OT 7 U.S. Sailors Unaccounted for After Navy Destroyer Collides With Ship Off Japan

[SlyPokerDog]

Seven U.S. sailors are unaccounted for after a Navy destroyer collided with a merchant ship southwest of Yokosuka, Japan, early Saturday local time, a U.S. official and the Navy said.

Some flooding was reported aboard the USS Fitzgerald, a 505-foot destroyer, after the collision with a Philippine container vessel at approximately 2:30 a.m. Saturday local time (1:30 p.m. ET Friday), about 56 nautical miles of Yokosuka, the U.S. 7th Fleet said.

A U.S. official told NBC News that seven U.S. sailors are unaccounted for. Japanese broadcaster NHK earlier reported that seven sailors from the Fitzgerald were missing, citing the Japanese Coast Guard.

"The extent of number of personnel injuries is being determined," the 7th Fleet said in a statement earlier. The Navy was working with the Japanese Coast Guard to conduct a medevac for one sailor, the Fleet said.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-naval-vessel-collides-merchant-ship-southwest-japan-n773521

 

[Jade Falcon]

Thoughts and prayers for all involved. I'd be interested in hearing @riverman's thoughts on this, since he served in the Navy.

I'm trying to figure out how such a collision happens at sea in the 21st century, with modern technology and radars. Even at 0230 hours, I'm thinking that there should have been lights or warning signals. Or, at the very least, somebody on watch.

 

[riverman]

Destroyer duty sucks in the Navy....guys will do anything to get off those tin cans...I went from the flagship of the 7th fleet for my first couple years to the USS Hull when I got back stateside.....serious downgrade as far as ships go. On a serious note...I hope they're ok and they survive the crash.

 

[MarAzul]

This should not happen. This has to be a screw up on several levels, the deck watch gang, CIC, and the merchant ship's steaming watch, all failed. However, no way should a Destroyer get run down by a merchant vessel.


http://shipofficer.com/so/rule-of-the-road-explained/
https://www.nap.edu/read/5065/chapter/12#200

I differ with river on Destroyer duty. I had first choice of the fleet duty assignments available upon graduation from Fire Control school. I chose a Destroyer as my preference. I loved it, visited nearly every Nation in the Pacific and a few in the Indian Ocean.

 

[riverman]

This should not happen. This has to be a screw up on several levels, the deck watch gang, CIC, and the merchant ship's steaming watch, all failed. However, no way should a Destroyer get run down by a merchant vessel.


http://shipofficer.com/so/rule-of-the-road-explained/
https://www.nap.edu/read/5065/chapter/12#200

I differ with river on Destroyer duty. I had first choice of the fleet duty assignments available upon graduation from Fire Control school. I chose a Destroyer as my preference. I loved it, visited nearly every Nation in the Pacific and a few in the Indian Ocean.

On the Blue Ridge I saw half the world.....clean....spacious....bigger hatches and bunks...breathable air...not charted in any port so I got to go to many countries over there.....the Hull was a fart bag...greasy....old radio gear...listed badly at sea although my journeys didn't cross the Pacific in the destroyer, we sailed from Adak Alaska to Panama and back many times....on the Blue Ridge I saw the world and even a 60 degree list in the middle of the Pacific was manageable. Lot of radiomen wanted that duty and nobody would swap the Pacific duty for stateside on a tin can...maybe a boatswain's mate who was on deck a lot could enjoy it..not a radioman in the radio shack though

 

[Dougnsalem]

Thoughts and prayers for all involved. I'd be interested in hearing @riverman's thoughts on this, since he served in the Navy.

I'm trying to figure out how such a collision happens at sea in the 21st century, with modern technology and radars. Even at 0230 hours, I'm thinking that there should have been lights or warning signals. Or, at the very least, somebody on watch.

My guess is the Fitzgerald was running dark, and not emitting any RF, whatsoever. No radio use, no radar. Nothing.... (hiding from the bad guys). Been there before, on an aircraft carrier of all things. We did it on the west side of the Japaneese Islands, many, many years ago. If that's the case, then someone screwed up bad by not visually spotting the cargo ship, and staying out of its way. Just a wild guess here though....

 

[SlyPokerDog]

My guess is the Fitzgerald was running dark, and not emitting any RF, whatsoever. No radio use, no radar. Nothing.... (hiding from the bad guys). Been there before, on an aircraft carrier of all things. We did it on the west side of the Japaneese Islands, many, many years ago. If that's the case, then someone screwed up bad by not visually spotting the cargo ship, and staying out of its way. Just a wild guess here though....

Damn dude, when you said Navy before I thought you were in a Village People tribute band.

 

[riverman]

My guess is the Fitzgerald was running dark, and not emitting any RF, whatsoever. No radio use, no radar. Nothing.... (hiding from the bad guys). Been there before, on an aircraft carrier of all things. We did it on the west side of the Japaneese Islands, many, many years ago. If that's the case, then someone screwed up bad by not visually spotting the cargo ship, and staying out of its way. Just a wild guess here though....

I'm tempted to blame internet access and cell phones...they didn't have those when I was a sailor but let's say....this generation gets easily distracted by a simple text msg

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

My guess is the Fitzgerald was running dark, and not emitting any RF, whatsoever. No radio use, no radar. Nothing.... (hiding from the bad guys). Been there before, on an aircraft carrier of all things. We did it on the west side of the Japaneese Islands, many, many years ago. If that's the case, then someone screwed up bad by not visually spotting the cargo ship, and staying out of its way. Just a wild guess here though....

How they didn't see a merchant ship is beyond me. Even though the Fitzgerald was likely running dark, those merchant ships are usually floating light shows visible for miles. But it's a big ocean and crazy shit happens.....

 

[riverman]

How they didn't see a merchant ship is beyond me. Even though the Fitzgerald was likely running dark, those merchant ships are usually floating light shows visible for miles. But it's a big ocean and crazy shit happens.....

Somebody fucked up...of that I'm certain...they would never get that close without both captains being asleep at the wheel

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

On the Blue Ridge I saw half the world.....clean....spacious....bigger hatches and bunks...breathable air...not charted in any port so I got to go to many countries over there.....the Hull was a fart bag...greasy....old radio gear...listed badly at sea although my journeys didn't cross the Pacific in the destroyer, we sailed from Adak Alaska to Panama and back many times....on the Blue Ridge I saw the world and even a 60 degree list in the middle of the Pacific was manageable. Lot of radiomen wanted that duty and nobody would swap the Pacific duty for stateside on a tin can...maybe a boatswain's mate who was on deck a lot could enjoy it..not a radioman in the radio shack though

Yep, Blue Ridge was damn nice duty. A Cadillac in a Chevrolet navy......

 

[riverman]

Yep, Blue Ridge was damn nice duty. A Cadillac in a Chevrolet navy......

We were spoiled....it was a great ship...to have a bakery on board alone was amazing....tough act to follow as far as sea duty

 

[Dougnsalem]

We were spoiled....it was a great ship...to have a bakery on board alone was amazing....tough act to follow as far as sea duty

Boy, I don't know. The carrier was like a mini city. Couple galleys that had different food. Barber shop. Massive weight room. Post office/bank. The bowling lanes were the best though....

 

[riverman]

Boy, I don't know. The carrier was like a mini city. Couple galleys that had different food. Barber shop. Massive weight room. Post office/bank. The bowling lanes were the best though....

I worked a 2/2/2 and 80 shift on the Blue Ridge....I would hate to hear people bowling when I needed to sleep though!

 

[Dougnsalem]

I worked a 2/2/2 and 80 shift on the Blue Ridge....I would hate to hear people bowling when I needed to sleep though!

Lol. Just imagine an aircraft falling out of the sky, and slamming on the flight deck every 60 seconds. I still can sleep through anything, after going through that.....

 

[Jade Falcon]

I've heard that the dorm/bunk showers on ships was something out of nightmares. On the forum GlockTalk, I once started a thread titled "most miserable place you've ever been", and one of the members posted being at sea for 8 months at a time, and then went on to describe how bad the showers could get.

They sound disgusting.

 

[Nate]

I've heard that the dorm/bunk showers on ships was something out of nightmares. On the forum GlockTalk, I once started a thread titled "most miserable place you've ever been", and one of the members posted being at sea for 8 months at a time, and then went on to describe how bad the showers could get.

They sound disgusting.

It was field day every day for our boots.

 

[Jade Falcon]

It was field day every day for our boots.

Sorry, I don't understand this statement. You wore or cleaned boots in the shower?

 

[stampedehero]

I hope the guys are AOK. Still, Two captains in fair weather should never have collisions.

 

[Nate]

Sorry, I don't understand this statement. You wore or cleaned boots in the shower?

We had lower ranking Marines cleaning the fuck out of the bathrooms everyday.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

We had lower ranking Marines cleaning the fuck out of the heads everyday.

FTFY

 

[Jade Falcon]

FTFY

"I want that head so clean that the Virgin Mary herself would be proud to go in there and take a dump."

 

[MarAzul]

FTFY

I believe there is only one head on any ship. However, multiple places may used for this function.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

"I want that head so clean that the Virgin Mary herself would be proud to go in there and take a dump."

She gave birth in a barn, cleanliness wasn't that big of a concern.

 

[Chris Craig]

Thoughts and prayers for all involved. I'd be interested in hearing @riverman's thoughts on this, since he served in the Navy.

I'm trying to figure out how such a collision happens at sea in the 21st century, with modern technology and radars. Even at 0230 hours, I'm thinking that there should have been lights or warning signals. Or, at the very least, somebody on watch.

Kamikaze?

 

[Chris Craig]

Destroyer duty sucks in the Navy....guys will do anything to get off those tin cans...I went from the flagship of the 7th fleet for my first couple years to the USS Hull when I got back stateside.....serious downgrade as far as ships go. On a serious note...I hope they're ok and they survive the crash.

Tin can is right. I'm surprised, I thought those ships were built stronger to withstand shit like this and torpedoes and what not. That ship crumpled like a beer can.

 

[BrianFromWA]

said as a qualfied Surface OOD on a Naval ship, there's no f****** excuse for EVER running into someone. Even if they were running dark...even if there was no radar and the fog was as thick as pea soup...even if the every one of the lookouts were asleep....even if the most junior officer on the damn ship was OOD....even if there were emergencies all over causing loss of electrical power and alarms wailing all over the ship. I've navigated through a channel with half the engineroom down and exposed in a hailstorm.

You still have sonar. An entire bridge team. Plotters. CBDR for heaven knows how long. C'mon, man. And this isn't just a paint scrape or an embarrassing run-aground. People are hurt and missing.

I'm super-interested in the Lessons Learned off of this one. Though I'm guessing this: Pay attention to previous Lessons Learned and do your job. Complacency kills. Law of Gross Tonnage generally applies.

 

[BrianFromWA]

And being on the Blue Ridge should count more for Shore Duty than Sea. Admirals don't go to sea without comfort.

 

[MarAzul]

there's no f****** excuse for EVER running into someone.

I'm super-interested in the Lessons Learned off of this one.

No Shit Sir!!!
I'm interested in the lessons to learn. But Dammitt! I think we have been here before. Crew may fall asleep, but fuck! Someone has to take responsibility.

 

[MarAzul]

I thought those ships were built stronger to withstand shit like this and torpedoes and what not. That ship crumpled like a beer can.

No, Destroyers were never built to withstand much of anything. But then this ship is really not a Destroyer, she is a multipurpose compromise. Too heavy and too deep to provide direct fire close to the beach, too light to take punishment, too lightly armed to actually serve as a gun ship, but yet more fire power than a fleet of Battleships.

I am afraid these ships are right in the class of what Alfred Mahan warned about. A feat of technology, designed to please the Fleet Commanders that can't remember reasons for having a Navy. But that has nothing to do with colliding with a merchantman.