It had a light-blue hull and a beige superstructure like all Maersk vessels, regardless of their flag of registry.[6] It was hijacked by pirates near Somalia in 2009 and its crew held hostage. Four additional unsuccessful hijacking attempts were made in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
History
Alva Maersk was built by China Shipbuilding Corporation, Keelung, Taiwan at yard number 676 and launched in 1998.[7] As Alva Maersk, It was flagged to Denmark. In 2004, Alva Maersk was renamed Maersk Alabama[1] and reflagged to the United States, with its operator, Maersk Line, Limited, based in Norfolk, Virginia.[2] It has been involved in seven incidents and was employed on Maersk Line's East Africa 4 service. Its regular route was from Mombasa, Kenya to Salalah, Oman, to Djibouti, and then returning to Mombasa.[2]
2004 detention
In 2004, the ship was detained in Kuwait after becoming the victim of an apparent fraud scheme. According to papers filed by the A. P. Moller-Maersk Group with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in 2005, Kuwait-based expatriates scammed the Group out of millions of dollars. Low-value goods were allegedly shipped under the guise of fraudulent, high-value bills of lading. Maersk was subsequently sued for losing goods that had never existed. Those allegedly behind the scheme were able to detain Alva Maersk in Kuwait as collateral. The ship was released in April 2004 after the A. P. Moller-Maersk Group was forced to put up $1.86million as collateral.[8]
On April 7, 2009, the U.S. Maritime Administration, following NATO advisories, released a Somalia Gulf of Aden advisory to mariners recommending ships to stay at least 600 nautical miles (1,100km; 690mi) off the coast of Somalia. On April 8, 2009, four Somali pirates boarded Maersk Alabama when it was located 240nmi (440km; 280mi) southeast of the Somalia port city of Eyl.[9] With a crew of 20, the ship was en route to Mombasa, Kenya. The ship was carrying 17,000 metric tons of cargo, of which 5,000 metric tons were relief supplies bound for Somalia, Uganda, and Kenya.[10][11]
The 28-foot lifeboat where Captain Richard Phillips and the four Somali pirates were held up as seen from a U.S. Navy Scan Eagle UAV.The Maersk Alabama lifeboat on which Captain Phillips was held hostage by Somali pirates in 2009 is on display at the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum.
According to Chief Engineer Mike Perry, the engineers sank the pirate speedboat shortly after the boarding by continuously swinging the rudder of Maersk Alabama thus scuttling the smaller boat.[12] As the pirates were boarding the ship, the crew members locked themselves in the engine room[13] while the captain and two other crew members remained on the bridge. The engineers then took control of the ship from down below, rendering the bridge controls useless. The pirates were thus unable to control the ship. The crew later used "brute force" to overpower one of the pirates,[13]Abduwali Muse, and free one of the hostages, Abu Thair Mohd Zahid Reza. Frustrated, the pirates decided to leave the ship, taking Phillips to a lifeboat as their bargaining chip. The crew attempted to exchange this captured pirate, whom they had kept tied up for twelve hours,[14] for Captain Phillips. The captured pirate was released, but the pirates refused to release Phillips in exchange. Since the battery had died on the open-air boat, they left in the ship's covered lifeboat, taking Phillips with them.[15] The lifeboat carried ten days of food rations, water, and basic survival supplies.[16] On April 8, the destroyer USSBainbridge and the frigate USSHalyburton were dispatched to the Gulf of Aden in response to a hostage situation, and reached Maersk Alabama early on April 9.[17]Maersk Alabama then departed from the area with an armed escort, towards her original destination in Mombasa, Kenya, with the vessel's Chief Mate Shane Murphy in charge.[13] On Saturday, April 11, Maersk Alabama arrived in the port of Mombasa, Kenya, still under U.S. military escort, where C/M Murphy was relieved by Captain Larry Aasheim, who had previously been captain of Maersk Alabama until Richard Phillips relieved him eight days before the pirate attack. An 18-man marine security team was on board.[17] The FBI secured the ship as a crime scene.[18]
