Incidents between submarines and civilian vessels
After last week’s MIN report that a Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine was at “serious risk of collision” with a ferry in 2018, Forces News has taken a look at other incidents involving vessels on either side of the surface.
USS Greeneville and Ehime Maru
Nine people were killed on board the Japanese fishing training vessel Ehime Maru following a collision with an American submarine off Hawaii in February 2001. Four teenagers were amongst those killed after the Japanese vessel sank.
At the time of the collision, USS Greeneville was performing an “emergency surfacing manoeuvre” for civilian guests on board, the US Navy said.
The names of the deceased teenagers, teachers and crewmen were engraved in a Honolulu memorial, whilst a US Navy recovery effort of the Ehime Maru reportedly cost $60 million.
USS Oklahoma City and a Liquid Natural Gas Tanker
US attack submarine USS Oklahoma City collided with what was at first an unidentified vessel as it was rising to periscope depth close to Gibraltar in November 2002.
It later transpired the nuclear-powered submarine had bumped into The Norman Lady, a liquid natural gas tanker owned by a Norwegian shipping company.
No injuries were suffered following the incident between the submarine’s sail and the hull of the tanker, though the Norwegian company did report a leak on board.
The US Navy said the submarine suffered damage to its periscope and sail area.
HMS Ambush (left) was damaged during a collision in 2016.
Image courtesy of DM Parody.
HMS Ambush and a Merchant Vessel
In 2016 the Royal Navy’s Astute-class submarine had to dock in Gibraltar following what the Navy described as a “glancing collision” with a merchant ship.
The incident happened as the 7,800-tonne, nuclear-powered attack vessel took part in an exercise off the coast of the British Overseas Territory.
Some external damage was recorded to the HMS Ambush, though none to its nuclear plant, with initial damage reports indicating no major damage to the civilian vessel.
No crew members were injured in the incident, though damage to HMS Ambush cost the Royal Navy £2.1 million.
