| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Africa Horn | |
| Somali Pirates Mistake French Naval Ship for Merchant... Again | |
| 2010-04-22 | |
FS SOMME had been engaged in a support mission for the EU NAVFOR anti piracy operation Atalanta, replenishing her supplies, when she was attacked during the night of 19th April 2010. The pirates, mistaking the SOMMEs silhouette for that of a merchant vessel, opened fire on the French ship. FS SOMME responded with warning shots, causing the two pirate skiffs to flee. During their flight the two pirate skiffs were separated. Whilst chasing one of the skiffs, FS SOMME detected another boat which turned out to be the pirate mother ship, the vessel which controls and resupplies the pirate skiffs. The mother ship was captured less than half an hour later with two pirates on board, and her fuel and pirate paraphanalia (weapons and grappling lines) were seized. The mother ship was destroyed and sank. FS SOMME then gave chase to the skiff which was apprehended with a further 4 pirates on board. The skiff and the six pirates to now being held on board FS SOMME. Note: FS SOMME was also attacked by pirates on 7 October 2009. The ships company then intercepted 5 pirates and their skiff. EU NAVFOR Somalia — Operation ATALANTAs main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the 'World Food Program (WFP) and vessels of 'African Union Mission for Somalia AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EUNAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia. | |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #15 Lets hope the French don't turn the over to us. We might give them citizenship. |
| Posted by: Charles 2010-04-22 20:49 |
| #14 "Pirates attack French Military Replenishment Ship SOMME – 6 pirates captured" I think I see the problem.... |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2010-04-22 20:16 |
| #13 Hang em from the yardarm. If they have a yardarm, if not, improvise. |
| Posted by: bigjim-CA 2010-04-22 19:30 |
| #12 The FS SOMME kind of looks like a merchant ship. Thinking outside the box here but why not have several of these types trolling the coast? If that has been the plan, kudos to the French. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2010-04-22 19:04 |
| #11 Dammit Proc - don't go and give the U.N. (and OBumbles) any ideas! |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2010-04-22 12:32 |
| #10 Lawsuit from some Southeast Asian shipping concern which originally owned the 'mothership' back when it was a low-rent freighter in 1, 2, 3... |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2010-04-22 12:11 |
| #9 One would imagine that with all the millions in ransom money the pirates could at least afford a couple of copies of Janes. |
| Posted by: No I am the other Beldar 2010-04-22 11:11 |
| #8 More like "Intelligence a disqualification." There is that, too, Glenmore. :-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-04-22 08:20 |
| #7 Candidates for "idiots of the day." Darwin is going to remove some of them from the gene pool. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2010-04-22 08:00 |
| #6 tw: Intelligence not required. More like "Intelligence a disqualification." |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-04-22 07:34 |
| #5 Unintentional Q-ships. If it works... I suspect the lawyers are working up some sort of 'determination' that its 'unfair' and such vessels must be painted bright international orange and mount color flashing lights to avoid confusion in the future. /sarc off [but just barely] |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-04-22 07:06 |
| #4 What about the other skiff? Are they toast, or do they stay within motoring distance of the shore? |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-04-22 02:09 |
| #3 You're right, Pappy. I just saw a picture of the Somme - it is a replenishment ship, so it would look like a regular cargo ship, until you got too close. Personally, I think it is time for Q-ships to come back. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2010-04-22 01:05 |
| #2 Unfortunately for the pirates, the Somme, like most naval replenishment ships, really doesn't have warship lines. And from a small boat, you often can't see the weapons. The non-warship lines are sometimes an advantage; during night time operational-deception exercises, USN 'oilers' used to masquerade as crude-carriers, right down to a fake oil company emblem on the stack. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2010-04-22 00:58 |
| #1 I could understand it if the pirates were using only radar to attack targets - a ship just looks like a blob on the screen. But you'd think that the guns on the warship would be a tipoff if they identified their victims visually. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2010-04-22 00:43 |
