[Closed] an astute ambush

I understand it will be called "a meeting without coffee".

Pah - a parking scuff. That'll buff out.

That's not fair, I bet the other ship wasn't wearing hi-viz.

Still, another sub in the same class managed to run into Scotland, so I guess this is an improvement.

the russians did similar a while back. gibraltar straits are a tricky place to sneak about.

Yeah, but you should see the other guy.

Oh well, it'll keep the lads in Barrow busy for a while 🙄

Unlikely it'll go back to Barrow for repair - Rules/regs on Nuclear material state the subs can not return to Barrow once commissioned.

I think it'll need to be at least partially repaired where it is - doesn't look seaworthy in that photo - and it certainly couldn't dive.

2001 off the coast of Hawaii the USS Greenville ended up sinking a Japanese fishing boat when rising to the surface

How did they manage to dent that bit, but not snap the sticky up bits right next to it?

I reckon it's an insurance job. 😆

Is this covered by warranty?

[quote=ninfan ]Is this covered by warranty?

knock for knock?

I hope whoever was driving doesn't put their bikes on a roof rack.

No worries. I've got this...

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jam bo - Member
whoops. someones just got promoted to a desk job...

Two other Astute-class submarines - Astute and Artful - are in service and four more vessels - Audacious, Anson, Agamemnon and the yet to be named seventh - are in various stages of construction.

Ran out of names beginning with A. Maybe Accidentprone?

If only we fitted our £1bn subs with something they could use to detect ships.

WTF would you name one Agamemnon?

Agamemnon's family history had been tarnished by rape, murder, incest, and treachery, consequences of the heinous crime perpetrated by his ancestor, Tantalus, and then of a curse placed upon Pelops, son of Tantalus, by Myrtilus, whom he had murdered. Thus misfortune hounded successive generations of the House of Atreus, until atoned by Orestes in a court of justice held jointly by humans and gods.

His chief fault was his overwhelming haughtiness; an over-exalted opinion of his position that led him to insult Chryses and Achilles, thereby bringing great disaster upon the Greeks.

johnners - exactly what I thought! How the f#king hell do you manage to not 'see' a bloody great big ship?????

I do hope this Captain and his Senior staff are getting a new job pretty soon 👿

WTF would you name one Agamemnon?

Presumably Armageddon was already taken and this was the alternative suggestion?

Better than RealArmageddon13673 I suppose 🙂

His chief fault was his overwhelming haughtiness; an over-exalted opinion of his position that led him to insult Chryses and Achilles, thereby bringing great disaster upon the Greeks.

surely that makes it the perfect name for Trident

Bit of filler, some Halfords matt black and you'd never notice.

It happens more often than you'd think. Apparently a British nuclear boat collided with a French nuclear boat a few years back, neither realised it was anything more serious than dinging a stray container somewhere until they returned to their respective home ports.

I wonder when they'll start fitting subs with parking radars?

Ran out of names beginning with A. Maybe Accidentprone?

The next series will start with HMS BumpsieDaisy

WTF would you name one Agamemnon?

Agamemnon was Nelson's favourite ship. I think the Nelson connection is a bit more important than all the Greek mythology stuff.

surely that makes it the perfect name for Trident

No Tridents on that boat.

Agamemnon was Nelson's favourite ship.

Didn't know that. Every day a school day and all that.

tuskaloosa - Member
2001 off the coast of Hawaii the USS Greenville ended up sinking a Japanese fishing boat when rising to the surface

Our Navy dragged one down off Arran in 1990

However the US did manage to crash into a mountain at 30 knots: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_San_Francisco_(SSN-711)#

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Is it a sticker?
Mod " hello, is that chips away?" 😆

the yet to be named seventh

If that isn't named Subby McSubface, an opportunity had been missed.

Maybe submarine sonars are like dogs, they can't look upwards?

I think it'll need to be at least partially repaired where it is - doesn't look seaworthy in that photo - and it certainly couldn't dive.

Depends what's in there. It's not part of the pressure hull so it probably could dive if it needed too.

Interestingly, these boats don't have an optical periscope, it's all digital - wonder if it had been a while since they took a picture.

Either way, the skipper's getting court martialed.

If only we fitted our £1bn subs with something they could use to detect ships.

It's all well and good seeing something coming towards you but when you've spent millions making yourself invisible you can't expect the other guy to take the right anti collision avoidance measures 🙂

Apparently the damaged bit is no longer known as a conning tower in the Navy, as it isn't a pressure vessel. They're now known as sails (UK terminology) or fins (US terminology). Online cutaways (not the most accurate source of information admittedly) suggest that they are mostly empty except for sensor masts and access to the viewing area on top. Maybe as long as the sensor masts aren't damaged it is a relatively simple repair (by the standards of the repairs carried out on vessels designed to operate under enormous pressure in seawater and which carry nuclear reactors and precision weapons).

