Situation in the Red Sea

[TruckDriver9]

"Tutor" have been abandoned by its crew. 21 sailors were evacuated to Djibouti, one remains missing, presumed dead. Two tug boats were dispatched but they will arrive at the scene after the weekend.

Bulk Carrier 'Tutor' Abandoned After Houthi Attack

By Neil Jerome Morales and Jonathan Saul MANILA/LONDON, June 14 (Reuters) – The crew of a Greek-owned vessel damaged in an attack by Yemeni Houthi militants has been evacuated, and the abandoned ship...

gcaptain.com

First photo of "Tutor" appeared.

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2. A Palau-flagged, ukrainian owned, Polish operated bulk carrier "Verbena" was hit by two missiles. Fire erupted on board, causing some damage, but the crew managed to extinguish it and the ship continues to sail. One of the sailors was severly injured and was evacuated by a helicopter from the USS Philippine Sea.

"Verbena" had to be abandoned as well.

After initially saying the fires had been extinguished, UK Maritime Trade Operations in its update on Saturday reported the master of the ship said the fires were still burning and that the ship was sinking. The crew was evacuated from the vessel with the last confirmed reports that it was drifting 30 nautical miles northeast of Djibouti. Other ships were being warned that it was unlit and a danger to navigation.

Two Bulkers in Danger of Sinking After Houthi Attacks

The Houthi issued an unverified claim on Saturday, June 15, that one of the two bulkers attacked last week has now sunk in the Gulf of Aden and a sec...

maritime-executive.com

 

[Pointy Elbows]

US Navy admitting the Houthis have real force:



There's something to the rumors of the attack on the USS Eisenhower. Last I read, it had repositioned well north of the hot zone. That coincides with the recent uptick in successful Houthi strikes. Events lead me to suspect the Ike was attacked, likely defeated the attack, and moved out of range. Now, the civilian passage is more dangerous, USN protection bubble has moved north, and the Houthis have an unprecedented local advantage off the Yemen coast proper.

Sailing a Polish manned, Ukrainian owned ship through there, without US cover, seems hazardous in hindsight. I'm a landlubber and don't know a thing about commercial sea traffic in a combat zone. To me, that last ship would of course be targeted, even if they weren't headed to Israel. They are rival proxies.

 

[TruckDriver9]

US Navy admitting the Houthis have real force:



There's something to the rumors of the attack on the USS Eisenhower. Last I read, it had repositioned well north of the hot zone. That coincides with the recent uptick in successful Houthi strikes. Events lead me to suspect the Ike was attacked, likely defeated the attack, and moved out of range. Now, the civilian passage is more dangerous, USN protection bubble has moved north, and the Houthis have an unprecedented local advantage off the Yemen coast proper.

Sailing a Polish manned, Ukrainian owned ship through there, without US cover, seems hazardous in hindsight. I'm a landlubber and don't know a thing about commercial sea traffic in a combat zone. To me, that last ship would of course be targeted, even if they weren't headed to Israel. They are rival proxies.

From what I understand the carrier strike group is split: USS Eisenhower and the Arleigh Burke destroyer USS Gravely are in the northern part of the Red Sea - personally I think they're positioned there to protect Eilat, rather than anything else. The USS Philippine Sea cruiser is in the Gulf of Aden, south of Bab-el-Mandeb. And two destroyers: USS Gravely and USS Mason, are sailing up and down the strait escorting merchant vessels. There are also European warships of the Operation Aspides, but they don't seem to do much.

 

[TruckDriver9]

From what I understand the carrier strike group is split: USS Eisenhower and the Arleigh Burke destroyer USS Gravely are in the northern part of the Red Sea - personally I think they're positioned there to protect Eilat, rather than anything else. The USS Philippine Sea cruiser is in the Gulf of Aden, south of Bab-el-Mandeb. And two destroyers: USS Gravely and USS Mason, are sailing up and down the strait escorting merchant vessels. There are also European warships of the Operation Aspides, but they don't seem to do much.

^
Made an error.
I wrote "USS Gravely" twice: with Ike in the northern Red Sea and escorting merchant vessels through Bab-el-Mandeb, which is impossible at the same time.
I meant to write USS Carney in the latter, but it would also be a mistake, since Carney sailed back to the States just a few weeks ago.
The USS Laboon is the other destroyer which, along with USS Mason, escorts civilian ships through the strait.
Sorry for the confusion.

 

[TruckDriver9]

First photo of "Tutor" appeared.

More footage from the "Tutor".

^ Neither "Tutor" nor "Verbena" have sunk yet.

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In other news, Houthis claim another round of attacks, but they're unconfirmed at the moment.

