The Historical maritime blog

"CONTE di CAVOUR," a MODERN ERA BATTLESHIP.

2011-12-13T13:00:00.003+01:00

On August 10 was the centenary of a very special moment for La Spezia: the launch of the "Conte di Cavour," a modern era battleship.
Even if the act is passed over in silence by almost everyone (information services), which instead could have (had?) remember, that the launch represented a day of heavy gauge for La Spezia, in addition to the Navy.
The "Cavour" was the first modern Italian battleship, the answer to those constructed from England for some time and it was difficult to compete. Fast ships, were equipped with an armament of longer range and single work, which favored the pointing.
Beyond the technical details, the "Cavour" devoted to professionalism of La Spezia shipyard workers whose ship had set up within one year. The battleship, in fact, was a set on scale no. 1 of the Arsenal, exactly one year earlier, August 10, 1910 was the ninetieth since the birth of Cavour where the ship was named.
It was a big gamble, almost in darkness, unable to do it in a year to be able to launch the battleship in the day of the centenary of the birth of the Statesman. The workers of La spezia had never ventured in a similar test, however, never attempted in Italy, before. To succeed in working hard, even at night, but in the end the test, almost immense, is superseded and the satisfaction is equal to the effort: huge. We feel this sentiment sharply in local newspapers commenting pleased that such a work is worthy of the British yards, while the non plus ultra of work.
To realize the Cavour were, rather than the arsenal workers, the workers of private companies which mainly touched the burden of proof. They called them "free", but that name, for their ultraprecarie working conditions, still sounds like a mockery.
As it was, that Thursday, August 10 was a big party for all the spice: it celebrated the launch carried out in the presence of the King, but above all the work that celebrated the La Spezia Gulf, and was then reminded people: the census just completed testing a increase of more than 10 percent!
For the three days of celebration, attended by all the social forces, including socialists, who share the joy of the prominence achieved by the workers of La Spezia.
The only dissident voices are the anarchists and young Agostino Bronzi. Future Senator of the Republic, was then a socialist maximalist and uncompromising and critical of the conduct of his party who have been too indulgent judges at the launch. On the pages of "Free Word", the weekly break of the Italian socialist party, strongly attacked the local leadership starting a battle that will take him to lead the party short.
I am convinced that this attitude is not in favor of the arsenal, already guaranteed in some way, but rather can be explained by the defense of "free" precarious for all purposes.

November the 12th 2011

Alberto SCARAMUCCIA

CDS News LA SPEZIA

Ports security

2011-12-06T22:00:00.003+01:00

The seaports, by their nature, have always been a focal point in the structure of a nation. Through the ports, developing a significant flow of passengers, now mainly ferries and cruise ships, and goods that 60% of the whole, pass input / output through our airports.
The State, in order to monitor the illegal transit of people and goods, has put in place security measures that initially consisted of more modestly, in the identification of a boundary port and customs controls and the various police and customs. A contribution was also given as provided in the Article no. 68 of the italian Navigation Code, which provides, for those willing to take a 'business within a port and generally within the maritime domain, to be subject to authorization by the Harbour Master, who, after carrying out preventive checks (principally for the mafia and good conduct), provides for the authorization, the company enrolling in special registers (function now performed for the area of expertise, even from the 'Port Authority).
With the SOLAS 74 (International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea signed in London by 71 countries), were essentially given a series of recommendations contained in an annex. Following these recommendations have been superseded by the code for the nuclear-powered merchant ships and recommendations for the nuclear-powered ships entering the ports, where the Solas has three distinct levels of security (MARSEC). The Rome Convention of March the 10th 1988 for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation, (issued with the intent to fill the gaps in international law concerning piracy, which had been highlighted by the case of the Italian cruise ship "Achille Lauro, hijacked by a group of guerrillas" of the Front for the Liberation of Palestine), considered as an act of maritime terrorism acts of violence or depredation made against a ship or its cargo or its passengers for political purposes or terrorist. In the following things were complicated, and as a result of strong recent terror alert, it was necessary to create more effective supervisory measures and appropriate to the times.
At European level the relevant legislation is the EU directive 725/2004 which refers to international ovveroalcapitoloXI-2della Solas and ISPA Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security Code), issued by the IMO (International Maritime Organization) in December 2002. In Italy, the Port Security is based on governmental functions of the CISM (International Committee on Safe Seas and ports), which has the task of developing a national program aimed at settoremarittimo against terrorist acts and to establish an adequate level of safety.
The new mandatory provisions contained nell'Isp Code defines a set of rules necessary to strengthen the protection of shipping, providing a set of active and passive safety measures on three levels (normal, increased, high) to be implemented concrete is related to risk analysis (Risk Assessment). The new law makes it compulsory for the designation of persons responsible for implementing security measures (security officers of the ship, and the company of 'port area) and the drafting of a Security Plan (prepared by the company and the ships terminal operator for the Port Facility) which takes contodell'analisi risk is that the ship the port facility.
Subsequently, the EU directive 2005/65, together with the d.lsg. 203/2007, has helped to expand the concepts of port security, providing a number of requirements that involve the entire port system in reaction to what comes from the sea, whether persons or goods. These procedures involve the application of risk assessment tools and planning and implementation of security plans in a very extensive and complex, characterized by the common areas, transit areas and roads, warehouses, depots for empty containers, parking vehicles , closely related to maritime transport, away from the interface even if the ship / port.
In principle the possible threats that could affect a port of the Master Men verify the expiration of a few rockets are: damage or destruction of ships, warehouses and wharves used for commercial traffic or cruise tourism; seizure of ships or persons on board ; alteration or poisoning the water supply to ships, tampering of cargo, equipment, board equipment, supplies; unauthorized access to or presence on board of stowaways on board the smuggling of arms and related materiel, use the ship as a weapon or means, in order to cause damage, blocking the entrance to the harbor, or channel access, biological or chemical attack, (more remote than nuclear), tampering with energy networks and facilities in order to block trade and port operations in general ; infiltration of viruses into the computer system of port management.
On the basis of 'above-mentioned legislation, the entire maritime sector has been involved in a comprehensive plan to adjust its security system.
The Port Authority (if established, or the Maritime Authority) has the responsibility to conduct risk assessment of port facilities and common areas.
Based on the guidelines issued by the CISM, risk assessment is carried out according to the following schedule:
Assessment of scenarios and identification of possible targets: examining risk scenarios related to terrorist attacks, activities of shoplifting (or tampering), trafficking in human beings. Identification of weaknesses and risk assessment:
assuming even improbable events, but with high potential impact in terms of human casualties and material damage;
Indication of the mitigation measures: the PFSA (Port Facility Security Assessment) must contain an indication of the possible measures, which is an organizational infrastructure, aimed at reducing the likelihood and impact of the event. In the descendants of the contents of PFSA, the Port Facility Security Officer (PFSO) or the manager appointed by the Maritime Port Security on the recommendation of the Port Authority, is responsible, in accordance with instructions issued by the relevant legislation, to draft The port facility Security Plan (PFSP - Port Facility Security Plan), which contains the organizational measures, technical infrastructure and the terminal that the company must put in place to protect your company and ship-port.
In addition to the control systems of baggage and passengers, the port security is currently provided by private security personnel (the concierge staff and security guards armed unarmed), from video surveillance systems, the use of protective barriers sensed (infrared detectors and vibration of the fence, as well
to video cameras) to monitor and prevent access to certain areas and the use of detectors capable of reading license plates and ISO codes of containers.
Integrated systems are the most innovative video surveillance, audio surveillance, laser monitoring, belonging to an operations center that houses placed at the Port Authority and / or the Maritime.
The control of the harbor of the port consists of thermal cameras and radar that can detect intruders in any weather conditions (fog, rain, hail, etc.). It is well under way by the La Spezia NURC (NATO Undersea Research Center) to study the surface of a vehicle capable of patrolling and monitoring the water surface of interest.
We have yet to integrate the existing legislation to better define the interaction between ship and port facility in the management of 'emergency.

