Yes there is one at The California Maritime Academy in Vallejo California. I have been on the “bridge” while a simulation of going through the SF Bay. The only clue is the stairs behind you when standing on the bridge.
In wrapped around the “bridge” almost 360 degrees is the bay and above the sky. It can simulate different types of ships, conditions, locations, and other shipping.
It has been on national news a few times after ship collisions. It was used to determine just what went wrong when the tanker hit the Bay Bridge. The Coast Guard and the regulating body for pilots used it to make judgments against pilot, Captain, and mates.
After a quick look, nobody in Navy and in their right mind will expect them to resign even if it was an available punishment. The skipper was commissioned out of NROTC in 1999. The exec was commissioned in Jan 2000. I expect them to fight tooth and nail to avoid discharge until at least they qualify for retirement in 2019/2020.
As I think I said upthread, those waters were not particularly crowded. If they were considered crowded, the CO would be awake 24 hours a day.
There is a similar facility in Australia. I know a couple of the guys that run it. It is generally regarded as (as you say) rather silly looking but completely invaluable. You can practice, over and over again in the space of a few hours, something that - in real life - you would be lucky to have the chance to do more than a few times a year.
Yes one of the latest and hence one of the best in the world* is in Brisbane. I’ve been in it and played with it. I successfully rammed the Statue of Liberty with a full size container vessel ;). It is stunningly real. The platform on which you stand is not moveable but the illusion is so complete that you would swear it was rocking with the swell and rolling as you turn. The facility has (IIRC) two other simulators in the same facility that similate tugs, so that all three can be run in the same simulation at the same time, with the tugs and ship working together.
*For about five minutes until someone builds a new one, which they probably have by now
Hit a tanker this time. Faaark. No oil spilled by the sound of it, but Great Og would the proverbial have hit the fan if it had.
You are correct that the report is wrong in stating the collision was in the Sea of Japan, but you’ve confused east and west here. The Sea of Japan is west of Japan and the collision occurred to the east of Japan.
Firstly if the Crystal was on 70° and the Fitzgerald was on 230° then I agree that they were 20° or so from head on, which counts as “crossing” (with head on probably where within +/- 3° of reciprocal courses). I also agree that the Fitzgerald was the give-way vessel and Crystal was obliged to maintain course and speed, until it became clear that the Fitzgerald was not going to give way. I certainly agree that the theory that the Crystal had no one on the bridge is fanciful, for the reasons you give plus many others. It’s conspiracy theory dreck dreamed up by people with no clue.
If the Fitzgerald was on 230° pre collision, it fucked up in a fairly standard way. The fact the vessels hit stbd/port means they were on similar courses by the time they hit. We know from the AIS track that the Crystal turned about 90° stbd at or around the time of collision (which is precisely what it should have done), so presumably the Fitzgerald tried to turn to port but wasn’t able to turn tightly enough to get around.
If this is correct - and info is sketchy at this point - then it’s a fairly classic way of fucking up. The Crystal spots the Fitzgerald, correctly figures the Crystal is stand on and keeps going. The Fitzgerald either doesn’t initially spot the Crystal, or (IME more likely) does but thinks the Fitzgerald will cross safely ahead. Then the Fitz bridge team starts to realise it’s going to be too close. What they should do at this point is make a robust turn to starboard. However, what can happen is that at this point the bridge team is kind of fixed on the idea of crossing ahead, so what they do is turn a bit to port to increase the angle and get across more quickly.
At some point the Crystal realises the Fitzgerald are completely fucking it up and turn hard to starboard to try to avoid the situation, but because the Fitzgerald are in a fixed mindset of trying to get across the Crystal’s bow, the Fitzgerald’s bridge team (either in panic or not wanting (in a naval command situation) to be seen to admit they’ve got it wrong) they just keep trying to turn to port tighter and tighter, then…
You are right not part of the UCMJ. They can not be ordered to resign. It is tradition. If a Naval Officer is passed over twice for promotion they are expected to resign. Other wise the office levels would become stagnet and not would be able to be promoted. If an officer does not resign he can expect to have the worse duty. Artic two man radar stations and such. Not nonsense just life.
The question as to why the crew did nothing at all to avoid the other ship nor warn the other ship IS going to be the main issue in the enquiries.
Survivability of the sleeping quarters in such a collision may be a secondary issue.But this sort of collision nearly splits and sinks a destroyer… it may just be luck of the draw as to the bow profile of the other ship…
USS McCain now having a very similar wound below the waterline and pretty much the place midships, below the forward part of the superstructure… the other ships underwater bulb has crushed in the side rather than cutting it.
Just luck as to how it hit. If the other ship is heavy in the water then the bulb may be deeper and hits more with the bow stem than the bulb, the bow stem then acts like a knife .