SINKING OF U.S. DESTROYER
EVIDENCE OF WRONG STEERING ORDERS
(Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK. May 11. Lieutenant William Hoeffer, senior surveying officer of the destroyer Hobson, told a United States Naval Court of inquiry yesterday that he believed that wrong steering orders and a failure to reduce speed caused the vessel’s disastrous collision with the air-craft-carrier Wasp in the Atlantic on the night of April 16. The Hobson sank with the loss of 176 lives. Lieutenant Hoeffer said he was on the bridge of the Hobson when the commanding officer, Lieutenant-Com-mander William Tierney, gave the steering orders. Lieutenant Hoeffer said he questioned the order and mentioned the speed of the Hobson, but “saw no sense in arguing about it.” , He said he thought the message from the Wasp for all ships to “get on station” was uppermost in Commander Tierney’s mind when he gave the steering orders.
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Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26729, 13 May 1952, Page 7
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147SINKING OF U.S. DESTROYER Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26729, 13 May 1952, Page 7
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