Rear ADM CG (retired) Franco Magazzù

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THE TRANSATLANTIC - MISSING AN ERA

2011-11-19T13:11:00.000+01:00

Under the pressure of the strong influx, in 900, the Italian shipyards are specialized in the production launching a series of transatlantic liners, which were soon appreciated in the international arena for the technique, the build quality and ride comfort. Reasons linked to factors of national image, enhanced by the regime of 'time, pushing a technology competition, then proved victorious, with British and German sites which until then had dominated the ocean navigation.
The liners were divided into "classes": the first was intended for tourists, travelers for pleasure, the second business travelers, while the third was intended for immigrants, sometimes forced to travel in severe discomfort, crammed below deck and allowed tooutdoor spaces narrow and strictly separated from the rest.
These ships were designed to face the sea and weather conditions typical of the ocean, had a high displacement (weight) and were equipped with a powerful engine apparatus in a short time to cover the crossing. Just to name a few old favorites: Big Earl, Duilio, Rome, Augustus Rex, Conte di Savoia, Saturnia, Vulcania, Oceania, Neptune ....
Apart from the miserable condition reserved for emigrants on board were offered conditions of extreme luxury for wealthy travelers: swimming pools, patios, tennis / volleyball, rifle shooting, dance halls, shops, full menu, a serviceunexceptionable, a long promenade deck teak.
After the war, the main Italian passenger shipping company, include:
- The Italy - Navigation Company, also known more simply as Italy Society, established in the world of international shipping as the Italian Line, was the national airline. He was born from Italy during the Fascist Fleet Gather founded in 1932, which brought together, under the same name owner, the three major shipping companies of the time: the Italian General Navigation of Genoa, Turin and Savoy Lloyd Cosulich of Trieste . The company's headquarters was located in the Piazza de Ferrari in Genoa, with branches also in the main destinations to 'abroad, was founded not only for political reasons, even for a matter of international prestige in order to have a single state company for transatlantic routes. The Company has been active, first person, until around 1980.
- Lloyd, who was born in 1836 in the Habsburg Empire and is one of the oldest shipping companies in the world. Its headquarters are located in Trieste. The Guglielmo Marconi and Galileo Galilei were the two beautiful units belonging to this Company. Since 1998, the company is part of the Evergreen Group.
- Coast Owners, founded in Genoa in 1854 by James Costa with the name Giacomo Costa fu Andrea snc, initially traded and transported olive oil and textiles. We recall some of its transatlantic Henry C. - Frederick C. - Anne C. - Franca C. - Eugene C. (This unit, established by an improved design of Marconi and Galileo, was the largest passenger built in Italy by a private owner). Today the company is active in the field with 15 cruise ships and is part of the Carnival brand.
- The Fleet Lauro, the then Senator Neapolitan Achille Lauro, which include The 'Angelina Lauro The Achille Lauro, the second passenger involved in an incident of terrorism in 1985.
- The MSC, which has picked up the baton, is currently the only major company, dedicated to the cruise market, Italian owned. It is based in Geneva and operates with 11 units.
- Home Line which was a company that has worked both in line and in the cruise industry. The company was founded in 1946, ceased in 1988 the group entered the Holland America Line.Although based in Genoa, was a company of international scope with ships registered under Panamanian flag. His best units were: - Oceanic - Doric - Atlantic - Homeric (which later became the Costa Europa).
The main national ports for transatlantic maritime stations with dedicated, were Genoa, Naples and Trieste.
The shipping lines, which is branched from 'Italy in relation to passenger traffic with the rest of the world were:
 The three lines with the Americas (North, Central and South - where the most prestigious was the Genoa-New York, an image of efficiency and speed, half an hour of undue delay in the crossing was a 'shame for a Commander);
 The routes to the West and East Africa;
 The line connecting the Far East, particularly India, China and Japan;
 The connection with Australia and New Zealand.
During the Second World War and many transatlantic requirements were designed to carry troops or transformed into hospital ships.
The activities of these large vessels, despite the incipient competition from the plane, taken after the war with fresh enthusiasm, reaching its apogee with the increasingly large ships, efficient and luxurious.
In fact, after the success of the REX, the national shipbuilding continued to school in the world, remember Julius Caesar, Augustus, Christopher Columbus, our hulls were considered the most elegant and fastest in the world, but some of these units were very unlucky: The 'Andrea Doria, in July 1956, collided and sank a few miles from New York, the Leonardo da Vinci, so appreciated by the Americans for cruises in the Caribbean, located in La Spezia in disarmament and then, in July 1980 dying before our eyes in a huge bonfire. On its way to extinction of the species with Michelangelo and Raphael, launched in the sixties and considered among the most elegant and luxurious ships on the seas of the world, both were placed in disarmament in La Spezia, Portovenere in the channel. The economic crisis, rising fuel costs, the lack of passengers, operating costs had led to unsustainable levels and were sold to foreign entities. They went to their ultimate destination sailing in a sea of controversy and complaints.
In the scenario of the passenger plane had won, the flow of migrants had thinned, and the cruise market was not yet well established itself as a mass holiday like today.
The two ships were designed for military use in Persia. The Raphael was bombed and sunk during the Iran - Iraq, Michelangelo was dismantled in the early nineties in Pakistan.
The memory of our transatlantic pride in the quality production of the national shipbuilding, now far exceeded in size by modern cruise ships, but certainly not in elegance, luxury and speed, will always remain indelible in the memory of the navy in the world, a symbol of 'disappearance times, made up of technological progress, efficiency and primates, which has left a' footprint, also characterized by the screeching of want of steerage passengers in the face of the 'wealth of first class.
R. Adm. retired (CG) Franco Magazzu'

La Spezia, 18 October 2011

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AFRICA'S OLDEST CANOE

2011-03-08T15:59:00.002+01:00

We are very happy to introduce a new relationship with MARITIME NETWORKING - NG.
This the first article of them that you can find on MARITIME NETWORKING - NG web site, also.

"Africa's oldest canoe, dating backing to about 8,000 years ago, was found in north Nigeria's Yobe State in Dafuna, a village along the Komadugu Gana River. It is the oldest boat to be discovered in Africa, and the third oldest known worldwide.

Since the Dufuna canoe was discovered by a local Fulani herdsman in 1987 archaeologists have been in a frenzy about the discovery. The canoe which was excavated by a combined team of Nigeria and German archaeologists in 1994 at Dufuna amazed them for the simple reason that it has changed the course of history.

It was dug out from a depth of five meters beneath the earth's surface and measured 8.4 meters in length, 0.5 meters wide and about 5 cm thick varying at certain parts of the surface.

The canoe belongs to the Late Stone Age period (Neolithic Age), when humans ceased to roam the face of the earth hunting to become herdsmen and cultivators and in the process becoming modifier of their environment with complex social structures in response to new problems and ways of dealing with situations.

The discovery of this boat has been described as an important landmark in the history of Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. Besides proving that the Nigerian society was at par (if not earlier) than that of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Minoa and Phoenicia, the discovery also provides the first concrete evidence that Africans possessed the ability to reason and have been exploring technology to modify their environment to suit their needs.

But more importantly "the canoe has shown that people in the Niger area had a history of advanced technology and that they had mastered the three major items of Palaeolithic culture which were the fashioning, standardization and utilization of tools according to certain set traditions," explains Eluyemi.

But beyond that, the discovery has also revealed that, Nigerians were not static people. "It gives concrete evidence of transportation by seas as well as providing evidence of some form of long distance commercial activities indicative of existing political and economic structures."

One great benefit of the discovery is that it has helped archaeologists draw a relationship between what was happening in Nigeria and else where in the world during that period. Indications are that while Nigerians were making canoes in Dufuna village in 6000 BC, the people of Catol Huyuk in Turkey were making pottery, textiles etc, like the people of Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) were forming urban communities and the Chinese were making painted pottery in the Yang Shao region. But particularly of interest to archaeologists is the prove that some form of advanced civilization existed in the Lake Chad Basin around 6000 BC."

Documentation has showed that based on the minimal available

Maritime Network-NG staff by locally built wooden canoes on Admiralty Way, Lekki, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
technology during this period, the making of the Dufuna canoe must have been a ponderous task which called for mastery, specialization and ingenuity. A lot of work, man hours and skill must also have been put into the production since no iron tools were in existence at the time. The tools used were probably Post Pleistocene ungrounded core axe - like and pick - axe bifacial tools of microlithic appearance. It can be assumed that the canoe must have been made near a river to eliminate the difficulty of transporting it over long distances."

THANKS TO Kenneth Chiazor

[Source: This Day / Wikipedia]

HELP US to preserve the history and traditions of seafaring and diving

2011-02-23T12:39:00.002+01:00

The Historical maritime society is an international Association borned in 2008 to preserve the History and traditions of seafaring and diving and to protect the watery environment!
We are looking for friends loves to help us in this great project!
Send your articles, news, pics, video and much more so we can enrich the content of our website and our blog.
All materials regarding the history and traditions of seafaring and diving and the protection of the watery environment are useful to rich our goals.
Send all to info@historicalmaritimesociety.org.

Join our web site and register: it's easy and free!!

HMS looking for people, communities, organizations and associations, around the world, to increase our network: this is necessary to preserve every thing regards the history and traditions of seafaring and diving and the protection of the watery enviroment, too!!

Write to the President, directly: gianfranco.vecchio@hmsweb.org

During the years, too much testimonials are lost!!! HELP US to preserve those is possible, HELP US to permit us to transmit them to the next generations!!

