This is good stuff, Horseman. It seems plausible, though I maintain that the Fitz should’ve been able to easily detect and track both ships. It will be interesting to see the destroyer’s track, superimposed against the others.
I apologize, Norseman...I didn’t realize that auto-correct must’ve changed your name in my last post.
Thanks. I’m obviously speculating on what eventually transpired, but I’m reasonably certain the Wan Hai will factor into the final explanation.
If all three ships were within, say, two miles of each other, moving at 20 knots (or possibly higher in the case of the Fitzgerald), a lot can happen in five minutes, especially if the first two or three minutes are taken up by decisions and actions to avoid the course of the Wan Hai.
I agree with you that “the Fitz” should have detected and tracked both ships, and suspect that it will turn out that the information about the Crystal’s existence/track either never made it to the bridge, or was mis-interpreted when it arrived. Perhaps someone was so focused on the Wan Hai that they applied it to that ship instead of a second ship. Also, the Wan Hai would have been behind and to the port side of the Fitzgerald which might partially explain the failure of the watch to see the Crystal on the starboard side in time if they were attending to the Wan Hai.
Overlaying all this would be a concern by the OOD that maybe he should call the captain to the bridge given the proximity of the Wan Hai (assuming my description is reasonably accurate.) It certainly appears he should have done so, in retrospect.