M/V KAPITAN MASLOV – Pirate Attack Photos

Here are some photos of the damage sustained by the M/V KAPITAN MASLOV when it was attacked by pirates back in November.

The photos below are of the Third Mate’s stateroom, or better put, what is left of the Third Mate’s stateroom.

This is a good example of one reason why Merchant ships stop when attacked by pirates in little boats. As you can see below, this ship sustained damage right up to the bridge.

The dangers posed to crew by pirate attacks was shown during an attack on the 1,728 teu container ship Kapitan Maslov on November 13. The 1998-built vessel, which is managed by Fesco Wallem, was hijacked by pirates about 480 km from the Somalian coastline.

The would-be hijackers fired rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons from a high-speed launch in a failed attempt to stop the ship. Pictures taken after the attack show extensive damage to the third mate’s cabin which was burnt out, damaged front windows on the bridge and broken windows in the accommodation block.

The crew extinguished the fire and none of the 17 crew on board were injured. – Lloyd’s List

The ship managed to get away. How many more RPG strikes would it have taken to convince the Captain to stop the ship? What if the RPG had struck the bridge? Then again, maybe the right plan is to just hunker down and not stop as long as you can keep them from getting onto the ship.

You can find a photo of the ship here on Shipspotting.

Cross-posted on my blog Fred Fry International.