The phenomenon of piracy has given human history many names of legendary adventurers. The peak of maritime robberies occurred in the 17th century, when the World Ocean was the scene of struggle between Spain, England and some other emerging European colonial powers. Most often, pirates made their living through independent criminal robberies, but some of them ended up in government service and deliberately harmed foreign fleets.
Francis Drake
Born in 1540, he came from an ordinary farming family, and nothing foreshadowed that he would become a great pirate and navigator. A sharp turn in his fate happened at the age of 12, when his parents moved to Kent. There the teenager became a cabin boy on a merchant barque. The owner of the ship was his distant relative. Dying, he handed over the ship as an inheritance to Drake. So, by an amazing coincidence, already at the age of 18, the young man turned out to be a captain.
Like all other contemporary sailors, Francis dreamed of the distant western seas, where the Spaniards continued to rule since their discovery. The most famous pirates of that time, as one, hunted royal galleons loaded with American gold. The Spanish did control the West Indies and had no intention of giving its resources to the British. There were constant skirmishes between the ships of these two countries. In one of them in 1567 Francis Drake I almost lost my life. Of the entire English flotilla, only two ships survived. After this episode, the Spaniards became Drake's sworn enemies.
Francis received from his authorities a privateering patent and the right to freely plunder enemy bases. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the pirate captured Spanish fortresses and outposts in the Caribbean. In 1572, his detachment intercepted a huge cargo of silver. A robber sailed to England with 30 tons of precious metal.
Drake became famous not only as a threat to the Spaniards, but also as a brave navigator. In 1577, Queen Elizabeth I sent him to round the world expedition. It was this pirate who became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. During his journey, he found out that Tierra del Fuego is an island, not southern mainland, as was previously believed in Europe. After his triumphant return Francis Drake received a knighthood and became sir. The high rank did not change the habits of the sea wolf. On the contrary, over and over again he was eager to embark on another adventurous voyage.
In 1588, Francis Drake took part in the defeat of the Spanish Invincible Armada. The victory of the English fleet heralded British naval rule for several centuries. After this success, Drake went on expeditions to the West Indies several more times. He destroyed enemy pirate bases that interfered with profitable English trade. Sir Drake died in 1596 while traveling in Panama. His lead coffin was buried in the ocean. Without a doubt, the adventurer is the most famous pirate of the 16th century.
Henry Morgan
Henry Morgan was born in 1635 in the Welsh countryside into the family of a landowner. The boy could have become his father's heir, but from childhood his passion was not agriculture, but the sea. As time has shown, the love for distant horizons turned out to be justified. The most famous pirates were jealous of the success of Henry Morgan, who became a living legend of his time.
As a young man, the Englishman was hired on a ship sailing to the harbor of the island of Barbados. Once in the Caribbean, Morgan began to build an amazing pirate career. Having joined the sea robbers, he moved to Jamaica. Young quickly became a participant in raids, main goal of which there were robberies of ships that came to hand. Behind a short time the boy learned all the laws and customs of sea life. Already in his youth, he became the owner of considerable capital, amassed from pirate earnings and winnings at dice. With this money Henry bought his first ship.
Very soon, even the most famous pirates heard about Morgan's daring and luck. A group of like-minded people formed around the pirate. New ships began to join his ship. Growing influence could not but lead to growing ambitions. In 1665, Morgan decided to give up looting ships and began planning an operation to capture the entire city. Trujillo was his first target. The bandit then captured several Spanish bases in Cuba. Both simple privateers and the most famous pirates could not boast of such successes.
Morgan's most famous military enterprise was his campaign against Panama, which took place in 1670. By this time, the robber already had a fleet of 35 ships and a crew of 2 thousand people at his disposal. This gang landed in Panama and moved to the Spanish fortress of the same name. Although the garrison numbered 2.5 thousand soldiers, it was unable to defend the city. Having taken Panama, the pirates exterminated all those who resisted and plundered everything they could reach. The city was set on fire and destroyed. After this raid, the names of the most famous pirates faded in comparison with the name of Henry Morgan.
When the English subject returned to Jamaica, which belonged to the crown, the authorities unexpectedly arrested him. The fact was that the day before London and Madrid made peace. The pirates did not act on behalf of the state, but enjoyed its benevolent connivance. Having made peace with Spain, the English government promised to rein in its pirates. Henry Morgan was exiled to his homeland. A trial awaited him at home, but the trial turned out to be only a sham demonstration. The authorities were not going to punish the pirate who had provided them with so many services in the fight against Spanish rule at sea.
Soon Henry Morgan returned to Jamaica. He became the island's vice-governor and commander-in-chief of its fleet and army. Subsequently, the pirate continued to faithfully serve the crown. He died in 1688 and was buried with honors in Port Royal Church. A few years later, Jamaica was rocked by a catastrophic earthquake, and Morgan's grave was washed into the ocean.
Anne Bonney
Although sea robbery at all times has traditionally been considered exclusively a man's business, the most famous female pirates are of no less interest. One of them was (born in 1700). The girl came from a wealthy Irish family. When she was still a child, her father acquired an estate in distant America. So Anne moved to the New World.
At the age of 18, the daughter ran away from home and embarked on a path of adventurous adventures. She met a pirate and decided to join his sea adventures. The girl had to get used to men's clothing and master combat and shooting skills. Rackham's crew was captured by the authorities in 1720. The captain was executed, but the punishment for Anne was constantly postponed due to her pregnancy. Her further fate remained unknown.
According to one version, Bonnie was freed and died during another raid; according to another, her influential father rescued her, after which the former robber spent her entire life in South Carolina and died in 1782 at a ripe old age. Be that as it may, the most famous female pirates (another famous robber at the time) generated even more rumors than their male companions.
Blackbeard
The legendary figure of Blackbeard remains one of the most recognizable in the pirate pantheon. Edward Teach was hiding under this nickname. Almost nothing is known about his childhood. The sailor made his presence known in 1713, when at the age of 33 he joined the bandits of Benjamin Hornigold. Like all world-famous pirates, this crew hunted in the Caribbean Sea, attractive for its valuable cargo. Teach was the true ideal of a pirate. He knew nothing except regular raids and robberies. His ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, terrified both sailors and civilians on earth.
In 1717, thanks to the efforts of the governor of the Bahamas, the official authorities began an uncompromising fight against pirates. In new unusual conditions, many robbers (including that same Hornigold) decided to lay down their arms and receive a royal pardon. However, Teach refused to change his lifestyle. From that moment on, he became enemy number one for the British military and naval forces.
Many famous pirates who did not want to fit into the new order joined Blackbeard. The most famous adventure of this captain was the blockade of Charleston in South Carolina. The raiders captured many high-ranking citizens and received a colossal ransom in exchange for their return.
The treachery of the owner of Queen Anne's Revenge did not go unpunished. The authorities promised 100 pounds for the pirate's head, which was a fortune at the time. A real hunt has begun for Blackbeard. Very soon, on November 22, 1718, he died in a boarding battle against the team of Lieutenant Robert Maynard. Often the most famous pirates and their ships haunted the seas for an extremely short but eventful period. The same was the lot of Blackbeard.
