117 Battery PlacePirates Attack Maersk Alabama Again
Wednesday, 18 November 2009 15:47
The Journal of Commerce Online - News Story
Peter T. Leach | Nov 18, 2009
Security team drives off raid with evasive maneuvers, small arms fire
Pirates for a second time attacked the Maersk Alabama early Wednesday morning but failed to board it while the U.S.-flag container ship was steaming 500 nautical miles off the northeast coast of Somalia, the U.S. Navy said.
Four pirates in a skiff came within 300 yards of the Maersk Alabama and used small arms fire to try to board the U.S.-manned ship.
The security team aboard the Maersk Alabama responded to the attack by employing evasive maneuvers, long-range acoustical devices and their own small arms fire, causing the pirates to break off their attack, according to an account provided by the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command of the U.S. Fifth Fleet combined maritime forces.
“Due to Maersk Alabama following maritime industry’s best practices, such as embarking security teams, the ship was able to prevent being successfully attacked by pirates,” said Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. “This is a great example of how merchant mariners can take pro-active action to prevent being attacked and why we recommend that ships follow industry best practices if they’re in high-risk areas.”
No injuries or damage were reported aboard the Maersk Alabama, which the U.S. Navy said is proceeding to its destination of Mombasa, Kenya, where it was also heading last spring with a cargo of U.S. relief supplies when it was attacked the first time.
Four Somali pirates seized the Maersk Alabama on April 8 off the coast of Somalia and held the ship’s skipper, Capt. Richard Phillips, hostage for five days on the ship’s lifeboat. U.S. Navy SEALS freed Capt. Phillips on April 12 after they killed three of the pirates who were holding him by using sniper rifles equipped with infrared telescopic sights.
The fourth pirate, who was injured and held aboard the destroyer USS Bainbridge, awaits trial in the United States.
The Maersk Alabama, is operated by LMS Shipmanagement under charter hire to Maersk Inc. the U.S. subsidiary of Denmark's Maersk Line. LMS Shipmangement is a subsidiary of International Shipholding and also operates its Waterman Steamship fleet.