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Gianfranco VECCHIO
HMS Ceo

Battleship Roma: a tragic and ironic fate

2011-02-22T12:18:00.001+01:00

On 13 January, in the council hall of the headquarters of the Province of La Spezia, after a brief introductory speech by lawyer Umberto BUFFA, before a thick audience attentive and moved to the author, Andrea AMICI, presented his recent work.
There were many relatives of those who were aboard the great ship, eager to know how their loved ones had lived through those tragic rush, disturbing moments that ended with the sacrifice of life for many and, for survivors, with the memory indelible mark of their youth spent on the stage of history.
As explained by the same author, the book examines more than one aspect: on the technical features of the unit, cutting edge and unique, the unfolding of the story, together with that of life on board of that great and complicated construction ship, where the throbbing hearts of some 2000 people, including officers, petty officers, sailors and civilian personnel.
There were in fact signed also cooks, waiters, a professional photographer and several equipment technicians of various construction companies, on-board.
But the most important aspect of the book, as evidenced by Mr. AMICI, is without doubt the split intersection of lives and friendships born in the unfolding of events, decline inexorably towards moments of great confusion, if the information is scarce and fragmentary, everything collapses and the decisions are hard to take, but must always be taken under the weight of responsibility for the lives on board the many units in the game, while watching the History and waits impassively.
The idea for the book stems from the desire to materialize on paper, in future memory, memories of his grandfather (Italo PIZZO), and survived the sinking, in order to bear witness to the many who sacrificed their young lives, leaving the discouraged many families.
There were moments of poignant emotion, when were heard the testimony of survivors in the audience, three of which of La Spezia that, with unexpected freshness, have revived the memory of their past, reviving heavy fragments of life lived with great dignity and absolutely without encroaching into the pathetic.
The La Spezia survivors present were: Gustavo BELLAZINI, Dante BARTOLI and Giovanni PUPPO. They could feel the closeness and warmth of those present, manifested by the many words and applause. All this, in memory of the many missing comrades, whose memory will always live in the significant presence felt in the public.
The National Association of Italian Sailolrs of La Spezia, always involved, witnessed its presence with some members, together with its President & CEO Cosimo CHIONNA and the regional delegate Adm. Nicola SARTO.
For young people mentioned below, briefly, the history of this unfortunate unit of our Navy.
The battleship "ROMA", the third building of the Littorio class, was designed by the Inspector General Umberto PUGLIESE, and was one of the first units to 35,000 tons over the world, made disregarding the Treaty of Washington, with a view to implementing a project with superior characteristics and unique.
It was set on the slips of the San Marco shipyard in Trieste in September 1938 and launched in June 1940, assigning the command to Captain Adone DEL CIMA that followed the construction. The ship was delivered in June 1942 and despite the important features, and for various vicissitudes, was never deployed in combat.
This battleship, with a standard displacement of 46,215 tons, was 240 meters long, 33 wide and had a depth of 10 Mt
The machinery consisted of 8 boilers and 4 propellers with a maximum power of 140,000 hp. Capable of pushing such a mass to the outstanding speed of 31 knots.
A serious shortcoming of the project was that the autonomy and suffers from the weight and the great power of the engine was about 4,000 miles at a cruising speed of 20 knots, none the less, with about 120 officers and 1800 people crew, a dual armor by 35 mm thick and its powerful weapons, culminating in three turrets to 381mm. capable of firing a bullet from 880 kg to about 40 km away, was the most powerful and fearsome ship deployed in the Mediterranean Sea.
On 15 June 1943, following the bombing of the base of La Spezia, the unit was damaged along with her sister Vittorio Veneto. The Vittorio Veneto could be repaired directly to the arsenal, but for the Roma ship, bombed again on the night of June 24, it was necessary to dry-docking and transfer to Genoa, with the return to the team on 13 August.
According to experts, the ships of this class, in 1940, when they went into service, were the most powerful battleships in the world, only lost that position in 1942 with the entry into service of the Japanese Yamato class and the American Iowa class. These units, the Littorio class, had the technical solutions are unique in the world, had a super-resistant underwater protection, consisting of several layers of inclined plates, unlike all other buildings in the world, in which the belt was made up of simple vertical plates . The subdivision and the internal equilibrium ensured stability and buoyancy even if the ships had been hit by torpedoes. To make the hull more resistant to divers attacks, a system was adopted, simply brilliant, created by the designer on General PUGLIESE. The system, called the "cylinders Pugliese" containers consisted of 3.80 m in diameter and 120m in length, placed inside a cavity between the hull inside and outside the walled and filled with water or oil. In case of explosion of torpedo or mine, the explosive power of the explosion was distributed in all directions, reducing their harmful effects.
The four turbines were connected to four axes with three-bladed propellers, two central and two lateral. The government system consisted of a main rudder aft, positioned in the flow of the propellers aft central and two lateral auxiliary rudders, propellers located in the flow of the two sides.

The sinking

Sept. the 8, Armistice Day, the Rome was ready to move from La Spezia.
On the same day Admiral. BERGAMINI, commander of the battle fleet, was informed by telephone of the armistice imminent, and of clauses providing for the immediate transfer of the Italian ships in the area that were designated by the Allies, and that during the transfer should increase as a sign yield, brushes blacks on blacks yards and draw two circles on the deck.
Bergamini reluctantly accepted the orders, after he had insurance that was not included delivery of the vessels and lowering the flag and after being informed that the Allies had agreed that the fleet could move to La Maddalena island, where they were supposed to find the King Vittorio Emanuele and the government.
At 3 am on Sept. the 9, after frantic meetings between officers, Bergamini ordered to leave and the battleship Roma with the sign of the flagship of the fleet weighed anchor and headed to La Maddalena island, along with the battleships Vittorio Veneto and Littorio (renamed Italy), that the Roma were the IX Division.
The fleet, composed of all twenty-three units, was sailing without brushes blacks hoisted on flagpoles and blacks have drawn circles on the deck as required by the terms of the armistice, the Roma ship had raised the banner of Admiral Bergamini and the bunting.
At about 14:30, when the fleet arrived at the Straits of Bonifacio, Admiral BERGAMINI received a message from SUPERMARINA with which he announced that La Maddalena island was occupied by the Germans and he was ordered to sail for Bona in Algeria.
Off the Asinara island, the fleet was flown over, at high altitude, from twenty-eight twin-engine Dornier Do217 of Luftwaffe. The planes dropped, from 6,500 meters of altitude, the rocket bombs guided Ruhrstahl SD 1400, whose strength was attributed to the high penetration velocity acquired during the fall. It was only when the aircraft suddenly dropped the first bomb, which they realized the situation and was given the order to anti-aircraft artillery to open fire. However, given the high proportion who were flying German planes, the guns fired at maximum elevation, penalizing the accuracy and effectiveness of the shots, only useful as a fire barrier. Because of the surprise attack and rapid action of the German planes, there was no time to launch the fighters, which were equipped with Littorio class battleships are the only weapons that can counter the action of the German bombers at high altitude.
At 15.30 the first bomb fell about 50 feet from the cruiser Eugenio di Savoia, without causing damage, a second bomb fell close to the stern of Italy (ex Littorio) temporarily restraining the rudder. At 15.45 the first time Roma was hit by a shot that apparently did not produce devastating effects. 15.50 the second blow to the ship center forward, doing the filing dust explode, the tower No 2 blew up, then falling into the sea, with all its mass to 1500 tonnes. The battleship's command tower, hit by a blaze, it is deformed and bent under the action of heat, breaking up and disappearing into, thrown up into pieces, between two huge columns of smoke Admiral BERGAMINI and his Staff, the commander of the ship Adone DEL CIMA, and much of the crew were killed almost instantly.
The ship, at 16.11, turning on its side, capsized and sank broken in two parts, while, on deck, the sailors survived panting, many badly injured and burned.
The castaways of Roma, recovered by the naval vessels, were six hundred twenty-two, while the number of deaths is estimated at about 1,400 because in that historical period, characterized by dark vicissitudes, none was able to add up exactly to the number of crew members and the number of civilians on board.
This is the tragic history of this great naval unit, the pride of our navy and of naval engineering Italian, who, with his crew, went to meet her tragic and ironic fate: the first Italian ship sunk by those who had the day before allies.

La Spezia, 18 January 2011

Coast Guard Rear Adm. (retired) Franco MAGAZZU '

MEDITERRANEAN FREE TRADE ZONE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN - WHERE DO WE ARE?

2011-02-18T15:11:00.000+01:00

The Free Trade Area (FTA) is trans-national geographic area in which they are culled from all the countries participating in the trade barriers that prevent or restrict the free movement of goods.
Worldwide there are already free trade areas, such as Mercosur in South America and NAFTA in North America. But there is also the EFTA (European Free Trade Association) in Europe.

