Operation Fluid Drive was a non-combatant evacuation operation led by the United States to evacuate American citizens and other foreign nationals from Beirut, Lebanon, during the Lebanese Civil War.[1] On 20 June 1976, USS Spiegel Grove transported 110 Americans and 157 nationals of other countries from Lebanon to Piraeus, Greece.[2] On 27 July, 300 additional persons, including 155 Americans, were evacuated to Piraeus.[3] The cruiser USS Little Rock was present off the Lebanese coast during both evacuations.[4]
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The world’s population is growing and, for many, living standards will continue to improve. As a result, global energy demand is expected to double by 2050 when compared to 2000. To help meet this demand, gas will form an increasingly important role. Natural gas is plentiful, and it’s the cleanest-burning fossil fuel. But some natural gas resources are in remote locations: transporting the gas long distances by pipeline can be costly and impractical. The solution? We liquefy the gas by cooling it, which shrinks its volume for easier, economical and safe transportation by ship. So, how is liquefied natural gas produced? Natural gas extracted from the ground, contains impurities, water and other associated liquids. First it is processed to clean it. It goes through a series of pipes and vessels where gravity helps separate the gas from some of the heavier liquids. Other impurities are then stripped out. The natural gas passes through a water-based solvent that absorbs carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. These would otherwise freeze when the gas is cooled and so cause blockages. Next any remaining water is removed, as this would also freeze. Finally, remaining lighter natural gas liquids – mainly propane and butane – are extracted to be sold separately or used as refrigerant later in the cooling process. Traces of mercury are also filtered out. Now the purified natural gas – methane with some ethane – is ready to be liquefied. This happens in heat exchangers. A coolant, chilled by giant refrigerators, absorbs the heat from the natural gas. It cools the gas to –162°C, shrinking its volume by 600 times. This turns it into a clear, colourless, non-toxic liquid - liquefied natural gas, or LNG – that is much easier to store and transport. The LNG is kept in insulated tanks until it is ready for loading into a specially designed LNG ship or carrier. When the ship arrives at its destination, the LNG is transferred to a re-gasification plant where it is heated, returning it to its gaseous state. The gas is then transported via pipelines to customers, providing energy for homes and industry. Shell continues to help meet growing energy demand with cleaner-burning natural gas.
First evacuation
United States President Gerald Ford ordered commencement of the operation on 20 June 1976 at 1:23 a.m. EDT.[5] Fighting on land routes to Damascus, Syria, disrupted the original plan of a road convoy evacuation.[6]
At 10:37 a.m. Beirut time, the United States Navy LCU 1654 landing craft opened its bow ramp at Bain Militaire to allow 276 evacuees to board.[5][7] U.S. diplomats in Lebanon had finished the truce arrangements needed for the evacuation only hours beforehand.[8] Organisation on the ground within Beirut leant on the knowledge and connections of British Charge d'Affaires, Geoffrey Hancock, who used his good relations with parties involved in the conflict in efforts to assure security. The evacuees were unarmed, and were escorted by numerous Palestinian guerrillas and leftist Lebanese army soldiers.[6][8] One family refused to continue with the evacuation when told, incorrectly, that their dog was not allowed.[2]
After a 25-minute trip, the landing craft reached USS Spiegel Grove, which remained three miles offshore.[8] The United States Sixth Fleet flagship, USS Little Rock, pulled alongside USS Spiegel Grove to greet the refugees on board.[8] The United States convoy consisted of five ships in total. One of the escort ships was the USS Connole (FF 1056), and three Soviet warships, including Kerch, shadowed the fleet.[8] USS Spiegel Grove then sailed to Piraeus, Greece, arriving on 22 June 1976.[6][9]
Second evacuation
On 26 July 1976, the Sixth Fleet prepared to evacuate an additional 500 Americans and others from Lebanon.[10] Dockside security was again provided by the Palestine Liberation Organization.[10] Although 500 people were signed up to leave the country, only 155 Americans and 145 nationals of other countries were evacuated.[3]
References
- ^ "CBS Evening News for Sunday, Jun 20, 1976". Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Evacuees aboard ship in party mood". The Miami News. 21 June 1976. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Lebanon Truce Signed". The Palm Beach Post. Beirut. 30 July 1976. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
- ^ "USS Little Rock 1975 Beirut Civil War". USS Little Rock Association. Archived from the original on 1 July 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Americans Flee Beirut". St. Petersburg Times. Beirut. 21 June 1976. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
- ^ a b c "263 leave Lebanon aboard U.S. vessel". The Gazette. Beirut. 21 June 1976. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
- ^ a b c d e McManus, Doyle (22 June 1976). "U.S. Rescue Ship in 'Fluid Drive' From Lebanon Peril". The Schenectady Gazette. Aboard USS Spiegel Grove. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ MEED Arab Report. London: Middle East Economic Digest Ltd. 1976.
- ^ a b "6th Fleet to evacuate 500 from Lebanon". The Morning Record. Beirut. 27 July 1976. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
This page was last edited on 26 February 2024, at 14:29