Had that been the case at least one of the hundreds of sailors serving aboard the warship involved would have said something to someone. So far, not even a hint of a rumor from that source has come to my attention.
You familiar with the WWII incident involving the Leopoldville. Or the merchant vessel, John Harvey? They kept those secrets for 50 years.
How about the Project Cyanide/Frontlet 615 operation involving the U.S. submarine that observed and filmed the Israeli attack on the U.S.S. Liberty through their periscope 37 years ago, probably the U.S.S. Amberjack, SS522 . Thirty-Four Americans were killed in that little *incident.* And it could have been worse. Much, much worse: