[Tallguy]

from the article: Given that ships move in a forward direction, not sideways, isn’t it fairly obvious which ship hit the other one?

There is an exception. 2 ships steaming a parallel course can sometime ‘bump’. The smaller vessel can get hydraulically ‘sucked-in’ by the larger vessel. This happened a couple of years ago when a submarine (a vessel without a sharp keel) was drawing into a supply vessel while steaming close aboard during a transfer operation.

Another observation... the OOD on the Destroyer had a responsibility to keep the destroyer well away from the less maneuverable vessel. If he got THAT close then he’s largely to blame.

Now there are extenuating circumstances: fog (or other low-visibility), narrow shipping channel, and so forth. A board of inquiry will need to sort those out.

[GOPJ]

Now there are extenuating circumstances: fog (or other low-visibility), narrow shipping channel, and so forth. A board of inquiry will need to sort those out.

One guy up in a crows-nest with a pair of binoculars? Really?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

So all that fancy Navy radar equipment we see in movies is just science fiction?

[doorgunner69]

From the container ship's AIS track, it was cruising around 17 knots in a straight line, not maneuvering.

No reason for the destroyer not to have it surface radar running in an area full of ship traffic and likely fishing boats. Lookouts probably had night vision gear. Someone knew that ship was out there.