8 January 2005 – The USS San Francisco SSN 711, while traveling at an estimated 25 knots squarely struck an underwater “seamount’ about 350 miles South of Guam. The impact brought the boat to an abrupt halt, severely damaged the forward ballast tanks and destroyed the sonar dome. After a struggle to regain positive buoyancy an assessment of the crew revealed one dead, MM2 Joseph Allen Ashley, and an additional ninety-seven with various injuries including two with dislocated shoulders. After the San Francisco received emergency repairs in Guam she transited to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for permanent repairs. San Francisco received a replacement bow section from the USS Honolulu which had been decommissioned and was returned to service on October 10, 2008.
© Gregg Smith
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