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Today in Naval History

July 27

1776

During the American Revolution, the Continental brig, Reprisal, commanded by Capt. Lambert Wickes, transports the newly appointed commercial and naval agent, William Bingham, to Martinique. While en route, the British sloop-of-war, HMS Shark, approaches the brig at the entrance to St. Pierre Harbor. After a sharp encounter and inconclusive action, HMS Shark withdraws and Reprisal enters port.

1862

During the Civil War, the side-wheel steamer, USS Yankee, commanded by William Gibson, and the side-wheel tug, USS Satellite, commanded by Master Amos Foster, capture schooner J.W. Sturges in Chippoak Creek, Va.

1917

Construction of the Naval Aircraft Factory, Philadelphia is ordered to produce enough aircraft for Americas entry into World War I. The factory also introduces women into occupations that were previously only open to men. Following the war, the factory tests and manufactures aircraft to review costs and effectiveness. During the later stages of World War II, the air craft factory is disestablished.

1943

USS Scamp (SS 277) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese submarine (I 168), which had sunk USS Yorktown (CV 5) and USS Hammann (DD 412) at the Battle of Midway, south-south-west of Truk. USS Scamp also damages the Japanese oiler, Kazahaya.

1953

The Korean War armistice is signed at Panmunjom, Korea. The Korean cease-fire goes into effect at 22:00.

1985

USS Providence (SSN 719) is commissioned at Groton, Conn., the fifth ship in the Navy to be named after the Rhode Island city.

Thanks to CHINFO

Executive Summary:

•A variety of international press reported on U.S. allies' responses to China's increasing assertiveness.

•Local and national media reported on Hurricane Douglas' potential Hawaii landfall as the Navy sortied ships and urged personnel to shelter in place.

•Defense News reported this weekend on the Navy's efforts to strengthen fire safety in the wake of the USS Bonhomme Richard fire.

Today in History: July 27

1214 At the Battle of Bouvines in France, Philip Augustus of France defeats John of England.

1245 Frederick II is deposed by a council at Lyons, which found him guilty of sacrilege.

1586 Sir Walter Raleigh returns to England from Virginia.

1663 The British Parliament passes a second Navigation Act, requiring all goods bound for the colonies be sent in British ships from British ports.

1689 The Scottish Jacobites experience a victory over government-supporting clans at the Battle of Killiecrankie.

1777 The Marquis of Lafayette arrives in New England to help fight the British.

1778 British and French fleets fight to a standoff in the first Battle of Ushant.

1793 Robespierre becomes a member of the Committee of Public Safety.

1861 President Abraham Lincoln replaces General Irwin McDowell with General George B. McClellen as head of the Army of the Potomac.

1905 The International Workers of the World found their labor organization in Chicago.

1909 Orville Wright sets a world record for staying aloft in an airplane--one hour, 12 minutes and 40 seconds.

1914 British troops invade the streets of Dublin, Ireland, and begin to disarm Irish rebels.

1921 Canadians Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best isolate insulin at the University of Toronto.

1944 U.S. troops complete the liberation of Guam.

1953 Representatives of the United Nations, Korea and China sign an armistice at Panmunjom, Korea.

1964 President Lyndon Johnson sends an additional 5,000 advisers to South Vietnam.

1980 Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran dies in Cairo, Egypt.

1981 William Wyler, director of Ben Hur, dies.

1993 Israeli guns and aircraft pound southern Lebanon in reprisal for rocket attacks by Hezbollah guerrillas.

2002 The largest air show disaster in history occurs when a Sukhoi Su-27 fighter crashes during an air show at Lviv, Ukraine, killing 85 and injuring more than 100 others.

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Another new and informative H-Gram from Admiral Cox and the folks at the Naval History and Heritage Command NHHC

H-Gram 051: Victory in the Pacific

27 July 2020

Crewmembers of USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) pump out water over her quarterdeck, after being torpedoed in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, on 12 August 1945. Note the hoses led out through her aft 14-inch guns (NH 92512).

This H-gram is in memory of those who almost made it home.

