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The USS Fitzgerald Is At Fault. This Is Why.
gCaptain ^ | June 19, 2017 | John Konrad

Posted on 06/21/2017 6:16:08 AM PDT by artichokegrower

Every ship, regardless of nationality or purpose, is required to carry one terse book . This book is titled the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions but is better know by its acronym “COLREGs”. The chapters are short and to the point and ship officers are required to make marks of 90% on COLREGs tests taken to keep up their licenses. In order to pass this stringent requirement sailors have developed mnemonic aids to help them remember the contents. When the crew loses control of steering, the COLREGs demands that the ship display two red lights in a vertical line. The mnemonic for this rule is “Red over Red, the Captain’s dead”. Sailboats are required to display a red and green light and its said “Red over Green, sailing machine”. There are many more like this but one important rule for avoiding collisions with Navy warships is missing: “If it’s grey stay away.”

(Excerpt) Read more at gcaptain.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
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To: artichokegrower

Still don’t understand how with sophisticated radar and navigation technology presumably on Navy ships and a plodding blocks long container ship that there wouldn’t have been at least a collision warning if not time to take some evasive action. How could our Navy ships survive in combat if they can’t dodge a huge slow moving container ship?


61 posted on 06/21/2017 10:50:52 AM PDT by The Great RJ ("Socialists are happy until they run out of other people's money." Margaret Thatcherhttp://www.stone)
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To: opbuzz
Seeing as the CO was a Commander, I don’t think there was a “junior Captain” on board.

Probably means the "OOD" or Officer Of the Deck. This is the person the Captain puts in charge of the ship when he goes to bed.

62 posted on 06/21/2017 10:54:44 AM PDT by Drew68
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To: Drew68

There is an OOD on the bridge of a naval vessel 24/7 when the ship is at sea. This allows the Captain to attend to all of the things he has to do as the CO. Even when the Captain is on the bridge the OOD handles the ship, and it navigation.


63 posted on 06/21/2017 11:05:39 AM PDT by Bull Snipe (t)
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To: P-Marlowe
There was a retired Navy guy on the radio yesterday who said that this accident was probably caused by a Junior Captain who was aware of the Tanker and that they were on a collision course and decided that rather than turn to avoid, he felt if he held course he could get past the tanker like a car thinking he could beat a train to the crossing.

I read about some REAL seamanship years ago. During WWI a four-piper was escorting some troopships at when one of them, fully loaded, swerved into its path. The skipper realized that if he maintained speed, he would T-Bone the Trooper and probably sink her with a huge loss of life. He couldn't go Flank Speed as the Trooper would cut him in half with, again, huge casualties.

He sped up just enough to have the Trooper slice through forward of the No. 1 gun, killing about a half dozen sailors. The report said the Trooper saw what was going to happen and had the davits swung and and was lowring the rescue boats before she even lost way.

64 posted on 06/21/2017 2:13:13 PM PDT by Oatka
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To: Bull Snipe

“probably as sn/2c or a sn/3c”

How very politically correct of you.


65 posted on 06/21/2017 2:18:00 PM PDT by Born to Conserve
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To: chaosagent

You make a very good point not made by any other that I can recall. There is no scraping on the Fitzgerald that I could see. Only an impact line on the Fitz and the container vessel. Even if they ran parallel after collision there should be some marks shouldn’t there?


66 posted on 06/21/2017 3:33:31 PM PDT by Sequoyah101 (It feels like we have exchanged our dreams for survival. We just have a few days that don't suck.)
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To: Drew68

Some of the best laughs I’ve had in several days reading the reviews of this book!

What got the thread of humor started in the reviews of this book?


67 posted on 06/21/2017 3:40:59 PM PDT by Sequoyah101 (It feels like we have exchanged our dreams for survival. We just have a few days that don't suck.)
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To: Sequoyah101; stillfree?
Some of the best laughs I’ve had in several days reading the reviews of this book!

Happen to scroll down and check out some of the other titles at that link I provided?

I wound up in the rabbit hole of tears.

68 posted on 06/21/2017 4:22:15 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: Drew68

Yes, that was a long side trip from “How to Avoid Big Ships” to the GCaptain commentary and others on the event.

I’m still struggling to understand how it was allowed to happen.


69 posted on 06/21/2017 5:08:36 PM PDT by Sequoyah101 (It feels like we have exchanged our dreams for survival. We just have a few days that don't suck.)
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To: Drew68

OK, I’m going back in!


70 posted on 06/21/2017 6:27:06 PM PDT by stillfree? (Don't let illegals turn your state into California.)
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To: artichokegrower

It’s like blaming a cow for running into your cheetah. Stupid. DDG is at fault. Big dent in the green side of the boat.


71 posted on 06/21/2017 6:32:33 PM PDT by RinaseaofDs (Truth, in a time of universal deceit, is courage)
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To: Born to Conserve

not politically correct. Just a fact.


72 posted on 06/21/2017 7:41:13 PM PDT by Bull Snipe (t)
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To: Bull Snipe

“not politically correct.”

I don’t think that term means what you think it means.


73 posted on 06/21/2017 8:17:46 PM PDT by Born to Conserve
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To: Drew68

74 posted on 06/21/2017 8:29:19 PM PDT by Daffynition ("The New PTSD: Post-Trump Stress Disorder" - The LSN didn't make Trump, so they can't break Trump.)
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To: artichokegrower

.
This is pure bullshit!

The Fitzgerald was deliberately attacked; the radar tracking proves it beyond a shadow of doubt.

We don’t need smoke screen articles like this; if we did, we would be democrats.
.


75 posted on 06/21/2017 8:33:45 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Fiji Hill

.
>> “How could such a collision take place in the 21st century, an age of sophisticated radar, satellite intelligence, global positioning systems, etc.?” <<

Simple:

The freighter was determined to sink the destroyer.

Their first try was a miss, so they looped back for another shot.

Watch the radar track folks!
.


76 posted on 06/21/2017 8:37:26 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: miliantnutcase

.
A nutcase you surely are!

The hit was deliberate.
.


77 posted on 06/21/2017 8:39:37 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Locomotive Breath

.
No.

The freighter missed on their first attempt, and returned for a more successful hit. Then they ran away!
.


78 posted on 06/21/2017 8:43:22 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Revolutionary

.
You bet it was intentional!

Their first attempt missed so they took another shot.
.


79 posted on 06/21/2017 8:46:30 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Revolutionary

True, but then the cargo ship should have been sunk before impact.


80 posted on 06/21/2017 8:48:57 PM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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