Pirate attack: In the early hours of April 1, 2010, when a pirate attack group opened fire on the USS Nicholas (pictured below) in the middle of
the Indian Ocean, about 570 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia, their mission failed and the pirates were captured. The Navy
held a hearing to determine what happened during the encounter. One witness was on watch in the CIC (Combat Information
Center) when the attack happened. She said that shesaw a pirate holding his gun at a 45° angle pointing up towards the shipl She
also stated the pirate appeared to be about 100 yards away from the ship. When the ship was inspected, a bullet hole was
discovered in the mast, about 150 feet above the waterline. This bullet hole matched the size of the hulle