Page 8. MAINE COASTAL NEWS September 2017 U S N N Continued from Page 7.


to never be forgotten,” said Sam Cox, di- rector of the Naval History and Heritage Command. “They can serve as inspiration to current and future Sailors enduring situa- tions of mortal peril. There are also lessons learned, and in the case of the Indianapolis, lessons re-learned, that need to be preserved and passed on, so the same mistakes can be prevented, and lives saved.” Others have searched for Indianapolis in the past. Among the elements that made


this eff ort diff erent was Allen’s recent acqui- sition and retrofi t of the 250-foot R/V Petrel with state-of-the-art subsea equipment capa- ble of diving to 6,000 meters (or three and a half miles). “The Petrel and its capabilities, the


technology it has and the research we’ve done, are the culmination years of dedication and hard work,” said Robert Kraft, director of subsea operations for Allen. “We’ve assembled and integrated this technology, assets and unique capability into operating platform, which is now one amongst very few on the planet.” The other key factor in the discovery


was information that surfaced in 2016 when Dr. Richard Hulver, historian with the Naval History and Heritage Command, conducted research that led to a new search area to the west of the original presumed position. Hulver’s research identifi ed a naval


landing craft that had recorded a sighting of Indianapolis hours before it was torpedoed. Using that information, the research team developed a new position and estimated search, which was still a daunting 600 square miles of open ocean. Allen-led expeditions have also re-


sulted in the discovery of the Japanese battleship Musashi (March 2015) and the Italian WWII destroyer Artigliere (March 2017). His team was also responsible for retrieving and restoring the ship’s bell from the HMS Hood for presentation to the British Navy in honor of its heroic service. Allen’s expedition team was recently transferred to the newly acquired and retrofi tted R/V Petrel specifi cally for continuing exploration and research eff orts. The 13-person expedition team on the


R/V Petrel is in the process of surveying the full site and will conduct a live tour of the wreckage in the next few weeks. Their work is compliant with U.S. law,


respecting the sunken ship as a war grave and not disturbing the site. USS Indianapolis remains the property of the U.S. Navy and its location will remain confi dential and restricted by the Navy. The crew of the R/V Petrel has collaborated with Navy authori- ties throughout its search operations and will continue to work on plans to honor the 22 crew members still alive today, as well as the families of all those who served on the highly decorated cruiser.


7th Fleet Announces USS Fitzgerald Accountability Determinations By U.S. 7th Fleet Public Aff airs


YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- The com- manding officer, executive officer and command master chief of the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) were relieved of their duties by Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, Commander, 7th Fleet Aug, 18. Additionally, a number of offi cer and


enlisted watch standers were held account- able.


The determinations were made fol-


lowing a thorough review of the facts and circumstances leading up to the June 17 col- lision between Fitzgerald and the merchant vessel ACX Crystal. The collision was avoidable and both


ships demonstrated poor seamanship. With- in Fitzgerald, fl awed watch stander team- work and inadequate leadership contributed to the collision that claimed the lives of seven Fitzgerald Sailors, injured three more and damaged both ships. With absolute accountability for the


safe navigation of Fitzgerald, Cmdr. Bryce Benson was relieved due to a loss of confi - dence in his ability to lead. He had previous- ly been temporarily relieved of his duties due to medical reasons from injuries sustained during the collision. Benson is being reas- signed to Naval District Washington at the Washington Navy Yard, where he will have access to medical facilities in the area. Inadequate leadership by the executive


RELIABILITY IS A FAMILY TRADITION. MEET THE NEXT GENERATION.


INTRODUCING THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE IN-LINE FOUR FAMILY.


Meet the all new advanced-technology In-Line Fours–the F200, F175, F150 and F115. This powerful family offers up 16-valve, DOHC in-line designs and electronic fuel injection. Yamaha’s next-generation design even gives the F200 and F115 class-leading DOHC power-to-weight ratios, for incredible acceleration, midrange punch and outstanding fuel economy. And know, each of these new models shares the same Yamaha DNA that built our time-tested reputation for reliability and satisfaction with boaters just like you.


Discover the next generation of In-Line Four performance at YamahaOutboards.com/InLineFour.


ver the next generat performance at YamahaO


offi cer, Cmdr. Sean Babbitt, and command master chief, Master Chief Petty Offi cer Brice Baldwin, contributed to the lack of watch stander preparedness and readiness that was evident in the events leading up to the collision. Several junior offi cers were relieved


of their duties due to poor seamanship and fl awed teamwork as bridge and combat in- formation center watch standers. Additional administrative actions were taken against members of both watch teams. Cmdr. Garret Miller will assume com-


mand from Fitzgerald’s acting commanding offi cer, Cmdr. John “Jack” Fay sometime mid-to-late-August. It was also evident from this review that


the entire Fitzgerald crew demonstrated real toughness that night. Following the collision these Sailors responded with urgency, deter- mination and creativity to save their ship.


Their rigorous damage control eff orts and dauntless fi ghting in the immediate wake of the accident prevented further loss of life.


Navy Releases USS Fitzgerald Supple- mental Line of Duty Investigation From Navy Offi ce of Information


WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy has completed and released a supplement to its line of duty investigation of the USS Fitz- gerald (DDG 62) collision off the coast of Japan June 17. The line of duty investigation sup-


plement is available atwww.secnav.navy. mil/foia/readingroom/HotTopics/USS%20 Fitzgerald/Supplemental%20Inquiry%20 USS%20Fitzgerald.pdf This report specifi cally reviews the


crew’s damage control activities, the nature and extent of injuries to the crew and eff orts to provide medical care to the most critically injured personnel, along with details regard- ing assistance provided by other vessels, diving activities and the ship’s return to port in Yokosuka. The supplement provides details and


accounts of actions taken following the col- lision and reports: Through their swift and in many cases heroic actions, members of the crew saved lives. After the collision, Sailors responded to the myriad damage control scenarios occurring throughout the ship. Flooding, structural damage and reports of white smoke stressed the damage control organization; at the same time, eff orts to restore power, propulsion, steering and navigation continued. No damage control eff orts would have prevented Berthing 2 from fl ooding completely within the fi rst two minutes following the collision. The initial line of duty investigation


was limited in scope to establishing a line of duty determination for the three injured and seven deceased Sailors. It is separate from ongoing investigations into the colli- sion between Fitzgerald and ACX Crystal. The line of duty investigation supplement is one of three Navy investigations into the collision and is meant to provide detail of what occurred following the collision. Each of the injuries and deaths occurred


in the line of duty and none was due to any member’s own misconduct.


As Restoration Nears Completion, Old Ironsides Returns to Boston Harbor By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Charlotte C. Oliver, Defense Media Activity


CHARLESTOWN, Mass. (NNS) -- After a two-year restoration at historic Dry Dock 1 at Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston National Historical Park, America’s oldest com- missioned warship, USS Constitution was refl oated July 23. Since entering dry dock on May 18,


Continued on Page 11.


m a r i n e s e r v i c e


Follow Yamaha Outboards on Facebook® , Twitter® and Instagram®


REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal floatation device and protective gear. Any reference to trademarks belonging to other companies and/or their products is for identification purposes only and is not intended to be an endorsement. © 2015 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. 1-800-88-YAMAHA


Bar Harbor, ME (207) 288-5247


www.bowdenmarine.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32