Tanker Attacked in the South Atlantic A 100,000-ton supertanker, bound from St. Croix in the Virgin Islands to Alaska, reported that it was bombed and hit by aircraft Armed with conventional bombs 480 miles northeast of the Falkland Islands yesterday. British military sources in London said the planes that attacked the ship were apparently Argentine C-130 transports converted for use as bombers. As of late yesterday, the Argentine Government had made no comment on the attack. No injuries were reported by the tanker, the Liberian-registered Hercules. In Washington, a State Department official said the United States was asking both Britain and Argentina for help in identifying the attackers. The official, Carolyn Johnson, said the United States was also asking both countries to insure the safety of unarmed merchant vessels in the South Atlantic. Britain Denies Involvement In a press statement, the British Ministry of Defense said, We wish to make it absolutely clear that no British aircraft took part in any incident of this kind and that the tanker was not involved in supplying British forces. It added that one of our hospital ships, H.M.S. Hydra, has been ordered to proceed with all despatch to render assistance if required. According to the United States Coast Guard, the vessel reported that it was taking on water and was listing 6 degrees after suffering damage in a Bombing attack. Apparently a bomb that struck the ships foredeck failed to explode and rolled harmlessly into the sea. The Hercules was carrying an Italian crew of about 30 men. It was sailing in ballast at the time of the attack, which occurred about noon, New York time, and was carrying no oil. According to the Coast Guard, the Hercules was well outside the 200-mile war zone declared by the British around the Falkland Islands. It was also well away from the 200-mile war zone declared by Argentina off its own coast. According to the Maritime Overseas Corporation here, agents for the ship, the Hercules was proceeding due east at top speed under its own power after the attack. They want to get out of that area as quickly as possible, a spokesman for the company said. He added that the vessel would probably head for a shipyard on the South American coast after the damage had been assessed. Ship Transports Alaskan Oil The position of the Hercules several hours after the attack was said to be 45 degrees south latitude, 42 degrees, 25 minutes west longitude, in the South Atlantic. The Hercules regularly carries crude oil between Valdez, Alaska, the southern terminus of the Alaska Pipeline, and Saint Croix, in the United States Virgin Islands, the site of the worlds largest crude oil refinery, operated by the Amerada Hess Corporation. Maritime Overseas declined to identify the charterer of the tanker. The 1,067-foot-long Hercules regularly rounds Cape Horn, the southern tip of South America, on its trips between Alaska and Saint Croix because its 60-foot draft and 150-foot width make it too large for the Panama Canal. According to Lloyds Register, the Hercules was built in Japan in 1971 and is owned by United Carriers Inc., which is based in Monrovia, Liberia. An Argentine Military Spokesman said Argentina has No aircraft of this Type described by witnesses to the Attack and that the AAF Does not have any other kind of Bomber Type aircraft that can fly this Far, thus denying any involvement in the incident ! However like so many stories that come out of Argentina, this one has also evolved overtime, the Argentine conspiracy theorists now claim that this was a Secret British tanker which was carrying Armaments and Fuel for the Task Force, yet another work of Fiction from Argentina.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 18:54:23 +0000
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