Bartholomew Roberts
The fame enjoyed by the most famous pirates in history gave rise to many rumors and myths around them. Bartholomew Roberts was no exception to this rule. It is he who is credited with the authorship of the Pirate Code, a set of rules according to which many generations of sea robbers lived.
Roberts was born in 1682 in the small Welsh town of Haverfordwest. His sea voyages began on a slaver ship, where Bartholomew was mate. He became involved with pirates at the age of 37, when he was hired on the ship Princess of London. Within a month and a half, the novice robber was elected captain of his own ship.
Roberts' further independent enterprises made him famous in many seas and countries. At that time it was believed that he was the most famous pirate in the world. Bartholomew's team operated not only in the Caribbean Sea, but also in coastal waters West Africa, Brazil and even Canada. The thugs robbed everything that could be sold profitably: ships with precious metals, galleons with northern furs, barges with rare American goods. Roberts made his flagship a hijacked French brig, which he named the Royal Pirate.
Bartholomew was killed in 1722 during another trip to Africa, where he intended to engage in the profitable slave trade. The legendary pirate was ruined by his companions' addiction to drinking. When a British ship unexpectedly attacked Roberts' ship, its entire crew was dead drunk. The most famous pirates of the Caribbean and the admirals of the Royal Navy were amazed at what happened: it seemed to everyone that Bartholomew was invincible. Roberts stood out noticeably from his comrades not only own successes, but also the habit of dressing well, as well as an aversion to gambling and foul language. There is no doubt that he was one of the most extravagant pirates of his time.
Henry Avery
During his short life he managed to acquire many nicknames. Some contemporaries called him Long Ben, others - the Arch-Pirate. Avery's love for the sea was predetermined by his own roots. Henry's father served as a captain in the English fleet. In 1659, a son appeared in the officer’s family, who was destined to become one of the brightest and most legendary pirates of his era.
At first, the future criminal sailed on merchant ships and only then changed them to robber ships. In 1694, 25-year-old Emery was hired on a privateer ship. The main difference between such a ship and a classic pirate ship was that it robbed and attacked foreign traders with the permission of its government. Sometimes contracts were violated: when the ship stopped paying wages, the crew rebelled. The sailors decided to become pirates and chose a new one instead of the old captain. It turned out to be Henry Emery.
The new leader of the robbers left the Caribbean Sea and went to the Indian Ocean, where there was also something to profit from. The place of the first long stop was Madagascar. Emery's team then attacked ships belonging to Indian Empire Great Mughals. The robbers managed to seize a huge amount of rare oriental goods and all kinds of jewelry. All American pirates dreamed of such a profitable enterprise. After that expedition, Avery disappeared from view. There were rumors that he moved to England and tried to start an honest business and ended up completely broke.
Thomas Tew
The path that Henry Emery followed during his famous expedition was called the “Pirate Circle”. The first to travel this route (Atlantic - southern Africa - Madagascar - India) was Thomas Tew. Like Emery, he began as a privateer and ended as a pirate. In 1693, he robbed several ships in the Red Sea. Before his attack, European cutthroats had never traded in this area. Perhaps Tew's success is connected to this - no one expected the appearance of the Caribbean gentlemen of luck.
On his second voyage to Madagascar, Thomas met Henry Emery by chance. Due to the spread of rumors about easy money in the eastern countries, the most famous sea robbers now sought to repeat the success of Tew. This captain remained in the memory of the pirates precisely as the discoverer of the “Circle”. He didn't have time to do more. In 1695, Thomas Tew was killed during an attack on a Mughal flotilla.
Thomas Cavendish
A list that includes the most famous pirates in world history cannot be complete without mentioning Thomas Cavendish (1560-1592). He was a contemporary of Francis Drake. The biographies of these two pirates, who acted in the interests of the English crown, have many common features. Cavendish, following Drake, decided to travel around the world. The expedition, carried out in 1586-1588, was not at all peaceful. Circumnavigating America English pirates robbed many Spanish ships filled to capacity with gold. In a sense, Thomas Cavendish's journey was an audacity. The Spaniards considered the Pacific Ocean to be their “inner lake” and were furious when foreign robbers entered these still unknown waters.
Cavendish's team made its most profitable attack off the coast of Mexico. Subjects of Elizabeth I attacked a galleon that was carrying an annual supply of Peruvian gold (120 thousand pesos). Another profitable enterprise of the pirates was the stopover in Java. This island was famous for its pepper and cloves. Spices at that time were worth their weight in precious metals. Cavendish managed to obtain a large cargo of this expensive product. The pirates returned to their native Plymouth in 1588. Having traveled around the world in 2 years and 50 days, they set a speed record that lasted for two centuries.
Cavendish quickly spent the fortune he had earned. A few years after his amazing success, he assembled a second expedition, intending to exactly repeat his previous triumph. However, this time the pirate was plagued by failure. In 1592 he died in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Presumably Cavendish's ship sank near Ascension Island.
Francois Ohlone
Although the most famous pirates and their ships were usually associated with England, other countries also had their own nuggets. For example, the Frenchman François Olone (1630-1671) left a significant mark on history. In his youth, he became famous in the main Caribbean pirate port of Tortuga. In 1662, the young robber received a privateering patent and began to hunt Spanish ships. One day the Ohlone ship was wrecked. The pirate washed up on the Mexican coast, where he and his crew were attacked by the Spaniards who arrived in time. All the French died, and only Olona, who pretended to be dead in time, managed to survive.
François's most ambitious undertaking was his capture of the Spanish city of Maracaibo in modern-day Venezuela. The daredevils who attacked the colony fit on only five ships. On the way, the pirates plundered a Spanish ship and obtained a valuable cargo of jewelry and cocoa. Arriving on the mainland, Ohlone led the assault on the fort, which was garrisoned by 800 people. The pirates captured the fortress and obtained 80 thousand silver piastres. In honor of the fall of Maracaibo, the captain received the nickname “scourge of the Spaniards.”
The last campaign for the famous French robber was his expedition to Nicaragua. After three months of searching for profit, pirates captured a ship loaded with cheap paper. Due to failure, part of the team returned to Tortuga. Ohlone continued the raid, but unfortunately for the captain, his ship ran aground near Cartagena. A French detachment of 40 people that reached the shore was attacked by a crowd of Indians. Ohlone and his crew were torn to pieces and eaten by local cannibals.
Amaro Pargo
Amaro Pargo is one of the most famous Spanish pirates. He was born in 1678 on the Canary Islands and already in his youth began to earn his living by transporting slaves from Africa to America. Free workers on plantations were highly valued, thanks to which Pargo quickly became rich. He was the sworn enemy of Blackbeard and all English pirates in general.
Before his death in 1747, Pargo drew up a will in which he indicated that he had buried a chest with fabulous treasures: silver, gold, pearls, jewelry, precious stones and expensive fabrics. For several decades, many adventurers, including the most famous pirates, tried to find this treasure. There are still a lot of blank spots in the story of Pargo's inheritance. Despite a long search for the Spanish pirate's treasure, no one found it.
The word “pirate” itself is primarily associated with 17th-century images of swashbuckling adventures, walking on planks, sword fighting and treasure chests. But who would have thought that maritime piracy would be revived again in recent decades? Only modern pirates are not at all like those we are so accustomed to in the movies. Real pirates are brutal criminals, not romantic heroes fighting for love and friendship.
