Posted on 06/19/2017 1:59:24 PM PDT by NRx
For this to be a successful, intentional attack, the jihadists would need to have invented technology that makes a container ship invisible to both eyes and radar.
Not that bizarre if you assume AXC Crystal was ahead of schedule to pick up a pilot to enter Tokyo bay. To maintain its slot in the queue, it's moved south of the shipping lane to run a racetrack c.10 miles long (the length of the U turn)
At this point Crystal and Fitzgerald are running roughly parallel with Crystal c.1+ miles ahead and to starboard, making her double "privileged" and Fitzgerald is supposed to keep out of the way.
Speculation: the Fitz OOW is playing silly buggers, seeing how close he can get to the port quarter without being noticed.
Crystal turns to port to run the racetrack again, and finds a ship that shouldn't be there.
Unquestionably the US Navy people were asleep at the wheel. Someone is getting court-martialed, of that I am sure.
Prayers for the deceased sailors and their families.
Flew into and out camp Holloway usually twice weekly in 69, sure was not like that then.
The 4th inf working out of there always had full load on guard, and anything else they could get their hands on.
Most of the containerships can cruise at 29 to 32 knots depending on sea state.
What orders the OOD gave within the 15 minutes prior to the collision, combined with testimony from the crew, will reveal what transpired. It might not be revealed to the public for a long time though.
What was the mental state of the OOD?
Yeah there is. The previous assumed a 2:20 collision.
Assuming the new 1:30. Crystal was running a normal track under autopilot. Fitzgerald attempts to cross ahead from port (totally against COLREGS). Impact turns Crystal off course to south. autopilot corrects, returns to course. after 20 minutes Crystal crew starts to deal with the situation, reverses course to assist. By 2:20 is stopped at point I previously assumed was collision.
Assistance not required, Crystal goes astern, turns, regains shipping lane.
CO and OOW still in deep
Obama's Navy......which will be whitewashed for posterity reasons
Wow, one of our fastest ships, a Destroyer, chased down by a cargo ship.
We need to work on our technology./s/s/s/s/s/
Were you civilian there or army. If army you fired an M-14 in BCT through 66 or so. First time I fired the M16 was late 67 at Bragg.
Perhaps he was civilian or not Army as anyone in the Army in Vietnam in 66-67 would have had BCT in 66 or earlier and we had to qualify M-14’s in BCT. There was an AFB at Pleiku as our chief FAC, a major, twice flew me into Pleiku from Duc Co A camp to get a break for a night. I was given a room in the AF BOQ plus the O club was close. I got the best sleep I had in RVN there and in Cam Rhan Bay. I believe they also had some Navy Seabees there as my top NCO had some help built our underground facility at Duc Co.
I entered the Army in Jan 66 and left Christmas eve 67, 1 week before the Tet offensive. After a couple days at Ft Leonard Wood, and the Ft Polk I took basic training at Ft Carson, CO.
Basic training was a joke. Cleaning a rifle and shining shoes were the only two things we did daily. Some days we marched around for an hour. On two days we went for a 4 hour march/walk. On most days we sat around doing nothing.
We had a 4 hour hand-to-hand combat class in which us trainees practiced against PFC lifers who had been busted down for bar fights. I, an above average HS 123 lb wrestler, but no where near a pro, went up against a 180 lb lifer and immediately put him in a cradle where he was helpless. Our hand-to-hand trainers were incompetent.
That is the total amount of our basic training.
There's lots of freighter traffic thru Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River from Lake Huron to Erie and back. All those boats are taken over by professional captains strictly for that stretch of water.
I think I read somewhere that when under steam, it takes about 5 miles to come to a complete halt......
So you spent the usual two years like most draftees? Do you recall doing the low crawl while machine gun bullets went over your head?. After BCT at Ft. Ord where did you go? What was your MOS? How many weeks of training did you have prior to Vietnam. You are the only army person I have heard of who had no marksmanship badge or qualification in the Army, much less one who served in Vietnam.
I drove a Freightliner for years. If the cat is foolish enough to sit still, I have him on the first pass. (I am assuming some light, like moon, stars, etc.) Fortunately for cats, they are generally not so foolish.
You are correct, Lumper about the marksmanship badge. I still remember the bruise on my shoulder from not holding the M14 correctly. (Basic Ft. Knox. AIT Ft Polk 1969. RVN 1970-71 1st Cavalry Div. 11B) I think we may have a “pretender”.
Thanks for the update. Even with no malign intent by the Crystal, our boys screwed up big time.
Say, you were with the fifth SF?
We flew out of Ban Me Thuot in support in the Fall of 69, was a camp called Bu Prang right on the border that we evacuated as they were getting hit and needed to de de mau. They were trying to mortar us while on the ground.
Hats off for what you did there, and welcome home, brother.
Pleiku? Got probed and hit numerous times.
They came under the wire one night and blew up 19 choppers.
I find it hard to believe anyone would be on perimeter guard with an unloaded weapon, in the central highlands, where the NVA went for R and R.
We were at BMTE just off the airstrip down the dirt road, In Aug 68 a 4th Inf Div mech unit moved in behind us toward the airfield. In downtown BMT was B-23, an SF B team that was over Bu Prang, Duc Co, etc. After I was WIA the 155th AHC from BMT proper started flying our recon teams with the 20th SOS. The 155th AHC was near the MACV compound and PX.
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