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USS Fitzgerald Collision with Container Ship.


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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40310563

 

Read the article and look at the tracking maps for the container ship. It made some VERY unusual U-turns in the middle of busy shipping lanes, then struck the Fitz. starboard amidships. Damn-near looks deliberate to me!

With the radar equipment on ships these days, how the heck does this even happen?

 

Captain and others injured, 7 crewmen missing. Thank the Gods of the Seas the Fitz didn't go down!

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2 things.    This was no accident.  A container ship doesn't make wild maneuvers like that.   I'm embarassed that the crew of a US destroyer allowed their ship to be rammed by a goddamn container

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40310563   Read the article and look at the tracking maps for the container ship. It made some VERY unusual U-turns in the middle of busy shipping lanes, then stru

Patience and hope for the truth not propaganda

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40310563

 

Read the article and look at the tracking maps for the container ship. It made some VERY unusual U-turns in the middle of busy shipping lanes, then struck the Fitz. starboard amidships. Damn-near looks deliberate to me!

With the radar equipment on ships these days, how the heck does this even happen?

 

Captain and others injured, 7 crewmen missing. Thank the Gods of the Seas the Fitz didn't go down!

I think you're right. The plot shows the container ship was AIMED at the Fitzgerald. Occam's razor. They missed, turned around, and hit it the second time. The simplest answer is usually the correct answer. 

 

_96528889_japan_uss_fitzgerald_crash_map

Now, who is behind this?

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A friend of mine (former Navy) pointed out that the impact was just behind the forward missile battery, which I had noticed.

If it had impacted the battery, would they have exploded, due to munitions and/or fuel? I don't know what status the missiles are in when not in-combat.

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2 things. 

 

This was no accident.  A container ship doesn't make wild maneuvers like that.

 

I'm embarassed that the crew of a US destroyer allowed their ship to be rammed by a goddamn container ship if they weren't anchored.

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Darth has it completely correct.  Unfortunately.  The first thing a helmsman learns is not to let his ship get hit.  Does the USN still have standard operating procedures or general orders demanding the helmsman maneuver ?  Where was the OOD?

 

Imagine what would have happened if a Russian Warship had been struck in such a manner?  Boarding the freighter and shooting the entire bridge crew comes to mind ... after the Russian helmsman and OOD was shot first!  An accident?  Let me think ...

 

Yep ... NO WAY!  But ... that is what they said about the Titanic and Andrea Doria.  But ... the "Burkes" can accelerate zero to 40 in 3 minutes.  Turn on a dime and give your change.  Huge standard watch bridge crews.  So much does not add up.

Edited by HB of CJ
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 Boarding the freighter and shooting the entire bridge crew sounds like a great idea. Too bad that didn't happen. Don't fuck with US

 

Sinking the freighter sounds pretty good too....

Edited by patriot
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Hold on guys.

 

There is a very simple explanation for this.

 

The freighters captains hat blew off and they were circling around trying to retrieve it from the water.

 

This has happened to me a few times on the water.

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Whoever had the con violated a standing order big time to allow this!  He's going to get the bill for sure!

 

Pirates at the Crystal's helm?  Muslime pirates?

 

Seems to be a bit north for most pirate problems though.

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Bulbous bow on the freighter?  Massive underwater damage on the USS  Fitzgerald?  Smack, dig in and drag.  How much time warning did our sailors have?  Right now I can not help but think about who was conning the freighter?  A very good job doing a very difficult and horrible thing?  Tee boning a USS Destroyer damn near broadside.  I wonder if any investigation will go there?

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From what I was reading elsewhere, the shipping lanes where this took place are very busy and somewhat chaotic....  Seems entirely possible that the freighter could have taken advantage of this to approach close enough to make it more difficult to escape the second ramming attempt.  Combine that with a destroyer crew focused on avoiding the normal traffic they expected to see, rather than the hostile attack they were actually facing, but had no reason to expect in that locale.  Some America hating shithead found himself in the right place at the right time, in possession of the last weapon anybody would have expected, and took advantage of the situation.

 

Basically Sudden Jihad Syndrome, writ large.  Wouldn't be totally surprised if we learn that the guy conning the freighter was from Mindanao or a similar locale.

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The articles I've seen locally make it sound like our ship hit the container ship.

The Fitz hit the container ship with its side....yeah....ships can move sideways.....

No lateral thrusters on the Fitz. This ain't Star Trek.

Yeah....that's the ticket...