Interestingly, these boats don't have an optical periscope, it's all digital - wonder if it had been a while since they took a picture.

Not really needed though, the sonar would've picked it up from a long way away

Not really needed, the sonar would've picked it up from a long way away

I've not seen a fancy modern sonar in action - do they plot all the contacts for you?

A "hats on discussion".

Maybe as long as the sensor masts aren't damaged it is a relatively simple repair (by the standards of the repairs carried out on vessels designed to operate under enormous pressure in seawater and which carry nuclear reactors and precision weapons).

even then, they'll just pull them out and put in spares so not a huge problem (at submarine level)

Is standing on the deck the Navys equivalent of the [s]naughty[/s] thinking step?

I think it'll need to be at least partially repaired where it is

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What's interesting is that, so far, the other 'merchant vessel' (a tanker) has not been named; I find this strange as does another friend in the maritime world - I'm former Merchant Navy.

Bearing in mind that the sub was on exercise at the time it makes me wonder of the other vessel was an RFA tanker; this wouldn't be the first time that RN subs have got too close to the underside of an RFA. Might explain why there's been no mention of the name of the 'merchant vessel' (which RFA's are) as that would be even more embarrassing...

[quote=househusband ]What's interesting is that, so far, the other 'merchant vessel' (a tanker) has not been named; I find this strange as does another friend in the maritime world - I'm former Merchant Navy.
Bearing in mind that the sub was on exercise at the time it makes me wonder of the other vessel was an RFA tanker; this wouldn't be the first time that RN subs have got too close to the underside of an RFA. Might explain why there's been no mention of the name of the 'merchant vessel' (which RFA's are) as that would be even more embarrassing...

I think they probably knew exactly where the ship they hit was. right above them. Probably practicing sneaking in the med under the cover of a noisy vessel. The area is notorious for large internal waves which would be like a rollercoaster in a sub if you get hit by one.

Probably practicing sneaking in the med under the cover of a noisy vessel.

Undoubtedly doing just that - no doubt I was above subs numerous times when I was in the RFA many moons ago; I just find it strange that the other vessel is as yet anonymous.

yeah that would make sense, but given that the damage is on the leading edge I wonder how the could've done that whilst avoiding all spinny things that tend to hang off the back of tankers?

Just sail it to Dublin...

yeah that would make sense, but given that the damage is on the leading edge I wonder how the could've done that whilst avoiding all spinny things that tend to hang off the back of tankers?

It's been described as a 'glancing collision'.

The prop doesn't normally (unless it has azimuth pods or the like) protrude below or behind (as it has the rudder behind it) the actual overall 'envelope' of the ship; I reckon more likely the sub hit the side/keel of the other vessel.

be a stute your country needs stutes

I hear it was a bunkering tanker. Which adds weight to the RFA idea. Know a few chaps who work for the RFA...I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't to blame! Not the RFA's finest those two!

househusband just checked lloyds list reports say Panamanian Tanker which was underway but name not yet known..

further to the story

Initial reports put the casualty in Gibraltan waters, but some sources said that it occurred in international waters around four or five miles from the Rock.

Panamanian Tanker which was underway but name not yet known..

Meanwhile, somewhere near Gibraltar... (contains swearing)

Agamemnon was Nelson's favourite ship. I think the Nelson connection is a bit more important than all the Greek mythology stuff.

Which raises the question of why they chose that name back then, as well as why they would persist with using it. Victory, would have been better, although it would be at the back of the phone directory.

I suspect the problem was that the captain was wearing a mountain bike helmet, not a roadie one.

Victory, would have been better,

Already got one.

...and at least the Victory we've already got actually works!

Victory we've already got actually works!

Define works; It's not sailing anywhere soon!

Was on a tour once, and the guide kept on mentioning the ring bolts in the floor. When we got to the point where Nelson fell, some wag piped up "should have looked out for the ring bolts".

There's a history in the Navy of reusing great names of the past. Greek heroes were a common theme, Ajax, Achilles, Agamemnon were historically cruisers and battleships, a role now taken by SSN and SSBNs as the most powerful ships/vessels in the navy inventory.

Agamemnon was one of the most powerful kings of Greece in ancient times, famous for the sacking of the supposedly impenetrable city fortifications of Troy using stealth and guile to do so....I think it's a pretty fitting name for one if the worlds most stealthy predators.

The damage to the conning tower isn't particularly serious, it's a free flood area and the majority of the sensors and masts are aft of there. It's likely damaged the tower sonar and the wet bridge, but in reality, it's little more than casing damage. The damage to the forward hull is again likely to be casing and mooring fixtures, possibly the forward escape trunk. She'll be fine to return to Faslane/Davenport once she's been inspected.