The commander of a US submarine has been removed from his post following the deaths of two crew members off the south-west English coast in December. The two sailors were among four who were swept off the submarine, the USS Minneapolis-St Paul, by strong winds. They were working in poor weather on the outside casing of the submarine.
Officials said a navy investigation had determined that the incident was avoidable and due in part to a poor decision by the commander, Edwin Ruff. He has now been reassigned to a position on shore, the navy said in a statement. The decision was taken "due to a loss of confidence in Ruff's ability to command", it added.
The submarine's executive officer, Peter Young, was reprimanded. A US Navy spokesman said: "The facts of the investigation led the admiral to determine that non-judicial punishment was warranted." |