2nd Oldest Commissioned Ship in US Navy

[Surpmil]

Strange case: why would you sail along the coast of a highly hostile state in a tiny, relatively indefensible ship packed with secret communications equipment and code books and with no means of quickly destroying either the ship or the secret materials on board?

The limited budget for conversion caused disapproval of several improvements requested by the prospective commanding officer, Lloyd Bucher. Requested engine overhaul was denied despite Banner's experience of drifting for two days unable to communicate following failure of both engines on patrol. A requested emergency scuttling system was denied, and Bucher was subsequently unable to obtain explosives for demolition charges. Replacement of burn barrels with a fuel-fed incinerator to allow speedy destruction of classified documents was denied. After Bucher's subsequent request to reduce the ship's library of classified publications was similarly denied, he was able to purchase a less capable incinerator using some discretionary funds intended for crew comfort.

"The Man Who Never Was II" ?

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[Flying10uk]

"The Man Who Never Was II" ?

It would be slightly amusing if that turned out to be true but not for the ship's crew, especially the US sailor who lost his life.

[Surpmil]

It would be slightly amusing if that turned out to be true but not for the ship's crew, especially the US sailor who lost his life.

I suspect a calculation was made somewhat along the lines of the USS Liberty; about which Lyndon Johnson is said to have angrily demanded: "Why isn't that G-- damned ship on the bottom of the ocean yet?!"

It is said that one should never ascribe to malfeasance what can be explained by mere stupidity, but even probable stupidity has its limits, and it's only malfeasance if you're one of the unfortunate "collaterals" or their families?

It was a busy decade for false flags: the non-incident in the Gulf of Tonkin (as McNamara later admitted), the USS Liberty and maybe the USS Pueblo too?

Some people wonder if the USS Maine was the first!