full speed into an undersea mountain?....Does the captain have a desk job now?
500 feet deep. The collision was so serious that the vessel was almost lost - accounts detail a desperate struggle for positive buoyancy to surface after the forward ballast tanks were ruptured. Twenty-three crewmen were injured, and Machinist’s Mate Second Class Joseph Allen Ashley, 24, of Akron, Ohio, died on 9 January from head injuries
Commander J. Allen Marshall
“full speed into an undersea mountain?....Does the captain have a desk job now?”
It was not the captain’s fault. The dang mountain wasn’t mapped. No one knew it was there until the sub hit it.
Unfortunately, the captain was made to take the blame and was either reassigned or retired. I don’t remember which.
I thought the captain behaved like a hero under the circumstances.
IIRC, this was an emerging volcano, not charted.
IIRC, The CO was of course relieved and got a Letter of Reprimand at Admiral’s Mast. He has probably retired in the four years since but you never know.
From Wikipedia
Commander Kevin Mooney, San Francisco’s commanding officer, was reassigned to a shore unit in Guam during the incident investigation. As the investigation concluded, the Navy found that, despite Mooney's otherwise remarkably good record, "several critical navigational and voyage planning procedures" were not being implemented aboard San Francisco. Consequently, the Navy relieved Mooney of command, and issued him a nonjudicial letter of reprimand. (He was not charged with a crime and was not court-martialed). Six crew members were also found guilty at their own nonjudicial punishment hearings ("Captain's Mast") of hazarding a vessel and dereliction of duty, and were reduced in rank and given punitive letters of reprimand. For their actions in the crisis, twenty other officers and men received awards, including letters of commendation, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal.