For the complete CBC story click the above image. Two Canadian warships, the HMCS Algonquin and the HMCS Protecteur managed to collide with each other on their way to Hawaii. Apparently the collision caused significant damage and both vessels are returning to Esquimalt.
Someone is likely going to have a whole lot of forms to fill out, explaining how two warships with the entire Pacific Ocean to manoeuver in, managed to crash into each other. I would have thought they might have radar and other fancy equipment to avoid such things.
If you knew anything about the navy and its ships, you would know that they were operating at very close quarters while carrying out a towing exercise. Radar? what a stupid comment.
ReplyDeleteIf what 'anonymous' says is accurate, and they crashed during a towing exercise I'm not sure whether that would make this incident better or worse?
ReplyDeleteI submitted the post as "anonymous". I am a retired Lieutenant Commander after 38 years in the RCN. My comment was mainly directed at the thought that radar could have prevented this. In a towing exercise, the ship which is towing passes close to the bow of the ship to be towed. This is done to fasten a towing cable between the two ships. Without being there, I can only surmise one of two possibilities: Either a wave forced the destroyer into the supply ship,or vice versa, or human error on the part of the helmsman or Commanding Officer. At close quarters such as this, the Commanding Officer would be personally in control of the ships movements.
ReplyDeleteJ. Moore
Nanaimo