FGS "Spessard"

 

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Well, to the untrained Somali Pirate eye, that ship might just look like any other cargo ship. Either that or they're getting bolder... Brovo to the German's, Spanish, and Greeks for dealing with these ones!

 

B.L. 

Somali Pirates attacked the German Navy refueler FGS "Spessart", the ship is part of the EU Atalanta mission.
The ship is normally manned with a civilian crew but a small Navy security team was also on board.
The pirates opened fire on the navy ship and tried to board it but did withdraw after the security team repelled the fire.
Then a chase started with the participation of the German tanker and Navy units from Greece and Spain. Finally the German Frigate ?Rheinland-Pfalz? managed to catch and arrest the pirates.

Can you believe it? pirates actually attacking a Navy ship?

Why not?  As a civilian auxiliary it is little better than a leased vessel.  It has some extra equipment and a crew trained in carrying out underway refueling.  Neither the ship or the crew are supposed to better armed than any other civilian ship.  If the Navy security team had not been present they have just been another victim, though more embarassing than most.

 

Since the Navy security team WAS present there are some interesting questions to debate:

Any more information or opinions?

Well, the Navy security Unit (Germany started building them up just after Sep. 11 - there wasnt anything like that before Enduring Freedom ) was there just because the vessel is a Military Ship operating in a quite dangerous region on a combat mission .  I dont think it was a bait, otherwise a Helicopter would have been around. The Frigate "Rheinland Pfalz" was also operating in the Area, it wasnt like the "Spessard" was alone on the high Seas.

 

PS: I dont even want to imagine the political desaster of Pirates capturing a Navy ship ... 

Today a picture of the weapons belonging to the lastest Pirates was released.  Looks quite similar to the last one: Some crappy AK´s, and RPG´s.

 

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OK, so then the answers are:

 

Was the Navy security was there by planing?  -- GOOD The tanker being used as a 'bait ship'?  --  NO

 

The crew and the Navy security team were so inattentive as to allow the pirates to close with and fire on the vessel?  -- BAD

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 German military personnel escort one of seven suspected Somali pirates, on board the German frigate Rheinland-Pfalz, before handing them over to Kenyan authorities in Mombasa, Kenya, Wednesday, April 8, 2009. The alleged Somali pirates were held aboard the German frigate Rheinland-Pfalz, after the seven apparently mistook the FGS Spessart for a commercial ship and opened fire on March 29. They were chased down and captured by international forces.

 

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 Four Somali pirates who were among seven accused of firing on a German ship off the coast of Yemen, are pictured on April 08,2009 in a Kenyan police station at the port of Mombasa after being handed over to Kenyan authorities to stand trial. The seven suspected Somali pirates, were picked up on March 29 by Greek and Spanish forces whom then handed them over to a German frigate, had reportedly tried to capture a German oil tanker, FGS Spessart, off the southern Yemen coast during a joint-mission of the first ever European Union naval operation, Atalanta Flotilla, that had set up the 'Spessart' as bait for the unwitting pirates. The arrest of the seven however has shone light on complexities that need to be addressed to facilitate the trial of such individuals arrested on international waters in what is currently an agreement beteen the European Union and Kenya to carry out trials, arrest and imprisonment of offenders.