Yemen’s Houthis said on Sunday that they had attacked two civilian ships along with an American destroyer in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, their latest effort to disrupt shipping in what they say is support for Palestinians in Gaza.
In a statement, the Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the militant group fired ballistic missiles at the American destroyer, naval missiles at a ship called the Captain Paris, and drones at a ship called the Happy Condor. It was not clear whether any of the targets were hit.

Yemen's Houthis Say They Attacked Two Ships And American Destroyer

CAIRO, June 16 (Reuters) – Yemen’s Houthis said on Sunday that they had attacked two civilian ships along with an American destroyer in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, their latest effort...

gcaptain.com

 

[TruckDriver9]

"Tutor" has sunk.

The bulker Tutor (82,357 dwt) is believed to have gone down overnight in the Red Sea off Eritrea.
Officials had warned when the ship was evacuated by U.S. and French forces last Friday that the engine room was flooded and it was continuing to slowly take on water. The UK Maritime Trade Organizations received reports from the Red Sea of debris and oil spotted in the position of the vessel. It had been drifting west in the Red Sea from a position north of the Bab al-Mandeb where it was struck on June 12. The vessel is the first to have been hit by one of the Houthis’ unmanned, remote-controlled boats laden with explosives. The impact caused severe damage at the stern and flooding.

Bulker Tutor Sinks Becoming Second Vessel Lost from Houthi Attacks

The bulker Tutor (82,357 dwt) is believed to have gone down overnight in the Red Sea off Eritrea. Officials had warned when the ship was evacuated by...

maritime-executive.com

No updates on the "Verbena"

 

[Samseau]

More footage from the "Tutor".

^ Neither "Tutor" nor "Verbena" have sunk yet.

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In other news, Houthis claim another round of attacks, but they're unconfirmed at the moment.

Yemen's Houthis Say They Attacked Two Ships And American Destroyer

CAIRO, June 16 (Reuters) – Yemen’s Houthis said on Sunday that they had attacked two civilian ships along with an American destroyer in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, their latest effort...

gcaptain.com

Ingenious drone. It looks like a civilian speedboat from a distance!

 

[TruckDriver9]

Ingenious drone. It looks like a civilian speedboat from a distance!

Houthis were facing two problems with unmanned boats: limited intel, and limited control range. To overcome those challenges, Houthis began to stage their unmanned boats in the open sea, posing as fishing boats used by the locals, hidden in plain sight among other similar looking boats. They even put dummies onboard.

When a specific merchant vessel sails by, a Houthi team - hidden on another fishing boat - arms the exposives, activates the remote contols and drives the unmanned boat towards the target.

 

[Pointy Elbows]

Houthis showing videos of them attacking a Greek ship in the Red Sea, specific location unknown:

MSN

 

[TruckDriver9]

Houthis showing videos of them attacking a Greek ship in the Red Sea, specific location unknown:

MSN

It's the "Tutor".
Video was most likely filmed by the same Houthi team that controlled the unmanned boat. It's consistent with the reports.

 

[Sabonis73]

 

[TruckDriver9]

1. Houthis launched another wave of attacks all across the region. Most of the attacks remain unconfirmed at the moment and include:
- A missile attack on "Stolt Sequoia" a Liberia-flagged, British owned chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean.
- A drone attack, allegedly carried out together with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, on the port of Haifa which targeted 4 unidentified ships (2 general cargo and 2 cement carriers).

On Saturday, the group said it had conducted a joint military operation with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq militant group, targeting four ships at Israel’s northern Haifa port. Saree said on X that the two groups launched a drone attack on two cement carriers and two cargo ships there on Saturday. Again, he claimed the vessels belonged to companies that “violated the ban on entering the ports of occupied Palestine”. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

- A drone attack on "Shorthorn Express" a Luxembourg flagged, Dutch operated livestock carrier in the Mediterranean, sailing to Haifa.

Dutch operator Vroon told TradeWinds the claim was a hoax.
“The company would like to stress that crew, its cargo and the vessel are safe and no signs of an attack were noticed. Shorthorn Express is, meanwhile, proceeding its voyage to its port of destination,” the company said.

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2. A confirmed attack was carried out against the "Transworld Navigator" a Liberia flagged, Greek owned and operated bulk carrier, which was hit at least twice in the Gulf of Aden and in the Red Sea.

Earlier on Sunday, the master of a Liberia-flagged, Greek-owned bulker reported a missile strike from a drone while underway 65 nautical miles (120km) north-west of Hodeidah in the Red Sea.
(...)
The same bulker issued a distress call on Friday while in the Gulf of Aden, saying it had seen two explosions in the vicinity of the port side. The bulker switched off its AIS approximately four hours after the initial targeting incident, Ambrey added. The Houthis named the ship as Stealth Maritime’s 178,000-dwt capesize Transworld Navigator (built 2010). Stealth Maritime has been contacted for comment. AIS data shows the ship had been travelling from China to Suez. The US Central Command confirmed the bulker attack on Sunday.
On Monday morning, the UKMTO reported it was investigating another incident involving a ship 246 nautical miles (455 km) south-east of Nishtun in Yemen. The master reported an explosion near the ship, but the vessel was able to continue on its voyage.