Ensign Wright C. "Billy" Hobbs, USNR

Ensign Eugene "Mandy" Mandeberg, USNR

Lieutenant (j.g.) Joseph G. Sahloff, USNR

Lieutenant Howard M. "Howdy" Harrison, USNR

The four names above are recorded in the memoirs of Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr., who asked that they should never be forgotten. Admiral Halsey had given the order to launch carrier strikes on the Tokyo area on the morning of 15 August 1945 to maintain unremitting pressure on the Japanese, as he was directed, even as surrender negotiations were ongoing. As the strikes were on their way in, Halsey received word that the Japanese had officially accepted the Allies' terms for surrender, and a recall order was broadcast. These four Hellcat fighter pilots of VF-88 were jumped and shot down by Japanese fighters while on their way back to the carriers after receiving the recall. Despite thinking the war was over in one moment and being engaged in a wild dogfight the next, these pilots still put up a courageous and hellacious fight, but were simply outnumbered. Halsey carried the burden of believing that he was responsible for sending these men to die in the last moments of the war, and he never forgot.

__________

"Peace loving people throughout the world today are grateful to those who have given their lives to further the cause of freedom and democracy. But to the men whose very lives have been saved by the heroic deeds of their fighting comrades, this gratitude assumes the strength of an unpayable personal debt. Everlasting are the vivid memories of thousands of us who have seen our comrades sacrifice their lives so that we may live. If only the entire world could feel the same personal indebtedness toward those heroes, it would be a great impetus toward attaining the free and peaceful world for which these men were fighting. The attainment of this goal can be our only reasonable tribute."

—From the report of LST-647, saved by the sacrifice of USS Underhill (DE-682) and 113 of her crewmen, sunk on 24 July 1945 while defending convoy TU 99.1.18 from a Japanese Kaiten manned suicide torpedo attack

24 January 1945: USS Extractor (ARS-15)—Last U.S. Ship Sunk by "Friendly Fire"

After being assured that there were no friendlies in the area, submarine Guardfish (SS-217), with two previous Presidential Unit Citations, fired a salvo of torpedoes at what Guardfish thought was a Japanese I-165–class submarine running on the surface. The target was actually the rescue and salvage ship Extractor, which had failed to decode a message directing her to return to Guam. Guardfish rescued 73 survivors of Extractor, but six crewmen were lost. Extractor was the only U.S. ship sunk by a U.S. submarine during the war. U.S. submarines were attacked by U.S. and Allied ships and aircraft on numerous occasions, but only one U.S. submarine was almost certainly lost due to "friendly" fire and two others were possibly lost as a result of U.S. action. The U.S. submarine Seawolf (SS-197) was probably sunk by destroyer escort Richard M. Rowell (DE-403) on 13 October 1943 with a loss of all 83 of her crew and 17 U.S. Army personnel on the way to a clandestine operation in the Philippines.

April–July 1945: Seven Minesweepers Lost During Landings on Borneo

Although overshadowed by the Okinawa campaign, there were three major landings on the Japanese-occupied island of Borneo in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), in which Australia provided the ground troops and the U.S. Seventh Fleet provided almost all the ships. The area had been heavily mined by the Dutch (before the war), by the Japanese, and by sophisticated air-dropped U.S. magnetic and acoustic mines. Seven U.S. minesweepers were lost during these operations, several to our own mines. However, due to the work and sacrifice of these vessels, no other U.S. or Allied ships were sunk in the operations and only one U.S. destroyer was damaged by a mine.

24 July 1945: USS Underhill (DE-682)—The Last Destroyer Escort Lost

While defending a seven-ship convoy from attack by Japanese submarine I-53, destroyer escort Underhill rammed or was hit by a Kaiten manned suicide torpedo launched from I-53. This resulted in two massive explosions that obliterated the forward half of the ship. She went down with 113 of her crew, including the commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Robert Maston Newcomb, USNR. I-53 got away, but so did the U.S. convoy with many hundreds of battle-weary U.S. Army troops being brought out of Okinawa. In 1998, Underhill was belatedly awarded a Navy Unit Commendation.

