Evening star., 1928-02-22
REPORT ATTACKING
ADMIRAL ON Sd
WORK IS ASSAILED
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late Lieut.. Comdr. Jones was exercising
his authority as such. However, this
bureau can conceive Of situations where,
due to accident, sudden illness or other
iustifiable emergency, the officer regu-
larly assigned to command may not
have been exercising these functions.
There are other conceivable situa-
tions which may have arisen In the at
tempts of the operating personnel to
maneuver the S-4 in accordance with
their responsibilities under the law and
which, we're they established as facts,
might be sufficient to relieve the COM
handing officer of any culpability.
There is no one to give testimony on
these matters. The ship cannot be
properly examined at this time. 1t Is
not now known what actually trans
pired on board the S-4 Immediately prior
to the collision. In the absence Of any
testimony on this most material point.
1t appears that any attempt to place
personal responsibility for this collision
on any of the officers or crew attached
to the S-4 would necessarily be within
the realm Of surmiSe rather than OF
fact. Until these possibilities have been
examined and exhausted this bureau
cannot concur in the placing OF the
responsibility on any one individual OF
the Sd personnel.
referring to paragraph of the
recommendation of the court OF in
quiry. dealing with the character OF
the testimony before the court Of Rear
Admiral Brumby and with his perform
ance of duty In charge Of rescue opera
tions, the important and even vital point
to be kept in mind Is the manner in
which he discharged his duty in COM
mand of the force engaged In rescue
operations. The court states that the
rescue plans adopted and prosecuted
under this officers orders and direc-
tions were logical inte31igent. and were
executed With good Judgment
and the greatest possible expedition.
However. after giving expression to
this high praise. without single COM
ment on his conduct of the Control
Force as distinguished from the rescue
operations, and without according to
him his rights as a defendant. the
court Of inquiry recommends the de-
tachment Of Rear Admiral Brumby from
the command OF the Control Force.
Wants Exact Reasons.
"Inasmuch as the findings of facts
submitted by the court do not appear
to support its opinion and recommen-
dation in regard to the officers named
above, this bureau recommends that
the court be reconvened for the pur-
pose Of setting forth with complete
ness and particularly its reasons on
which the opinion and recommendation
above referred to were based. 1t is
believed that the nature and impor-
tance of this case warrant a full ex-
preston from the court on this SUBJ
ject"
Taking up the case Of Lieut.. Comdr
John S. Baylis. commander of the
Paulding, Secretary Mellon says that
no blame attaches to that officer He
Is confirmed in that belief by the fnd-
ings OF a Coast Guard court of in
quiry which was convened to study
the testimony and findings and record
OF the naval court, he says. Secretary
Mellon points out that the Paulding
had received no notice OF any kind
that submarines were operating, and
pilot chart had carried for years on 1t a
W
with an explanation 1t was to appear on
submarine mother ships when the
underwater boats were operating. He
also calls attention to the point that
Navy signal books also carried such a
notation.
He says that Comdr. Baylis and tie
officers and men of the Paulding made
every effort to avoid collision, once the
sub was sighted. and II the commander
OF the Paulding was blameworthy. 1t
must be on some theory Of negligence
prior to the mergence OF the submarine.
on which point there Is no evidence
iust:tying such a finding.
On the other hand, he says that the
submarine was operating at periscope
depth. which means that the subs
eyes were from to feet above the
surface Of the water.
Visibility Would Be Poor.
AT each periscope." he continued.
there was supposed TO be an officer on
watch. one Of them specially charged
with the duty Of scanning the horizon
for approaching surface vessels Under
the conditions named. 1t was estimated
that the destroyer would be visible 70
this officer at distance Of 5000 yards
or almost miles. At the speed Of the
Paulding. 1t would take over minutes
TO run this distance. On the other
hand. the testimony shows that peri
scopes. under similar conditions. would
not be visible 10 the officers on the
bridge OF the Pauiding at more than a
few hundred yards. assuming they were
looking for a submarine. and the evil
dence showed that If the vessel was
within ZOO yards. immediate. complete
submergence by the submarine would
be necessary to avoid collision. There
fore, the officers of the submarine had
The opportunity 10 see the destroyer at
a considerable distance and seek i'm
mediate safety at a greater depth. while
the destroyer. approaching vessel ad-
mittedly designed TO see and not be
seen and only evidenced by two finger
periscopcs' little above the water In q
choppy. white-capped sea. cannot be
held negligent for failing to observe
these as the pcriscopes moved slowly
through the water"
Calling attention TO the point that
submarines are expected 10 take care
of themselves. when operating among
surface craft. Secretary Mellon contin-
ued that III the officer at the periscope
had been scanning the horizon. he
"ou'o thfC SStu tIit utstIuyet Ill tllle
to avoid her. Had the submarine re-
manned on the inner trial course be-
tween buoys. without encroaching on
the tairway. no collision would have
taken place. Had the trials been con-
Quoted SO that the turn at the end of
the course was toward the shore, where
there was plenty Of distance and deer
water. instead OF into the fairway USED
by all vessels entering or leaving the
harbor. the collision would not have
occurred.
The tug Wandank had been de-
tailed 10 Provincetown as a tender for
these tests and was at anchor In the
harbor. less than I miles distant, at
the time OF the collision. She displayed
no warning flag. This tug could easily
have been placed opposite the course of
the submarine. with warning flag dis