Reader Mail
Sunk Costs
A battle for the books. Obama’s pothole problem. Going for broke. Plus more.
(Page 2 of 13)
Aftermath: The appropriate Admiral is hauled before Congress where he is castigated and ridiculed. His reputation is entirely besmirched, his family shamed and his career ended and with a pension forfeit.
The Congressional report squarely lays the blame on this Admiral “for his abject failure in providing three days notice to the Congress of the need to shoot so the appropriate approvals may be gained. This dereliction of duty resulted in the loss of a ship and the lives of the entire crew, who by the way, we strongly support.”
In a footnote the report also finds that the shooting by the Germans resulted from the provocation of “the Captain of the Hopkins in turning his stern guns towards them.”
p>That’s how we do it today. br> — Jay Molyneaux br> North Carolina /p> p> I don’t think the tale is quite as forgotten as you think. I read this story when I was a boy. It was published in one of my American Heritage book subscriptions. If I remember right, Cadet O’Hara was the son of br> another Navy man. His father had taught him that in a naval gun battle, you should always fire at the other ship’s water line. Supposedly it was that lesson that was responsible for the fatal damage to the Stier. /p> p>I’m not sure I remember the details correctly, (I’m sure other knowledgable Navy Spectator fans will correct me) but I’ve never forgotten the name of the liberty ship involved. It is a great “David vs. Goliath” story of heroism. br> —
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