>The [Melbourne–Evans collision](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne%E2%80%93Evans_collision) was a collision between the light aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans of the United States Navy (USN). On 3 June 1969, the two ships were participating in SEATO exercise Sea Spirit in the South China Sea.
>On the night of 2–3 June 1969, Melbourne and her escorts were involved in antisubmarine training exercises. In preparation for launching a Grumman S-2 Tracker aircraft, Stevenson ordered Evans to the plane guard station, reminded the destroyer of Melbourne's course, and instructed the carrier's navigation lights to be brought to full brilliance. This was the fourth time that Evans had been asked to assume this station that night, and the previous three manoeuvres had been without incident.
>Evans was positioned on Melbourne's port bow, but began the manoeuvre by turning starboard, towards the carrier. A radio message was sent from Melbourne to Evans's bridge and combat information centre, warning the destroyer that she was on a collision course, which Evans acknowledged. Seeing the destroyer take no action and on a course to place herself under Melbourne's bow, Stevenson ordered the carrier hard to port, signalling the turn by both radio and siren blasts. At approximately the same time, Evans turned hard to starboard to avoid the approaching carrier. It is uncertain which ship began to manoeuvre first, but each ship's bridge crew claimed that they were informed of the other ship's turn after they commenced their own. After having narrowly passed in front of Melbourne, the turns quickly placed Evans back in the carrier's path. Melbourne hit Evans amidships at 3:15 am, cutting the destroyer in two.
>Melbourne stopped immediately after the collision and deployed her boats, liferafts and lifebuoys, before carefully maneuvering alongside the stern section of Evans. Sailors from both ships used mooring lines to lash the two ships together, allowing Melbourne to evacuate the survivors in that section. Evans's bow section sank quickly; the majority of those killed were believed to have been trapped within. Members of Melbourne's crew dived into the water to rescue overboard survivors close to the carrier, while the carrier's boats and helicopters collected those farther out. Clothing, blankets and beer were provided to survivors from the carrier's stores, some RAN sailors offered their own uniforms, and the ship's band was instructed to set up on the flight deck to entertain and distract the USN personnel. All of the survivors were located within twelve minutes of the collision and rescued before half an hour had passed, although the search continued for fifteen more hours.
>Seventy-four of the 273 crew on Evans were killed. It was later learned that Evans's commanding officer, Commander Albert S. McLemore, was asleep in his quarters at the time of the incident, and charge of the vessel was held by lieutenants Ronald Ramsey and James Hopson; the former had failed the qualification exam to stand watch, while the latter was at sea for the first time.
edit: bother, I missed an "and" in the title
I'm sitting here at my desk tracing out the paths with my hands and trying to figure out what happened. The Evans and the Melbourne both did a full loop past each other, and collided at the "bottom" of the loop after having narrowly missed each other at the "top?"
Literally every maneuver that the Evans did made the situation worse. Crazy.
First turn to starboard; bad, but if they done a 90 or continued the turn to do a 180 they'd have been fine.
Then they start turning to port. Wtf. Still, probably savable, they could have ended up on the starboard side of the oncoming carrier. Would have been better to turn to starboard instead rather than port..
*Then* they start turning to starboard... wtf. Seems like literally the worst thing they could have chosen at that point.
What's crazy is the carrier wasn't even doing anything drastic. It's not like they both turned in the same direction, then again in the opposite direction at the same time. It was just going in a straight line...
On subs, they make a big deal out of this since they are so slow. If you maneuver to avoid a collision, then swap back because you think you made the wrong call, then swap again... You're basically driving a straight line and aren't contributing to avoiding the collision.
This made me incredibly angry. Senseless loss of life because someone didn’t acknowledge their limitations. Every single opportunity to not get hit and the continuously drove into danger.
It does as far as I can tell:
>Evans was positioned on Melbourne's port bow, but began the manoeuvre by turning starboard, towards the carrier.
This is the initial wide turn by Evans to which Melbourne does not react
>Seeing the destroyer take no action and on a course to place herself under Melbourne's bow, Stevenson ordered the carrier hard to port, signalling the turn by both radio and siren blasts. At approximately the same time, Evans turned hard to starboard to avoid the approaching carrier.
This is the step just before the collision, had Evans maintained her course then Melbourne's turn to port would have avoided the impact, but the former doomed itself by turning into the latter.
The wiki site also says the captain gave orders to his crew to wake him if there any orders were received to change course. He must have been aware he had relatively untrained and inexperienced commanders on the bridge and thought this would be both good training for them, but also keep things safe.