The creation of an FTA in the Mediterranean basin was established during the Ministerial Euro-Mediterranean Conference in Barcelona in November 1995 providing for the implementation in stages by 2010, through agreements to trade, tariff and customs between the EU and Mediterranean countries (PTM) and PTM between them, to remove obstacles to free movement of goods, take measures to liberalize trade in services and allow the free establishment of foreign companies, facilitate technology transfer and increase the efficiency of production .
A study conducted by the Institut de la Méditerranée stated that the FTA would lead to a growth of maritime traffic by over 16% compared to the evolution trend.
Already, the European Union is the main maritime partner for a large number of MNCs, particularly those of the Maghreb (Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya).
Italy, in particular, it ranks third after Germany and France in trade between the Mediterranean and EU countries.
The Mediterranean third countries represent a market of over 250 million consumers, a fast-growing market and its proximity to Italy.
The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership created by the Barcelona Declaration, adopted in 1995 by the then fifteen EU member states and twelve countries of the south and east shores of the Mediterranean (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Malta, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority) provides extensive collaboration, extending beyond the strictly economic sphere to include areas such as security policy and human rights.
Under the FTA, will be eliminated duties and taxes for almost all industrial products, whether from the European countries than Mediterranean partners. But does not arise from free trade in agricultural products, while the gap between North and South of the Mediterranean to Europe's advantage.
the European Union with the establishment of the FTA would take a leading role in global geopolitical balance, with an 'increased influence from the free movement of goods, services and capital. The FTA would put Europe in a position of equality, as areas of influence, with the U.S. that already dominate the American Free Trade Area (FTAA).
To say free trade will be phased-out tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade in manufactured products, while trade in agricultural products will be progressively liberalized through reciprocal preferential access among the parties.
For issues related to the maritime sector, we note that:
- Member countries are committed to the principles of international maritime law and, in particular, the freedom to provide services in international transport and free access to international cargoes
- They will tend the harmonization of customs rules and procedures in the field;
- Elimination of unwarranted technical barriers to trade in agricultural and related measures relating to phytosanitary and veterinary standards and other legislation on foodstuffs;
- To create interoperable, efficient transport routes between the EU and its Mediterranean partners, as well as between them, and free market access for services in international maritime transport;
- To preserve fish stocks and Mediterranean environmental, you endorsed a policy of joint action to promote fish farming and the efficient control of marine pollution;
However, the proposed Free Trade Area is perceived, especially in the MNCs, as an option is not completely "free", given the 'exclusion of the free movement of people and agricultural products from the PTM.
There are concerns due to imbalances in socio-economic and commercial relations between the two realities that will be published in future FTAs, which will have to live in EU countries, that is the largest shopping complex on the planet, with a global exchange of approximately 40% of world trade and 10 PTM with trade amounting to about 2% of world trade.
With the exception of Syria and Algeria, benefited from exports of 'hydrocarbons, trade balances of PTM are all in deficit.
Libya is the only country to which Italy is the main provider, but the land of Gaddafi is the only coastal state to be excluded from the agreements in Barcelona because of an embargo which hit Italian exports to this country.
In the Euro-Mediterranean FTA, will gather the 10 PTM with a population of 250 million inhabitants and a 27-EU 's with 495 million inhabitants, the two demographic realities have strong differences of GDP per capita, ranging from € 2,850 / year of a Moroccan to 59,700 of Luxembourg.
GDP per capita so low is synonymous with a very weak purchasing power that makes non attractive those markets and encourage young people to emigrate to Europe.
In addition, the strong population increase in 2025, according to UN projections, will bring the population to 328 million of the 10 MNCs. result in the formation of a vast area of social exclusion, made up of millions of young people not having work locally attempted to emigrate to Europe. A huge problem that only an 'effective action for cooperation between the two shores of the Mediterranean can be avoided.
The European Parliament resolution of 19 February 2009 on the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean, has reiterated the necessity of renewing and deepening of relations between the EU and Mediterranean partner countries, but also highlighted the limitations and shortcomings of policies implemented to date and, in particular the disappointing of the Barcelona Process.
It noted that the closer relations between the EU and Mediterranean countries have seen an important increase in trade between those countries without, however, these increases were not accompanied by the necessary upgrading and modernization of the infrastructure.
He shared the choice to improve a multilateral framework by identifying a number of major projects to be implemented using the new tools of the "Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean (Euromed hours), noting, however, the lack of integration strategies economic and territorial cohesion within the Mediterranean basin to support those projects.
In short, something has been done, but the targets set for 2010 have not been fully achieved.

Rear Adm. (CG) r. Franco MAGAZZU '

La Spezia, January the 15th 2011

2010-11-08T22:41:00.006+01:00

For all fans of seafaring, The Historical maritime society joins Ship simulator extreme game. A new real discoverer world about ship navigation with a great reality of gaming.
HMS creates its own dedicated server for multiplaying, associated to a Team speak 2 server for online dialogue like a VHF Channel.
All fans of seafaring are invite to play an to share this great adventure kind of game.
For more info:

SHIP SIMULATOR EXTREME
HMS SSE News
HMS SSE Info

2010-08-20T10:39:00.001+02:00

In the event "Sulla rotta d'Imperia", a biannual gathering of vintage boats, will be held to Le Grazie, in the Province of La Spezia, The HARD HAT DIVERS Festival, an important occasion for meeting and discussion between all those interested in diving history. From 3rd to 8th September next, at the Boatyard Valdettaro curing the whole organization of the event, The Historical Maritime Society, in collaboration with "Le Grazie, City of divers", manage exhibition area - demo which will be held alongside the exhibition of objects and instruments relating to underwater historical and demonstrations by Italian Police dep. divers (CNES) and the Italian Navy divers and seal (COMSUBIN) .

For the duration of the event will be staged a special pool where all children can experience the thrill of immersion in water accompanied by State Police divers, from the Comsubin Divers and Instructors by the Lega Sub UISP that, for occasion, also use a helmet open type "Shallow water".

During the Hard Hat divers Festival, great emphasis will be given to underwater historical fact with a display of historic pieces of the Italian Navy, Italian police and the Lega sub UISP.

Huge interest will then be around Giancarlo Bartoli, heir to the great family Galeazzi diving equipment manufacturers, that build throughout the period of the event, a helmet according to ancient traditional Galeazzi construction procedures.

OFFICIAL WEB SITE (IN ITALIAN ONLY, SORRY!)

2010-08-07T12:49:00.006+02:00

As we celebrate the next Palio del Golfo of Spezia (ITA) in 2010, an important race rowing between all the villages bordering the gulf. The Maritime Historical Society, assisted by the designer and photographer Irene Taddei, promotes the iconographic exhibition "The Submarine in the Gulf" to be held at the Village of the Palio, on the "Morin" Promenade in La Spezia, from July 23 to August 2 next.

The exhibition, sponsored by the City of La Spezia and Villages Committee of the Palio of the Gulf, wants to create a chronological history of submersible vessels built in La Spezia, highlighting the characteristics of those who have had special operations. A historical journey which recognizes the city's importance in the construction of over 70 boats submarines during and before the Second World War, have been one of the world's largest submarine fleet.
An exhibition featuring the images made available by the historical archive of Muggiano of the Fincantieri Foundation, the Naval Museum of La Spezia, the Directorate of Navy of La Spezia and the Office of the Historical archive of italian Navy of Rome. And 'thanks to the contribution of the Italian Navy, through the military command's of Tyrrhenian Sea, and Fincantieri, through its foundation, it was possible to retrieve important photographic evidence and the contribution of the Municipality of La Spezia, through the video library media center "Dialma Ruggiero" which provided important evidence video, this show may bring many visitors to the village of Palio.
Substantial and decisive contribution of the "Cassa di Risparmio of La Spezia" Foundation, which through its subsidiary "Fondazione Eventi", has guaranteed support for the realization of this important initiative. Support that shows the great care taken by the Foundation in La Spezia bank support initiatives, sponsored by the city who want to help nominate the city of La Spezia as a place where history and traditions of the seafaring and diving can find a home.
A commitment that the Association "The Historical Maritime Society" promotes since 2008 with initiatives, projects and campaigns.
An invitation to all fans of the history of submarines, to relive all the great epic of vessels built in the Gulf and help to preserve the history and traditions of seafaring and diving.

Riccardo BOCCA's new book

2010-07-01T22:22:00.002+02:00

Off the Calabrian coast, in a more fish-filled seas of Italy before and beaches often crowded with swimmers, it would be buried in a ship loaded with radioactive waste, wrecked and turned into a deadly dump. This says the repentant criminal Francesco Fonti, who was chairman of the sinking. Start the search, the news was denied, even by high state offices. Is this is a mass hysteria, fueled by the media, just? Riccardo Bocca, first accused the charge of spreading panic unjustified, not only demonstrates that the hypothesis of the ship is uncertain, but the ships are so many. A system of concealment of illegal and “side” waste, which consists of mafias, the intelligence services of countries that want to get rid of their waste, and the Italian Government, which has such an interest not to say anything to pay sources, so stop talking. And while the area of Cetraro, Calabria has stellar values in incidences of certain cancers, who tries to ascertain the truth or is stopped for detecting the official channels. And if, as the captain Natale Di Grazia , decided to continue in spite of everything, dies in "inexplicable” circumstances.

With our Cause "Stop Disaster" We support the fight against the criminal abandonment of nuclear and toxic waste at sea. Riccardo Bocca's book is a clear sign that in Italy there are many areas where those criminal people is sunk ships containing toxic waste and nuclear materials that are contaminating the Mediterranean Sea.

To find Riccardo Bocca’s book.

To support our cause “Stop the Disaster”.

Gianfranco VECCHIO

Back to the Challenge Luigi Durand de la Penne with jewels AIVE 2010

2010-06-13T13:56:00.007+02:00

"Appointment on June 11 in La Spezia for the start of the races that lead to win the prestigious Challenge Luigi Durand de la Penne, which consists of Navy Department of Alto Tirreno (11-13 June, La Spezia).

Many boats expectations that are sure to intrigue fans and beyond. Creole "most wanted", 65 meters, dated 1927. In 1958 it underwent extensive work with a strong reconstruction of interior, decorated with paintings by famous painters such as Van Gogh, Cezanne, Renoir and Picasso. In 1970 it was brought to Denmark to be used as a correctional ship before being detected by today's owner. Javelin "the most historic, is a project launched in 1897, 1896, its restoration is an example of how to bring new life to a yacht while keeping the soul and character. All work on the Javelin is founded on these principles and the necessary concessions to modernity 'have been deliberately kept discrete and subdued. Latifa "the most curious," during the years of World War II is used for espionage activities along the Irish coast in search of clandestine bases of German submarines. A curiosity is the one that sees a pattern of Latifa do vane on the steeple of the village of Fairlie in Scotland where there was the yard of William Fife & Sons.

The schedule of races
The program provides evidence in coastal La Spezia, a race transfer to the Island of Elba and finally other inshore races in Marciana Marina. A trophy in honor of this historic Admiral raider Varignano man linked to the sea more than any other that combines the Italian Navy and AIVE organizing this prestigious event. The series of races included in the official calendar of the International Circuit of the Western Mediterranean, won the logistical support of the Italian Navy ships that will host all participants in the Naval Base.