29 July 1945: USS Callaghan (DD-792)—The Last U.S. Destroyer Lost

The last U.S. destroyer to go down in World War II, Callaghan was sunk by a Japanese "Willow" biplane trainer with a 220-pound bomb. The U.S. high-tech radar proximity fuses didn't work on the wood and fabric biplane. Although the aircraft didn't do much damage, the bomb hit in a critical space and a delayed detonation wiped out the fire and repair parties. It also contributed to the rapid spread of fire, which set off 75 5-inch rounds. Callaghan went down quickly with a loss of 47 dead and 73 wounded. The next night, the Willow biplanes attacked again and one crashed into destroyer Cassin Young (DD-793). Cassin Young survived the severe damage, but 22 of her crewmen did not, including the prospective commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Alfred Brunson Wallace (USNA '39). The commanding officer was among the 42 wounded.

30 July 1945: USS Indianapolis (CA-35)—The Last U.S. Cruiser Lost

Following completion of her top secret mission to deliver components of the Hiroshima atomic bomb to Tinian in a record-breaking transit, the heavy cruiser Indianapolis was steaming from Guam to Leyte when she encountered Japanese submarine I-58 on the night of 29–30 July. In an ideal attack position just as the moon broke through the heavy cloud cover, I-58 hit Indianapolis with two of six torpedoes. Indianapolis went down in about 12 minutes. Although distress transmissions were made, none made it off the ship due to loss of power and damage. Of 1,195 men aboard, only 316 survived. As many as 200 to 300 went down with the ship and another 600 to 700 perished in a horrific four-day-plus ordeal of scorching sun, hypothermia, deadly salt water–induced hallucinations, and shark attack. The survivors were first discovered by accident by a PV-1 Ventura on 2 August. This was followed by a risky open-ocean landing by a PBY Catalina flying boat. The tragedy was compounded due to missed communications, faulty assumptions, and faulty operating procedures. No one ashore knew that Indianapolis was lost until destroyer escort Cecil J. Doyle (DE-368) arrived on scene at midnight, 2–3 August. The magnitude and circumstances of the loss just days before the Japanese surrender resulted in intense criticism of the U.S. Navy that reverberated for decades.

6 August 1945: USS Bullhead (SS-332)—The Last U.S. Submarine Lost

Eight U.S. submarines were lost in 1945 with all 687 men aboard. As Japanese shipping became increasingly scarce, U.S. submarines resorted to increasingly daring, and dangerous, attempts to sink ships. Swordfish (SS-193), Barbel (SS-316), Kete (SS-369), Trigger (SS-237), Snook (SS-279), Lagarto (SS-371), and Bonefish (SS-223) were lost, several of them survivors of over a dozen war patrols. The last was Bullhead (SS-332), sunk on her third war patrol by Japanese army aircraft off Bali shortly after she completed a northbound transit of Lombok Strait. Bullhead was lost with all 84 hand, and was the last of 52 U.S. submarines lost during World War II with a total of 3,506 crewmen. The families of her crew would not find out until after the VJ-day celebrations. The commanding officer on Bullhead's first two patrols didn't make the third due to dysentery; years later, wracked by survivor's guilt, then–Rear Admiral (ret.) Walter Thomas "Red" Griffith committed suicide.

9 August 1945: USS Borie (DD-704)—Last Radar Picket Casualties

On 9 August 1945, Five Japanese B7A "Grace" torpedo bombers attacked four U.S. destroyers performing radar picket duty for the Fast Carrier Task Force (TF 38) off Honshu. One Grace crashed into destroyer Borie. Despite the severe damage and 48 dead and 66 wounded, Borie's crew saved their ship.

9–12 August 1945: USS Johnnie Hutchins (DE-360) and USS Oak Hill (LSD-7)—Last Japanese Submarine Attacks

Japanese submarine I-58 was not through after sinking Indianapolis. On 9 August, the submarine attempted to attack a convoy that turned out to be a U.S. ASW hunter-killer group, and lost two Kaiten in an unsuccessful attack on destroyer escort Johnnie Hutchins. On 12 August, I-58 attempted to attack landing ship dock Oak Hill with a Kaiten. Destroyer escort Thomas F. Nickel (DE-587) ran down the Kaiten, which scraped along her hull but did not detonate. The Kaiten subsequently self-destructed with no damage to U.S. ships.

12 August 1945: USS Pennsylvania (BB-38)—The U.S. Last Battleship Hit

Pennsylvania nearly met the fate she had avoided during the attack on Pearl Harbor when a single Japanese torpedo bomber slipped into an anchorage area off Okinawa and hit her with a torpedo in a vulnerable spot. Fortunately, the water was shallow, otherwise Pennsylvania might have been lost and joined her sister Arizona (BB-39). Pennsylvania suffered 20 dead in the attack.

13 August 1945: USS Lagrange (APA-124)–Last Ship Hit by Kamikaze

On the evening of 13 August, two Japanese kamikaze aircraft made it into an anchorage area off Okinawa and hit the attack transport Lagrange. She survived, but 21 men were killed and 89 wounded.

14 August 1945: USS Spikefish (SS-404) and USS Torsk (SS-423)—Last U.S. Submarine Victories

Tipped off by Ultra intelligence, Spikefish intercepted and tracked Japanese transport submarine I-373 before sinking her at dawn on 14 August. I-373 went down with 84 crewmen (1 survived), the last of 128 Japanese submarines lost in the war. Later that day, having penetrated the heavily mined Tsuhima Strait, Torsk torpedoed and sank Japanese escort ship CD-47 and then did the same to CD-13, using new acoustic homing torpedoes and passive acoustic torpedoes. CD-13 was the last Imperial Japanese Navy ship sunk by the United States before the surrender, going down with 28 crewmen. (Other Japanese ships would be sunk by U.S. mines in the weeks after the surrender.)

15 August 1945: Fighter Squadron VF-88—The Last Carrier Planes Lost

The Fast Carrier Task Force (TF 38) launched another round of heavy air strikes on targets in the Tokyo area, when word came from Washington, DC, that the Japanese government had officially accepted the Allies' terms for surrender. A recall message was transmitted to all aircraft in the air; those that were over still over water jettisoned their bombs and turned around. Those that were overland promptly headed back toward their carriers. On the way back, four Hancock (CV-19) F6F Hellcats were attacked by Japanese fighters, but none were lost. Six Yorktown (CV-10) Hellcats of VF-88 aborted their rocket attack on Atsugi Airfield. On the way back, these six Hellcats were intercepted by an overwhelming number of first-line Japanese pilots in first-line aircraft. It was a valiant fight, but four of the Hellcats went down and their pilots were lost, the last U.S. Navy pilots lost in combat during the war. A returning British strike was also attacked and one Supermarine Seafire from HMS Indefatigable went down. The pilot survived the bailout, but was executed by the Japanese that evening, the last Allied pilot lost in the war.

15 August 1945: USS Heermann (DD-532)—The Final U.S. Navy Combat Actions

In the afternoon after Emperor Hirohito's surrender announcement, a Japanese Judy dive-bomber attacked four U.S. destroyers on radar picket duty for the U.S. carrier force off Honshu, Japan. Destroyer Heermann shot the Judy down "in a friendly manner" with an assist from Black (DD-666) and Bullard (DD-660).

15 August 1945: Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki—The Last Kamikaze

Late in the afternoon following Emperor Hirohito's surrender announcement, the commander of Japanese kamikaze operations, diehard Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki (who had survived the shoot down of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in April 1943), launched the last kamikaze mission, flying as a passenger in a Judy dive-bomber. Ten other aircrew (pilots and gunners) insisted on flying the last mission with him, although three planes turned back with mechanical problems. No U.S. ships were hit, 19 Japanese lost their lives, and Ugaki's plane probably dove into a sand bar in the darkness.

18 August 1945: The Last U.S. Combat Casualty

Japanese navy fighters violated the cease-fire on 17 and 18 August, attacking U.S. Army Air Forces B-32 Dominator bombers flying photo-reconnaissance missions over Tokyo. One B-32 was badly damaged and Sergeant Anthony Marchione was killed He is considered to be the last U.S. combat casualty of World War II.

