The scientists say Thera's outburst produced deadly waves and dense clouds of volcanic ash over a vast region, crippling ancient cities and fleets, setting off climate changes, ruining crops and sowing wide political unrest.
RT report that the fleet concerned "set off from the Hmeymim airbase in Latakia and conducted a virulent bombardment on multiple militant strongholds".
Such was the pre-match excitement an entire fleet of boats set off across the River Plate from Buenos Aires, leaving a quayside crowd screaming "Argentina si! Uruguay no! Victory or death!".
Invasion fleets from Britain and France set off ill-prepared; military planning was so bad that their commanders had not yet decided which part of the Black Sea they were heading for.
It was from Portsmouth that, in 1787, a fleet of 11 ships set off to found the first European colony in Australia.
The British fleet's arrival in New York set off a flurry of panic amongst the Loyalist population.
The Norman fleet of 150 ships including 60 horse transports set off towards the Byzantine Empire at the end of May 1081.
But the divers hope to find evidence of the fleet's raid on (then nominally Spanish) Tobago before it set off for Curacao.
American Airlines canceled a good chunk of its schedule beginning on Tuesday — more than 2,000 flights — for maintenance checks set off by concerns over wiring in its fleet of MD-80 aircraft.
