U.S. destroyer slightly damaged in collision with tug off Japan: U.S. Navy

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

#U.S. NOVEMBER 18, 2017 / 9:07 AM / UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO

U.S. destroyer slightly damaged in collision with tug off Japan: U.S. Navy

Reuters Staff
2 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. guided-missile destroyer, USS Benfold,, sustained slight damage when a Japanese tug drifted into it during a towing exercise off central Japan on Saturday, the U.S. Navy said.

“No one was injured on either vessel and Benfold sustained minimal damage, including scrapes on its side, pending a full damage assessment,” a statement from the U.S. Seventh Fleet said.

“Benfold remains at sea under her own power. The Japanese commercial tug is being towed by another vessel to a port in Yokosuka. The incident will be investigated,” it said.

The incident was the latest mishap involving a U.S. warship in Asia.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-navy-crash/u-s-destroyer-slightly-damaged-in-collision-with-tug-off-japan-u-s-navy-idUSKBN1DI0HF

[Irish_Dem]

1. What is going on with the Navy? nt

[lapfog_1]

2. Let's wait on this one

given that this was an exercise with a tug boat... my guess is that the tug boat was at fault (as it was likely towing the US ship).

[Irish_Dem]

3. The tug was Japanese? nt

[SonofDonald]

4. Towing exercise not a major collision

The tug is being towed, in other words the Navy ship took out the tugs wheelhouse, if an actual towing exercise the ship was stationary and the tug made a mistake.

Currents had a lot to do with it or a mistake by the tugs captain I'd think, tugs are VERY heavy duty, all the propulsion equipment are way down in the hull and those hulls are stout beyond normal ships, only reason to be towed I can think of is the wheelhouse was wiped out so they couldn't control the tugs propulsion and steering systems.

Ouch.

But these things happen all the time all over the world, ships can't stop on a dime, no brakes......