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Sub official:
Did not step in because
it wasn’t warrantedBy Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-BulletinThe Navy did not cancel a day trip for 16 civilians on the nuclear attack submarine USS Greeneville because it would have been embarrassing, a key Pearl Harbor submarine official said yesterday.
Raising Ehime Maru
Capt. Robert Brandhuber, the Pacific Fleet's Submarine Force chief of staff, testified at yesterday's Navy court of inquiry that these visitor embarks are supposed to be held only as part of a scheduled training mission.
But Brandhuber, the first witness appearing before the court who was on the sub when it struck and sank a Japanese fishing training ship on Feb. 9, said the Navy decided to go ahead with the trip because 14 of the 16 civilians had already made plans to come to Hawaii from the mainland.
Rear Adm. Albert Konetzni, Brandhuber's boss, earlier had testified that he would have not allowed the Greeneville cruise if he had known its sole mission was to take the 16 civilians to sea.
Brandhuber said he was on the Greeneville as an escort for the 16 civilians and because he wanted to visit his son-in-law, Lt. Cmdr. Tyler Meador, who at the time was the sub's engineering officer.
On the second day on the stand today, Brandhuber was as deliberate in his responses as he was with the three admirals yesterday.
At times Brandhuber had to be told by the panel members and the counsel of the court to be more specific in his answers. He said he had a hard time recalling many of the events, perhaps because he didn't view the six-hour cruise as an inspection trip.
However, Brandhuber said he does remember internally evaluating what Waddle was doing.
"I spent most of my time wondering if the pace of evolution was appropriate or going too fast," Brandhuber said. "I was concerned that it might be going a little faster than I would go ... but the crew was professional and the skipper obviously knew where he was going."
He said he was surprised that, with civilians aboard, Waddle brought the sub below 800 feet underwater, the maximum depth the Navy is allowed to say where subs operate. How far below that depth nuclear attack submarines can operate is classified information.
Brandhuber also said he was surprised the submarine was going faster than what is normally allowed to be disclosed. However, under cross examination, Brandhuber acknowledged the information about depth and speed was readily visible to civilians on the sub's dials and gauges since none of them were covered.
Asked by Rear Adm. David Stone if the starboard side of the control room was crowded with civilians before the collision occurred, Brandhuber agreed it was.
However, he added: "I didn't think it would be difficult (to access) since the crew is used to work in a confined environment."
Brandhuber said until Feb. 9 he only knew Waddle by reputation and wondered if the Greeneville captain was "more show than go," but his visit showed the vessel had a professional crew.
Waddle also has been criticized for spending only 80 seconds at periscope depth, rather than the prescribed three minutes to search the ocean surface for possible obstructions.
"He (Waddle) took a look down a bearing facing me," said Brandhuber, who said he was standing behind the periscope station on the port side of the control room.
"It struck me why is he looking back here. Then he went to emergency deep after turning left to where he had been looking at," he continued during testimony yesterday. Asked about his impressions as the senior officer on the trip, Brandhuber said: "I don't feel good at all of what happened. I wish I could have done anything to make it not happen. But I don't believe the actions of the ship was unreasonable that I should have stepped in."
Yesterday, the Navy said Petty Officer Patrick Seacrest and Petty Officer Edward McGiboney have requested military attorneys, which could mean they may be called to testify. Seacrest is the fire-control technician who has told investigators that civilians in the crowded Greeneville control room prevented him from doing his job; McGiboney is the sub's sonar room supervisor.