Moreover, the entire Guidone Challenge fregerà the four stars of the Chief of the Italian Navy, Admiral Bruno Branciforte, who bestowed his patronage". THANKS TO AIVE WEB SITE

All boats are moored in Le Grazie (ITA) called the village fo the hard hat divers, also.

2009-12-28T18:25:00.009+01:00

On the occasion of Christmas is my pleasure to post an article of our friend Niccolò Genovese, who visited the famous manger in Manarola, one of Cinque Terre in province of La Spezia. The famous manger bright, the world's largest, is made by Mr. Mario Andreoli, a fan who wanted to make the hills of Manarola precisely this beautiful installation. Here are some pictures made by Niccolò with some of the most picturesque of the crib. Thanks to Niccolò for the photos and the news that I hope, for Christmas, make pleasure to many.
All the best wishes for happy holidays from HMS with the famous wine "Sciacchetrà" of Cinque Terre.
Manarola Church

Sunset in Manarola

A view of the manger

Our friend Niccolò Genovese and Mr. Mario Andreoli in his wine cellar

BEST WISHES!

2009-12-22T20:45:00.003+01:00

Dear friends I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2010 with the hope that many will help "The Historical Maritime Society" with its mission to preserve the history and traditions of maritime and diving and to protect the water environment.
Each of you in your home town and in his own state can help achieve this goal with a little work: to signals an important piece of the heritage of maritime and diving, collecting news, collecting information about objects and things that are being lost because of time and neglect of men.
Each piece of the history and traditions of the maritime and diving must be preserved to be sent to those who come after us.
Join "The Historical Maritime Society" this will be important to protect the memory of men and things which on the sea have lived, worked, traveled transmitting knowledge and advancing our civilization.
BEST WISHES!!

Gianfranco VECCHIO
HMS Chairman

HELP US! JOIN TO THE HISTORICAL MARITIME SOCIETY

2009-12-19T18:31:00.001+01:00

The maritime and underwater history are essential for the recognition of the evolution of our civilization. Many people think that the sea has always divided people; many others and me think instead that it was for centuries a vehicle of meeting: on the routes traveled by thousands of ships or through connections for communications and transmission of electricity on backdrop, this great element has united the different peoples who have lived on its shores and live. Above and below the surface, the sea was and is today the greatest means of imparting and sharing not only commercial but also and above all cultural. Seaside has grown our civilization through the sea and the sea that our peoples have met, but also clashed in epic battles over the centuries, filled with the blood of losers and winners. The maritime and underwater history are primary they should preserve and pass on to all those who come after us. A story of ships, boats, submarines, port facilities, lighthouses, maritime arsenals. A history full of traditions that were handed down from father to son and can not be left to oblivion of time. The Historical Maritime Society wants to be a landmark and meeting place between those who are passionate about the history and traditions of maritime and diving, all those who believe it is necessary and proper to preserve this great heritage to be passed on to those who come after us. Our Association wants to aggregate all these people and it wants to create a network among the many organizations that, like herself, seek to achieve this great goal.
Each piece ships, boats, boat ride, every architectural element that is linked to the story that was lived by the sea, and every single archaeological find, every diving equipment, the story of every man and the sea has had should be preserved and enhanced. We have an obligation also to protect the sea where this history and these traditions were experienced, the sea, today, is increasingly in danger because of our hands and we must protect in order for it to continue to ensure that our civilization a long and constructive progress.
Join "The Historical Maritime Society is easy to contact info@historicalmaritimesociety.org. We need many who, together with us, wants to preserve the history and traditions of maritime and diving and protect the aquatic environment.

