After the Navy, I joined the Michigan Army National Guard. I served for 7 years as a Forward Observer for an artillery unit. That sure was a change from the Navy.
Cold War Incident - Black Sea Bumping
From Month/Year
February / 1988
To Month/Year
February / 1988
Description On 12 February 1988, the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Yorktown, and the Spruance-class destroyer USS Caron, conducted a freedom of navigation exercise in the Black Sea. The Caron passed 7.5 mi off the Soviet shore, and the Yorktown drew to 10.3 mi offshore. The commander of the Black Sea Fleet Mikhail Khronopulo received an order from Chernavin to curb the passage of US warships. Initially the destroyer Krasny Kavkaz was tasked with confronting them, but her technical problems made the Bezzavetny, a Krivak-class frigate, be dispatched instead. However, according to Bezzavetny's commander, Captain Vladimir Bogdashin, his ship had two cruise missiles instead of four and was half the size of the Yorktown and three times smaller by displacement. The Soviet frigate SKR-6, commanded by Captain Anatoly Petrov, was approximately four times smaller than the USS Caron.
First, the Caron was approached by the frigate SKR-6, and three minutes later, the Yorktown was approached by the frigate Bezzavetny, and Tupolev Tu-16 bombers monitored the vessels' movements. As the US warships clipped a corner of the Soviet territorial waters, they were bumped. At 10:02 am.m, local time, 44°15.2′N 33°35.4′E, 10.5 nautical miles from the coast, SKR-6 bumped the port side aft of the Caron at frame 466 (about 60 ft from the stem). The Caron received only superficial scraping of paint, with no personnel injuries. The Bezzavetny, having bumped the Yorktown, was ordered to move away and not to contact her.
Both US warships stayed on even course after the incident. The Caron left Soviet territorial waters at 11:50 a.m. local time without further complications.
Both US warships sent an account of the incident to the Commander in Chief of United States Naval Forces in Europe. The Caron reported at 13:20 local time, it was informed on channel 16 VHF by the Bezzavetny: "Soviet ships have orders to prevent violation of territorial waters, extreme measure is to strike your ship with one of ours." The reply of the Caron was "I am engaged in innocent passage consistent with international law." The Yorktown, in its report stated that on 9:56, local time, it was contacted by the Bezzavetny via channel 16 and told to leave Soviet territorial waters or "our ship is going to strike on yours." Then, according to the report, the Bezzavetny came alongside port side of the Yorktown at 10:03 and bumped it by turning into the ship.
The starboard anchor of the Bezzavetny was torn away. Two Harpoon missile canisters on the Yorktown sustained damage when Bezzavetny's bullnose passed down port quarter. Bezzavetny then cleared to port and took station 300 yd off port beam of the Yorktown. Bezzavetny received a minor repair.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
February / 1988
To Month/Year
February / 1988
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories Intell Photographer - Credited with taking "famous" Wiki pedia picture. Weather was very COLD!