Modern sea bandits most often operate in the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, off the coast of Somalia and in the Strait of Malacca. They are often armed with AK-47 rifles and grenade launchers. Pirates now sail not on ancient sailing ships, but on high-speed boats and seize merchant ships, yachts and other vessels, often taking hostages captive and demanding ransom for them. Modern piracy poses a serious problem for civilians, with millions of dollars worth of goods looted, bloody murders and treacherous kidnappings occurring every year. Here are 10 of the most shocking cases.
10. Yacht Quest
Photo: Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jesse L. Gonzalez
In 2011, 4 Americans took their dream vacation around the world on a yacht called Quest. Unfortunately, the voyage soon turned into a nightmare when they were attacked by Somali pirates 305 km off the coast of Oman. In response, the US Navy sent its aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and three other warships to the area to free the hostages.
Within a few days, the military reached the location of Quest, which the pirates were trying to drive to the coast of Somalia. During negotiations for the release of American citizens, two pirate envoys boarded the USS Sterett, an American guided missile destroyer. Representatives of the Navy offered the pirates an exchange of hostages for an entire yacht, but the bandits refused such a deal, believing that they could get a much more significant ransom for the prisoners.
While the pirate negotiators were sailing back, one of the Somali bandits fired a rocket-propelled grenade from the Quest at the American destroyer. Luckily they missed. The grenade was followed by shooting from the deck of the Quest, and the Americans had to react - the US Navy SEAL team was ordered to recapture the yacht and save the hostages from the aggressors. A short battle took place, during which 2 pirates were killed (one was shot, the other was stabbed to death). The remaining bandits surrendered. Unfortunately, all 4 hostages were killed by pirates - they were shot at and died from their wounds.
The US military also discovered the bodies of 2 more pirates who were killed earlier under unknown circumstances. Perhaps, during the initial seizure of the Quest yacht, American tourists gave a worthy rebuff to the bandits. It is still not clear what exactly made the pirates shoot their prisoners. This story is a reminder to all travelers of the dangers that lurk in the waters of remote seas.
9. Tanker Chaumont
According to experts, one of the most serious dangers associated with modern piracy is the risk of environmental disaster. When pirates hijack merchant ships, they most often tie up the crew and leave the ships without control. Sometimes such ships continue their movement for full speed ahead along an uncontrolled trajectory.
The most terrible situation is when a hijacked ship with industrial cargo is deprived of control in a narrow strait. This poses an almost 100% chance that the ship will crash and all its contents (often oil and tanks of chemical liquids) will spill out into the . This is exactly what almost happened in 1999 in the Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia when the French tanker Chaumont was captured.
The pirates were armed with machetes and attacked the tanker early in the morning, quickly gaining control of the ship full control. After immobilizing all crew members, the bandits emptied the safe and left the board. The tied-up sailors were unable to free themselves for another 35 minutes, during which the tanker sailed at full speed along the narrow channel. Many still believe that it is a real miracle that Chaumont did not collide with another ship or with underwater rocks. He didn't even land on the reefs that line the entire coastline of the region.
8. Sir Peter Blake
In 2001, the world community was shocked by the murder of Sir Peter Blake, the famous navigator from New Zealand. He was considered one of the most outstanding sailors of all time. Blake twice won the America's Cup, the most prestigious trophy in yachting, and set whole line world records on your boat. In 2001, he began his journey along the Amazon River as part of a research expedition to check ecological state rivers.
On the night of December 5, Blake and 14 other crew members aboard the yacht Seamaster lowered anchor in the suburb of Macapa when eight pirates armed with guns and knives boarded the ship. While the bandits shouted their demands, Peter grabbed a rifle and shot one of the intruders. A shootout began in which legendary navigator was killed. The bandits enriched themselves with a small engine and several pairs of watches. This was the price of Blake's life.
Piracy in Amazon waters is very common. Many believe that the problem has worsened especially in last years, and that local authorities have no influence in the area. Amazon is a total mess. The tragic murder of Sir Peter Blake clearly demonstrates the ugliness of modern piracy. It happens all over the world, and you should be wary of robbers not only in the endless waters of the oceans, but also in other smaller bodies of water.
7. The Tebbutt Kidnapping
In September 2011, British loyal subjects Judith Tebbutt and her husband David (Judith Tebbutt, David) were vacationing on elite resort coast of Kenya. They were the only guests at the isolated resort, which Judith immediately did not like. On the second night of their stay at the hotel, the couple were awakened by armed pirates. The wife was forced aboard a boat and taken to Somalia, where she was held hostage in a cramped shelter.
During the captivity, the woman learned that her husband was killed on the night of the attack, when David tried to resist one of the robbers. The pirates were allegedly linked to the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab. In March 2012, the pirates released Judith after 6 months of imprisonment. Apparently, this only happened because Tebbutt's relatives paid a considerable ransom.
6. Ship Maersk Alabama
Photo: Petty Officer 2nd Class Jon Rasmussen, US Navy
We will talk about the merchant ship Maersk Alabama, which became especially famous thanks to the film “Captain Philips”, based on the incident. In 2009, this American ship attracted the attention of the entire world community due to an attack on it by pirates. The ship was crossing the Indian Ocean, heading to the Kenyan port of Mombasa, when it was attacked by Somali bandits who sailed in a small motor boat. Despite the resistance of the crew, the pirates managed to board the merchant ship.
Within minutes, the bandits captured the ship's captain, Richard Phillips, but were unable to capture all of the 21 crew members. Many of the sailors were able to lock themselves in a fortified cabin. The crew managed to turn off the ship's engines, preventing the pirates from taking full control of the ship. Moreover, the sailors actively resisted, they even set up an ambush and captured one of the pirates.
The robbers quickly realized that they were not in control of the situation and left the ship. The three pirates decided to try to escape on the Maersk Alabama lifeboat, taking Captain Phillips with them to cover their rear as they sailed back to Somalia.
The boat was pursued by several US warships, which were negotiating with the pirates for the release of the captain. After several days of fruitless negotiations and one failed escape attempt by Captain Phillips, Navy SEAL snipers gunned down all three pirates. The captain was rescued and he and his crew were hailed as heroes for their bravery and resourcefulness.
5. Hijacking of the airliner Achille Lauro (Achille Lauro)
Photo: D.R. Walk
The incident happened in 1985. The Achille Lauro was an Italian liner sailing the Mediterranean with 700 passengers on board. On October 7, the ship landed at Alexandria. Here, many of the ship's guests came ashore to visit the famous pyramids. At this very time, 4 Palestinian militants associated with the Palestinian Liberation Front made their way onto the ship. Brandishing rifles, they seized the liner, ordering it to leave the port along with the 400 people on board, including vacationers and crew. And although many consider these invaders to be terrorists, technically they are more likely to be pirates.
Armed militants demanded the release of 50 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. The Israeli authorities refused to respond to these demands. The pirates sent Achille Lauro to the Syrian port of Tartus, but the Syrian government banned them from sailing into its territory. Angered by the refusal, the pirates responded by shooting a 69-year-old American Jew in a wheelchair and throwing his body overboard. Presumably the choice fell on him for religious reasons.