The greatest sea lover

2009-12-09T16:22:00.005+01:00

My passion for the sea comes probably from the fact that we are born in front, by the fact that the sea I took my father when I was too young to suffer and, despite this, the love I feel for this element is enormous.
The great passion for sailing and diving brought me to the story that these two elements guard and it seemed only right to do homage to a man who has lived in the sea and has been able to grasp and convey the essence.
A small tribute to a great man, a great explorer, a great lover of the sea.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau (11 June 1910 – 25 June 1997) was a French naval officer, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water. He co-developed the aqua-lung, pioneered marine conservation and was a member of the Académie française. He was commonly known as "le Commandant Cousteau" or "Captain Cousteau".
Cousteau was born on 11 June 1910, in Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Gironde, to Daniel and Élisabeth Cousteau. He had one brother, Pierre-Antoine. Cousteau completed his preparatory studies at the prestigious College Stanislas in Paris. In 1930 he entered the Ecole Navale and graduated as a gunnery officer. After an automobile accident cut short his career in naval aviation, Cousteau indulged his interest in the sea.
In Toulon, where he was serving on the Condorcet, Cousteau carried out his first underwater experiments, thanks to his friend Philippe Tailliez who in 1936 lent him some Fernez underwater goggles, predecessors of modern diving masks. He later worked his way up the ranks as he became more famous and more useful to the navy. Cousteau also belonged to the information service of the French Navy, and was sent on missions to Shanghai and Japan (1935–1938) and in the USSR (1939).
On 12 July 1937 he married Simone Melchior, with whom he had two sons, Jean-Michel (born 1938) and Philippe (1940-1979). His sons took part in the adventure of the Calypso. In 1991, one year after his wife Simone's death from cancer, he married Francine Triplet. They already had a daughter Diane Cousteau (born 1980) and a son Pierre-Yves Cousteau (born 1982), born during Cousteau's marriage to his first wife. Pierre-Yves is currently in training to become a professional diving instructor, completing his divemaster certification in Santorini, Greece in 2009.
The years of the Second World War were decisive for the history of diving. After the armistice of 1940, the family of Simone and Jacques-Yves Cousteau took refuge in Megève, where he became a friend of the Ichac family who also lived there. Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Marcel Ichac shared the same will to reveal to general public unknown and inaccessible places: for Cousteau the underwater world and for Ichac the high mountains. The two neighbors took the first ex-aequo prize of the Congress of Documentary Film in 1943, for the first French underwater film:Par dix-huit mètres de fond (18 meters deep), made without breathing apparatus the previous year in Embiez (Var) with Philippe Tailliez and Frédéric Dumas, without forgetting the paramount part played, as originator of the depth-pressure-proof camera case, by the mechanical engineer Léon Vèche (engineer of Arts and Métiers and the Naval College).
In 1943, they made the film Épaves (Shipwrecks): for this occasion, they used the aqua-lung, which continued the line of some inventions of the 19th century (Rouquayrol's and Denayrouze's Aerophore) and of the early 20th century (Le Prieur). When making Épaves, Cousteau could not find the necessary blank reels of movie film, but had to buy hundreds of small still camera film reels the same width, intended for a make of child's camera, and cemented them together to make long reels.
Having kept bonds with the English speakers (he spent part of his childhood in the United States and usually spoke English) and with French soldiers in North Africa (under Admiral Lemonnier), Jacques-Yves Cousteau (whose villa "Baobab" at Sanary (Var) was opposite Admiral Darlan's villa "Reine"), helped the French Navy to join again with the Allies; he assembled a commando operation against the Italian espionage services in France, and received several military decorations for his deeds. At that time, he kept his distance from his brother Pierre-Antoine, a "pen anti-semite", who wrote the collaborationist newspaper Je suis partout (I am everywhere), and was condemned to die in 1946. However this was later commuted to a life sentence, and Pierre-Antoine was released in 1954.
During the 1940s Cousteau is credited with improving the aqua-lung design which gave birth to the open-circuit scuba technology used today. According to his first book, The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery and Adventure (1953), Cousteau started snorkel diving with a mask, snorkel, and fins with Frédéric Dumas and Philippe Tailliez. In 1943, he tried out the first prototype aqua-lung — designed by Cousteau and Emile Gagnan — which made lengthy underwater exploration possible for the first time.
In 1946, Cousteau and Tailliez showed the film "Épaves" to Admiral Lemonnier, and the admiral gave them the responsibility of setting up the Groupement de Recherches Sous-marines (GRS) (Underwater Research Group) of the French Navy in Toulon. A little later it became the GERS (Groupe d'Études et de Recherches Sous-Marines, = Underwater Studies and Research Group), then the COMISMER ("COMmandement des Interventions Sous la MER", = "Undersea Interventions Command"), and finally more recently the CEPHISMER.
In 1948, between missions of mine clearance, underwater exploration and technological and physiological tests, Cousteau undertook a first campaign in the Mediterranean on board the sloop Élie Monnier of Group of Study and Underwater Research (GERS) of the National Navy, with Philippe Tailliez, Frédéric Dumas, Jean Alinat and the scenario writer Marcel Ichac. The small team also undertook the exploration of the Roman wreck of Mahdia (Tunisia). It was the first underwater archaeology operation using autonomous diving, opening the way for scientific underwater archaeology. Cousteau and Marcel Ichac brought back from there the Carnets diving film (presented and preceded with the Cannes Film Festival 1951).
Cousteau and Élie Monnier then took part in the rescue of Professor Jacques Piccard's bathyscaphe, the FNRS-2, during the 1949 expedition to Dakar. Thanks to this rescue, the French Navy was able to reuse the sphere of the bathyscaphe to construct the FNRS-3.
The adventures of this period are told in the 2 books The Silent World (1953) by Cousteau and Plongées Sans Câble by Philippe Tailliez.
In 1949, Cousteau left the French Navy.
In 1950 he founded the French Oceanographic Campaigns (FOC), and leased a ship called Calypso
Thomas Loel Guinness for a symbolic one franc a year. Cousteau refitted the Calypso as a mobile laboratory for field research and as his principal vessel for diving and filming. He also carried out underwater archaeological excavations in the Mediterranean, in particular at Grand-Congloué (1952).
With the publication of his first book in 1953, The Silent World, he correctly predicted the existence of the echolocation abilities of porpoises. He reported that his research vessel, the Élie Monier, was heading to the Straits of Gibraltar and noticed a group of porpoises following them. Cousteau changed course a few degrees off the optimal course to the center of the strait, and the porpoises followed for a few minutes, then diverged toward mid-channel again. It was evident that they knew where the optimal course lay, even if the humans did not. Cousteau concluded that the cetaceans had something like sonar, which was a relatively new feature on submarines.
Cousteau won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1956 for The Silent World co-produced with Louis Malle. With the assistance of Jean Mollard, he made a "diving saucer" SP-350, an experimental underwater vehicle which could reach a depth of 350 meters. The successful experiment was quickly repeated in 1965 with two vehicles which reached 500 meters.
In 1957, he was elected as director of the Oceanographical Museum of Monaco. He directed Précontinent, about the experiments of diving in saturation (long-duration immersion, houses under the sea), and was admitted to the United States National Academy of Sciences.
In October 1960, a large amount of radioactive waste was going to be discarded in the Mediterranean Sea by the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique (CEA). The CEA argued that the dumps were experimental in nature, and that French oceanographers such as Vsevelod Romanovsky had recommended it. Romanovsky and other French scientists, including Louis Fage and Jacques Cousteau, repudiated the claim, saying that Romanovsky had in mind a much smaller amount. The CEA claimed that there was little circulation (and hence little need for concern) at the dump site between Nice and Corsica, but French public opinion sided with the oceanographers rather than with the CEA atomic energy scientists. The CEA chief, Francis Perrin, decided to postpone the dump.[5] Cousteau organized a publicity campaign which in less than two weeks gained wide popular support. The train carrying the waste was stopped by women and children sitting on the railway tracks, and it was sent back to its origin.
A meeting with American television companies (ABC, Métromédia, NBC) created the series The Underwater Odyssey of Commander Cousteau, with the character of the commander in the red bonnet inherited from standard diving dress) intended to give the films a "personalized adventure" style.
In 1973, along with his two sons and Frederick Hyman, he created the Cousteau Society for the Protection of Ocean Life, Frederick Hyman being its first President; it now has more than 300,000 members.
Three years after the volcano's last eruption, on December 19, 1973, the Cousteau team was filming on Deception Island, Antarctica when Michel Laval, Calypso's second in command, was struck and killed by a propeller of the helicopter that was ferrying between Calypso and the island.
In 1976 Cousteau uncovered the wreck of HMHS Britannic.
In 1977, together with Peter Scott, he received the UN International Environment prize.
On 28 June 1979, while the Calypso was on an expedition to Portugal, his second son, Philippe, his preferred and designated successor and with whom he had co-produced all his films since 1969, died in a PBY Catalina flying boat crash in the Tagus river near Lisbon. Cousteau was deeply affected. He called his then eldest son, the architect Jean-Michel Cousteau, to his side. This collaboration lasted 14 years.
In 1980, Cousteau traveled to Canada to make two films on the Saint Lawrence River and the Great Lakes, Cries from the Deep and St. Lawrence: Stairway to the Sea.
In 1985, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Ronald Reagan.
On 24 November 1988, he was elected to the French Academy, chair 17, succeeding Jean Delay. His official reception under the Cupola took place on 22 June 1989, the response to his speech of reception being given by Bertrand Poirot-Delpech. After his death, he was replaced under the Cupola by Érik Orsenna on 28 May 1998.
In June 1990, the composer Jean Michel Jarre paid homage to the commander by entitling his new album Waiting for Cousteau. He also composed the music for Cousteau's documentary "Palawan, the last refuge".
On 2 December 1990, his wife Simone Cousteau died of cancer.
In June 1991, in Paris, Jacques-Yves Cousteau remarried, to Francine Triplet, with whom he had (before this marriage) two children, Diane and Pierre-Yves. Francine Cousteau currently continues her husband's work as the head of the Cousteau Foundation and Cousteau Society. From that point, the relations between Jacques-Yves and his elder son worsened.
In November 1991, Cousteau gave an interview to the UNESCO courier, in which he stated that he was in favour of human population control and population decrease. The full article text can be found online.
In 1992, he was invited to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the United Nations' International Conference on Environment and Development, and then he became a regular consultant for the UN and the World Bank.
In 1996, he sued his son who wished to open a holiday center named "Cousteau" in the Fiji Islands.
On 11 January 1996 Calypso was rammed and sunk in Singapore harbor by a barge. The Calypso was refloated and towed home to France.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau died on 25 June 1997 in Paris, aged 87. He was buried in the family vault at Saint-André-de-Cubzac in France. An homage was paid to him by the city by the inauguration of a "rue du Commandant Cousteau", a street which runs out to his native house, where a commemorative plaque was affixed.
During his lifetime, Jacques-Yves Cousteau received these distinctions:
 Commandeur de la Légion d'Honneur
 Grand-Croix de l'Ordre national du Mérite
 Croix de guerre 1939–1945
 Officier de l'Ordre du Mérite Maritime
 Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
 Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia.

Jaques-Yves Cousteau superimposed the geonymic vision of the sea and Earth elaborated in the 1930s by Jacques Grob and Philippe Tailliez with a conqueror's mentality. A cultivated explorer in the spirit of Jules Vernes, he fed the public's taste for wonder. "One protects what one likes.", Cousteau repeated, "and one likes what enchanted us." As Cousteau's oceanographic and cinematographic campaigns took place over more than 50 years (1945–1997), he was able to measure the degradation of the in-situ mediums: the conqueror-explorer, sure of his technical prowess and finding it natural to drive out marine animals gradually morphed into an ardent conservationist who leveraged his worldwide notoriety to promote the idea of the Earth as a limited and fragile spaceship that needed to be preserved. He was the only non-politician to take part in the 1992 Rio Summit.
After 1975, he briefly considered founding worldwide 'Cousteau Clubs' for young people, but eventually abandoned this idea in its original form (which would have involved significant work with few direct rewards) and instead published a few fanzines (Calypso Log, Le Dauphin) and made a documentary film about a trip to the Antarctic with children. Towards the end of his life, he became pessimistic and even misanthropic: An ideal planet, he confided to Yves Paccalet, would be one in which humanity is limited to 100,000 people who are both educated and respectful of nature.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau's star power rested not only on his personal image, but on the image of a united team striving towards a common goal. Late in his life, however, highly-publicized intra-family conflicts, internal divisions, and consequent lawsuits chipped away at this image, and that of his successors: son Jean-Michel and grandson Fabien on one side, and the Cousteau Team with his third wife Francine and their children of the other, do not have the public standing of the 20th century Cousteau Team.
On the other hand, the kind of underwater and adventure film that Jacques-Yves Cousteau launched has never been more popular: each year, hundreds of increasingly beautiful documentaries are produced, thanks to improvement of photographic techniques. The idea of a fragile planet and sea has not only made its way into the public consciousness, but also affects the political class who were slower to come to environmental awareness.

Thanks to Wikipedia for historical notes.

MONUMENTO AGLI UOMINI DEI MEZZI D'ASSALTO

2009-11-07T22:59:00.002+01:00

I'M SORRY FOR OUR FOREIGN FRIENDS WILL NOT INCLUDE BUT I'M FORCED TO WRITE THIS POST IN ITALIAN LANGUAGE BECAUSE IT IS REFERS TO AN ARGUMENT OF ITALIAN HISTORY THAT HAS DISCUSSED MANY PEAOPLE AND THAT SHOULD BE UNDERSTAND FROM THE ITALIAN PEOPLE, MAINLY.
FOR THOSE WISHING CAN USE "GOOGLE TRANSLATE" COPYING AND PASTING THE ENTIRE TEXT IN THE TRANSLATOR. THANKS!