Meanwhile, a standoff had begun on April 9 between Bainbridge and the pirates in Maersk Alabama's lifeboat, where they continued to hold Captain Phillips hostage.[19] Three days later, on Sunday, April 12, Navy marksmen opened fire and killed the three pirates on the lifeboat, and Phillips was rescued in good condition.[20][21]Bainbridge captain Commander Frank Castellano, with prior authorization from U.S. PresidentBarack Obama, ordered the action after determining that Phillips' life was in immediate danger, based on reports that a pirate was pointing an AK-47 assault rifle at his back.[22][23][24]U.S. Navy SEALsnipers on Bainbridge's fantail opened fire, killing the three pirates with bullets to the head.[25] One of the three slain was later identified as Ali Aden Elmi.[26] A fourth pirate, Abduwali Muse, aboard the Bainbridge and negotiating for Phillips' release while being treated for an injury sustained in the takeover of Maersk Alabama, surrendered and was taken into custody.[20][21] Muse's parents asked that he be pardoned because he was either 15 or 16 years old at the time of the incident, but in court, it was ruled that he was not a juvenile and would be tried as an adult.[26] He pleaded guilty to piracy charges and was sentenced to over 33 years in prison.[26][27]
The actual lifeboat in which Captain Phillips was held hostage is now on display at the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Ft. Pierce, FL.[28] An example of the Scan Eagle UAV used to monitor the crisis is also on display.[29]
November 2009 pirate attack
At 6:30a.m. on November 18, 2009, Maersk Alabama was reportedly sailing some 350 nautical miles (650km) east of Somalia when she was fired upon by four pirates wielding automatic weapons and traveling in a skiff.[30][31][32] The assault failed after guards on the ship responded with small arms fire and acoustical weapons.[33] Afterward, a Djibouti-based patrol plane flew to the scene, and an EU ship searched the area.[34]
September 2010 suspicious approach of pirate skiff
On 29September 2010, the vessel was targeted by Somali pirates wielding AK-47s. The security forces on board Maersk Alabama repelled a skiff with five pirates approximately 1,530 kilometres (950mi) east of Somalia. The incident went unreported by the media until November 2010.[35]
March 2011 attempted hijacking
On 8March 2011, Somali pirates again targeted the vessel.[36] A security force on board the Maersk Alabama fired warning shots and turned the suspects away.[37]
May 2011 attempted hijacking
At midnight on 14May 2011, while transiting westbound in the internationally recognized corridor, Maersk Alabama was approached by a skiff of five pirates on the starboard stern. After turning to follow the ship's wake, the skiff quickly closed in to 30 metres (98ft), preparing to board via a hook ladder, at which point the embarked security team fired two shots into the skiff. The skiff quickly broke off, losing radar contact after 10 minutes.[38]
February 2014 deaths of two security contractors
On 19 February 2014, it was reported that two former Navy SEALs working as security contractors aboard the Maersk Alabama for the private security firm Trident Group were found dead aboard the container ship a day after it docked at Port Victoria, Seychelles.[39] Seychelles police officials reported that the autopsy found the cause of death to be "respiratory failure, with suspicion of myocardial infarction (heart attack)." The presence of a syringe and traces of heroin in the cabin led to a suspicion of drug use.[40] In April, following receipt of a toxicology report which found alcohol in the men's blood, police confirmed that death had been caused by consumption of alcohol and heroin.[41][42] As of 2018, the criminal investigation results in Seychelles had not yet been disclosed to the public.[41] Seychelles law enforcement released the vessel on February 24.[43] Both Maersk and Trident officially prohibit drug use on board their ships.[44]
↑ "Africa | FBI in hostage talks with Somalis". BBC News. 2009-04-09. Retrieved 2009-04-09. According to second mate Ken Quinn, the crew managed to capture one of the pirates and keep him tied up for 12 hours
↑ "2 former Navy SEALs found dead aboard ship at center of 'Captain Phillips' saga". Fox News. 2014-02-19. Archived from the original on 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2014-10-23. Details of the contractors' deaths remain unclear, but they were not on watch and did not die while performing a security operation, Tom Rothrauff, the president of the Trident Group, said. He said an initial assessment of the scene did not suggest any foul play.