The liner then went to Egypt, where the hijackers turned to local authorities, released the hostages in exchange for unhindered access to the airport and received at their disposal a plane on which they were going to escape in an unknown direction. However, after the aircraft took off, on the orders of US President Ronald Reagan, it was intercepted by American fighters. The flight was forced to land at a NATO base in Italy, where local authorities arrested the pirate hijackers.
4. Ship Naham 3 (The Naham 3)
Photo: Columbia Pictures/Unproduced Screenplays
Naham 3 was a fishing vessel operating in the Indian Ocean in 2012 when it was attacked by Somali pirates. The crew consisted of 29 people hailing from various Asian countries, including China, Vietnam and the Philippines. The sailors were taken to Somalia, where they were held in the desert. The invaders demanded huge prices for the return of the captives safe and sound.
The fishermen said they were often beaten during captivity and had to eat rats and bugs to survive. Two crew members died from illness, another was shot. After 4 and a half years, the pirates received a significantly smaller amount for the captives and still released the 26 remaining hostages home. In total they spent 1672 days in captivity...
3. Vessel Hye Mieko
Hai Myeko was a merchant ship owned by a Singaporean company on a voyage from Singapore to Cambodia in 1995 when it was attacked. The ship, loaded with $2 million worth of cigarettes and other goods, never made it to Cambodia. According to authorities, Hai Mieko was captured by the Chinese coast guard. The crew were likely forced to swim thousands of kilometers more through international waters to southern China.
When the ship arrived at the site, it was sold along with its cargo. It is still not known who sold all the property to whom, and where all the money went. Official China refused to admit its involvement in the incident, despite the fact that it was repeatedly accused of having connections with pirates. What is interesting is that the ship managed to send a distress signal, during which the crew reported an attack by pirates, but no one came to their aid.
The participation of local authorities in pirate raids is not the most common occurrence, but in this case it was almost obvious.
2. Attack on the liner Seabourn Spirit
Photo: Ivan T.
In 2005 a cruise ship The Seaburn Spirit was sailing 160 km off the coast of Somalia when it was attacked by pirates. Two boats carrying heavily armed bandits circled the ship with 300 passengers on board and then opened fire. The ship was fired at from machine guns and grenade launchers several times. Two of the ship's security officers, Michael Groves and Som Bahadur Gurung, attempted to repel the robbers using a high-pressure hose and a high-tech LRAD-type sonic cannon.
During the battle, Gurund was wounded by shrapnel from a grenade launcher explosion, but Grove managed to drag him to safety and then continued to fight the sea bandits under heavy fire. Half an hour later, the pirates finally gave up and retreated, and the Seaburn Spirit liner was able to sail further out to sea to a safe distance. For their courage, Grove and Gurund were awarded medals of honor from the hands of the Queen of England herself.
1. Cargo ship Erria Inge
The Australian cargo ship Erria Inge was leased by a Chinese company in 1990. After a few months, both the ship's owner and the lessee company lost contact with the ship and its crew. It was believed that Erria Inge was attacked by pirates. Then, through a series of circumstantial evidence, it became clear that the ship was given a new name, and forged documents indicated that the stolen ship was used to deliver illegal cargo. Pirates do this quite often, knowing that none of the ordinary shipping companies will rush to risk their lives and return their ships.
The mysterious story of Erria Inge continued in 1992, when employees of the new owner of the ship, who bought it for scrap metal, made an unusual discovery. In a long-unused freezer, they discovered the remains of 10 burned bodies. It was completely unclear who these victims were or what happened to them, but there was little doubt about the involvement of pirates. A shocking discovery aboard the hijacked ship Erria Inge is an eerie reminder of the danger that still lurks in modern seas.
Sea pirates are becoming more impudent, and the navies of many countries around the world, including Russia, are inactive. Or they practice training and demonstration maneuvers, shooting, attacks on a “conditional” enemy throughout the World Ocean. I remember how in Soviet times our destroyers loved to play with our cruise ship Felix Dzerzhinsky at night on the Fremantle-Singapore line. They almost boarded us, blinded us with powerful searchlights, pointed missiles, RBUs, and Bars at us... They frightened foreign tourists until the captain sent the sailors in plain Russian through speakerphone, promising to contact Moscow right now and report where they should about their “amusements.” And at this time, almost nearby, in the Strait of Malacca, real pirates gutted another captured civilian ship. I could remember many examples of this kind. And much more dangerous!
That was a long time ago. They no longer scare their own people. But they don’t help you out of trouble either! And sea robbery in Lately does not weaken, but, on the contrary, strengthens. A recent annual report by the International Maritime Bureau highlighted that there were a record number of pirate attacks worldwide in 2005: 445, up from 370 the previous year. Moreover, the number of sailors who died at the hands of “sea robbers” more than doubled - 21 dead versus 10. The waters of Indonesia are especially dangerous for sailors, which accounted for 27% of piracy cases worldwide. In particular, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, the Strait of Malacca, saw 28 pirate attacks last year (compared to 16 in 2004).
There is no need to review the year. A month's chronicle of incidents is enough! On April 2, 2005, also near the coast of Somalia, the Russian tanker Monneron of the Primorsky Shipping Company, traveling from the port of Yambu (Saudi Arabia) to the port of Mombasa (Kenya) with a cargo of gasoline on board, was attacked by armed men on two pirate boats. The criminals fired at the tanker with machine guns and grenade launchers. One of the shells exploded on the gangway in the wardroom area. The tanker managed to evade the pirates by picking up speed.
On April 10, 2005, 60 miles from the coast of Somalia, the motor ship "Tim Bak", sailing under the Cypriot flag, became a victim of filibusters (operational management - Murmansk Shipping Company OJSC). The pirates fired grenade launchers at the ship. The lifeboat caught fire. But the attackers were unable to enter the ship. None of the crew members were injured.
On April 21, 2005, more than two dozen pirates attacked the Russian dry cargo ship Forest-1 of the Primorsky Shipping Company, which was stationed in the roadstead of the Bangladeshi port of Chittagong. The attackers were armed with batons, metal rods and knives. The Russian team managed to fight off the pirates on their own.
This year is no better than last year. Recently, the Romanian cargo ship Poseidon returned to Constanta from a voyage in Southeast Asia. The sailors were greeted as heroes. And there was a reason for this. In the Strait of Malacca on the way home, the cargo ship was attacked by sea pirates. With difficulty, the Romanian sailors fought off the robbers and, breaking out into the vastness of the ocean, left them, losing only one person. This happens, but rarely. Much more often, merchant, passenger and cruise fleet sailors from around the world surrender to the mercy of pirates. They are killed, their cargo is stolen, not only people disappear, but entire modern large ships disappear.
However, rare victories do not inspire optimism among the sailors. Their work, already not easy, is becoming increasingly dangerous in the context of insolent terrorism.
It became known that a Russian tanker was attacked by pirates off the western coast of Africa. Information about the emergency arrived at 11 a.m. Moscow time at the Marine Rescue Coordination Center of Vladivostok. It reported that off the coast of Guinea, 55 miles from the port of Conakry, a tanker was attacked by pirates. Six people armed with small arms on a speedboat caught up with the ship and captured it. The ship's captain was forced to give the ship's cash register to the bandits, after which the raiders left the tanker. None of the 20 crew members were injured. For safety reasons, the tanker left the coastal zone into the open sea, after which it issued a distress signal. Russian tanker Shkotovoye, owned by Primorsky maritime shipping company, works in Atlantic Ocean, providing fuel for expeditions of African fishermen.
