbase extended to , making it longer overall. The saddle was lowered and the steering head rake angle increased by 4.3 degrees giving a 33.3 degree rake. The America had the Bonneville's front disc but the front wheel was reduced to diameter and the rear wheel to with a larger disc brake. The America also had a larger fuel tank with a 'chromed' plastic console to house the filler, diameter speedometer and warning lights. The side panels were extended with sheet-metal covers over the passenger-peg brackets and perforated chrome fittings behind the carburettors to provide the 'retro look' of the air-filter covers from the 1960 Triumph twins. The rider's footrests were also moved to the front of the engine to create a 'cruiser' riding position.
2007.
In 2007, the engine capacity was increased to 865 cc (carburated) delivering peak power of at 6,800 rpm, with maximum torque of available at 4,800 rpm. Fuel economy is approximately city and highway. The update included new 'reverse cone' chrome silencers, a new design of cast alloy wheels, adjustable clutch and front brake levers and a new all black engine finish with chromed covers. The chrome chain cover, pillion footrest hanger and upper fork shrouds were restyled and a more comfortable pillion seat fitted.
2008.
In 2008, the UK version of the Bonneville America was further updated with an electronic fuel injection system to meet the European emission legislation, with the fuel injectors concealed by dummy carburetors. The US version of the Bonneville America was not updated to EFI until 2009.