USS Fitzgerald Collision Update (Sailors found, bad news)

U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs ^ | 6/17/2017 | U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs

[House Atreides]

Mainstream media is being willfully obtuse...as usual.

[smokingfrog]

Prayers for the families.

[Delta 21]

Even if the container ship was bought and paid for to run around like an idiot in the shipping lane, maybe even “have an accident” with an American military vessel, how did the Destroyer let herself get ran into?

[blueunicorn6]

Thank you for that.

Very beautiful.

I’m an old Soldier but tonight my heart is with The United States Navy.

[Billthedrill]

Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!

[Gideon7]

The problem is that we don’t know where on that track the collision actually happened.

If the collision happened at the start of the track (where the Crystal first veered SE), the track could be interpreted as the Crystal turning around to render aid. If the collision happened near the end (where the chronometer shows it came to a sudden stop before fleeing the scene) then it has a much more sinister interpretation.

There are unconfirmed reports that the Fitzgerald was stationary at the time, but without knowing the Fitzgerald’s own track (if any) and its position at the time of collision all we can do is speculate.

[smokingfrog]

It almost looks like maybe something or someone fell off the ship and they turned back to find it?

[BluH2o]

Hard to explain the unusual maneuvering of the container ship, but regardless, the Fitz should have been nimble and alert enough to avoid being broadsided.

[867V309]

Could it be a deliberate effort to take out one of our destroyers? Inquiring minds are definitely curious about this, and no longer trusts the MSM to report the truth.

Doesn't matter. If our state of the art fleet can't fend off a 29,000 ton (58 million pound) lumbering container ship, we should just discharge the sailors, sink the ships, and spend our money on something useful.

[central_va]

Praying they died on impact.

[meatloaf]

Ship handling requires constant vigilance. There are more questions than answers at this point. Helmsman freeze. Not all officers are competent in all situations.

[Sasparilla]

....Crikey, if true, why would it have performed those maneuvers...

An attack?

[aumrl]

I assumed the first 90* change of course was where the collision occurred.
Then the almost 180* change was to assist rescue.
When other shipping arrived Crystal resumed track to Tokyo.
Lots of speculation.
I haven’t seen Fitzgerald’s course.
Had she lost power?
ETC
Port ship gives way...
Did Crystal slow before impact? Or is damage sustained by Fitzgerald consistent with cruising knottage?

[PGR88]

Agreed. An advanced US destroyer, one would think, would have the ability to know a 60,000 ton container ship, fully loaded and with the biggest radar profile of anything around, was bearing down

[aumrl]

Gideon 7;
wish I had read your post before I entered mine.

[Mercat]

Maybe its the name.

https://youtu.be/9vST6hVRj2A

[Doogle]

Philippines.....odd maneuvers....just saying....too much stuff and unexplained actions....never ever trust the media.

[soycd]

>With all the technology navy ships have, how can this happen?

Incompetence at any level can be deadly.

[atc23]

With all the technology navy ships have, how can this happen?

Somebody on the bridge was playing grab ass when they should have been working. What were the lookouts doing - sleeping?

[Fungi]

So far, yours is the best “excuse.” Something is awry here.