Mi sento in dovere di utilizzare il nostro blog per cercare di fare un po’ di chiarezza sulla vicenda del “Monumento agli uomini dei mezzi d’assalto della Regia marina militare italiana” che, congiuntamente all’Associazione Nazionale Arditi Incursori di Marina (ANAIM), abbiamo proposto di realizzare nel paese di Le Grazie, in Provincia della Spezia.
Come prassi vuole, nello sviluppo di un progetto di questo tipo, è stato deciso di presentarlo alle Autorità locali: in primo luogo siamo stati ricevuti dal Comando del Raggruppamento subacquei ed incursori della Marina militare italiana, agli ordini del C. Amm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone che, insieme ad alcuni suoi collaboratori, ha valutato con noi l’adeguatezza del progetto e considerato l’elevata importanza dal punto di vista storico e culturale nonché il rilievo dal punto di vista sociale, sottolineando il forte legame che, nel tempo, si è concretizzato tra il Comando militare e la popolazione della frazione. L’incontro con il Comando subacquei ed incursori della Marina militare italiana del Varignano (COMSUBIN) era fondamentale in quanto, proprio da questi luoghi, hanno mosso i primi passi alcune delle più importanti operazioni degli uomini dei mezzi d’assalto.
Il passo successivo è stato quello di interessare la municipalità locale: richiedere un appuntamento con il Sindaco Massimo Nardini non è stata cosa semplice in quanto molteplici impegni ostacolavano la calendarizzazione dell’incontro; finalmente l’appuntamento è stato fissato ma, dopo la consueta anticamera, il Sindaco risultava impegnato in altre faccende e, fortunatamente, si è reso disponibile il Vice Sindaco, il dott. Giovanni Pistone. Ci siamo accomodati in un ufficio e la nostra delegazione, composta dal sottoscritto e dal Presidente e dal Segretario nazionali dell’ANAIM, ha iniziato a presentare il progetto: l’idea è quella di installare un cubo di marmo portoro, materiale lapideo di altissimo valore e conosciuto in tutto il mondo che si estrae unicamente sulle colline al confine tra i Comuni di Portovenere e La Spezia, dove verranno incise le rappresentazioni stilizzate delle tre specialità caratteristiche i reparti degli uomini dei mezzi d’assalto della Regia marina italiana; sulla quarta ed ultima faccia del cubo una scritta commemorativa che, oltre ai loghi del Comune di Portovenere e delle due Associazioni promotrici il progetto, vedrà inciso: Agli uomini dei mezzi d’assalto 1915-18 / 1940-43”. L’idea è quella d’installare il cubo al posto della fontana dei giardini pubblici di Le Grazie: una vasca di forma ovale ormai da tempo mal funzionante, esteticamente riprovevole ed igienicamente inadeguata.
Il Vice Sindaco ha ascoltato attentamente e, almeno è sembrato a tutti i tre componenti la nostra delegazione, ha espresso giudizi positivi sull’idea, sul fatto che potrebbe essere una soluzione a risolvere il problema di quella “vasca” e sul fatto che sarebbe stato un importante testimonianza del legame tra il COMSUBIN e la cittadinanza delle Grazie e ci ha prospettato, comunque, che l’iter per la gestione di un progetto di questo tipo avrebbe richiesto molto tempo. Questo è un elemento importante, in quanto il presidente di ANAIM, Sig. Antonio Brustenga, ha prospettato la speranza di vedere realizzata la cosa per il prossimo raduno biennale degli “Arditi incursori di marina”, nel Maggio del 2010. Il Vice Sindaco ha valutato che, con i tempi della politica, sarebbe stato un obiettivo di difficile raggiungimento, ma che comunque il tentativo poteva valere l’impegno. Si è discusso della possibilità di reazioni contrarie e ostative al progetto, soprattutto da parte della cosiddetta sinistra radicale incarnata dalle frange più estreme del Partito della Rifondazione comunista, componente politica comunque in fortissimo calo di consensi, ma si è comunque valutato che era decisamente comprensibile, per quanto riguarda l’intero progetto, l’importante valenza storica e la completa assenza di aspetti o interessi di natura politica..
E’ proprio su questo elemento che si deve concentrare l’attenzione di questo post: infatti la reazione c’è stata ed è stata piuttosto intensa; in un comunicato congiunto della Federazione provinciale della Spezia e del locale circolo di Portovenere, il Partito della Rifondazione comunista ha espresso un giudizio fortemente negativo al progetto sottolineando: ”Un monumento alla X° MAS è inaccettabile in quanto l’unico monumento (ricordo) che noi serbiamo di questo corpo militare è quello delle stragi nazifasciste del nostro entroterra ed i rastrellamenti dei quartieri cittadini”.
Risulta evidente la strumentalizzazione che queste persone vogliono dare all’iniziativa non conoscendo, o facendo finta di non conoscere, ne il progetto ne la storia del nostro paese.
Su questo è necessario spendere alcune parole: l’epopea degli uomini dei mezzi d’assalto inizia sul finire del primo conflitto mondiale, quando Rossetti e Paolucci dopo aver superato le barriere di protezione del porto di Pola con la “mignatta”, un apparecchio autopropulso dotato di due cariche esplosive, le collocarono e le fecero esplodere sotto la chiglia della corazzata austro-ungarica “Viribus unitis” causendone l’affondamento in breve tempo. Quest’azione può definirsi la prima vera azione degli uomini dei mezzi d’assalto, anche se ritengo doveroso precisare una cosa molto importante: sempre durante il primo conflitto bellico, il nostro paese lamentava un gravissimo deficit dal punto di vista dei mezzi navali nei confronti dell’avversario austro-ungarico; fu cosi che vennero sviluppati le motobarche armate siluranti “M.A.S.” che, in particolare quelle al comando del C.C. Luigi Rizzo, hanno compiuto azioni che hanno segnato l’esito della guerra nel Mare Adriatico: l’impresa di Premuda, dove con il suo M.A.S. lo stesso Rizzo ha affondato la corazzata Santo Stefano causando al contempo la perdita di pochissime vite umane avversarie; la cosiddetta “Beffa di Buccari”, dove Gabriele Dannunzio, Costanzo Ciano e lo stesso Rizzo al comando dei loro MAS compirono un audace impresa dimostrativa varcando le ostruzioni di quel porto e, in ultimo, la citata azione di Rossetti e Paolucci che ha portato all’affondamento della corazzata Viribus unitis.
Passarono gli anni, la “Grande guerra” era quasi dimenticata ed in Europa iniziò a diffondersi il virus di preoccupanti totalitarismi: il nazismo in Germania, il fascismo in Italia ed in Spagna ed il comunismo totalitario di Stalin in Russia. Ci si avvicinava a grandi passi verso la Seconda guerra mondiale, la pagina di storia più triste dell’intera umanità.
L’Italia ripose le sue più convinte speranze belliche in una flotta eccezionale per armamenti e professionalità, ma non certo quanto a tecnologia; il radar lo avevo solo e soltanto inglesi ed americani, ed ecco che agli inizi del conflitto arrivarono, anche in mare, le prime gravi sconfitte della flotta italiana: Taranto e Matapan, con il prezzo pagato, in termini di vite umane, elevatissimo.
L’ingegno italico sovrastò, come spesso è accaduto, le avversità e le sperequazioni tecnologiche: da Le Grazie, in Provincia della Spezia, ed in particolare dalla base del Varignano iniziò ad essere intuito che la guerra sul mare deve essere affrontata in modo diverso. Parallelamente alle grandi imprese dei sommergibili italiani, proprio dal Varignano presero vita le imprese degli uomini dei mezzi d’assalto: un gruppo di valorosi che, sulla spinta di innovative armi subacquee e non, sfidarono il grande nemico britannico infliggendo lui importanti perdite in termini di naviglio.
Le imprese dei barchini esplosivi, piccoli motoscafi dotati di carica esplosiva sulla prua che venivano lanciati contro le navi nemiche mentre il pilota si lancia in mare, nella baia di Suda a Creta; le imprese dei nuotatori, uomini che, spesso dalla riva, raggiungevano a nuoto le navi nemiche ormeggiate alla fonda e le minavano sotto la chiglia e l’epopea dei leggendari “maiali”, i siluri a lenta corsa inventati dal Maggiore del Genio navale Teseo Tesei e dal Capitano medico Elios Toschi, che, trasportati dai sommergibili in acque nemiche, percorrevano diverse miglia in immersione per poi lasciare il loro carico esplosivo sotto le navi nemiche; le azioni più leggendarie di questi mezzi e dei loro equipaggi furono compiute a Gibilterra, partendo dalla stiva della nave spia “Olterra”, ad Alessandria d’Egitto, scaricati dal mitico sommergibile “Scirè” e a Malta dove peri lo stesso Teseo Tesei.
Uno degli elementi che di rado viene citato è l’effetto che, nell’ambito del panorama comunque bellico, le azioni degli uomini dei mezzi d’assalto hanno avuto importanti ripercussioni negative sulla flotta avversaria facendo comunque registrare un infinitesimale sacrificio di vite umane. Tutte le azioni di questi uomini hanno puntato più al danneggiamento ed alla distruzione dei mezzi piuttosto che all’eliminazione di uomini. Questo aspetto è riconosciuto e “certificato” da coloro che in quell’epoca erano i nostri avversari, gli inglesi, che non hanno avuto difficoltà a dedicare, in alcuni loro importanti musei, spazi al ricordo di questi uomini e delle loro imprese riconoscendo l’inventiva, l’audacia, il valore ed il grande senso dell’onore di quei pochi italiani che tanti danni hanno causato alla loro flotta, tanto che lo stesso Churchill in un suo discorso disse “…sei Italiani equipaggiati con materiali di costo irrisorio hanno fatto vacillare l'equilibrio militare in Mediterraneo a vantaggio dell'Asse. “
L’armistizio dell’8 Settembre 1943 pose fine all’epopea dei mezzi d’assalto e segnò l’inizio di una delle pagine di storia più tristi e drammatiche della nostra nazione: la guerra civile. Italiani contro italiani in una lotta fratricida che vide il sacrificio di moltissime vite, perse per la difesa dei diversi ideali.
Questo progetto, la realizzazione del monumento agli uomini dei mezzi d’assalto, si limita al riconoscimento delle imprese belliche degli italiani che sopra e sotto il mare hanno portato con onore la nostra bandiera. Un monumento di carattere storico e culturale che si affranca in modo inequivocabile da tutto ciò che è successo dopo l’armistizio dell’8 Settembre. Ogni differente interpretazione non può certamente essere riconosciuta; ogni strumentalizzazione politica non può assolutamente essere accettata. Un monumento che vuole affidare a noi ed ai posteri la storia di questi uomini e delle loro imprese e che vuole riconoscere il forte legame che, da allora, la Marina militare italiana e la sua base del Varignano hanno con la cittadinanza delle Grazie.

