There is precedent fore the Navy to blame the skipper of a ship for the Navy's shotcomings. In the late 60's, when the N. Kopreans hijacked the USS Pueblo in international waters, CDR. "Pete" Bucher was held accountable for the loss of his ship and the classified material it carried aboard.
Prior to beginning his ill-fated South China Sea patrol, he had expressed strong concerns to the CNO about the amout of classified material aboard his ship. The Pueblo was so overloaded with classified material, the crew had to stuff it it the overhead on top of pipes and wiring because there wasn't enough room to store it properly.
Bucher complained to his superiors about the amount of material several times between leaving Hawaii and his arrival in Japan. Not only did they ignore his requests, even after he expressed concerns that, in the event it became necessary, the crew would not have enough time to properly destroy the classified material, when he got to Japan, MORE classified material was loaded aboard the ship.
When the N. Koreans finally released Bucher and his crew after 11 months of captivity, Bucher was charged with violating military regs and court-martialed. The court-martial board acquitted him but, sadly enough, his career was over.
Buscher stayed in the Navy a few more years, but never really got fair treatment after the Pueblo incident and the court-martial. When he retired, it was generally acknowledged that he was being forced out and that he career had ended after his court martial.
The entire Pueblo affair is nothing if not a well-documented story of senior Navy officers covering their brass at the expense of a less senior officer.
Please consider that a friend who served on a sister ship to the Pueblo told me that:
(1) the Pueblo "heaved to" too soon. The N. Koreans could never have boarded that ship while it was underway.
(2) the Pueblo could have have been steered towards rescue from its well-armored engine room.
(3) If, just prior to the boarding by the N. Koreans, the reduction gears of the Pueblo had been damaged (a la a "monkey wrench"?) the transit into N. Korean waters would have taken long enough for that ship to be
rescued.
In short, my friend thought that Cdr. Butcher "gave up too early".
Please consider that a friend who served on a sister ship to the Pueblo told me that:
(1) the Pueblo "heaved to" too soon. The N. Koreans could never have boarded that ship while it was underway.
(2) the Pueblo could have have been steered towards rescue from its well-armored engine room.
(3) If, just prior to the boarding by the N. Koreans, the reduction gears of the Pueblo had been damaged (a la a "monkey wrench"?) the transit into N. Korean waters would have taken long enough for that ship to be
rescued.
In short, my friend thought that Cdr. Butcher "gave up too early".