29 December 1945: USS Minivet (AM-371)—The Last U.S. Navy Ship Sunk

While working in concert with Japanese minesweepers to clear a minefield in the Tsushima Strait, minesweeper Minivet struck a Japanese mine and quickly sank with the loss of 31 of her crew. By some accounts, she was the last U.S. Navy ship sunk in World War II.

I have been fortunate and honored to have met a few of the dwindling number of World War II veterans, who quite deservedly get the hero treatment for their role during that terrible war that ensured our freedom today. However, almost to a man, they will invariably say that the real heroes were the ones who didn't return home. About 35,000 U.S. Navy personnel did not return, and most of them are still at sea.

There is an epitaph on a monument in India to British soldiers who fell at the 1944 Battle of Kohima that seems apt: "When you go home, tell them of us and say,/For your tomorrow, we gave our today."

For more on the last sacrifices, please see attachment H-051-1.

As always, you are welcome to forward H-grams to spread these stories of U.S. Navy valor and sacrifice. Back issues of H-grams enhanced with photos may be found here, along with lots of other interesting material on Naval History and Heritage Command's website.

Published: Mon Jul 27 13:40:04 EDT 2020

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World News thanks to Military Periscope

USA—Singapore Man Pleads Guilty To Working For Chinese Intelligence Dept. Of Justice | 07/27/2020 A Singapore national has pleaded guilty to working with Chinese intelligence to collect information about U.S. government and military personnel with high-level clearances, reports the Dept. of Justice. On Friday, Jun Wei Yeo, also known as Dickson Yeo, pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign power in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. Yeo was the central figure in a Chinese intelligence scheme to gather information on U.S. personnel in a plot that began as early as 2015, said a Justice release. He set up a fake consulting company and solicited resumes, with the goal of identifying Americans with access to sensitive information. Yeo also used a professional networking site to identify potential targets for recruitment. About 90 percent of the resumes that he received were members of the military or intelligence communities. Resumes of interest were passed to Chinese intelligence. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 9, 2020. Yeo faces a maximum of 10 years.

USA—White House Eases Restrictions On Armed Drone Exports White House | 07/27/2020 The Trump administration has eased restrictions on the export of drones to foreign countries, reports the White House. On Friday, Trump announced that the U.S. would invoke its national discretion to treat a "carefully selected subset" of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) from the UAS Category I, which have a maximum speed of 500 mph (800 kph), as Category II systems. Category I UAS cannot be exported in most cases, while Category II systems can be treated like other military exports, reported Defense News. The changes are consistent with MTCR guidelines and the April 2018 UAS Export Policy, said the White House, rejecting the idea that the adjustment would move the U.S. out of compliance with the accord. The MTCR, which has been signed onto by 35 countries, is designed to restrict the spread of missiles capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction, noted Agence France-Presse. It also covers the export of drone systems. Some in the U.S. have expressed concern that the MTCR restrictions gave non-signatories, such as China, an advantage in the international market, reported CNN. The only reason for changing the restriction would be to sell drones to Persian Gulf countries, which are a major market for arms, said an unnamed congressional staffer.

USA—Navy Certifies Another Problematic Weapons Elevator On Carrier Ford Navy Newsstand | 07/27/2020 The Navy has now certified more than half of the 11 advanced weapons elevators on its newest aircraft carrier, reports the Navy NewsStand. The Lower Weapons Storage Elevator (LSWE) 1 on USS Gerald R. Ford was certified by the Navy on July 22, becoming the sixth weapons elevator to be certified for operational service. LSWE 1 moves ordnance from the forward magazine to the flight deck via the forward weapon-handling and transfer area, the Navy said. LSWE 5, which moves ordnance from the aft magazine to the staging area, was the first elevator to be certified in April, noted USNI News. Plans calls for the remaining elevators to be certified before the ship begins shock trials in the third quarter of fiscal 2021.

