As a former Officer of the Deck on two US naval vessels, my heart goes out to the families of the lost and also to the idiot(s) who caused this collision:
The U.S. 7th Fleet said in a statement that the crash damaged two berthing spaces, a machinery room and the radio room. Most of the more than 200 sailors aboard would have been asleep in their berths at the time of the pre-dawn crash.
You can read the rest @
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_US_NAVY_COLLISION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-06-17-09-21-07
This is a WARSHIP, right? The crew stands watch in rotating groups, and no more than half of the 200 sailors would have been in their bunks. Many should have been on watch.
And why was this warship so easily damaged by a collision? Are they now made out of tin foil?
The only excuse for a collision at sea is an intentional ramming, and that only happens in time of war. Are we at war with the Philippines? I don't think so.
Here is a very good analysis of what may have happened:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.vesselofinterest.com/2017/06/mapping-acx-crystals-collision-with-uss.html
This report is BULLSHIT:
ReplyDeletehttp://freebeacon.com/national-security/freighter-autopilot-hit-us-destroyer/
The operator of a vessel CANNOT blame a collision on electronic gizmos. He is responsible for providing capable HUMAN lookouts to prevent accidents like this.
BOTH vessels appear to have been at fault.