Another example. Recently, two Filipino fishermen were killed and four were missing as a result of a new pirate attack in the Sulawesi Sea, the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper wrote on Tuesday. This is the sea that all sailors once said: the calmest in the world!
And in the neighboring Sulu Sea, where the territorial waters of Malaysia and the Philippines meet, about a dozen “sea robbers” dressed in uniform and armed with M-16 assault rifles and grenade launchers seized a sea tug and destroyed the radio transmitter on it. The pirates then fled, taking the captain, engineer and crane operator hostage.
Maritime piracy, and these are terrorists with a very long experience, in the vastness of the World Ocean increased by 3.6% in the first half of this year. The International Maritime Agency has been sounding the alarm for a long time. It appeals to the navies of various countries of the world with a request to conduct exercises in dangerous areas, patrol “hot spots” and, if necessary, escort civilian ships. The sailors are even willing to pay the military for this. But no one has heard their requests yet. And the sailors rely, as they did a hundred years ago, only on God and themselves. But in vain!
If only our sailors would come to the aid of their civilian colleagues.
“More and more often, pirates are attacking our ships,” said Igor Kovalchuk, vice-president of the Russian Seafarers’ Union. - This happens especially often in three places - on west coast Africa, near Brazil and in the Southeast Asia region. Typically, well-armed pirates approach ships in speedboats. They gather the crew and lock it somewhere, for example in the dining room. After which they go through the cabins in search of money and valuables.”
If one of the crew begins to resist, the pirates almost always open fire to kill. “Therefore, the crews are advised to surrender without resistance, and after the bandits leave, to report the attack to local authorities,” says Igor Kovalchuk.
It is worth adding that sea pirates are usually not found. According to Igor Kovalchuk, the whole point is in regions where the influence of the authorities is weakened, and the police do not react “hot on their heels.” The damage incurred must be compensated by the shipowner or charterer. The crew, led by the captain, is not responsible for the criminal actions of the pirates.
The high-ranking trade union official says everything correctly. But he still thinks narrowly. It’s high time not to complain about fate, but to develop effective measures in the fight against maritime banditry, or more precisely, terrorism. After all, nothing in the World Ocean has changed for decades. It's only getting worse! This means that it is time to attract the attention of the entire world community to this problem.
Warships of all maritime powers patrol the expanses of the World Ocean in all directions from North Pole to South. They make dashing maneuvers and shoot accurately at inflatable targets. But for some reason it is always a little away from the pirate patrimony. Maybe they are afraid of filibusters? Merchant sailors always look at their military counterparts with amusement. And they ask each other: why don’t they turn the turrets of their guns in areas of active piracy? You see, there would be more benefit from the teachings. After all, the enemy in the seas will not be a fictitious one, but a real one!
But one gets the impression that military sailors are, in fact, afraid of pirates. Vulnerability navy against terrorism at sea was quite convincingly demonstrated on October 12, 2000, by an attack organized by members of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda on the American guided-missile destroyer Cole, which was then docked in the Yemeni port of Aden. Widely publicized, this incident resulted in serious material and moral losses for the United States (17 killed and 42 wounded crew members, significant damage warship), instilled fear and anxiety in many. But it immediately caused a joyful reaction from other terrorist groups in Asia and the Middle East, pushing them to organize other similar sabotage at sea. That same year, suicide boats from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelami (LTTE) destroyed one and damaged another fast ferry in Sri Lanka, and on November 7 of the same year, militants from the Palestinian organization Hamas launched an attack on an Israeli military boat, only slightly damaging it due to premature detonation of the demolition charge. As established by Western intelligence services, the success of the attack on the Kola missile destroyer stimulated the interest of many terrorist groups in technical means carrying out terrorist attacks at sea (and some groups have invested heavily in them).
The real capabilities of maritime terrorists at both the tactical and strategic levels create a multifaceted, complex threat to international security. It seems that even the UN has understood this. “Maritime piracy and terrorism threaten international shipping and undermine the security of international trade routes.” This was stated in the draft resolution of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, introduced at a meeting of the committee within the framework of the 14th annual session of the Assembly taking place in Washington.
“In some areas, shipping is threatened deadly danger piracy and terrorism. Piracy is on the rise in the Strait of Malacca, as well as in other areas of Southeast Asia, Africa, South America and Mediterranean Sea", the document says.
The project reports that the Strait of Malacca, which “remains a potential target for attacks” by pirates, is home to about 50,000 merchant ships annually, carrying about 30% of the world's total merchandise trade, as well as a significant portion of oil for Asian countries, including Japan. and China.
Let me clarify once again that the waters along the coasts of Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Malacca and the southern regions of the Red Sea remain particularly risky areas for navigation. It is in these places that more than 50% of all cases of maritime robbery have occurred over the past six months. The most dangerous territorial waters of Southeast Asia remain, as a year ago, the seas and straits around Indonesia - 44 attacks in 6 months.
In Asia, sailors are especially careful around Somalia. Here it is dangerous to slow down, anchor, or drift. If someone breaks these unwritten rules of the sea, consider that robbery by sea pirates will definitely take place. Dry cargo ships and passenger ships are boarded in a matter of minutes. Those who do not successfully resist are dealt with harshly by the pirates. There are frequent cases of sailors or rich passengers being taken captive for ransom. Bandits often take beautiful women with them. And their fate then, as a rule, is no longer known to anyone.
There is a lot of talk now about global terrorism and the need to fight it with united forces. With what sea pirates better than ordinary terrorists? Their losses amount to millions. People die because of them. So it’s time for the world community to take Henry Morgan’s followers seriously and for a long time.
I heard that the USSR Navy once carried out an intimidation campaign in the Asia-Pacific region. Our sailors disguised several ships as dry cargo ships, hung out at sea for several days as bait, but the pirates did not appear. They say their intelligence work is good. Is it true or just stories - I don’t know yet.
It really seems like the ice has broken! The coordinated actions of the naval patrol forces of the countries of the most dangerous maritime region, as well as the alleged participation in the anti-piracy campaign of the Japanese Maritime Safety Agency (MSA), have so far resulted in only limited exchange of intelligence information and discussion of the problem at regional conferences various levels. However, some anti-piracy measures were taken by the governments of the countries in the region. The Malaysian Maritime Police has strengthened control over the situation in the Strait of Malacca and interaction with the relevant services of Indonesia. The Philippine Navy has begun regular patrols in the waters of the Sulu Archipelago. Japan has already sent two patrol aircraft to combat pirates attacking Japanese ships in Southeast Asian waters. And the number of such incidents has increased fivefold over the past four years. At the same time, most countries in the region ignored proposals to allow foreign warships into their territorial waters. So what? Everything starts small. It's time for diplomats to get down to business. Especially ours. Russia is still a great maritime power, and who else but us should be the first to sound the alarm.
What measures have been taken by international shipping regulatory bodies? Yes, none. Officials limited themselves to only stating that the peak of pirate attacks on tanker ships is directly related to the rise in world fuel prices. And progressive poverty in the region.