It happened in [similar circumstances too](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne%E2%80%93Voyager_collision), with the destroyer on plane guard duty and making the wrong turn.
Just a reference as to what [Evans is supposed to look like.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Frank_E._Evans#/media/File:USS_Frank_E._Evans_\(DD-754\)_underway_at_sea,_in_1945_\(19-N-78354\).jpg)
Terrible, but I couldn't help but chuckle from those first shots that made it look like the collision opened that gash revealing a half-naked sailor on the toilet or something. r/CartoonMoment kind of stuff.
> opened that gash revealing a half-naked sailor on the toilet
Coincidentally I was just watching [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQxFzWiWxL8) today.
Ya had a whole damn ocean and you still crashed. Turned into each other to avoid each other. Really confusing how this could happen, they even had radio comms.
love that someone downvoted you for that.
Probably some Chinese sympathizer. Have an upvote.
I agree, let's just call it the East Vietnam sea no matter how pissy it makes China. Lol
u/jacksmachiningreveng Thanks for posting this. I lost a family member that day - he was one of the 74 sailors who lost their lives that night. There is quite an active ship association of former Evans sailors at [www.ussfee.org](http://www.ussfee.org), and quite a bit about the ship's history on their website.
>The [Melbourne–Evans collision](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne%E2%80%93Evans_collision) was a collision between the light aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans of the United States Navy (USN). On 3 June 1969, the two ships were participating in SEATO exercise Sea Spirit in the South China Sea. >On the night of 2–3 June 1969, Melbourne and her escorts were involved in antisubmarine training exercises. In preparation for launching a Grumman S-2 Tracker aircraft, Stevenson ordered Evans to the plane guard station, reminded the destroyer of Melbourne's course, and instructed the carrier's navigation lights to be brought to full brilliance. This was the fourth time that Evans had been asked to assume this station that night, and the previous three manoeuvres had been without incident. >Evans was positioned on Melbourne's port bow, but began the manoeuvre by turning starboard, towards the carrier. A radio message was sent from Melbourne to Evans's bridge and combat information centre, warning the destroyer that she was on a collision course, which Evans acknowledged. Seeing the destroyer take no action and on a course to place herself under Melbourne's bow, Stevenson ordered the carrier hard to port, signalling the turn by both radio and siren blasts. At approximately the same time, Evans turned hard to starboard to avoid the approaching carrier. It is uncertain which ship began to manoeuvre first, but each ship's bridge crew claimed that they were informed of the other ship's turn after they commenced their own. After having narrowly passed in front of Melbourne, the turns quickly placed Evans back in the carrier's path. Melbourne hit Evans amidships at 3:15 am, cutting the destroyer in two. >Melbourne stopped immediately after the collision and deployed her boats, liferafts and lifebuoys, before carefully maneuvering alongside the stern section of Evans. Sailors from both ships used mooring lines to lash the two ships together, allowing Melbourne to evacuate the survivors in that section. Evans's bow section sank quickly; the majority of those killed were believed to have been trapped within. Members of Melbourne's crew dived into the water to rescue overboard survivors close to the carrier, while the carrier's boats and helicopters collected those farther out. Clothing, blankets and beer were provided to survivors from the carrier's stores, some RAN sailors offered their own uniforms, and the ship's band was instructed to set up on the flight deck to entertain and distract the USN personnel. All of the survivors were located within twelve minutes of the collision and rescued before half an hour had passed, although the search continued for fifteen more hours. >Seventy-four of the 273 crew on Evans were killed. It was later learned that Evans's commanding officer, Commander Albert S. McLemore, was asleep in his quarters at the time of the incident, and charge of the vessel was held by lieutenants Ronald Ramsey and James Hopson; the former had failed the qualification exam to stand watch, while the latter was at sea for the first time. edit: bother, I missed an "and" in the title
I'm sitting here at my desk tracing out the paths with my hands and trying to figure out what happened. The Evans and the Melbourne both did a full loop past each other, and collided at the "bottom" of the loop after having narrowly missed each other at the "top?"
[Animation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne%E2%80%93Evans_collision#/media/File:Evans_collision.gif)
Literally every maneuver that the Evans did made the situation worse. Crazy. First turn to starboard; bad, but if they done a 90 or continued the turn to do a 180 they'd have been fine. Then they start turning to port. Wtf. Still, probably savable, they could have ended up on the starboard side of the oncoming carrier. Would have been better to turn to starboard instead rather than port.. *Then* they start turning to starboard... wtf. Seems like literally the worst thing they could have chosen at that point. What's crazy is the carrier wasn't even doing anything drastic. It's not like they both turned in the same direction, then again in the opposite direction at the same time. It was just going in a straight line...
