The USS Bainbridge is a US destroyer that is tracking Somali pirates who are holding the captain of the merchant marine ship Maersk Alabama. Read about it below and see photos and a video.
USS Bainbridge
The USS Bainbridge is an American destroyer that has been sent to the Indian Ocean to assist the crew of the hijacked merchant marine ship, Maersk Alabama. The U.S. flagged ship was hijacked by the Somali pirates, as have many over the past few years. However, the American crew of the ship fought the pirates and regained control of the the ship.
A crew member was able to contact civilization via satellite phone and report the crew had retaken the ship but the pirates are holding the captain for ransom. They are holding Captain Richard Phillips in a lifeboat. Photos of the Maersk Alabama and Captain Phillips are here.
Captain Richard Phillips and Maersk Alabama
The waters off the coast of Somalia has been a lawless land for years and these pirate attacks have become more frequent in recent months. It seems apparent that any ship traveling through that area is going to have to be willing to fight off these Somali pirates by whatever means necessary before the attacks will stop.
The Second Mate of the merchant ship, Ken Quinn, reported that the crew had a lengthy battle with the pirates. After they secured their ship, they attempted to negotiate a deal with the pirates for the release of their captain. They released one of the attackers in exchange for the release of Capt. Phillips. However, after the deal was made and the pirate was released, they refused to release Captain Phillips.
At this time the U.S. Navy has dispatched the American warship, USS Bainbridge and other vessels to the scene.
Barack Obama has yet to make a statement about the attack on an American ship. Even though there have been numerous attacks on merchant ships off the coast of Somalia, this is the first time in modern history that the pirates have dared to attack and American ship and crew.
It seems apparent that the perception is that the United States is greatly weakened with this President and therefore predators around the world are pushing the envelope to see how he will respond to their aggressions towards the United States. We now have an attack on an American ship and a hostage situation on our hands. But Obama is still trying to charm Europe and put American interest under the control of the Untied Nations.
The last time the United States had pirate problems our forefathers built the USS Constitution to deal with them and end their terrorist attacks on our young nation. That was the end of our problems with the Barbary pirates.
March 27, 1794 - President George Washington signed “an act to provide a naval armament.” By authorizing the construction of six frigates (what we would call “cruisers” today) the Third Congress in effect creates the U.S. Navy. The immediate issue was the need to protect the large American merchant fleet from continuous and increasing attacks by the North African “Barbary pirate” states of Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli-as well as from aggressive high-seas practices of the British. The ships were designed by Mr. Joshua Humphreys, a Philadelphia Quaker and an innovative naval architect, and are to be built at six different cities. The contract for one of these ships, to be named USS CONSTITUTION, was given to Edmund Hartt’s shipyard in Boston, Massachusetts.
Obama likes to compare himself with our great presidents. Now that the rubber is meeting the road, will he be able to stack up against the courage of his predecessors and stand up to the enemies of our country? We haven’t seen anything from him yet.
The USS Bainbridge that is steaming its way to the Indian Ocean is the latest ship in a long history of ships carrying that name.
She was launched on November 13, 2003 at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. She is sponsored by Susan Bainbridge Hay who is the great-great-great granddaughter of Commodore William Bainbridge, the ships namesake. The USS Bainbridge was commissioned on November 12, 2005 under the command of Commander John M. Dorey. Her homeport is Norfolk, Virginia.
The ship currently features the Remote Mine-hunting System (RMS),[1] which includes the Remote Mine-hunting Vehicle (RMV), an unmanned craft that detects, classifies, and localizes underwater mines.
USS Bainbridge - Photos
USS Bainbridge - Video
Maersk Alabama Hijacking - Video
April 8th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
You stupidly comment that the U.S. is perceived as greatly weakened with the election of Obama.
I doubt that our enemies are likely to make such a boneheaded miscalculation.
April 8th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
that is the most boneheaded commentary yet. these pirates have no clue who obama is.
April 8th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Billy - I don’t know if they know Obama or not - that’s not the point. The point is that we can stop this nonsense - but Obama can’t make a decision.
Oh - and you can bet they know OSama.
That’s the point.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Whoever the twit that wrote the narrative about Obama was, they should read a little history. The fact that President Obama is in office, has nothing to do with the American ship being targeted by pirates. Fifteen ships, of MANY nationalities are currently being held. Such overt partisan political garbage masquerading as news should be reserved for Fox network. At least on Fox, you know for absolute certain that the facts are nowhere to be seen.