USA—Air Force Picks 4 Firms To Develop Autonomous Wingman Technologies Dept. Of Defense | 07/27/2020 The U.S. Air Force has awarded contracts to four companies for work in support of its autonomous wingman program, reports the Dept. of Defense. On July 23, Boeing, General Atomics, Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems and Northrop Grumman were selected to compete for subsequent delivery orders under the Skyborg Vanguard program. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity deal has a combined maximum value of $400 million. Funding was not immediately allocated, since the four firms will have to compete against each other for future orders, reported Defense News. The contracts covered prototyping, experimentation and autonomy development work and will see each firm deliver missionized prototypes for the Skyborg program. The Skyborg program is designed to develop an autonomous, attritable uncrewed aerial vehicle that supports crewed-uncrewed teaming, said the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center in a release.

Serbia—Government Seeks To Upgrade Air Force Voice Of America News | 07/27/2020 The Serbian government says it wants to bolster its military with the acquisition of additional combat aircraft, reports the Voice of America News. On Sunday, President Aleksandar Vucic said his country needed to upgrade its capabilities to maintain Serbian and regional security during a visit to an army tank brigade in Sremska Mitrovica, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. He did not indicate what aircraft Belgrade planned to buy. Government-friendly media reported that Belgrade had requested fighter-bombers from the U.S. but had not received a response. Should the U.S. not come through, Belgrade is likely to acquire Russian Su-25 close air support jets, analysts said. Vucic emphasized Serbia's military neutrality but expressed concern about acquisitions by neighboring NATO countries, as well as the alliance's friendly position toward Kosovo.

Ukraine—Investigation Identifies Leaders Of Russian-Backed Tribunals In Slovyansk Accused Of War Crimes Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty | 07/27/2020 A Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty investigation has uncovered the identities of most of the members of a military tribunal set up by Russian-backed separatists in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slovyansk that is accused of war crimes. The tribunal was established by Igor Girkin, a former Russian intelligence officer also known as Igor Strelkov, on the basis of a draconian Stalin-era law and carried out several executions of those it "convicted," according to the results of the probe published on July 23. Seven of the nine members of the tribunal were identified based on documents recovered from the office of Girkin after he fled Slovyansk on July 7, 2014, as well as open-source research and interviews with alleged torture victims, witnesses and the families of victims. The members included Ukrainians and dual Ukrainian-Russian nationals. Several fought with separatist forces both before and after serving on the tribunal. The tribunals oversaw trials for even minor offenses, including one case where a local was tried and executed after stealing clothes from a neighbor's home. Some separatist fighters were also brought before the tribunals. Two men were executed after being charged with marauding, armed robbery, kidnapping, abandonment of their military positions and attempting to hide their actions. One separatist narrowly avoided execution after being accused of treason for shining a light during an artillery barrage by Ukrainian forces. The new information may be used to support Ukraine's effort to pursue legal claims against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court.

China—Beijing Unveils New Legislation Intended To Boost Support For Veterans South China Morning Post | 07/27/2020 China has revealed new measures intended to improve opportunities and support for troops once they leave military service, reports the South China Morning Post. Last week, the National People's Congress finished a month-long public consultation period on legislation to honor and support veterans. The legislation includes 77 items, which praise military service as a "respectable profession" and has measures providing vocational training and support for veterans wounded in combat or training. The measures, however, favor senior officers, particularly those retiring at battalion commander rank or above, who would be prioritized for jobs with the government or state-owned firms. The move comes after large-scale demonstrations in recent year by veterans seeking better treatment. Veterans have long complained that local authorities refuse to provide their benefits.

North Korea—Government Steps Up Protective Measures After Defector Returns, Allegedly Infected With COVID-19 Yonhap | 07/27/2020 The North Korean government has imposed a comprehensive lockdown in the southern Kaesong province after a defector returned from South Korea, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Saturday, dictator Kim Jong Un chaired an emergency meeting of the politburo in which he authorized emergency measures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), reported the Korea Central News Agency. The measures were implemented after a North Korean defector who had fled to South Korea in 2017 returned to his hometown of Kaesong on July 19 and was diagnosed with the virus, reported the NK News, which monitors North Korean affairs. The defector fled after being accused of rape and losing his employment and property, reported the Voice of America News. He swam across a portion of the border near the island of Ganghwa. South Korean officials cast doubt on the story, saying that the defector had not been registered as a COVID-19 patient and two people who had close contact with him had tested negative for the virus. Pyongyang has long claimed to be free of COVID-19 and closed its borders in January. Radio Free Asia reported in April that North Korea had suffered a significant outbreak. Analysts speculated that the North could be using the opportunity to blame Seoul for its outbreak or as a pretext for seeking medical assistance.

