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posted by takyon on Saturday June 17 2017, @01:20AM   Printer-friendly
from the 7th-fleet's-bad-week dept.

A U.S. Navy vessel has collided with a container vessel southwest of Yokosuka, Japan:

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.

Also at Reuters.

mrpg wrote in with another story about a U.S. Navy sailor who was reported missing and presumed dead after a search by the Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Japan's Coast Guard. He was found days later, hiding in one of the engine rooms.


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  • (Score: 4, Informative) by KGIII on Saturday June 17 2017, @08:08AM (4 children)

    by KGIII (5261) on Saturday June 17 2017, @08:08AM (#526867) Journal

    Just to make sure...

    Facing ahead, use your thumb and pointer to make an L. L is your left side. It has four fingers. Port has four letters. Port is on your left.

    But, what I want to mention is that she will probably steam home under her own power. If not, they will send out a ship that can ballast itself, sink below her, and then remove the ballast and give her a ride home. She is pissing water because that is what she is supposed to do.

    I put her odds of sinking at 0%. They have watertight compartments and certain hatches are closed while underway. You can break the beam and both halves will float, assuming protocol was followed. It's actually quite difficult to sink a USN ship. They kinda pretty much design it like that, which really is a bit obvious.

    But, yeah, they will pump her out and keep pumping her out until she returns to port for repairs. The loss of life is unfortunate, but the ship will be fine.

    Caution: Watch her when she comes into port. If it is full of excessive nationalism, there might be a problem. Tradition is, they don't make a scene when limping home. I don't recall the name of the flag, but they will be flying a flag that will be the utmost height, even higher than the Stars and Bars - I think? Either way, if there's a lot of fanfare, that speaks to an issue larger.

    Anyhow, I should mention this is a ship. They get right pissed if you call it a boat. Subs are boats, for some reason.

    The thing on the front is called a bulbous bow. It started in WWI with the bulbous forefoot.

    Anyhow, they don't want a tragedy to go to waste. I'd keep an eye out for excessive nationalism, specifically. If this is televised, as in a hour long special, get your passport. I kinda doubt it, but it traditionally a quiet affair.

    Source: Me. Eight years as a Marine. Marines are a under the Department of the Navy. Father did 32 years, bother did four, and the other side of the family was all Navy. I rode on their boat and did a lot of mopping. I painted a lot, too. That was how I guarded the boat. Seriously, they hate when you call it a boat.

    Oh, they really do call it swabbing the deck. And, really, I had nothing better to do.

    At first, it goes like this:

    "Who here has a driver's license?"
    Somebody steps forward.
    "Good, then you are qualified to drive this mop."
    Do not fall for that. However, if you don't fall for it, you will still be voluntold. Pissing water is what she is supposed to do.

    But, that is enough digression.

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
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  • (Score: 1, Troll) by aristarchus on Saturday June 17 2017, @09:26AM (1 child)

    by aristarchus (2645) on Saturday June 17 2017, @09:26AM (#526875) Journal

    Thanks, KGIII, I love it when Marines attain self-consciousness!

    • (Score: 2) by KGIII on Saturday June 17 2017, @11:28PM

      by KGIII (5261) on Saturday June 17 2017, @11:28PM (#527200) Journal

      I can even count to 11 without having to pull out my pecker.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  • (Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Saturday June 17 2017, @02:00PM

    by hemocyanin (186) on Saturday June 17 2017, @02:00PM (#526969) Journal

    Amusing but I'm out of mod points. As to port/starbord, the trick I heard is to think of the phrase "the ship left port" -- port is on the left.

  • (Score: 2) by number6 on Saturday June 17 2017, @02:32PM

    by number6 (1831) on Saturday June 17 2017, @02:32PM (#526981) Journal

    "[is there any] red port [wine] left"

    "red port left" is extrapolated from the sentence and repeated ad infinitum until it sticks in your head.

    It becomes a fingertip mnemonic for the sailor to remember: Port is left and red, therefore Starboard is right and green.