[jonno]

I was talking with an old sailor over the weekend - he heard the the comm room was also damaged during the collision - which could help explain the delay (lack?) of notification.

However, I haven’t seen or heard that bit from any other source.

[blueplum]

the comm room was severely compromised by crushing, as was the skipper’s quarters.

[atc23]

They have many sources of communication equipment, it's not 1912 where the Titanic RM is tapping out Morse code in a closet. In 1981 we missed ramming the USS Hull (DD 954) by mere feet while waiting for an escort into Pearl Harbor. In the early morning hours there are many ships awaiting escorts into busy ports - just going back and forth aimlessly- I still am left wondering what the lookouts were doing on the Fitzgerald, what the Quartermaster and Officer of the Deck on the bridge were doing.

I'm going to say we never find out - surprise