...and my wife is...Morgan Fairchild...

4ac593892252dfb5900f5999e236c8c3.jpg

 

Bias much?

Edited by patriot
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This was a Destroyer. They are ALWAYS running SOMETHING over! Seriously, when I was on the Submarine, we made more that a couple crash dives because one of our Destroyers would be running around at 30 Kts WITH NO LOOKOUTS! (The asshole Captain probably called a 'clean up ship').

 

This Captain is now looking for a job. Playing chicken is part of the job. Hitting something is like scratching on the 9 ball - you loose!

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Was the Captain even awake at 0230? unsure.png

 

ETA: Aren't there sirens or horns that go off if an impact is imminent? Some kind of a loud warning?

 

(On a side note... I know the Phalanx system is mainly anti-missle defense, but can it also detect/defend against ship traffic? I can't help but be curious what it would do to the hull of a container ship!  ;) )

Edited by Ronin38
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No the Cpt was asleep in his quarters near the impact point and suffered serious head injuries.

 

The POI was where at least some of the crew sleeps thus the death toll, dead before they knew what happened.

Or one would hope, drowning in the dark aint a great way to go.

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If I was king of the world and thank goodness I am NOT, hopefully I would have put good people in charge.  An automatic response.  Do we have a SEAL ship boarding and securing team handy around there?  Why was there not obviously already in place SOP (standard operating procedures) for dropping a rapid response SEAL team onto that freighter?  Maritime charge of successful ramming and potential boarding.  Attempted murder on the high seas.  Can I drop the bomb word PIRATES here?

 

ISIS Freighter Helmsman?  Others have already mentioned this and thank you.

 

Are we seeing some left overs from the Obama USN?  Where eye makeup is more important than sit reps?  Where new plumbing on new USN ships must be redesigned to handle "female" monthly discharges?  Where we actually NAME new proud ships of the USN after ... after ... I can't say it here.  Not legal.  Hopefully the Navy Secretary will use this disaster to fix a bunch of stuff with our NEW NAVY.  Sweep the decks.  Scrub the bilges.  Kill all the rats.  Make the necessary improvements.  If not? ...

 

If not I am afraid our NAVY may LOSE the next totally unexpected big war.  Right now I am mourning here.  We are a USN family.  This whole thing hurts.  Pure bull shiet.  I have spent many a night wide awake doing my job.  Sleep was not an option.  Again ... how can this sort of thing happen?  Well that is easy.  Burn through the accident theory.  That is half of it.  Focus on assuming it was an act of war.  We may or may not find out all the truth with this.  Perhaps this will change also.  SHIET! 

 

Respectfully.  The crew did their jobs.  Any ordinary other country navy ship would have sunk.  The USS Fitzgerald will required a dry dock for one year.  She is that badly damaged.  Cracked back?  Amazing design.  Amazing crew.  My hearts go out to them.  Hell of a post on Fathers Day.  I am sorry. :(

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The articles I've seen locally make it sound like our ship hit the container ship.

The Fitz hit the container ship with its side....yeah....ships can move sideways.....

No lateral thrusters on the Fitz. This ain't Star Trek.

Yeah....that's the ticket...

...and my wife is...Morgan Fairchild...

4ac593892252dfb5900f5999e236c8c3.jpg

 

Bias much?

Local news is strong left leaning here. Sucks my area in the state borders the stong democrat mn state.

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Whether their were any ninjas close enough to board the ship or not, if it were a deliberate act... Why isn't that cargo ship in tiny pieces  in Davy Jones locker?

 

Because it's a merchant vessel on the registry of a long-standing ally, and this was most likely the act of one shithead on night watch.  The guys who were asleep and/or not steering the boat don't deserve to die any more than the US sailors did, not to mention I'd guess that ship was crawling with authorities as soon as it made port.

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It takes about 2 MILES to turn a freighter! This is NOT a case of a deliberate attack. The Destroyer is at fault. Basic Seamanship was ignored. That is not uncommon for Tin Can Sailors! OOD and lookouts paying NO attention to what they were SUPPOSED to be doing! Probably changing the watch, and not a single pair of eyes on watch.

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GOB:  At first your post pissed me off.  But after some difficult self critical examination it is possible you have it spot on.  Thank you.  Your post needed saying.  SHIET!

 

Is it possible our USN is that foouked up?

 

Yes it is possible.  I hope this isn't the case  sad.png

Edited by HB of CJ
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