Carrying out under the auspices International organization Maritime Organization (IMO) series of conferences with the participation of regional and international law enforcement agencies with the aim of achieving mutual understanding between the countries of Southeast Asia, Russia and the United States to combat piracy activities are also ineffective. Due to the numerous regional contradictions (between Malaysia and Indonesia, Malaysian Borneo, the Philippines and Indonesia, etc.).
Currently, seafarers are pinning their hopes on the use of modern technologies in the fight against piracy. Broadcast channels have been activated to alert ships about danger. In the Pacific region, an information channel may soon be operational through satellite system INMARSAT-C and relay ground station in Singapore. A compact satellite navigation system is already installed on the ships of wealthy companies, which allows those under attack to quickly determine their location and provide exact coordinates, and 1MB to take urgent measures to attract the relevant security forces in the region to assist them.
Since the end of the Cold War, maritime terrorism and piracy have spread to new regions of the world. Terrorist attacks are becoming more intense and sensitive, causing significant material and human losses and causing serious damage to maritime trade and transport shipping, as well as the naval and coast guard ships that control it in a number of countries. According to Western statistics, about 90 percent. terrorist attacks at sea took place in waters adjacent to developing countries, whose government structures (including law enforcement, intelligence and diplomatic) turn out to be ineffective, poorly funded (and often corrupt) and incompetent in the fight against terrorism, which is increasingly intertwined with international organized crime. Thus, the organization of countering maritime terrorism, as well as any other manifestations of it, goes beyond national and regional problems and should become the object of attention of the entire civilized world.
V. P. Maksakovsky,
Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Professor, Head. Department of Economic and Social Geography of Moscow Pedagogical State University
Piracy (from the Greek peirate "s - robber, robber) in international law is the illegal seizure, robbery or sinking of commercial or civilian ships committed on the high seas by privately owned or government ships. An attack during war on ships, submarines and military personnel is equated to piracy aircraft on merchant ships of neutral countries. international law to combat piracy are codified in the form of the Geneva Convention on the High Seas of 1958, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 and the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation of 1988. The UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime may also be applied 2000
From the history of piracy
Piracy appeared in ancient times with the beginning of maritime trade. In ancient times, its main area was the Mediterranean Sea. The fight against piracy was led by the semi-legendary king of Crete Minos. In the VI century. BC. In the Aegean Sea, the fleet of the tyrant of the island of Samos Polycrates, consisting of more than a hundred ships, operated. Polycrates organized the first maritime racket reflected in world history: the Greeks and Phoenicians had to pay him tribute in order to secure their ships and cargo. In the 1st century BC, especially after the then young patrician Julius Caesar fell among the Cilician pirates (Cilicia is a region in the south of Asia Minor), powerful Rome truly took up the task of eradicating piracy. On behalf of the Senate, he took up this matter famous commander And political figure Gnaeus Pompey, who received 500 ships and a 15,000-strong army at his disposal. And he managed to complete this mission.
Khair ad-Din Barbarossa - famous Turkish pirate of the first half XVI c., ruler of Algeria. Barbarossa's fleet's attacks on European ships and coastal cities allowed him to accumulate untold wealth. Painting by an unknown artist of the 16th century. Louvre, Paris.
At firstXVIIIV. “The Jolly Roger” first appeared on the pages of a printed publication.Engraving of the famous pirate Stead Bonnet with a ship with a pirate flag in the background appearedin the book “The History and Activities of All the Most Famous Pirates and Their Crews,” published in 1734. Image from http://blindkat.hegewisch.net
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, in the Middle Ages, the Mediterranean Sea remained the main region for almost a thousand years maritime piracy. After the Arab conquests and weakening Byzantine Empire maritime piracy here began to increase again. Arab pirate nests arose in Tunisia, Malta, Sardinia, Sicily, and Corsica. And in the 9th century. The Moorish Arabs switched to new tactics, starting to attack not ships, but coastal cities. So Rome, Genoa, Marseille, Toulon, Nice were plundered, only Venice survived. Piracy continued during both the Crusades and the Dominion. Ottoman Empire, when its focus shifted to Algeria and Morocco, where thousands of Christians captured by pirates were held in slavery. In 1575, the future great Spanish writer Cervantes was captured by Algerian pirates, and was ransomed only five years later. France and England paid Algeria an annual tribute for the right to free navigation of their merchant ships in the Mediterranean Sea.
With the beginning of modern times, the geography of maritime piracy has changed greatly. During the Great Geographical Discoveries, it entered the vastness of the World Ocean. At the same time, its “production structure” was formed. Among the pirate fraternity, they began to distinguish between filibusters and buccaneers - free hunters (the word “filibuster” literally means “free earner”) who acted at their own peril and risk. Somewhat different from them were corsairs and privateers, who not only were not outside the law, but had a kind of license from the sovereign or government to “harvest” enemy merchant ships. But both of them carried the “Jolly Roger” on their masts - a black flag with a skull and crossbones. The design of the flag varied significantly between pirates, sometimes integral part there was an hourglass (a symbol of the transience of time and the proximity of death), images of a skeleton, sabers, and a pierced heart. Sometimes the background color of the pirate flag was not black, but blood red.
Varieties of images on pirate flags
The greatest scope was in the 16th - first half of the 17th century. acquired English piracy, specializing in smuggling trade with the Spanish colonies in Latin America and their robbery. “The importance of piracy for England,” writes the classic of Russian economic geography I.A. Witwer,” can be compared with the importance of the conquistadors for Spain, only they conquered not land, but the sea.” Among the English pirates of that time, the most famous was “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I’s pirate” Francis Drake. Actually, my own famous voyage on the “Golden Hind” in 1577-1580, which became the second after Magellan’s voyage trip around the world, he conceived and carried out as a purely pirate enterprise of plunder spanish colonies. A few years later, Drake made another military-pirate expedition to the West Indies, where he plundered and destroyed many Spanish cities and burned dozens of ships.
French pirates were also very active, especially privateers and corsairs. Coming from Dieppe, La Rochelle and other ports, they attacked Spanish ships off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula, and then off the Azores, Portuguese ships with Asian spices. In fact, the discoverer of Canada, Jacques Cartier, was also a sea pirate. And the Dutch West India Company generally had a predominantly pirate character; in total, it captured more than 500 Spanish ships.
During the Age of Discovery, there were two main areas of maritime piracy. Already with mid-16th century V. The most important of them is the Caribbean Sea, which is not accidentally nicknamed the Filibuster Sea. “In the Filibuster far blue sea, the brigantine raises its sails” - this is a line from Pavel Kogan’s song “Brigantine,” which was a kind of anthem for Moscow State University geographers in my distant days student years. It was in this sea that Robert Louis Stevenson placed his famous “Treasure Island”. It was about him that the French writer Gustav Aimard wrote his novel “Pirates”, and another Frenchman, Georges Blon, spoke in detail in his book “The Great Hour of the Oceans”. Many probably remember the recent film “Pirates of the Caribbean,” which well conveys the atmosphere of the times of filibusters.
Monument to Sir Francis Drake in Plymouth, England - the city where in September 1580 he first set foot on his native land after traveling around the world.
