Bulletin: Whew... No (reliable witnesses) worries this time!

Jan. 10, 2013  Associated Press  Hawaii-based US Navy sub damaged in Persian Gulf   (slightly)

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command says in a statement that no one was hurt in the pre-dawn incident Thursday involving the USS Jacksonville  (SSN-699), a Los Angeles-class attack submarine.

The Pearl Harbor-based submarine was damaged when one of its periscopes struck an unidentified vessel in the Persian Gulf. The submarine surfaced from periscope depth to see if the collision damaged the vessel, but the ship continued "on a consistent course" offering no indication of distress or acknowledgement of a collision. The Navy says one of the Jacksonville's two periscopes was damaged.

The Navy says a P-3 Orion aircraft searched the area but saw no debris in the water or vessels in distress.

Could USS Jacksonville's periscope have struck a middle eastern whale, lsuch as OBL's bloated carcass? Will the CO and COB walk the plank? Let's forget the trivial, subs do important stuff despite what a few of their nuclear propulsion technicians may believe.

Submarines are always silent and strange.