Carrier v. BB Rules Of The Road

Reminds me of an incident we had while I was on the USS New Jersey.

We were conducting ops in the SoCal OpArea when we suffered a steering and engineering casualty. The battleship when under full steam (eight burning and four turning) is quite manuverable and quick (over 40 kts at flank), but down to one boiler, one screw, and one rudder, we are worse than a garbage scow.

We sent out the mandatory NOTEMs saying that we were limited to bare steerageway when one of the carriers out there with us, came up to flank, turned into the wind, CBDR - Constant Bearing, Decreasing Range (collision course) - with us and told us to get out of their way, they were going to flight ops and we were the burdened vessel.

Our CIC sent them a msg to check the NOTEM, to which they reminded us of the Rules of the Road governing carriers lauching or recovering air craft.

Ahem.

The Jersey's OOD got on the bridge to bridge radio with the carrier's OOD. "Kitty Hawk, this is New Jersey, you are CBDR with a 68,000 ton class A armored battleship. We are unable to comply, so unless you want the bow of your carrier to be shoved into your bridge, I suggest you change course - IMMEDIATELY!"

The carrier suspended flight ops and moved 100 nautical miles away from us before coming up to flight ops again.