Posted on 09/06/2005 6:16:56 PM PDT by SmithL
The submarine USS Philadelphia collided with a Turkish freighter on Monday in the central Persian Gulf. Neither ship was damaged seriously and no one was injured, officials said.
The accident occurred about 2 a.m. local time while the Groton-based submarine was on the surface headed for Bahrain for a routine port call. The Turkish ship, the Yaso Aysen, was reportedly headed for the United Arab Emirates to take on cargo.
Navy sources said the collision is likely to be a career-killer for Cmdr. Steven M. Oxholm, the captain of the Philadelphia, because the large freighter should have been spotted by both radar and crew members on lookout duty.
Though the Philadelphia is the second-oldest sub of its class, commissioned in 1977, it has been modernized several times, including updated navigation equipment. There were about 125 men aboard, the Navy said.
The Philadelphia continued on to Bahrain, where it will undergo further inspection for a complete assessment of damages, the Navy said in a statement issued Monday.
The submarine was in the area conducting maritime security operations intended to prevent the movement of terrorists and weapons through the Gulf, the Navy said.
A U.S. Coast Guard vessel was dispatched to the Yaso Aysen to offer assistance, but the Aysen was determined to be seaworthy, with only minor damage to its hull above the water line, and it continued on its way. The freighter was built five years ago in Japan, and reportedly there were 20 crewmen on board.
This was the second accident involving a U.S. Navy ship in the Gulf in 14 months. In July 2004, the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy collided with a dhow, killing everyone aboard. Capt. Stephen B. Squires was relieved of command of the Kennedy after that accident, which also damaged two aircraft as the ship turned to avoid the dhow.
It was also the second collision involving a Navy submarine this year. In January, the USS San Francisco, based in Guam, struck an underwater seamount, killing one sailor and injuring almost 100 others.
It is also the latest in a string of high-visibility accidents involving submarines over the last few years. The USS Greenville surfaced under a Japanese research vessel in February 2001, killing nine people, then grounded off Saipan the following August. The Norfolk, Va.-based USS Oklahoma City surfaced under a freighter in the Strait of Gibraltar on Nov. 13, 2002, and the Groton-based USS Hartford ran aground off Italy on Oct. 23, 2003.
Following the San Francisco accident, the commander of Naval Submarine Forces said he was taking several steps to improve navigation safety in the undersea force.
The Philadelphia left Groton last spring for a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. On its way across the Atlantic and into the Mediterranean, it served as an “enemy” submarine in the anti-submarine warfare exercise Shark Hunt 2005 with NATO allies, which ended in late June.
r.hamilton@theday.com
that sub captain's career is over.
The sub was on the surface and nobody saw the freighter? How does that happen?
I wonder if both vessels had on running lights? A collision at sea can ruin your day.
Submarine CO career-ending ping.
No doubt that Commander Oxholm is done career wise in any case.
My older brother was on the James Madison when it collided with a Russian sub in the 70's.
Well, it collided with the Russian sub in the water. And the year was in the 70's.
Any Boomer Freepers out there?
At least he didn't wipe out a shipload of teenage Japanese fishery students.
And look for the Weapons Officer and the radar operator, sonar supervisor , and fire control technician on duty to get slapped too.
And to think this crew is defending our country.
And to think Joe LIEberman fought so hard to keep this sub base operating.
The water would be an ideal place for two submarines to be.
yep, this is going to leave a dent in a few service jackets!
Mais oui! There's what? 200,000 FReepers out here, or something like that. Given a population that large, there's bound to be at least a few Boomer FReepers.
Me, for instance: 4 patrols, USS Dan'l Boone SSBN-629(B) 1966 - 1968. Two other boats and a bird-farm too, just for good measure!
Why include the Weaps? Unless he happened to be Contacts Coordinator at the time.
My husband is a part of "that crew". your comment is very disrespectful, especially to all of the wives, children and mothers that endure countless months on end without our husbands, fathers and sons.it is our family that makes a personal sacrifice, and why? for the sake of all families.it is us that must tell our children, "daddy will be home soon", knowing that we have seasons to go. it is us that musters up the strength and courage to pull up our boot straps and run our homes alone. and in the meantime, what do we do? we support them anyway we can and we pray for their safety... and we dread anything ever happening to them.so at this very moment, i am thankful that everyone is safe, that they can continue to be husbands, fathers and sons. so, before making a comment such as the one you made, think of families of "this crew" that remain proud regardless of accident.
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