You should be ashamed, but hacks like yourself are likely to be proud of spewing this kind of bile on the internet in hopes that the less informed find it believable.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Frederiksen - regardless of the number of ships and crews that have been targeted by the Somali pirates over the years - there has not been an AMERICAN ship targeted by pirates since 1794. That’s significant.
I hope Obama handles it properly and refuses to try to buy his way out of it. If they think they can make money off attacking American ships, they will target them more often.
April 10th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
First, this is a hostage situation, not (anymore) piracy. The intrepid U.S. merchant mariners fought back and kept their ship out of the pirates hands. Many U.S. ships have been “targeted” by pirates since 1794. The U.S. Navy actions against the Tripoli and Barbary “pirates” occurred before and after 1812, ending in 1815. Piracy and attacks on U.S. ships continued into the 19th Century and U.S. ships have been threatened in the 20th and 21st centuries. Before the Somali pirates on the Horn of Africa, there was (and still is) a pirate threat in the Straits of Malacca. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy_in_the_Strait_of_Malacca U.S. ships were “targeted” by those pirates such that USNS ships transiting the straits were authorized to mount .50 cal. machines guns on their weather decks to use for self-defense. And do not forget the hijacking of the SS Mayaguez by the Kyhmer Rouge (lawless de facto controllers of Cambodia, but no different than pirates) in 1975. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayag%C3%BCez_incident So to make any suggestion of a link between Obama and some sort of invitation to test America’s will, is invalid. Besides, what action would you have the U.S. government take? Deter future attacks by blowing up the life boat carrying the pirates and the U.S. captain, showing everyone that we care less for human life than the priates? Or perhaps Obama should take a clue from that great American president Ronald Reagan who sold Hawk missile to our enemy Iran as ransom for release of hostages taken by Hezbollah in Lebanon? Reagan was so effective in dealing with a similar situation that we now have Iran, Hezbollah and the Nicarguan Sandinistas (whose enemies, the Contras, got the proceeds from the weapons sale) enjoying even more power and influence than before. Hah! From Reagan, Islamic militants learned that they could make money and political capital from the U.S. and the results can be seen at Khobar Towers, USS Cole and 9/11.
Also, I’m surprised no one mentions that USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) is the fourth U.S. Navy ship named for Commodore Wm Bainbridge. Here are some interesting tidbits from Como. Bainbridge’s official U.S. Navy bio http://www.history.navy.mil/bios/bainbridge_wm.htm#Tingey-bio :
“May 1800 - he was ordered to the frigate George Washington to carry “tribute” from the United States to the Dey of Algiers. He was employed by the Dey of Algiers to carry his ambassador and gifts to the Sultan of Turkey and was instrumental in securing an order from the Sultan to the Dey obliging him to release 400 prisoners.”
My comment: Does that sound like a courier for ransom or what?
“He returned to the United States and on 2 May 1801 was ordered to Essex, one of the vessels of the squadron of Commodore Richard Dale fitted out to cruise against the Barbary Powers.”
“21 May 1803 ordered to command the Philadelphia, 44-gun frigate, of Commodore Edward Preble’s Squadron, to cruise against Tripolitan cruisers in the Mediterranean. 13 July 1803 ordered by the Department to sail in advance of the squadron. 26 August 1803 off Cape de Gatt, captured the Moorish ship Meshboha and recaptured from the Moors the American brig Cecelia.”
“31 October 1803 while in chase of a Tripolitan cruiser, the Philadelphia struck on a rock in the harbor of Tripoli, struck fast in the sands, was surrounded by Tripolitan gunboats and captured. Captain Bainbridge, his officers and men were taken on shore and imprisoned in the castle overlooking the harbor for 19 months. Upon the establishment of a treaty of peace with Tripoli, 3 June 1805, Captain Bainbridge returned to the United States in the frigate President.”
Seems that like his fourth namesake, Ol’ Billy Bainbridge was no stranger to pirates and that any suggestion the U.S. hasn’t been plagued by pirates since 1794 is more than a bit ignorant.
April 18th, 2009 at 4:53 am
I hope that President Obama’s decisiveness combined with the SEAL’s ability will silence all you harbingers of doubt.