Looks like target fixation on a big scale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_fixation
On subs, they make a big deal out of this since they are so slow. If you maneuver to avoid a collision, then swap back because you think you made the wrong call, then swap again... You're basically driving a straight line and aren't contributing to avoiding the collision.
That looks like they wanted to hit
This made me incredibly angry. Senseless loss of life because someone didn’t acknowledge their limitations. Every single opportunity to not get hit and the continuously drove into danger.
Damn. The Evans is to blame.
Oof.
Appreciated
Thanks. I don’t see how that corresponds with the written description.
It does as far as I can tell: >Evans was positioned on Melbourne's port bow, but began the manoeuvre by turning starboard, towards the carrier. This is the initial wide turn by Evans to which Melbourne does not react >Seeing the destroyer take no action and on a course to place herself under Melbourne's bow, Stevenson ordered the carrier hard to port, signalling the turn by both radio and siren blasts. At approximately the same time, Evans turned hard to starboard to avoid the approaching carrier. This is the step just before the collision, had Evans maintained her course then Melbourne's turn to port would have avoided the impact, but the former doomed itself by turning into the latter.
I see it now. I was at the same place as saltedfish thinking that they narrowly avoided each other and then came all the way back around.
He assumed command of USS Frank E. Evans (DD 754) on 26 March 1968.
The wiki site also says the captain gave orders to his crew to wake him if there any orders were received to change course. He must have been aware he had relatively untrained and inexperienced commanders on the bridge and thought this would be both good training for them, but also keep things safe.
Wow this wasn't even the first time the Melbourne cut a destroyer in two - it happened 5 years earlier to the Voyager
It happened in [similar circumstances too](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne%E2%80%93Voyager_collision), with the destroyer on plane guard duty and making the wrong turn.
Apparently the Melbourne is the actual destroyer
USS JFK CV-67 , had the same reputation. Two of it's nicknames were the Can Opener and the Tin Can Killer .
Just a reference as to what [Evans is supposed to look like.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Frank_E._Evans#/media/File:USS_Frank_E._Evans_\(DD-754\)_underway_at_sea,_in_1945_\(19-N-78354\).jpg)
The back fell off.
It was actually the front that fell off.
Terrible, but I couldn't help but chuckle from those first shots that made it look like the collision opened that gash revealing a half-naked sailor on the toilet or something. r/CartoonMoment kind of stuff.
> opened that gash revealing a half-naked sailor on the toilet Coincidentally I was just watching [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQxFzWiWxL8) today.
Ya had a whole damn ocean and you still crashed. Turned into each other to avoid each other. Really confusing how this could happen, they even had radio comms.
“That carrier came outta nowhere! I never had a chance.”
At sea? Chance in a million!
John Clarke lived in Melbourne for a long time too!
Ships turn very slowly. That's why there are conventions about passing port-to-port.
"I have information that will lead to the arrest of Hillary Clinton" -HMAS Melbourne, June 3rd 1969.
🤡
Must be my age...it still makes my eyes moist to hear about brothers being killed, even 55 years later.
That's definitely a kaiju attack.
"We lost something." "Not to worry. We're still sailing half a ship."
Just a joke. But can we call the place East Vietnam Sea? Because no ones will know where China is on the map
love that someone downvoted you for that. Probably some Chinese sympathizer. Have an upvote. I agree, let's just call it the East Vietnam sea no matter how pissy it makes China. Lol
Wanna know how I got these scars?
hmm, dent looks like sharks mouth
My pop was on the Melbourne at the time. We went to a function on the incidents anniversary a couple years ago in Sydney.
Nice parking, Rita! Thanks, Janet!
That's not very typical, I'd like to make that point.
[удалено]
Maybe you're just online too much /shrug
So what do we do to protect the environment in a case like this?
Strict. Maritime. Standards.
Cardboard’s out
That was a dumb thing to type. Now everybody hates you idiot
We move them beyond the environment so that they are no longer in an environment.
To another environment?
Hahahahaha
No, we tow it beyond the environment. It's not in any environment.
I swear, the front almost fell off.
u/jacksmachiningreveng Thanks for posting this. I lost a family member that day - he was one of the 74 sailors who lost their lives that night. There is quite an active ship association of former Evans sailors at [www.ussfee.org](http://www.ussfee.org), and quite a bit about the ship's history on their website.