At a quarter to ten this morning, April 6, De Zeven Provinciën class [very similar to the German Sachsen class] frigate HNLMS Tromp (F803) received a distress call from the German containership MS Taipan, IMO Number: 8105911 Flag: Liberia, which was attacked by pirates. The crew had retreated to a secure area onboard.. In a first aerial reconnaissance showed that indeed pirates were on board the merchant ship . Two pirate open skiffs now dragged behind the Taipan.
. In consultation with the authorities in the Netherlands it was then decided to relieve the merchant vessel. While approaching Tromp, Dutch sailors discovered the pirate mothership, which also was heading to the Taipan. After the ship was warned by VHF and received no response came, the cannon aboard the Tromp fired a few warning shots. . Then came the mother ship and the hijackers chose their heels.
. Initially, the pirates tried to board the Taipan via VHF radio and a special megaphone to persuade to surrender. When no response came, and then it was clear that the pirate had not found the crew HNLMS Tromp was told to act.
The boarding team, consisting of the Intervention Unit of the Marine Corps, from the Lynx using the fast rope method dropped on the vessel During this action both the Tromp, and the helicopter fired on the bridge of the vessel to scare the pirates. Nobody was injured as a result of the shots. ran through other circumstances, One of the marines sustained minor injuries during the operation. His family has been notified.
All 15 crew members of the Taipan were unharmed after the action in the secure compartment. The pirates were arrested and are aboard the Tromp. The crew of the Taipan made statements about the incident. Despite damage to the bridge, formed during the action, the ship can continue its course independently.
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