Grounded sub's commander sunk

The Sun (UK) ^ | 11/27/10 | STAFF REPORTER

[SmithL]

THE naval officer in charge of a state-of-the-art submarine when it ran aground off the coast of Scotland has been relieved of command.

Nuclear-powered HMS Astute was the first of a new class of cutting-edge sub being put through sea trials when it became stuck on a shingle bank off the Isle of Skye last month.

It was stuck for several hours and had to be pulled clear when the tide came in.

Naval chiefs announced that the man in charge of the vessel, Andy Coles, 47, was yesterday stripped of his command of the submarine altogether. He will remain with the Royal Navy and will be handed another post.

No decision has yet been made over whether he will face a court martial over the incident on October 22.

[Riley]

The Captain of this vessel is still scraping barnacles off of hulls somewhere as a Seaman Apprentice, I’ve heard. She’s been aground where she lies since 1965. :-)

http://www.ship-ashore.com/

Used to go to the restaurant there when I was a kid.

[xrmusn]

I am amazed Jimmy Carter was a sub captain.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
He didn’t stay long enough to become a Sub CO but he did qualify for subs and was accepted into the Nuclear Program.
He was being groomed as an Engineering Officer on nukes but got out in 53 after his father died. He did about 9 on active duty ..grad USNA 46.
Proves ADM Rickover was right...train em right and you will have a good man.

Shame they couldn’t teach ‘common sense’.

[The Comedian]

"(Hiccup) Hello base? (hiccup) This is the captain of the (hiccup) Astute....I think I need (hiccup) a taxi..."

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[Hot Tabasco]

Naval chiefs announced that the man in charge of the vessel, Andy Coles, 47, was yesterday stripped of his command

Unlike today's corporate world where the incompetents are transferred out and promoted, the military, no matter where, does not tolerate mistakes........

[NormsRevenge]

not to worry,, drifting sand and stuff can do that to a fella.. you can bank on it.

shame , only 47..

[Frantzie]

Carter was never really a President either.

[Clock King]

The nuclear power plant has the acoustic signature of a torch battery and is the size of a family car.

Wow. Can we get one for my house?

[NormsRevenge]

HeLLo, Sir .. ONStar here!!

We have detected irregular vessel movement.

REst easy. Help is on the way.

[Kenny Bunk]

Just FYI, Rickover HATED Jimmy Carter. He was foisted upon his program by a Senator after he had annoyed every other CO he had had before. Rickover thought he was adumb and stubborn psalm-singin' SOB..

Miss Lillian had the last functioning brains in that family. Jimmy was/is a mean, vindictive, take-no-prisoners partisan democrat, his goody-two shoes image aside.

[fella]

” submariners on the Astute would have also used computerised maps of the area and printouts to judge the vessel’s safest path in the shallow and it is these that may have misled the crew.”

Kind of like that Google Earth map that the Sandinistas used to invade Coasta Rica?

[Kenny Bunk]

.....not to worry,, drifting sand and stuff can do that to a fella.. you can bank on it...

O, I get it! Lissen up Norm, you don't take a billion-dollar sub into the beach to pick up the crew. Not even in Wiscasset. Thank goodness he missed the big rock, take him months to pay it off!

[Kenny Bunk]

The military, no matter where, does not tolerate mistakes.....

How old are you? Were in before Affirmative Action, were you? Had this been one of our Navy's Lesbian Ship Captains, Bammy be givin' her the Navy Cross on the White House Lawn tomorrow afternoon. Had it been an African-American Cross Dressing Transexual with an Asian Partner, probably give it the Croix de Guerre with two boxtops.

[Kenny Bunk]

Kind of like that Google Earth map that the Sandinistas used...

No. They was looking for the nearest Radio Shack so they could repair their Lucas GPS.

[A.A. Cunningham]

not like that yank yutz who ran his boat full tilt-boogie into an undersea mountain, killing and maiming sailors left and right, and wrecking the boat beyond repair.

Long on emotion, short on facts.

USS San Francisco

Apra Harbor, Guam (Jan. 27, 2005) - The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) in dry dock to assess damage sustained after running aground approximately 350 miles south of Guam Jan. 8, 2005. The Navy former dry dock known as “Big Blue” is capable of docking ships that weigh up to 40,000 Long Tons. The Navy certified Big Blue for the one-time docking of San Francisco. San Francisco is the second fast-attack submarine to be attached to the forward-deployed Submarine Squadron Fifteen, home ported on board Naval Base Guam. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Mark Allen Leonesio (RELEASED)

050817-N-7293M-111 Santa Rita, Guam (Aug. 17, 2005) - The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) departs its former homeport of Apra Harbor, Guam, to make the journey across the Pacific Ocean to her new homeport of Bremerton, Wash. San Francisco was part of Submarine Squadron Fifteen operating from the Marianas Islands. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Nathanael T. Miller (RELEASED)

101116-N-4047W-004 NAVAL BASE POINT LOMA, Calif. (Nov. 16, 2010) Family members wave from the pier as the Los Angeles-class attach submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) prepares to depart for its six-month western Pacific Ocean and Southwest Asia deployment. San Francisco is assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 11 and homeported in San Diego, Calif. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Shannon Warner/Released)

[jazztrptman]

Dang! You beat me to it! LOL

[xrmusn]

Just FYI, Rickover HATED Jimmy Carter.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Oh yes, I was definitely aware of that.
I never really ‘forgave’ Rickover for NOT blowing the whistle on Carter until AFTER the election.

Granted he was probably ‘bound by law’ not to comment one way or the other.

BTW if you have an interest in Rickover, you might want to read “Running Critical” ‘The Silent War, Rickover, General Dynamics’ by Patrick Tyler....
If you were in or around the ‘boats’ it should give you a pucker factor of ZERO... I read the thing cover to cover in a couple sittings and was really “weeweed off”

[NormsRevenge]

I hear ya.. this is a major vessel of the sea.. shifting sands play cruel tricks, I hung around a sand bar or two in my day fishing .. never augered in tho.. came close tho.. bent the heck out of the propeller tho.

[Squantos]

Well hell they forgot to take it off the trailer......;o)

[Kenny Bunk]

Sorry AA.

There were casualties. But thanks for the repair history. Good thing the Navy doesn't use CARFAX, though.

An amazing repair.

[OldDeckHand]

"I have been using the place mats from a lobster roll shack as charts for years."

You must be in good company. It's the only thing that can explain this particular fiasco. Ran aground on sea trials. It's about as embarrassing as you can get, for a skipper.