Such attention of pirates to the Caribbean Sea is easily explained. Spain was associated with its colonies in America only sea routes. Every year, two fleets, as large transatlantic convoys of ships were called then, sailed from Seville to these colonies, loaded with European goods. And they returned back from Havana with a cargo of gold (“golden fleet”) and silver (“silver fleet”), which attracted pirates of all stripes. There were two main pirate centers in the Caribbean. One of them is the small island of Tortuga (“Turtle”), located off the northern coast of Hispaniola (Haiti), from where pirates launched their raids on Spanish caravans. And the second is the island of Jamaica, where English pirates were concentrated. The most famous of them, Henry Morgan, acted not only as a sea pirate, but in fact as a commander who had to take Spanish trading cities by storm.
The second area of international piracy has developed in the Indian Ocean and southern seas. The Portuguese, who were the first Europeans to appear here, began their activities as typical pirates - with attacks on merchant ships of Arabs and Indians. Then the Dutch, British, and French appeared, who began to rob and sink not only local ships, but also ships of European competing countries. First of all, this applied to the Dutch East India Company, which transported spices from the Moluccas to Europe. Later, some of the filibusters of the Caribbean Sea migrated here. Pirate bases arose virtually along the entire route of merchant ships - from Madagascar to Hindustan, Malacca and Japan.
IN modern times piracy, naturally, no longer had such a scope. However, the category of piracy includes attacks in 1936-1939 by German and Italian submarines in the Mediterranean Sea on Soviet merchant ships that were heading to Republican Spain. And during the Second World War, Axis submarines attacked British naval convoys carrying military and humanitarian aid to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. Although, of course, this was already a war, and it has its own laws.
The modern renaissance of maritime piracy
Piracy in the vastness of the World Ocean, which in the 20th century. lost its significance at the beginning of the 21st century. again significantly intensified, becoming essentially a global phenomenon. In the Atlantic Ocean, robberies and hijackings occur in the Caribbean Sea, off the coasts of Guyana and Suriname, and especially off the coast of Nigeria. Piracy took on even greater proportions in Indian and Pacific Oceans. At first this century it spread in territorial waters and economic zones Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, and then moved to the shores of Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania.
We have an idea of the scale of modern piracy thanks to statistics maintained by the International Maritime Organization and in particular its specialized center for piracy, located in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). According to his data, in 2008, pirates carried out 293 attacks, hijacking 49 ships and taking 889 people hostage; while 32 sailors were wounded, 11 were killed and more than 20 were missing. The total ransom received for all ships captured that year was $150 million. In 2009, 406 attacks were already recorded. Pirates attacked 153 ships and captured 49 ships; in this case, 8 sailors were killed, 68 were wounded and 1052 were captured.
At first glance, the tactics of modern pirates have not changed much. They appear on speedboats completely unexpectedly, at night or under the cover of fog. They throw steel hooks, raise bamboo ladders and board the ship. However, in their hands they no longer have crooked sabers, as in ancient times, but quick-firing pistols, Kalashnikovs, and even grenade launchers. And they are no longer interested in cargo and the ship’s cash, but in the ransom they demand for the release of the seized ship. The difference is that the current pirate mafia has its informants in most ports - from Rio de Janeiro to Jakarta and Singapore, from whom it receives electronic information about the movement of ships and their cargo.
Jamaica. Vintage map, compiled after 1692
This is evident from the fact that the administrative center of the island is british colony serves Kingston, located in the depths of a vast bay on the southeast coast. Before him, the main city was Port Royal, located at the entrance to the bay and destroyed in 1692 by a catastrophic earthquake. The victims of the earthquake were⅔city residents (about 5,000 people). About 50 ships sank in Port Royal harbor.
The Pirates of the Caribbean film trilogy takes place in Port Royal. Image from www.gracegalleries.com
Experts estimate the total damage from modern piracy at $13-16 billion a year. This includes the costs of strengthening the protection and security of ships, and the huge costs of insuring ships, as well as the forced sending of cargo over longer and longer expensive routes- for example, around Africa instead of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. At the same time, we must not forget that 80% of international cargo transportation is carried out by sea.
Main area of maritime piracy
Probably every schoolchild knows that the main area of maritime piracy these days is the Indian Ocean adjacent to the state of Somalia, located in the Horn of Africa. The surge in maritime robbery in this area of the world has become one of the most alarming and debated topics. According to the International Maritime Bureau, over the past few years, about 500 pirate attacks on merchant ships have been recorded in the coastal waters of Somalia. In 2008 alone, over 130 acts of piracy were recorded here, leading to the hijacking of 42 ships. In the first half of 2009, 102 such acts were recorded, and 31 ships, with a total crew of 500 people, were captured. Information about some of these seizures has circulated throughout the world press. Let us limit ourselves to just three examples that show that Somali pirates have begun to attack not only relatively small, but also very large ships.
At the end of September 2008, pirates hijacked the large Ukrainian cargo ship Faina, which was heading to Kenya with 33 T-72 tanks, small arms and ammunition on board. The pirates asked for a ransom of $35 million, then reduced the amount to $20 million, and finally released the ship and crew for $3.2 million in February 2009. A month later, Somali pirates managed to commit the largest act of piracy ever. history of world navigation. We are talking about the seizure of the Saudi tanker Sirius Star with a displacement of 318 thousand tons with a cargo of 274 thousand tons of crude oil. At first, the pirates demanded a ransom of $25 million for it, but in January 2009 they released the ship for $3 million. And here is the third example. In November 2009, Somali pirates hijacked the supertanker Maran Centaurus, which was traveling from the Persian Gulf to the United States under the Greek flag with 250 thousand tons of oil. The cost of this cargo was estimated at $140-150 million, and the double-bottomed tanker itself was estimated at no less than $50-60 million. As a result, it is not surprising that only in 2008 did the Somali pirates manage to receive payment for their release 22 vessels, according to various estimates, from 40 to more than 150 million dollars. This allowed them to acquire more modern means to capture large sea vessels.
Locations of attacks by Somali pirates on ships in 2008-2009.
The map (from above) allows you to make one more important conclusion. For a long time Somali pirates carried out their “business” in the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean - mainly in the Gulf of Aden between northern Somalia and Yemen. But since the end of 2008, they have significantly expanded the scope of their attacks, extending it to southern part the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and, most importantly, the more distant parts of the Indian Ocean. They began to seize ships at a distance of up to 500 nautical miles (900 km) from the coast. For example, they captured the already mentioned tanker Sirius Star 450 miles off the coast of Kenya and Tanzania, in the waters of the Seychelles, which they later visited more than once. And in October 2009, they first captured a Chinese cargo ship east of the 60th meridian, that is, in an area that was considered inaccessible to pirates. This expansion of their coverage area is explained by the fact that pirate speedboats began to attack not from the Somali coast, but from specially created floating bases. From these boats they now attack tankers, bulk carriers, container ships and even large passenger liners.
We can say that the Somali pirates are very “lucky”: after all, their country has access to one of the busiest sea routes. In fact, every year more than 200 thousand ships travel along the shortest route between Europe, Asia and Africa - through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. About 700 million tons of cargo are transported in both directions annually, including 30% of the oil and gas consumed by Europe, 50% of the world's dry cargo and 30% of containers. Approximately 20 supertankers pass through these waters every day.
