Friday, April 30, 2010

4.3.2010


The design of the Maritime Centre Vellamo, built in Kotka in autumn 2007, was based on the winning entry HYÖKY (surge) in a general architectural competition. In July 2007 some events of The Tall Ships' Races take place in the building, which opened to the public in 2008. The form of the building leads visitors from the city centre to the old port gradually transforming into a port of culture. The Maritime Centre, a noteworthy institution even on the international scale, is the first building of the port of culture and constitutes its functional keystone. The outward appearance – its abstract interpretation of a large wave as well as the facade echoing the rippling shimmer of water – evokes marine images. The principal users of the building are the Maritime Museum of Finland and the Provincial Museum of Kymenlaakso. The library will also accommodate collections of two university libraries. The lobby area will be surrounded by an auditorium as well as spaces for teaching and seminars serving as a functional framework for concerts and congresses. The exhibition spaces are planned as flexible as possible.
The Maxim Card shows the same Wooden Boat Centre. The stamp on the card is the stamp of the Centre. It was issued on 4th March 2010. It was very nice of Ella to send it to me, as only 200 of these maximum cards have been released. Thank you Ella.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Åland - Battle of Bomarsund




I present here a few pages from a stamp booklet issued in Finland commemorating Bomarsund a nineteenth century fortress in Sund on the Åland Islands in the Baltic Sea. It was built in 1832 by Russia but destroyed twenty-two years later in 1854 in the Crimean War by a British-French fleet. The Battle of Bomarsund was fought between the Russian defences at Bomarsund and an Anglo-French task force. After a week of fighting the British stormed the "remaining" fort and at the end of the battle the fort of Bomarsund was destroyed. Royal Navy mate Charles D. Lucas throws a live Russian artillery shell overboard by hand before it explodes, for which he is awarded the first ever Victoria Cross in 1857. The twenty-year-old Irish Mate later rose to the rank of Rear Admiral. Three hundred Finnish grenadiers defending the fortress were captured and taken to Lewes Prison in the United Kingdom. They were later allowed to return to Finland, and they returned with a song telling about their battle and imprisonment, called the War of Åland.

In the Treaty of Paris 1856, the entire Åland Islands were demilitarised, which is a status that has been preserved to this day. This beautiful stamp booklet was given to me by my dear friend Ella. Each page has a few explanatory sentences in English.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Lithuania - Shanghai Expo 2010


Expo 2010, officially Expo 2010 Shanghai China will be held in the city of Shanghai, China from May 1 to October 31, 2010 and is a scheduled World Expo in the tradition of international fairs and expositions. The theme of the exposition will be "Better City – Better Life" and signifies Shanghai's new status in the 21st century as a premier global economic and cultural center. It is the most expensive Expo in the history of the world's fairs. The expo Logo features the Chinese character Chinese "shì" modified to represent three people together with the 2010 date. It is also the largest World's Fair site ever at 5.28 square km.
More than 190 countries and more than 50 international organizations have registered to participate in the Shanghai World Expo, the largest ever. China expects to receive almost 100 foreign leaders and millions of people from across the world to come and visit the World Expo. More than 70-100 million visitors are expected to visit the expo, the largest in history.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

USA - USN


USS Bremerton (SSN-698), a Los Angeles-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Bremerton, Washington. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 24 January 1972 and her keel was laid down on 8 May 1976. She was launched on 22 July 1978 sponsored by Mrs. Henry M. Jackson, and commissioned on 28 March 1981 with Captain Thomas H. Anderson in command.

After a successful Western Pacific deployment, in September 2003 Bremerton changed its homeport to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. When USS Los Angeles (SSN-688) was decommissioned on 23 January 2010, Bremerton became the oldest commissioned submarine in the US fleet. On that day, Richard O'Kane's cribbage board was transferred from Los Angeles to Bremerton, a tradition that dates back to World War II.

USS Cavalla (SS/SSK/AGSS-244), a Gato-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the cavalla, a salt-water fish of the pompano family inhabiting waters off the eastern coast of the Americas from Cape Cod to Río de la Plata.

Cavalla was laid down on 4 March 1943 by Electric Boat Co., Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on 14 November 1943 (sponsored by Mrs. M. Comstock), and commissioned on 29 February 1944, Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Herman J. Kossler, USN, (Class of 1934) in command.

