Action of 11 November 2008
11 November 2008, incident off Somalia | |||||||
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Part of Operation Ocean Shield | |||||||
Pirates surrendering after engaging Royal Marines | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United Kingdom[1] | Somali pirates | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Peter Sparkes | Unknown | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
2 frigates 1 freighter 2 rigid inflatable boats | 1 armed dhow[2] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
None |
3 killed 8 captured 1 armed dhow captured |
The action of 11 November 2008 was a naval engagement fought off Somalia between pirates and British forces.
Background
As of 11 November 2008, 32 ships had been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden by
Incident
On 11 November pirates on board a dhow attacked MV Powerful, a Danish-registered cargo ship, using assault rifles in a failed attempt to hijack the ship.[1] A Russian Navy spokesman, Igor Dygalo, said that the pirates attempted twice to capture the ship, and were rebuffed by British and Russian helicopters operating from HMS Cumberland and the Russian frigate Neustrashimy respectively.[6] However, Russian involvement in preventing the pirates from capturing Powerful has been disputed by the Royal Navy.[1]
Later that day, Cumberland detected the dhow, which was towing a skiff, and identified it as a vessel involved in the attack against Powerful.[1] The Royal Marines unit on board Cumberland was dispatched in Rigid Raider craft towards the dhow.[1] The Marines then proceeded to circle the dhow,[1] which had on board 12 men armed with rocket launchers and machine guns,[2] in an attempt to force it to stop.[1]
The pirates opened fire on them, but no casualties were sustained by the Marines.[1] Returning fire, the Marines killed two Somalis. The pirates subsequently surrendered, and the Marines boarded the dhow.[1] The Royal Navy described the boarding itself as "compliant".[1] Russia has claimed that one of its helicopters, based aboard Neustrashimy, was involved in this firefight between the pirates and the Marines, though the Royal Navy deny this claim, stating that the Marines were supported by a Lynx helicopter from HMS Cumberland.[1]
Aftermath
“ | This [November 11, 2008 incident off Somalia] is bound to have an impact on pirates who for the last two years have been getting away with seizing vessels and receiving large ransoms. Now suddenly there’s the threat of death and this may force them to think again, but they are determined people, so we’ll have to see.[1] | ” |
– Captain Mike Davis-Marks, a senior spokesman for the Royal Navy. |
On board the dhow was a Yemeni male who, despite receiving emergency treatment, died from his injuries.[5] The British Ministry of Defence reported that it was unclear as to whether the fatal injuries were the result of the gunfight, or whether they were sustained beforehand.[5] The incident, according to The Times, "signalled a new policy of maximum robustness for the Royal Navy on the high seas".[1]
The remaining eight men who had been captured on board the dhow along with the bodies of the two pirates killed were transferred to RFA Wave Knight. The eight survivors were handed over to Kenyan authorities in Mombasa on November 18 while the two dead pirates were later buried at sea off the eastern coast of Somalia.[7]
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Crilly, Rob; Evans, Michael (2008-11-12). "Royal Navy in firefight with Somali pirates". The Times. Archived from the original on 23 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
- ^ The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
- ^ Brown, Nick (March 2009). "RN considers tougher stance against piracy off Horn of Africa". Jane's International Defence Review. p. 6.
- ^ Sengupta, Kim (2008-11-13). "Marines kill two Somalis in raid on pirate vessel". The Independent. Archived from the original on August 20, 2009. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
- ^ a b c d Norton-Taylor, Richard; Parfitt, Tom (2008-11-13). "British commandos kill two pirates in stand-off". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
- ^ a b Tkachenko, Maxim (2008-11-12). "British and Russia warships repel pirates". CNN. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
- ^ "Pirates handed over by Cumberland". The Plymouth Herald. 2008-11-18. Archived from the original on 2013-05-05. Retrieved 2008-11-20.