There are fresh reports about a naval drone attack on the "Transworld Navigator" - it could be serious if confirmed.

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3. An unidentified bulk carrier was abandoned by its crew in the Gulf of Aden, after the ship suffered damage and was flooded. The exact cause is unknown - could be a Houthi attack, could be an old sea mine.

The ship reportedly suffered flooding that could not be contained, but the cause has not been confirmed and may not be related to Houthi activity.

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^ All the quotes above from:

Houthis launch double attack on Stealth capesize as second bulker abandoned

Region sees weekend of chaos as assaults on shipping continue

www.tradewindsnews.com

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4. The "Verbena" is still afloat, salvage operation is under way.

Despite initial reports that it was sinking, a Ukrainian-owned ship that was evacuated and burning after a Houthi attack in the Gulf of Aden last week remains afloat. “As per last managers’ statement, the vessel is afloat and under process of securing salvage operations,” the vessel's flag administration of Palau told TradeWinds on Thursday.

Ukrainian ship abandoned after Houthi strike is afloat and receiving help

Despite a blaze on board, there is still hope for the 11,400-dwt Verbena (built 2008)

www.tradewindsnews.com

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5. Aicraft carrier USS Eisenhower and the USS Philippine Sea cruiser left the Red Sea.

Nah, that's a Red Sea rotation. USS Eisenhower and one of its escorts already left the Red Sea and the Roosevelt strike group sails to take its place. Which in turn will be replaced, or reinforced, by the Truman strike group later this year.

https://news.usni.org/2024/06/21/uss-dwight-d-eisenhower-leaving-red-sea-pacific-carrier-heading-to-the-middle-east

The rotation itself is not surprising, but the details are odd. You see, Ike was scheduled to rotate with the Truman strike group back in April/May: they've already left the Red Sea, but the mission was extended and they sailed back after Houthis threatened to expand their operations. So the rotation was already overdue, and now instead of the Truman strike group, it's the Roosevelt that sails to take their place. So the first qustion is: what is the reason behind Truman's delay? Next, why did the USS Eisenhower left the area before the replacement arrived? USS Roosevelt is in the Pacific, it will take around a week for the strike group to sail to the Middle East. And what about Roosevelt's area of responsibility? With them gone, another carrier group (USS George Washington) will have to deploy to Asia ahead of schedule.

 

[TruckDriver9]

Another attack: an MSC container carrier "MSC SARAH V" reported a near miss of a missile in the Arabian Sea.

The ship reported a missile landing in the water approximately 50 meters off the starboard side of the ship, JMIC said.

Missile Attack Confirmed in Arabian Sea

DUBAI, June 24 (Reuters) – A merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea reported an explosion in close proximity to it on Monday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said. UKMTO said...

gcaptain.com

 

[TruckDriver9]

Red Sea rotation update.
USS Roosevelt just made a port call in Busan, South Korea, where she will take part in military exercises with Korea and Japan.

https://news.usni.org/2024/06/24/uss-theodore-roosevelt-in-south-korea-ahead-of-transit-to-middle-east-north-korea-condemns-visit

So the strike group won't be sailing to the Middle East anytime soon, and this means that USS Eisenhower will have to linger in the Mediterranean for the time being - I won't be surprised if they're even ordered back to the Red Sea.

 

[TruckDriver9]

Another attack: an MSC container carrier "MSC SARAH V" reported a near miss of a missile in the Arabian Sea.

The ship reported a missile landing in the water approximately 50 meters off the starboard side of the ship, JMIC said.

Missile Attack Confirmed in Arabian Sea

DUBAI, June 24 (Reuters) – A merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea reported an explosion in close proximity to it on Monday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said. UKMTO said...

gcaptain.com

Houthis claim, that this attack was carried out by their domestically-made hypersonic missile.

“It is a locally made hypersonic missile that possesses advanced technology, is accurate in hitting, and reaches long ranges.”

Launch video in link.

Video: Houthis Claim First Launch of Hypersonic Missile Targeting MSC Ship

The Houthis military and spokesperson are asserting that they have launched for the first time a hypersonic missile which was used to target an MSC co...

maritime-executive.com

However, considering the obvious lack of advanced military industrial complex in Houthi controlled parts of Yemen (in all of Yemen TBH), and judging by the footage, we are most likely talking about a locally assembled missile from the Iranian "Khaybar Shekan" line.

Houthi missile:

Khaybar Shekan missile: