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

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  1. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    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.

    [​IMG]

    http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-naval-vessel-collides-merchant-ship-southwest-japan-n773521
     
    SlyPokerDog, Jun 16, 2017
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  2. Jade Falcon

    Jade Falcon Just to piss you off.

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    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.
     
    Jade Falcon, Jun 16, 2017
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  3. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    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.
     
    riverman, Jun 16, 2017
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  4. MarAzul

    MarAzul LongShip

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    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.
     
    MarAzul, Jun 16, 2017
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  5. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    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
     
    riverman, Jun 16, 2017
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  6. Dougnsalem

    Dougnsalem not barf

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    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....
     
    Dougnsalem, Jun 16, 2017
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  7. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    Damn dude, when you said Navy before I thought you were in a Village People tribute band.
     
    SlyPokerDog, Jun 16, 2017
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  8. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    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
     
    riverman, Jun 16, 2017
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  9. UncleCliffy'sDaddy

    UncleCliffy'sDaddy We're all Bozos on this bus.

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    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.....
     
    UncleCliffy'sDaddy, Jun 16, 2017
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  10. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    Somebody fucked up...of that I'm certain...they would never get that close without both captains being asleep at the wheel
     
    riverman, Jun 16, 2017
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  11. UncleCliffy'sDaddy

    UncleCliffy'sDaddy We're all Bozos on this bus.

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    Yep, Blue Ridge was damn nice duty. A Cadillac in a Chevrolet navy......
     
    UncleCliffy'sDaddy, Jun 16, 2017
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  12. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    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
     
    riverman, Jun 16, 2017
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  13. Dougnsalem

    Dougnsalem not barf

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    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....
     
    Dougnsalem, Jun 16, 2017
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  14. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    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!
     
    riverman, Jun 16, 2017
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  15. Dougnsalem

    Dougnsalem not barf

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    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.....
     
    Dougnsalem, Jun 16, 2017
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  16. Jade Falcon

    Jade Falcon Just to piss you off.

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    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.
     
    Jade Falcon, Jun 16, 2017
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  17. Nate

    Nate #itsokaytobewhite #wakandaforever BANNED

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    It was field day every day for our boots.
     
    Nate, Jun 17, 2017
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  18. Jade Falcon

    Jade Falcon Just to piss you off.

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    Sorry, I don't understand this statement. You wore or cleaned boots in the shower?
     
    Jade Falcon, Jun 17, 2017
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  19. stampedehero

    stampedehero Make Your Day, a Doobies Day Staff Member Moderator

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    I hope the guys are AOK. Still, Two captains in fair weather should never have collisions.
     
    stampedehero, Jun 17, 2017
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  20. Nate

    Nate #itsokaytobewhite #wakandaforever BANNED

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    We had lower ranking Marines cleaning the fuck out of the bathrooms everyday.
     
    Nate, Jun 17, 2017
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