↑ Elizabeth Landau (2014-02-26). "Mystery shrouds 'Captain Phillips' ship deaths". CNN. Archived from the original on 2014-10-08. Retrieved 2014-10-23. Seychelles police say the autopsy found the cause of death to be "respiratory failure, with suspicion of myocardial infarction (heart attack)." The presence of a syringe and traces of heroin in the cabin have led to a suspicion of drug use, police said.
↑ "Heart attack and respiratory failure in Maersk deaths". BBC News. 2014-02-24. Archived from the original on 2014-10-23. Mark Daniel Kennedy, 43, and Jeffrey Keith Reynolds, 44, were found dead on 18 February as the ship was berthed in Port Victoria, the capital of the Indian Ocean island nation of Seychelles.
↑ Nicholas Kulish, Ian Urbina, Mark Mazzetti, Jeremy Alford, Christopher Drew, Kristina Rebelo, Susan Beachy, Kitty Bennett (2014-02-26). "Hired to Fight Pirates, but Doomed by Boredom". New York Times. Victoria, Seychelles. p.A1. Archived from the original on 2014-07-10. Retrieved 2014-10-23. While veterans, especially those returning from war zones, have shown a high prevalence of substance abuse and other risky behaviors, friends, family and acquaintances of the two men said they seemed to have adjusted well to civilian life after years in the military. They were known as much for their zest for life as their hulking physiques.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
USS Boxer (LHD-4) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy. She is the sixth U.S. ship to bear the name of the original HMS Boxer, which was captured from the British during the War of 1812.
USS Halyburton (FFG-40), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, is a ship of the United States Navy named for Pharmacist's Mate Second Class William D. Halyburton Jr. (1924–1945). Halyburton was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism while serving with the 5th Marines, during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.
Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA) is a component of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) is the primary military component assigned to accomplish the objectives of the mission. The naval components are the multinational Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) and Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) which operates under the direction of the United States Fifth Fleet. Both of these organizations have been historically part of United States Central Command. In February 2007, United States President George W. Bush announced the establishment of the United States Africa Command which took over all of the area of operations of CJTF-HOA in October 2008.
USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. She is the fifth ship to carry that name, and the 46th destroyer of a planned 75-ship class. Bainbridge is named in honor of Commodore William Bainbridge, who as commander of the frigate USS Constitution distinguished himself in the War of 1812 when he and his crew captured HMS Java, a 38-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy.
Piracy off the coast of Somalia occurs in the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel, and Somali Sea, in Somali territorial waters and other surrounding places and has a long and troubled history with different perspectives from different communities. It was initially a threat to international fishing vessels during the early 2000s, only to rapidly escalate and expand to international shipping during the War in Somalia (2006–2009).
Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) is a multinational naval task force, set up in 2009 as a response to piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia. Its mission is to disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea and to engage with regional and other partners to build capacity and improve relevant capabilities in order to protect global maritime commerce and secure freedom of navigation. It operates in conjunction with the EU's Operation Atalanta and NATO's Operation Ocean Shield.
The Maersk Alabamahijacking began on 8 April 2009, when four pirates in the Somali Basin seized the Danish/U.S. cargo ship Maersk Alabama at a distance of 240 nautical miles southeast of Eyl, Somalia. The siege ended after a rescue effort by the United States Navy on 12 April.
Francis Xavier Castellano is a United States Navy captain currently assigned as the commanding officer of Center for Surface Combat Systems. Castellano is best known as the commander of the guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge during the hijacking of MV Maersk Alabama.
MV Liberty Sun is a ship unsuccessfully attacked by Somali pirates on 14 April 2009. After unloading food aid at Port Sudan, she was proceeding to Mombasa with humanitarian aid, when she was attacked by pirates armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades. After successfully avoiding being boarded, she was assisted by USS Bainbridge. The French frigate Nivôse captured 11 of the pirates who had attacked Liberty Sun. Bainbridge had on board Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama hijacking, shortly after he had been freed in an operation which left three pirates dead and one captured. One of the pirates, Abdi Garad, told AFP news agency that they had intended to destroy the ship and its crew. "The aim of this attack was totally different. We were not after a ransom. We also assigned a team with special equipment to chase and destroy any ship flying the American flag in retaliation for the brutal killing of our friends."
Abduwali Abdulkadir Museعبدالولي موسى is a Somali convicted pirate. He is the sole survivor of four pirates who hijacked the MV Maersk Alabama in April 2009 and then held Captain Richard Phillips for ransom. On 16 February 2011, Muse was sentenced to 33 years and 9 months in U.S. federal prison.
Richard Phillips is an American merchant mariner and author who served as captain of the MV Maersk Alabama during its hijacking by Somali pirates in April 2009.
"Fatbeard" is the seventh episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 188th overall episode of the series, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 22, 2009 and in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2009. It was the mid-season finale, marking the final South Park episode for six months. In the episode, Cartman misinterprets news reports about piracy in the Indian Ocean to mean the return of the classic era of swashbuckling pirates, and misleads a handful of South Park boys to voyage to Mogadishu to start a pirate crew.
A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea is a book by Captain Richard Phillips, the captain of the container ship MV Maersk Alabama when it was hijacked in 2009. It was written with Stephan Talty and published by Hyperion on April 6, 2010. It was adapted in a 2013 film, Captain Phillips.
The SY Quest incident occurred in February 2011 when Somali pirates seized the American yacht SY Quest and four United States citizens. The United States Navy ordered the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and three other ships to free the hostages. All four hostages were shot by their captors.
The MV Beluga Nomination incident was the capture and attempted liberation of a German freighter from Somali pirates by the Seychelles Coast Guard and Royal Danish Navy in January 2011. A few days after the taking of MV Beluga Nomination, a Seychelles patrol boat and a Danish flexible support ship, HDMS Esbern Snare, encountered the pirates and engaged in a failed rescue operation.
Operation Ocean Shield was NATO's contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA), an anti-piracy initiative in the Indian Ocean, Guardafui Channel, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. It follows the earlier Operation Allied Protector. Naval operations began on 17 August 2009 after being approved by the North Atlantic Council, the program was terminated on 15 December 2016 by NATO. Operation Ocean Shield focused on protecting the ships of Operation Allied Provider, which transported relief supplies as part of the World Food Programme's mission in the region. The initiative also helped strengthen the navies and coast guards of regional states to assist in countering pirate attacks. Additionally, China, Japan and South Korea sent warships to participate in these activities.
Captain Phillips is a 2013 American biographical action-thriller film directed by Paul Greengrass. Based on the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking, the film tells the story of Captain Richard Phillips, an American merchant mariner who was taken hostage by Somali pirates. It stars Tom Hanks as Phillips, alongside Barkhad Abdi as pirate leader Abduwali Muse.
The following lists events that happened in 2009 in Somalia.
Operation Dawn 8: Gulf of Aden was a naval operation carried out by the Royal Malaysian Navy against pirates in the Indian Ocean on 20 January 2011. In response to the hijacking of MV Bunga Laurel, the Malaysian Shipborne Protection Team deployed an attack helicopter and 14 members of the naval counter-terrorism group PASKAL in two rigid-hulled inflatable boats to retake the vessel and rescue the crew. After one night of trailing the tanker, the Malaysian forces successfully retook the ship by force on 20 January 2011, resulting in the wounding of three and the capture of four out of 18 pirates, and all 23 vessel crewmembers rescued.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
