US Army ships headed to the Gaza Strip to construct a temporary pier or floating dock as part of heightened efforts by US-Israeli cooperation to increase humanitarian aid to the region, have arrived in Crete.
The ships departed from Fort Eustis on the James River on March 12 to begin their voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Gaza, after a stampede in March close to a convoy of food trucks resulted in around 100 deaths.
Israel has today (April 17) opened a new northern crossing to Gaza, with more trucks passing into the Hamas-run enclave and the humanitarian situation reportedly improving.
The US Army Ships now Moored in Crete
The convoy of ships now in Crete includes five US Army vessels, the USAV James A. Loux (LSV-6), USAV Montorrey (LCU-2030), USAV Matamoros (LCU-2026), and the USAV General Frank S. Besson Jr. (LSV-1) and USAV Wilson Wharf (LCU-2011).
The armada traveled down the Chesapeake Bay and then went south along the coast of the Carolinas into the open sea, passing Bermuda to arrive off the coast of Spain and Africa.
The ships are part of the US Army’s 7th Transportation Brigade of the 18th Airborne Corps. In March, US Central Command commented that the ships “from the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, XVIII Airborne Corps, departed Joint Base Langley-Eustis en route to the Eastern Mediterranean to establish a roll-on, roll-off dock capability that allows the ship to shore humanitarian assistance to Gaza. SP4 James A. Loux, Monterrey, Matamoros, and Wilson Wharf are carrying equipment and supplies needed to establish a temporary pier to deliver vital humanitarian supplies.”
According to the Vessel Finder website, four of the ships are moored at Crete’s Souda Bay, with the USAV Wilson Wharf stationed in the Canary Islands at a port near Tenerife – it’s unclear why it is behind the others, or if it was dispatched for a different mission.
The naval base in Crete includes the US Naval Support Activity (NSA) at Souda Bay, which is near the Hellenic Air Force Base close to the village of Mouzouras. According to Military.com, this site “occupies an area of approximately 110 acres on the north side of the air base, which is home to the Hellenic Air Force’s 115th Combat Wing flying F-16 aircraft.
They are physically located on the large, circular-shaped Akrotiri Peninsula, which forms the northern face of Souda Harbor.” This is “an operational ashore installation which enables and supports US, Allied, Coalition, and Partner nation forces to preserve security and stability in the European, African, and Central Command areas of responsibility,” according to the site.
The naval base in Crete houses facilities for the Hellenic Navy and NATO. It is the second-largest base of the Hellenic Navy and one of the key Nato bases in the eastern Mediterranean. The area is close to the beautiful city of Chania, which plays host to a 14th-century Venetian harbor.
It is not clear how long the US vessels will stay moored in Crete, and it is still uncertain whether the temporary floating dock or pier is still necessary in Gaza. However, the journey of the US convoy has been an important logistical trial to see how these ships can cross oceans and deliver essential capabilities to a conflict, or humanitarian zone. If the ships do arrive in Gaza, it will provide much-needed training in a real-time crisis.