US Navy News and updates

[spoz]

They’ve moved them I believe. The most recent video shows the other side of the pier to be empty. And see Naval Surface Forces (@SurfaceWarriors) on Twitter. One was Fitzgerald, issues seem to be following that ship...

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

Deleted by poster.

 

[InterestedParty]

Any idea what the big, bluish rectangular vessel is next to the stern of the Bonhomme Richard
There are a couple more a few wharves above the ship as well

 

[DDG38]

CNN report says the fire started aft in the well deck. Aerial footage has smoke plumes just under the flight deck midships and forward of the RAM launcher. That's a huge fire. Also a significant start to the fire if their SSFB couldn't contain it at the initial alert.
@InterestedParty - looks to be an accommodation barge, used to house sailors during refits/between ship postings etc.

 

[hauritz]

No deaths hopefully, which is a miracle when you look at the extent of the fire. Last report I heard was the fire was still out of control.

 

[ngatimozart]

CNN report says the fire started aft in the well deck. Aerial footage has smoke plumes just under the flight deck midships and forward of the RAM launcher. That's a huge fire. Also a significant start to the fire if their SSFB couldn't contain it at the initial alert.
@InterestedParty - looks to be an accommodation barge, used to house sailors during refits/between ship postings etc.

If I remember my DC school fire fighting training correctly, we were taught that for every 7 minutes it took us to fight the fire, that was an extra hour to extinguish it. The grumpy old chief also said that if it got out of hand we would be best to put our Jesus boots on because he'd be the next fulla we'd be meeting.

That fire had been going for about 13 - 14 hours and maybe still is, so it possible that the ship maybe a write off.

 

[DDG38]

If I remember my DC school fire fighting training correctly, we were taught that for every 7 minutes it took us to fight the fire, that was an extra hour to extinguish it. The grumpy old chief also said that if it got out of hand we would be best to put our Jesus boots on because he'd be the next fulla we'd be meeting.
That fire had been going for about 13 - 14 hours and maybe still is, so it possible that the ship maybe a write off.

That's pretty spot on. And also this is indicative of the way most Navies now operate alongside. Ships company no longer live on board, so you have skeleton duty watch during periods of maintenance, so your ready fire fighting force is depleted. Gone are the days of alongside fire fighting being a ship responsibility, it's now do your best while waiting for the civvy firies to turn up. I would say based on the footage alone she'll be a write off.

 

[DDG38]

Couple of extra pics in this article : USS Bonhomme Richard blaze (Navy Times)

 

[Terran]

last I saw on line they are still dousing the Hull to keep it intact. Island though is trashed. She has taken a list to starboard.
watched a 6 Hour old Press conference the Admiral stated was a Class A fire meaning paper, cloth basic office supplies type deal.

 

[John Fedup]

Hope they got the 2 Burkes on her Port side, properly closed down before the crews left or they will be spending a fairly significant amount of time in maintenance.

I believe one of the AB’s is the Fitzgerald, recently returned to service.
Edit: Sorry Spoz, didn’t see your earlier post on Fitzgerald.

 

[aussienscale]

This is the latest video I can find, looking like they maybe getting the upper hand on the fire, always hard to tell though, time will tell

Helicopters drop water as ship continues to burn at Naval Base San Diego

Helicopters are dropping water on the USS Bonhomme Richard as the ship continues to burn at Naval Base San Diego. San Diego Fire Chief Colin Stowell told CNN that the amphibious assault ship could …

www.abc27.com

 

[John Fedup]

Bonhomme Richard was delivered in 1998. What is the normal service life for a USN LHD? I would think a multi billion dollar ship would see around 35-40 years (even in the USN) so if it is a right off, a big loss for sure.

 

[StobieWan]

Bonhomme Richard was delivered in 1998. What is the normal service life for a USN LHD? I would think a multi billion dollar ship would see around 35-40 years (even in the USN) so if it is a right off, a big loss for sure.

I think she's done for sure - last I heard they were water bombing her from helicopters which smacks a bit of desperation. She's been burning for something like 18 hours so I'd be really surprised if there weren't major structural damage.

 

[the concerned]

Is the ship still in the hands of the people refitting it or has it been handed back to the navy

 

[Ranger25]

She had just returned from a 249$mil upgrade and had in maintenance since 2018. She was scheduled to return to the fleet later this year after the maintenance and upgrade period.

The big-deck amphib, commissioned in 1998, returned from being forward deployed to Japan in 2018. Bonhomme Richard had just completed a $249 million repair period at the nearby General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard before transferring to the naval base.

 

[Ranger25]

New photos showing the superstructure and bridge Fully engulfed and a 33’ starboard list. Ongoing press conference detailing fire has spread throughout the ship including the superstructure. Question was ask is ‘ship could be saved’ Answer was not given. Stated the forward super structure is now fully engulfed as and the fire has spread to the bow areas of the ship

Over 1mil gallons of fuel on board, reportedly a two deck separation from the closest fire area


Over 460 currently fighting the fire
57 Sailors and civilians hospitalized for minor injuries

 

[Terran]

About 30 hours in.

Two Decks Are Thought To Separate Fire On USS Bonhomme Richard From 1M Gallons Of Fuel (Updated)

The Navy says it is throwing everything it has at fighting the blaze on the stricken amphibious assault ship as it enters into its 28th hour.

www.thedrive.com

400 Sailors are fighting the Fire.
The Area where the fire started the Lower Vehicle storage was filled with combustible materials, boxes, Dry wall, rags and the like. No welding was happening there but clearly something did.
The Navy doesn’t intend to let it but to the waterline as there is fuel aboard. About a million gallons of Aviation fuel. No reports of the fire in the engineering spaces. Seems isolated to the upper decks.
The fire is producing a thousand degrees of F Heat which destroyed the superstructure.
Debris in spaces has hampered fighting. The Automated Halon fire suppression system was disabled as part of the refit when this started.
Only 5 Salors still in the hospital the rest released.

 

[DDG38]

Good video in this article with close up footage of the island damage and the collapsed forward mast. Bridge looks totally gone. Can't imagine she'll be salvageable. Time : USS Bonhomme Richard fire damage

 

[swerve]

About 30 hours in.

Two Decks Are Thought To Separate Fire On USS Bonhomme Richard From 1M Gallons Of Fuel (Updated)

The Navy says it is throwing everything it has at fighting the blaze on the stricken amphibious assault ship as it enters into its 28th hour.

www.thedrive.com

400 Sailors are fighting the Fire.
The Area where the fire started the Lower Vehicle storage was filled with combustible materials, boxes, Dry wall, rags and the like. No welding was happening there but clearly something did.
The Navy doesn’t intend to let it but to the waterline as there is fuel aboard. About a million gallons of Aviation fuel. No reports of the fire in the engineering spaces. Seems isolated to the upper decks.
The fire is producing a thousand degrees of F Heat which destroyed the superstructure.
Debris in spaces has hampered fighting. The Automated Halon fire suppression system was disabled as part of the refit when this started.
Only 5 Salors still in the hospital the rest released.

A million US gallons is about 3.8 million litres, or a bit over 3000 tons. That could be rather spectacular if it all went up.

 

[Ranger25]

images from the site now showing areas where the fire has completely burned through the flight deck in several areas, One has to wonder if she’s a total loss at this point. Fortunately no loss of life so far