US Nuke sub grounded

All that tech and still it ran aground....

news.independent.co.uk...

An American nuclear-powered submarine ran aground last month off the north coast of Sardinia. The 7,000-ton USS Hartford hit the rocky Mediterranean floor with such impact that rudders, sonar and other electronic equipment were severely damaged.

The vessel, 362-ft long and carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles, possibly with nuclear warheads, had left its Sardinian base at La Maddalena and was sailing east past the island of Caprera soon after midnight on 25 October when it ran aground. The US Navy kept the accident secret, but it leaked in America this week after relatives of crew members on the Los Angeles class submarine learnt that the ship's six-month tour was to be cut short, only a month after it started.

After temporary repairs, the Hartford will sail back across the Atlantic to the naval dockyard in Norfolk, Virginia, for a full refit.

Ahhh, I'll get to this when I get home from work and classes.......
All "accidents"* are kept "hushed" or "quiet" in the military....

*"Accidents"= running aground, collisions, etc.

All responsible personnel are "interviewed" and then reassigned....no excuses! The Captain of this vessel/sub/boomer will be spending the rest of his days at a desk....the closest to 'captaining' another vessel will be the fishing boat he/she may have on the river or lake somewhere. The Navy does not tolerate this...no matter the situation, save war-time, and then it is still not looked upon with much forgiving. My understanding is that the Captain and 1-4 others where being held "negligent" for this? Sorry, haven't read article yet, but will read up on this when I do ever get home.

regards
seekerof

[Edited on 13-11-2003 by Seekerof]