WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has relieved of command another attack submarine captain, the second this month.
On Jan. 29, Cmdr. Matthew A. Weingart was relieved of command on the USS Newport News "due to a lack of confidence in his ability to command."
On Jan. 8, the Newport News was underway in the Persian Gulf and submerged when it hit the Japanese merchant vessel Mogamigawa. According to a Navy official, the submarine was damaged by the ship's propeller. No one on either vessel was injured in the collision.
Large ships with a deep draft like the Magamigawa can cause a phenomena known as the Venturi effect, in which the displacement or restriction of air or water causes a vacuum that can suck up submarine if it is riding too closely below it.
The USS Newport News, a Los Angeles-class attack sub, is currently in Bahrain undergoing damage inspection. It will then return to the United States for repairs.
On Jan. 19, the Navy relieved the commander of the USS Minneapolis-St. Paul for an accident while leaving the port of Plymouth, England. Four sailors were swept overboard in high seas; two drowned.
The U.S. Navy has a strong tradition of holding commanders personally responsible for any accidents on board their ships.