Spero mi sia concesso, in calce a questo post, una considerazione che deve intendersi assolutamente personale: sono profondamente ferito dalla ignoranza e dalla stupidità di alcune persone, anche miei concittadini, che approfittano di qualsiasi pretesto per cassare ogni idea di sviluppo e di valorizzazione del territorio anche in termini storici; forse lo fanno unicamente per dimostrare o dimostrarsi che contano ancora qualcosa. Ritengo che con questo atteggiamento autolesionista evidenzino solo la loro inadeguatezza politica e sociale. Sono un uomo di sinistra, di profonde e radicate tradizioni della più nobile cultura comunista italiana. Ho iniziato a far politica attiva nel Partito comunista italiano già dal 1985 e ancor prima prestavo la mia attività di volontariato politico a Feste de l’Unità e ad attività della sezione locale del partito; ho fatto parte del Partito comunista italiano, del Partito democratico della sinistra e, successivamente, del Partito dei comunisti italiani, in un’evoluzione politica che riconosco mia e mi ha fatto crescere rendendomi fiero di tutto ciò che ho fatto ed orgoglioso di poter trasmettere a mio figlio. Sono profondamente consapevole e porto dentro di me i più alti valori della resistenza antifascista italiana che deriva dalla coscienza di una famiglia antifascista. Da Assessore al Bilancio del Comune di Portovenere ho sostenuto e permesso il finanziamento, per la quota spettante, del “Monumento alla Resistenza” della Spezia. Quella Resistenza che ha permesso alla nostra nazione di diventare e di essere oggi quella che è, ma che è così anche grazie alla sua storia, complessa e controversa, ma pur sempre sua ed innegabile. Sono anche un uomo appassionato di storia, di tutta la storia, ed in particolare di quella legata alle mie radici personali e professionali, quella della marineria e della subacquea.
Sono un uomo che non accetta ricatti da parte di nessuno, soprattutto se stupido ed inadeguato, ed ho deciso di portare avanti questo e molti altri progetti, nel rispetto di quella storia che tanto amo e con la consapevolezza di fare bene e di fare del bene a tutta la mia gente.

Gianfranco VECCHIO

Roberto Bajano, a friend of mine!!!!

2009-11-02T17:52:00.002+01:00

A few years ago in a forum for enthusiasts of submarines I met someone from the nick name very unusual: BOB NAPP!
He’s a young architect from Genoa, and we immediately made friends. This friendship is strengthened during a visit to the naval navy base of La Spezia where we got to talk about a big project that was following: turn the submarine "N. Sauro" of the Italian Navy into a museum.
This project today is becoming a reality, because the submarine is moored at the Museum of the Sea "Galata" in Genoa (see previous post) also thanks to Roberto.
The same Roberto allowed us to visit the boat with a group of friends including the writer Alberto Cavanna that will do an article about the submarine museum.
Thanks Roberto for your work and thanks for your friendship!

"N. Sauro" submarine visit in Genoa

2009-11-01T19:04:00.009+01:00

Saturday, October 30th we made a visit to the Submarine "N. Sauro "being preserved at the Museum of the Sea" Galata "in Genoa. Along with me were Alberto Cavanna, a writer of sea and, on this occasion, editor of the magazine "Arte navale", the architect Gianfranco Ricco, curator of the exhibition on the submarines built in La Spezia in recent years and a farm worker.
With the kind cooperation of Dr.Eleonora Errico, Head of Communication of the Museum "Galata". We got to visit the boat, already at an advanced stage of work, but still far from being open to the public will be provided March 1st, 2010.
Under the supervision of a responsible kind of Fincantieri, The shipyard built the submarine in 1980, we got to see the changes made to the vessel: first the type of mooring characterized by four steel rods fixed overhead platform, other major changes are made on the deck openings to allow access to visitors: one is made in the stern, at the MEP (the electric motor of the boat), the other at the bow, where once stood the door of the boarding torpedoes. The tour will go from stern to bow just going through the whole boat. To promote access and inclusion of the stairs were "sacrificed" some elements of the boat: aft removed one management console of the MEP and ahead were removed the saddles of the torpedoes on the left.
The conditions of the vessel are discreet, and was made a major restyling; important element was the installation of a roof cement to level the floor, as originally presented many obstacles. And the floor is then completed with the traditional coverage Gray rubber.
Inside the boat will be installed several multimedia components to make the visit as real as possible: they will change the console management of navigation and launch torpedoes, with LCD display, within the same console, to make it more realistic .
Other highlights include work on the hull: the exterior has been completely sandblasted and painted with original colors, giving the whole a good outcome, and about the trim of the boat, instead of batteries, landed for obvious security reasons, were shipped 140 tons of cement, also.
The result is truly amazing and not just have to wait until next March for official visits.
A greeting and a heartfelt thanks to Dr. Campodonico, director the “Galata” Museum, for the hospitality and patience.

Gianfranco VECCHIO

Google translation added

2009-11-01T16:59:00.002+01:00

The Historical Maritime Society is an association at the international level and I believe it was right, just as was done for the website, to use the system online translation "Google translations.
From this moment all the posts will be made in English and every visitor to our blog can, link on their own language, read carefully the content of each post.

Monumento agli uomini dei mezzi d'assalto / Monumento to WW1 and WW2 italian navy seals

2009-10-21T14:25:00.004+02:00

Nei giorni scorsi una delegazione composta da me, in rappresentanza di The Historical maritime society, e da alcuni membri dell'Associazione nazionale arditi incursori di marina ha presentato il progetto per la realizzazione del monumento "Agli uomini dei mezzi d'assalto" della Regia marina italiana che, nel primo e nel secondo conflitto mondiale, hanno effettuato imprese subacquee eroiche e rimaste nella storia. Il progetto è stato presentato al Comando del COMSUBIN (Comando subacquei ed incursori della Marina militare italiana), alla presenza dell'Ammiraglio comandante, C. Amm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone ed all'Amministrazione comunale di Portovenere, alla presenza del Vice Sindaco, il Dott. Giovanni Pistone.
Il progetto è stato accolto con molto interesse anche se, da parte dell'Amministrazione comunale, è stato ribadito che sarà necessario molto tempo per la sua approvazione e realizzazione.

In recent days, a delegation composed by me, rappresenting The Historical maritime society, and some members of the National Association of italian navy seals presented the project for construction of the monument "To the WW1 and WW2 italian navy seals" who, in the WW1 and WW2, have made heroic diving business has remained in history. The project was presented to the COMSUBIN Command (Italian navy divers and navy seals command) in the presence of the admiral commanding, C. Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone and the Municipal Administration of Portovenere, the presence of Deputy Mayor, Dr. Giovanni Pistone.
The project was greeted with much interest even though, by the local authority was reiterated that it will take much time for its approval and implementation.

Gianfranco VECCHIO

Il primo post / The first one post

2009-10-19T23:14:00.003+02:00

Salve a tutti!
Mi cimento, non è comunque la prima volta, nella realizzazione di un blog. Questa volta con un obiettivo sicuramente più interessante rispetto a tutte le mie esperienze di blogger precedenti. Mi chiamo Gianfranco Vecchio e sono il Presidente di "The Historical maritime society" , un'Associazione nata nel 2008 con l'obiettivo di preservare la storia e le tradizioni della marineria e della subacquea nonchè la protezione dell'ambiente acquatico a livello internazionale.
Relativamente al concetto di "internazionale", questo blog sarà, almeno per il momento, in due lingue, grazie al fantastico Google translate, in modo da garantire un'adeguata comprensione dei temi anche a chi non è italiano. In seguito, sempre grazie a Google translate, i post saranno esclusivamente in inglese.
Parlerò di marineria e di subacquea e della loro storia e tradizioni nonchè di ambiente acquatico, quindi non necessariamente solo quello marino.
Spero che questo mio contributo sia condiviso e utile a tanti e spero che molti contribuiscano, con i loro commenti, a far si che questo blog diventi oggetto di discussione.
Un saluto.

Gianfranco Vecchio

Hello everyone!
I struggle, however, is not the first time in the creation of a blog. This time with a goal certainly more interesting than all my previous experiences of bloggers. My name is Gianfranco Vecchio and i'm President of "The Historical Maritime Society", an association founded in 2008 with the objective of preserving the history and traditions of maritime and diving and the protection of the aquatic environment at international level.
Regarding the concept of "international", this blog will be, at least for the moment, in two languages, thanks to the fantastic Google translate, so as to ensure adequate understanding of the issues to those who are not Italian. Later, thanks to Google Translate, the post will be exclusively in English.
I will talk about marine and diving and their history and traditions and to the aquatic environment, though not necessarily only what marine environment.
I hope that my contribution is shared and useful to many and I hope that many will contribute through their comments, to get this blog becomes a subject of debate.
Hello.

Gianfranco Vecchio