Australia—Construction Begins On New Navy Patrol Boats Australian Dept. Of Defense | 07/27/2020 Austal has laid the keel for the first of six new patrol boats for the Australian navy, reports the Australian Dept. of Defense. The keel for the first modified Cape-class boat was laid during a ceremony at Austal's shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia, the department said on July 24. The milestone comes two days after Austal revealed that it had cut the first steel for the second Cape-class vessel. Canberra ordered the boats in a on May 1 for Aus$324 million (US$230.9 million). The Cape-class boats will replace the navy's smaller Armidale-class patrol vessels and serve in an interim capacity until the new Arafura-class offshore patrol ships enter service. The first of the new boats is scheduled for delivery in September 2021, with all six ships to be handed over by March 2023.

India—Talks Held With Beijing As Border Withdrawals Slow The Print | 07/27/2020 Chinese and Indian officials have just held another round of talks on the border dispute in the Kashmir region, reports the Print (India). The talks on Friday were held virtually by Naveen Srivastava, the joint secretary for East Asia at Indian Ministry of External Affairs, and Hong Liang, the director general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's boundary and oceanic department, under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC), reported the Hindustan Times. The discussions were launched following reports that the disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between Ladakh in India and Tibet in China had slowed. Unnamed sources said a lack of cooperation by China was hindering the process. The sides discussed the situation along the border and recent disengagement efforts along the LAC, according to a release from the Indian Ministry of External of Affairs. Both parties committed to disengaging in the area in accordance with bilateral agreements and protocols. Chinese troops and heavy weapons, including air defense systems and artillery, are still deployed in the eastern Ladakh sector, and de-escalation processes in the Hot Springs and Gogra areas are not going forward as anticipated, the sources said. India and China must withdraw troops from front-line positions and large numbers of reserve forces rushed to the area in order to fully de-escalate the situation, reported Reuters.

Iran—IRGC Blames Contractor For Blast At Nuclear Site Times of Israel | 07/27/2020 The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGCS) says that a contractor working at a key nuclear facility was responsible for an explosion there earlier this month, reports the Times of Israel. Ershad Karimi, a contractor who owns the MEHR company that supplies precision measuring equipment, set off a blast at the centrifuge hall at the Natanz nuclear plant in the central Isfahan province, according to the IRGC investigation, as reported by Iran Watch on July 23. Karimi was also reportedly responsible for "launching the uranium enrichment course" at Natanz, noted the report. The explosion on July 2 severely damaged a centrifuge development facility at Natanz. The damage may have set back the Iranian nuclear program by as much as two years, said experts. Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that the explosion was likely due to a bomb planted at the facility, possibly at a strategic gas line, although it did not rule out a cyberattack designed to cause a malfunction leading to a blast. Some reports also suggested that Israel was behind the explosion. Earlier this week, an Iranian legislator ruled out the possibility that a missile or airstrike caused the blast.

Iraq—Blasts At Al Saqr Base Attributed To Poor Management, Heat Rudaw | 07/27/2020 There has been a pair of explosions at an Iraqi military base in southern Baghdad, reports Rudaw (Iraqi Kurdistan). On Sunday, two explosions were reported at Al Saqr military base in the capital's southern Dora neighborhood. An Iraqi military spokesman confirmed the blasts at the facility, which houses federal police and fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). A spokesman for the Interior Ministry's Civil Defense Dept. told Xinhua, China's state news agency, that the fire resulted in only material damage. The explosions were caused by poor storage practices and high temperatures, said a statement. The Harakat al-Nujaba, an Iranian-backed PMF group, said that the site had been hit by airstrikes. The Iraqi government and PMF accused Israel of attacking several militia facilities in 2019. Israel has not acknowledged conducting any attacks against Iranian-backed forces in Iraq. A similar incident at the Al Saqr base last year, which killed one person and injured 29, was also blamed on heat and poor safety practices.

