Posted on 06/26/2017 5:56:24 AM PDT by AU72
TOKYO, June 26 (Reuters) - A U.S. warship struck by a container vessel in Japanese waters failed to respond to warning signals or take evasive action before a collision that killed seven of its crew, according to a report of the incident by the Philippine cargo ship's captain.
Multiple U.S. and Japanese investigations are under way into how the guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald and the much larger ACX Crystal container ship collided in clear weather south of Tokyo Bay in the early hours of June 17
Those who died were in their berthing compartments, while the Fitzgerald's commander was injured in his cabin, suggesting that no alarm warning of an imminent collision was sounded.
Thank you, but that doesn’t help. My query is how do you find yourself on a collision course, turn the helm hard right, and ten minutes later collide anyway.
Not only the concepts, but most of the details seem the same.
Ever been walking down a hallway with someone coming at you, and you each move this way, then that, trying not to collide, and you end up colliding or coming very close ?
That is what I have found...details in these things are often depressingly the same.
That is what I have long thought on this. The Navy can be stubborn about things, especially when it doesn’t cast them in a positive light (as we all can be)
It is things they get intransigent about that make me most suspicious.
The answer is as old as humankind itself...ignored experience and instructions.
But a combat ship that is supposed to get shot has ALL its comms at one location that can be taken out with the one "golden BB" ??? COME ON Mission critical equipment is always (or should always be) built with redundancy in diverse locations/paths so you don't have a single point of failure ...it's just common-sense For Christ sake go down to Radio Shack buy some antennas and run some coax cable and put a backup antenna on the bow and on the f---ing stern ...
The ACX Crystal was traveling at 18.5 knots prior to the collision.
Even if the course is changed to “hard right”, the weight of the ship will want to continue ahead.
When the Fitzgerald hit the port side of the Crystal, the Fitzgerald acted like a tug pushing on the bow of the Crystal.
Take a look at the chart of the Crystal that has been posted many times and the 90 degree turn made at 16:30 UTC.
I’ll be honest-I am wondering the same thing, and I think it is going to come down to inadequate training. I give them credit for saving the ship, but even if people are working like hell to isolate the damage, etc. they can’t take one single Cryptologic Technician’s Mate (or whatever they call them now) and say “You...get these comms back online”.
They have to train for that. It is a warship, I don’t care how PC, transgendered, or whatever is it...they just HAVE to train for that. If they don’t...is isn’t a warship, it is a yacht.
I think it is either training, poor leadership (specifically in this crisis) or both.
I am going to blow a gasket if it turns out to be inadequate training. I swear I will.
If it goes on for ten minutes, we’re not colliding; we’re dancing.
When I pass someone in the hall there are no firmly established rules of the road, because good manners is enough to prevent mishaps. Ships have COLREGS, and those in command of ships are supposed to understand their responsibilities thereunder.
When constant bearing but decreasing range is noted, a collision is imminent. Every weekend boater learns this in his first US Power Squadron course. ACX Crystal executed hard right helm in response to this condition. A destroyer cruising at 25 knots ought to have steered to port regardless of whether the merchant vessel altered course or not, because that would be the safest course.
I am beginning to think we need to start sending Mad Dog Mattis copies of these FR postings just to let him know there are people closely watching his military and checking whether Obama ‘fundamentally transformed’ them into something we find unacceptable.
Yeah and there is no way that our Navy would ever be that derelict as to be rammed purposely!
Blinded by emp or new technology unknown to me/us looks possible.
Sorry I have a hard time with Americans just calling our military a bunch of idiots.
We shall see!
The idea that there is a single antenna to hit and stop all comms is ludicrous, but makes sense to the various experts popping up here with all sorts of goofy ideas.
Latest from the Wall Street Journal. WSJ says the Crystal blared its horn in addition to the lights.
“The captain of a cargo ship that hit a U.S. destroyer near Japan earlier this month has told investigators that the ship sent emergency warnings as the American vessel suddenly cut across its path, according to a person with direct knowledge of the testimony.
The ACX Crystal blared its horn and flashed its lights as the USS Fitzgerald crossed in front of it from the left around 1:30 a.m. on June 17 south of Tokyo, the captain said,...”
Do you have a link?
turning the helm repositions the stern, not the bow. So the merchant vessel’s stern swung to port, pivoting (more or less) around the bow. I accept that in a turn the stern moves more than the bow. But the captain of ACX Crystal speaks of a ten minute interval. Even with very large ships, that is a good space of time to avoid collision if both vessels are competently skippered.
Well, if the flashed the lights and hit the horn at the time of collision, that would be expected.
Never mind...I guess they let you see a little snippet without a subscription, but doesn’t provide much.
I am hoping for the best with Mattis, but not sure what to expect from him. I know he is a pretty smart guy, but waiting to see how he unties this Gordian knot Obama and his ilk tied our military into.
The two berthing spaces had sleeping accommodations for about 116. The six that died, other than the FC1 Rehm jr. who is credited with the rescue of 20, likely sustained lethal/incapacitating injuries upon impact.
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