Operational History of the Cavalla. Departing New London 11 April 1944, Cavalla arrived at Pearl Harbor 9 May for voyage repairs and training. On 31 May 1944 she put to sea, bound for distant, enemy-held waters. On her maiden patrol Cavalla, en route to her station in the eastern Philippines, made contact with a large Japanese task force 17 June. Cavalla tracked the force for several hours, relaying information which contributed to the United States victory in the Battle of the Philippine Sea (the famous "Marianas Turkey Shoot") on 19 – 20 June 1944. On 19 June she caught the carrier Shōkaku recovering planes, and quickly fired a spread of six torpedoes for three hits, enough to sink Shōkaku. After a severe depth charging by three destroyers, Cavalla escaped to continue her patrol. The feat earned her a Presidential Unit Citation.

On 25 November 1944, during her third patrol, Cavalla encountered two Japanese destroyers, and made a surface attack which blew up Shimotsuki. / 2.35; 107.333 The companion destroyer began depth charging while Cavalla evaded on the surface. Later in the same patrol, 5 January 1945, Cavalla made a night surface attack on an enemy convoy, and sank two converted net tenders. Cavalla cruised the South China and Java Seas on her fourth and fifth war patrols. Targets were few and far between, but she came to the aid of an ally on 21 May 1945. A month out on her fifth patrol, the submarine sighted HMS Terrapin, damaged by enemy depth charges and unable to submerge or make full speed. Cavalla stood by the damaged submarine and escorted her on the surface to Fremantle, arriving 27 May 1945.

Cavalla received the cease-fire order of 15 August while lifeguarding off Japan on her sixth war patrol. A few minutes later a Japanese plane that apparently had not yet received the same information bombed her. She joined the fleet units entering Tokyo Bay 31 August, remained for the signing of the surrender on 2nd September, and then departed the next day for New London, arriving 6 October 1945. She was placed out of commission in reserve there 16 March 1946.

Friday, April 23, 2010

United States Navy


My friend James sent me a few first day covers representing a few important events in the History of the US Navy. I shall present them in stages.

USS Detroit (AOE-4) was the fourth and last Sacramento-class fast combat support ship built for the United States Navy. She was laid down on 29 November 1966 by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington; launched 21 June 1969; and commissioned on 28 March 1970. She is the fourth United States Navy ship named after Detroit, Michigan (the largest city in the state of Michigan) & the fifth ship total including one commissioned by the British Navy in Canada. This cover commemorates the 10th Anniversary of the Launching of USS Detroit.

Detroit served for 35 years operating primarily with the U.S. 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf regions.

USS Saginaw (LST-1188), a Newport-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy was the second ship of that name. Saginaw was named after the Saginaw River, a river in mid-Michigan.

USS Michigan (SSBN-727/SSGN-727) is the second Ohio-class Nuclear Powered Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine in the United States Navy. She is the third ship to bear the name of the state of Michigan.

Michigan was constructed at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut and was commissioned on 11 September 1982. Michigan arrived in Bangor, Washington on 16 March 1983 and completed sixty-six Strategic Deterrent Patrols.

As of June 2007, Michigan has been converted to an SSGN at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. It was designated SSBN before entering the ship yard.

Michigan is currently at sea in the Pacific, earning its certification before returning to active duty.

As of June 2008, Michigan has completed material and operational certifications for tactical strike and deployment of special forces. The Officers and Crew are currently training to meet her next milestone as a Pacific Fleet asset.

On December 12, 2009 Michigan returned to Naval Base Kitsap, her home base, after completing her first deployment. The deployment began November 10, 2008 and included numerous missions with Naval Special Warfare and experiments with unmanned aerial vehicles. The sub also completed several theater security cooperation engagements with Pacific Rim nations.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

POPE JOHN PAUL II VISITS THE UNITED STATES 2.10.1979




















On 1 October 1979 Pope John Paul II arrived in Boston on the first leg of his first trip to the United States. Pope John Paul II had been elevated to the chair of Saint Peter the previous October after the sudden death of Pope John Paul I, whose thirty-four-day reign was the shortest in modern history. The new pope, formerly Cardinal Karol Woytyla, archbishop of Krakow, Poland, was the first non-Italian pope since 1522 elevated to the papacy.