Israel—Experimental Unit Holds 1st Major Exercise Jerusalem Post | 07/27/2020 A new Israeli experimental combat unit has just completed its first large-scale exercise, reports the Jerusalem Post. The Ghost Unit, which was created in early 2020, wrapped up several weeks of training on July 23. The unit, located under the 98th Paratroopers Division, is part of the multiyear Momentum program to develop innovative combat techniques and tactics to address the challenges of future conflicts, reported the Times of Israel. The Ghost Unit incorporates a variety of capabilities on a permanent basis, enabling its elements to work together regularly rather than in sporadic exercises and missions. It consists of infantry from the reconnaissance battalion of the Nahal Brigade, Golani Brigade and Paratroopers Brigade; tanks from the 401st Armored Brigade; troops from the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit; members of the elite Oketz K9 unit; F-16 fighter jets from the 109th and 117th squadrons; AH-64 Apache attack helicopters from the 190th Squadron; Heron drones from the 200th Squadron; and Hermes 450 uncrewed aircraft from the Artillery Corps. Among the unit's goals is to develop methods to quickly find and destroy enemy forces with the objective of significantly shortening future conflicts. The recent exercise evaluated new capabilities and tactics that brought together different combat forces, officials said. These included the use of small drones and ground robots as well as a new ability for ground troops to quickly call in airstrikes. Additional artillery, engineering and tank techniques were also evaluated during the drill. The military plans to spread newly developed techniques to its combat forces to improve their joint maneuver and combat capabilities.

Israel—Surveillance Drone Goes Down In Lebanon Amid Heightened Tensions Haaretz | 07/27/2020 An Israeli drone has crashed in Lebanon during a reconnaissance mission over the border, reports Haaretz (Israel). The unidentified uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed on Sunday as the result of a technical failure, according to a Channel 12 (Israel) report cited by Reuters. No intelligence or other information was compromised, said the military. The incident comes amid increasing tension along the border between Israel and Hezbollah following the killing of a member of the militant group in an Israeli airstrike near Damascus. Hezbollah-friendly Al Mayadeen TV (Beirut) reported that Israel sent a message to the militant group via the U.N. indicating that the killing was unintentional, and that Israel had no information that the operative was in the area. Hezbollah has threatened to retaliate for the death of its agent.

Libya—Moscow Continues To Send Military Gear To Support Haftar's Forces, Says AFRICOM Africa Command | 07/27/2020 Russia continues to send military equipment to Libya in support of forces loyal to eastern militia leader Khalifa Haftar, reports U.S. Africa Command. Moscow has continued to supply a variety of combat systems to elements of the government-linked Wagner Group private military company in Libya, the command said on Friday. The latest overhead imagery shows Wagner Group forces and Russian equipment deployed on the front lines of the conflict with the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord in the coastal city of Sirte. Russia continues to provide materiel to the front lines of the Libyan conflict in violation U.N. Security Council Resolution 1970, said Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Bradford Gering, the AFRICOM director of operations. The latest photos show Russian mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles, Tigr heavy trucks and Pantsyr air defense systems, which are operated by Russia, the Wagner Group and their proxies, the command said. The type and volume of materiel being transported demonstrates preparations for sustained offensive operations with support from the Russian Ministry of Defense, said Gering.

South Africa—New Defense Secretary To Take Post In August Defence Web | 07/27/2020 South Africa will have a new defense secretary next month, reports Defence Web (South Africa). Gladys Konto Sudjoe will succeed Sam Gulube, who is retiring effective Aug. 1, government officials said on July 23. Gulube has held the post since 2012. Kudjoe previously served as the South African ambassador to Sweden from 2002 to 2006 and Egypt from 2006 to 2010. She later held senior positions in the Dept. of International Relations and Cooperation. From 2013 to 2016 she served as director general of the State Security Agency. Kudjoe has been working with the South Africa division of the Paramount Group defense firm since 2018. …

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