Cool. Now we have more of our money for the Mexicans - Just kidding! I think...:chick:

I hope they were wearing their Lanyards:evilb:

I'm sure somebody is going to lose some stripes for that. I remember when my dad was stationed on a mine sweeper out of Panama City, Fl, one of the ships failed to reverse, they ran over a channel marker, then ran aground. Thankfully, it wasn't my dad's ship. He was E-9 Cheif in charge of the engines of his ship, and whether it had been his fault or not, it still would have been his fault, because it would have happened on his watch............whether he was there or not. They hated to be called to the bridge by the "old man", as every captain in the Navy is refered to.

Those crazy Germans... they give everbody the "Greenpeace" treatment! :evilb:

:eek:

Is this it?

MSC OILER LEROY GRUMMAN AND SPANISH FRIGATE COLLIDE IN MED

The 650-foot MM&P-crewed MSC oiler LEORY GRUMMAN and the Spanish Navy frigate NUMANCIA collided Monday morning during unrep operations in the western Mediterranean Sea, causing relatively minor damage and no injuries. The GRUMMAN, with a mainly civilian crew of 104, was steaming about 250 miles east of Gibraltar when the incident occurred around 0930 hrs. A third ship, the Norfolk-based destroyer USS CARON, was on the port side of the oiler, also preparing to be unreped, but maneuvered to avoid the collision. Navy officials said all three ships continued their missions and successfully completed the unrep maneuvers. According to an unofficial account on the incident, the GRUMMAN was proceeding on a fixed course. As the NUMANCIA began to approach the oiler's right side to line up for the supply transfer, its stern apparently was sucked into the GRUMMAN's side. The frigate slid along the GRUMMAN’s starboard bow and almost “crossed the T” with the oiler but the oiler took evasive action by slowing and turning to port. “It was mainly just one large bump,” said an MSC official in Washington. The NUMANCIA is a member of the Standing Naval Force Mediterranean, a NATO force comprising ships from various allied nations. It has safely conducted such unrep missions with US supply ships in the past. The collision's cause is being investigated. The Virginia Pilot newspaper reports that while damage from this collision is considered relatively minor, classified so far as a mishap involving less than $1 million in damages, it is another in a Navywide string of accidents involving ships at sea. The number of groundings and collisions in the past 12 months has now grown to 10. Both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleet commanders have ordered their ship commanders to conduct a safety stand-down in order to review seamanship skills and assess the latest accidents. Second Fleet Commander Vice Adm. William Fallon told ship captains under his command to send their own assessments, conclusions and recommendations to him this week.


MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly

Stepped hull, obviously.

This is a different story. neither of these were unrep ships and an unrep is performed by coming up from behind and then matching speeds once next to the other ship. All in a straight line.

Normally after an unrep they'll do an emergency breakaway just to practice as if they had a problem. This just looks like maneuvering drills gone bad. Maybe mechanical failure, maybe brain failure.

Loose nut behind steering wheel. :D

IMHO, I think they had the radio turned up too loud.... :)