After the collision with a merchant ship, the Nimitz-class carrier was repaired in Souda, Greece
Detail photo of the damaged area aft starboard side USS Harry S. Truman. Photo. US Navy
On 12 February, an aircraft carrier collided with a merchant ship. Something like this is always sensational, and when it happens in the Mediterranean, in these times, and especially a US carrier, then even more so. What happened?
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier "USS Harry S. Truman" (CVN 75) struck the merchant ship "Besiktas-M" near Port Said, Egypt, north of the Suez Canal and shortly before midnight. The relatively minor damage to the aircraft carrier was in the aft area on the starboard side. That tells the sailor something - in terms of the right of way in the open sea. But we do not know exactly what the nautical situation was like before the collision. This is also the subject of the investigations that have been launched. There were no reports of water ingress or casualties. The US Navy hastened to announce on its press portal that the nuclear propulsion system was unaffected.
Now it would be interesting to know what happened to the "Besiktas M" (IMO: 9291365), a 188 metre long bulk carrier flying the flag of Panama. But the Turkish shipping company is also keeping quiet about this.
Four days after the incident, the "Truman" arrived at the U.S. Naval Support Activity (NSA) in Souda Bay, Greece, to repair the damaged starboard side of the ship. The US Navy describes quite precisely what was broken: the outer wall of two storage rooms, a maintenance room, a line halyard and the platform above one of the storage rooms aft of lift number 3. For a ship over 300 metres long, this was really just a "cosmetic repair".
Repair overseas
Damage to the USS Harry S. Truman, pictured right. Photo: US Navy
The US 6th Fleet points to its outposts, such as the one in Souda in the north of the island of Crete, without whose capabilities and the co-operation of the allies such immediate repairs would not work. The US relationship with allies and partners provides access to ports around the world and allows the US Navy the availability of strategic piers and resources critical to operational flexibility." Hopefully the Vice President of the USA knows that too. The ship is now back in service: In addition to the flagship and its Carrier Air Wing 1 (CVW) with eight embarked air squadrons and staffs, the Carrier Strike Group 8 (CSG), consisting of parts of Destroyer Squadron 28 (DESRON28) with the guided missile cruiser "USS Gettysburg" (CG 64, Ticonderoga class) and the three guided missile destroyers of the Arleigh Burke class, "USS Stout" (DDG 55), "USS The Sullivans" (DDG 68) and "USS Jason Dunham" (DDG 109).
Captain Dave Snowden
Photo: USN/6th US Fleet
However, this cost the commander of the aircraft carrier his jobas USNI News reports. Captain Dave Snowden was relieved of his command of the USS "Harry S. Truman" (CVN-75) on Thursday. According to the announcement, Snowden was relieved because he had lost confidence in his leadership ability following the collision between the "Truman" and the bulk carrier. Snowden, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, is a fighter pilot - he was previously first officer of the "Truman" and before that commander of the dock landing ship "USS San Antonio" (LPD-17). The commander of the "USS Dwight D. Eisenhower" (CVN-69), Captain Christopher "Chowdah" Hill, whose carrier is currently in a lay-up at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth/Virginia and led the operation in the Red Sea just twelve months ago, was flown in as interim commander.
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