What We Know About A Mysterious Collision Between A Chinese Warship And A Taiwanese Cargo Ship

The Drive ^

[ameribbean expat]

Authorities in Taiwan have said a still unidentified Chinese naval ship collided with the Taiwanese-flagged container ship Yutai Number One in the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, but details about exactly what transpired remain murky. The incident comes amid a spike in tensions between Taiwanese authorities and their counterparts in Beijing.

On Aug. 1, 2019, the Taiwanese Coast Guard announced that the Yutai Number One and the Chinese warship had hit each other at approximately 8:00 PM local time the night before in an established shipping lane, causing damage to both vessels, but no reported injuries. The incident reportedly occurred approximately 20 miles south of Kinmen County, a pair of islands that Taiwan controls, but which are situated less than 10 miles from the Chinese mainland. Kinmen is also on the Chinese side of a de facto boundary in the Taiwan Strait separating the two sides.

The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ship "requested [Yutai Number One] to go to Xiamen for investigation," Chen Jian Wen, a Taiwanese Coast Guard official told reporters in Kinmen. "So it asked us to send patrol ships to the rescue."

Taiwan's Coast Guard dispatched two small 100-ton displacement patrol boats to the general area of the incident, which were able to locate the Yutai Number One and escort it safely to Liaoluo Port in Kinmen. One of them then made a search for the other ship involved, eventually locating the unidentified Chinese warship.

“The military vessel said its hull was seriously damaged and its navigation was limited," Chen said. "It refused to stop as it immediately needed to return to Xiamen port for safety."

[dp0622]

Boy, I can’t think of a better time to use the phrase powder keg.

Interesting times.

[conservativepoet]

Very interesting.

[fieldmarshaldj]

*Sum Ting Wong*

[reed13k]

Not the first instigated collision the PRCS have done within the last few months. Think the others were Philipine and Viet flagged fishermen and survey ships. It’s like they are attempting to instigate things.

I think their economy is much worse off then even the most pessimistic estimates that have been given and they are looking for someone to pin some blame on in order to focus their own people on a different target then their own government.

[Mark17]

Authorities in Taiwan have said a still unidentified Chinese naval ship collided with the Taiwanese-flagged container ship Yutai Number One

I am sure there is a completely innocent explanation. I mean, after all, the rat 🐀 bastard, pinko commie geeks in China, would never do anything like this on purpose, would they? 😁🤣😂 S/

[BenLurkin]

Women sailors again?

[DariusBane]

If the Chinese warship has ASW, such as a hull mounted sonar and “ears” it makes me sad to report that the repair bill will be huge.

[Zhang Fei]

[Not the first instigated collision the PRCS have done within the last few months. Think the others were Philipine and Viet flagged fishermen and survey ships. It’s like they are attempting to instigate things.]

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An 8 pm collision suggests that this is another of those asleep at the watch incidents. I don’t know if this is still the case, but for a while, they got a bunch of shiny new ships, but not a lot of time at sea. Incidents like this may be why - (1) time at sea is expensive and (2) the crews are accident-prone. Communist Party mouth pieces like the Global Times had some fun at our expense during the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer incidents. But you gotta wonder about their accident rate per thousand hours at sea. Not hard to avoid accidents if you spend all your time in port or if you operate only when there’s daylight.

[Zhang Fei]

[It’s like they are attempting to instigate things.]

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Given how massive a typical container ship is, relative to even the biggest destroyer, it would be like a freight train colliding with a car. I doubt it’s deliberate, unless the PLAN captain has a death wish.

[reed13k]

I used to drive frigates - you can rub an oiler if you want to ...causes damage to both, but if you’re near the same speed you’ll both survive easily and the container can’t maneuver nearly as well nor is it as fast..takes too long to turn and too long to build up speed ...max is lower as well.

Good ship handling allows you to put on boarders :)

I think they gave em a “nudge” and weren’t as gooda ship handler as they thought they were.

[reed13k]

I’m thinking the Taiwanese know exactly who the ship is since they “eventually locating the unidentified Chinese warship”.

It would have a hull number at the least and they likely know exactly which Chinese ships are ported out of Xiamen since it is so close to Taiwan.

[Zhang Fei]

[Good ship handling allows you to put on boarders :)]

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It’s possible they’re not necessarily getting all that much time at sea, especially at night, so they’re gonna be worse than either Arleigh Burke crew, whether the McCain or the Fitzgerald. Of course, that was a decade ago, based on something I read on a defense forum message board. Maybe they’re now getting all the time they need and felt this urge for a fender-bender, perhaps as an excuse to impound the ship.

[reed13k]

I won’t argue that they MAY not be getting as much sea time and MAY have just screwed up. However, there were two other China related incidents within the last month in the S China Sea with out countries.

They have been pushing and I could just as easily see this being another push.

[minnesota_bound]

They could have been playing tag.
I feel sorry for the Chinese crew. They are now just spare parts to be sold on the black market.

[ameribbean expat]

Agreed.

[Bommer]

Put nukes in Japan, Taiwan and South Korea and have all three make a pact that an attack on 1 is an attack on all and let the chinks make the next move.

[Don W]

A couple of container/cargo ships that went !KABOOM! after being brushed by anyone’s naval vessel just might encourage the negligent to pay more attention.

USN no exception to the rule. Good grief, how can any competent sailor aboard ANY warship NOT see another vessel?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks fieldmarshaldj.

[elbook]

Cargo ships maneuver like an 18 wheeler so have to be cautious.

A naval ship is far more maneuverable.

Incompetance or intent on part of the Chi-coms