Supertanker "Sirius Star" flag walker Saudi Arabia. Was attacked by Somali pirates in November 2008. Image source www.navy.mil.
Due to the danger of pirate attacks, Danish, Norwegian, Greek and other shipowners are now sending dozens of their tankers and bulk carriers bypassing Somalia, by a much longer route around the Cape of Good Hope. But in each such case, the travel time of ships increases by 12-15 days, and each extra day costs 20-30 thousand dollars, therefore, operating costs and insurance of ships and their cargo, the cost of which in 2007-2008, increase gg. has already jumped 10 times. As a result, the cost of sea transportation increased by 25-40%. It is also necessary to take into account the loss of shipowners from the long idle time of ships captured by pirates; it is valued at tens of millions of dollars. All this negatively affects the global economy, especially during its crisis.
The ending follows
Blon Georges. The great hour of the oceans. In 2 books. - M.: Slavyanka, 1993.
Pirates in our time are not a myth or fiction - they are reality. Just a few years ago, off the coast of Somalia, pirates hijacked about 300 ships a year, and behind each hijacking there were great tragedies and human lives. Many gave in to the pirates in advance, not even believing that they could be resisted, let alone the amount of ransoms, which the pirates had to pay for their release, my head was spinning!
Who?
Somali pirates- these are armed groups that seize for ransom sea vessels off the coast of Somalia. Somali pirates are mainly young people 18-35 years old. Puntland, a self-proclaimed Somali autonomy, is currently a center of piracy, it is ruled by local clans and there are practically no laws in it.
There are several types of pirate gangs, which include about 1,000 armed militants. Pirates are divided into several categories:
- Local fishermen who have become involved in piracy are well aware of sea conditions.
- Former soldiers who took part in Somalia's internal wars as part of local clans with excellent combat experience.
- Experts who know how to work with technology, especially GPS equipment.
Where?
The region near the coasts of Somalia and Kenya, as well as the Gulf of Aden, known as “Pirate Alley”, is the most dangerous place in the world, with more than 111 incidents of pirate attacks... The Suez Canal route, through the Gulf of Aden, is the main route for ships. , heading from Asia to Europe and the East Coast of the USA. These shipping routes are responsible for 1/10 of world trade. The area is one of the world's most important shipping lanes, home to oil tankers and other merchant ships carrying billions of dollars' worth of cargo. Up to 20,000 ships pass through the Gulf of Aden per year, up to 250 per day. There is a lot of loot for pirates, much more than the pirates themselves! Almost all of the attacks that have occurred have occurred on vessels associated with the oil industry.
Why is piracy rampant in Somalia?
The reason for piracy is painfully simple - young people do not know how to make money and are looking for easy prey. Lawless chaos ensued in Somalia as US forces helped oust Islamist rulers over fears the country would become a haven for terrorists. As a result of the chaos in the country, more than 1 million people have lost their homes, and more than a third of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance. This alarming situation has also spread to the sea shipping routes passing near the country. Somali residents themselves believe that piracy began in response to illegal fishing and the dumping of toxic and nuclear waste by Western ships off the coast of Somalia. The Somalis themselves believe that it was these actions of foreign courts that led to problems. Residents felt water pollution, poverty throughout the country, fishermen became pirates, hunting ships from those countries that dumped waste and caught fish off their shores.
How do pirates operate?
Pirates travel on small ships - speedboats, motor boats, fishing boats. The weapons used are automatic weapons and grenade launchers. Somali pirates have very high-quality training and good equipment; they use satellite phones and GPS navigators to track ships. Regional field commanders sometimes turn a blind eye to pirate activity, and some take part in it themselves with great pleasure. Technically, the process of capturing ships has not changed much since the days of Captain Blood. A fast craft with heavily armed pirates on board comes close to a peaceful merchant or fishing vessel and boards it. Pirates board in a variety of ways depending on the size of the vessel being attacked. If the ship is small or low-slung (for example, a tanker), you can simply jump on board; ropes with hooks or special anchors are also used. When attacked, the pirates fire at the ship with machine guns and grenade launchers, and the crew of the ship tries to shoot down the pirates with water from fire hoses.
On average, a pirate attack lasts 10-20 minutes. During this time, either the capture is successful or the pirates stop the attack. As soon as the pirates climb onto the ship, it is already in their hands - as a rule, no one goes bare-chested to machine guns. The best way to almost guarantee survival when a ship is hijacked by Somali pirates is not to resist the pirates and not to be a hero.
The biggest pirate attacks
The largest pirate hijacking was a tanker from Saudi Arabia called SiriusStar. The ship was freed almost 2 months after it was captured off the coast of Somalia with a cargo of 2 million barrels of oil. Pirates who captured oil tanker, received a ransom dropped by parachute onto the ship.
Also, one of the sensational cases of hijacking was the attack on the US ship Maersk Alabama. For five days, Somali pirates held the ship's captain Richard Phillips hostage and demanded a ransom of $2 million for him. The situation reached its highest degree of tension after the captain tried to escape the day before, but failed. Negotiations reached a dead end, and a strong storm began to rise at sea. The Americans did not wait; the decision was made to destroy the Somalis.
One day, the luxury ocean cruise liner Seaborn Spirit was attacked by pirates. The attack occurred just 130 kilometers off the coast of Somalia. On board the liner there was only an acoustic cannon (these devices are usually used to disperse demonstrators). The sound emitted by the gun reaches 150 decibels, which with prolonged exposure can not only affect the hearing aid, but also seriously affect internal organs. Its use stunned the pirates and brought confusion into their ranks for some time. This delay was enough for the ship's captain to order a change in direction and send the liner into the open sea. The pirates did not pursue the liner further.
Iranian bulk carrier Iran Deyanat with 29 international crew members and cargo of chemical and small arms He also became another victim of Somali pirates and was released only after paying the requested ransom amount.
Somali robbers also captured the Russian tanker Moscow University. It is not known how the events developed, it is only clear that in the final liberation of the tanker, the pirates were destroyed.
Recently, the activity of Somali pirates has dropped significantly. For a whole year, sea robbers fail to capture a single ship. Following numerous hijackings, the international community has focused on measures to combat piracy at sea, such as expanding naval patrols and ship security equipment, to reduce the number of hijackings.
- Somalia is an economically backward and poor country in northeast Africa. The country's economy is based on livestock farming, agriculture and shark fishing.
- Pirates demand at least $5 million as a ransom for one ship, but often the robbers agree to a ransom of only a few hundred dollars.
- Foreign ships pass through Somalia's territorial waters and do not pay any duties. Pirates believe that capturing such ships for ransom restores justice.
- Enterprising ship captains install high-voltage barbed wire around the entire perimeter of the ship. There were cases when it was precisely this “prickly tension” that saved the crew from the capture of the ship.
- Every citizen of Somalia carries a military weapon, at least a pistol. Pirates prefer Kalashnikov assault rifles and grenade launchers, women use edged weapons - knives and daggers. Children are taught to use weapons from birth.
- There is an opinion that the next target of pirate attacks may be the luxury yachts of millionaires. Be careful and careful in the territorial waters of Somalia.
