Danish ship collides with naval vessel in Inner Harbor
A Danish training ship struck a moored Navy warship Sunday morning in the Inner Harbor, the U.S. Navy said in a statement.
No Navy personnel were injured and there was no serious damage to the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, a Navy spokesperson said in thestatement. The littoral combat ship was docked on the west wall in the Inner Harbor at 11:17 a.m. Sunday when the tall ship Danmark crashed into it during Maryland Fleet Week.
A representative from Sail Baltimore, which brings visiting vessels to the harbor to showcase different cultures and maritime history, referred questions about damage to the Danmark to the U.S. Navy.
Ships began arriving for Fleet Week on Sept. 7, a weeklong event that brings military vessels from around the world to Baltimore, along with planes and other aircraft.
The Minneapolis-Saint Paul, also known as LCS 21, is designed for fighting in regions along a shore and up rivers. It’s one of the Freedom-class of littoral combat ships built by Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin at Fincantieri Marinette Marine Corp.’s shipyard in Wisconsin.
The Navy did not say how much damage its warship sustained. A video on social media showed tugboats maneuvering the Danmark and its bowsprit damaging a railing on the Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
Other ships in Baltimore’s harbor for Fleet Week include the USS Carter Hall, an amphibious dock landing ship; USNS Newport, a fast transport ship; the Canadian Royal Navy’s corvette HMCS Moncton; and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin, according to a U.S. Navy news release. This is the third year Baltimore has hosted Fleet Week.
The Danmark, a three-masted sailing ship, has a long history of visiting Baltimore. The Danmark first arrived in New York for the World’s Fair before heading to Baltimore a month later, the Sun reported on Oct. 21, 1939. Once docked in the harbor, the ship was opened to curious Baltimore visitors, including a group of Sea Girl Scouts, while the Danish cadets went on sightseeing tours.
Germany invaded Denmark while the Danmark was in Florida, leaving the training ship stuck abroad. The ship’s captain turned it over to the United States for Coast Guard training during World War II.