The Pope's Message

American Catholics received John Paul II with great excitement at his stops in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Des Moines, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. In New York the pope spoke to the United Nations, endorsing support from industrial countries for the less-developed nations of the world, which struggled to provide for their people. He also spoke out vigorously for human rights: "All human beings in every nation and country should be able to enjoy effectively their full rights under any political regime or system." On the Middle East he insisted that the Palestinian question would have to be addressed before peace could be achieved.
To commemorate this historic visit of the Pope special postmarks at each of the Papal Visit Stations were issued, namely at Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Des Moines, Chicago, Washington, D.C amongst others. My friend James C. Speshock sent this very special set of covers to me.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Australia - HMAS Bathurst

This nice Maxi Card dated 7th April 1993 commemorating HMAS Bathurst which was the first of sixty Australian Minesweepers (commonly known as corvettes) built during World War II in Australian shipyards as part of the Commonwealth Government's wartime shipbuilding programme, was sent to me by Diana from Canberra. Twenty (including Bathurst were built on Admiralty orders but manned and commissioned by the Royal Australian Navy. Thirty-six were built for the Royal Australian Navy and four for the Royal Indian Navy.

Bathurst (I) was commissioned at Sydney on 6 December 1940 under the command of LCDR A.V. Bunyan RANR(S). She began her career in January 1941 as a unit of the 21st Minesweeping Flotilla (RAN), operating on the east Australian coast. In March 1941 she left Australian waters for Malaya, where she operated as a patrol vessel based on Singapore until 26 May 1941. On 3 June 1941 she arrived at Colombo and there joined the Eastern Fleet for escort and patrol duties. At the close of June, Bathurst (I) entered the Red Sea, spending a month in those waters before docking at Alexandria on 4 August 1941. On 25 August 1941 Bathurst (I) returned to Aden, and then began a period of three and a half months on patrol in the Gulf of Tajura (French Somaliland), with the mission of preventing dhow traffic and blockade maintenance of the African coast. On 18 October 1941 she captured the French launch HERON, and dhows on 5 September and 14 November 1941. Red Sea patrols ended on 16 December when Bathurst (I) proceeded to Colombo, arriving on 29 December. Throughout 1942 she was based on Colombo for escort and patrol duties in the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. On 18 October 1942 LCDR Bunyan was relieved by LCDR C. MacDonald RANR(S), after almost two years in command. At this stage of her career Bathurst (I) had steamed 70,000 miles and escorted more than 1,000,000 tons of shipping without loss.

Convoys between Bombay, the Persian Gulf and Aden kept Bathurst (I) almost constantly at sea during the period of January to August 1943. Interspersed with anti-submarine patrols she escorted twenty eight convoys safely across the Arabian Sea. In September 1943, with 102,000 miles steaming behind her, she began refitting at Colombo. Convoy escort duty between Colombo and Bombay resumed in November, and the year closed with Bathurst (I) at sea en route for Calcutta. Escort duty between Colombo to Bombay continued into 1944. At Bombay on 14 April Bathurst (I) played a worthy role in the rescue and salvage work that followed the explosion of the munition ships FORT STRIKINE and JALAPADMA. Fifteen ships were gutted by the resulting fires and large numbers of the local population killed and injured.

On 7 August 1944 Bathurst (I) reached Colombo after escorting her last Indian Ocean convoy. Three weeks later, on 29 August, she sailed for Australia, ending almost three and a half years Indian Ocean – Red Sea service. On 20 September 1944 she entered Fremantle harbour. Australian coastal anti-submarine patrols kept Bathurst (I) in home waters until April 1945 when she proceeded to New Guinea waters. At this stage of the Pacific War, with the Philippines in American hands, there remained only routine patrols for her until the end of hostilities in August 1945. The war ended, Bathurst (I) proceeded to the Far East as a unit of the 21st Minesweeping Flotilla (eleven Australian minesweepers) attached to the British Pacific Fleet. Based on Hong Kong the Flotilla carried out sweeping operations on the Chinese coast until mid November 1945.

On 9 December 1945 Bathurst (I) returned to Sydney, bringing her seagoing career to an end. She had steamed 160,165 miles. On 27 September 1946 she was placed in Reserve for disposal. Bathurst (I) was sold on 21 June 1948 to T. Carr and Co of Sydney as scrap.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Malaysia - Local Markets




Thank you Mr. Budin for this panoramic insight into the Local Markets of Malaysia with these stamps, FDC and information sheet.