Sub inquiry ends after skipper testifies

Waddle took the witness stand on Tuesday

Panel's recommendations expected in 3 weeks

In this story: Apologies and tributes Classified secrets revealed 'Your decision is wrong' RELATED STORIES, SITES

From CNN National Correspondent Martin Savidge

HONOLULU, Hawaii (CNN) -- The court of inquiry into the fatal collision between a U.S. Navy submarine and a Japanese ship ended Tuesday after a more than four-hour grilling of the sub's skipper, a surprise witness.

The inquiry began on March 5 and heard from 33 witnesses who described events surrounding the February 9 collision between the USS Greeneville and the Ehime Maru, which left nine people missing and presumed dead.

VIDEO Waddle spoke to the press after the hearing Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori traveled to the site where the Greeneville struck the Ehime Maru Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's Martin Savidge has more on the testimony of Cmdr. Scott Waddle Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Vice Adm. John Nathman, the lead investigator, and two other admirals on the panel will forward their "findings of fact" and recommendations to the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm. Thomas B. Fargo, in about three weeks, the Navy said.

Fargo, who convened the court, will then have 30 days to review the its recommendations and determine what action, if any, should follow.

Greeneville skipper Cmdr. Scott Waddle, executive officer Lt. Cmdr. Gerald Pfeifer, and officer of the deck Lt. j.g. Michael Coen could face courts-martial.

In a closing statement, Waddle's civilian attorney, Charles Gittins, implored the panel of admirals not to recommend a court-martial.

Gittins blamed the accident on a series of extraordinary circumstances that could not be duplicated.

"Commander Waddle exercised his judgment, and he did his level best. He may have fallen short on that day, but it wasn't criminal," Gittins said.

Waddle surprised the court of inquiry by taking the witness stand after his attorney had essentially ruled out the possibility unless his client was granted immunity.

Lt. Cmdr. Brent Filbert, representing Coen, said the problem of the collision has "a very simple answer. It has a human answer. The commanding officer, Cmdr. Waddle, rushed himself and rushed his crew."

During tough questioning, the presiding admirals said Waddle's leadership reflected "sloppiness" and a "lack of discipline."

At one point, Rear Adm. Paul Sullivan was exasperated by one of Waddle's explanations. "I just don't believe it," Sullivan said.

During one long period of questioning, Waddle acknowledged that being on the witness stand was "difficult, I apologize."

Apologies and tributes

During a statement he read before his testimony, Waddle said he was "solely responsible" for the deadly collision at sea.

Mori and bereaved relatives visit the site where the Ehime Maru went down

"For the rest of my life, I will live with the horror and consequences. I am truly sorry for the loss of life and incalculable grief that I have caused," he said. "I accept full responsibility and accountability for the actions of the crew. I am solely responsible."

As Waddle testified, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori traveled to the site where the Greeneville, practicing an emergency surfacing maneuver, struck the Ehime Maru on February 9 about nine miles off Diamondhead on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

Mori was accompanied by some family members of the nine people still missing from the collision, including four high school students who were studying commercial fishing. The prime minister threw flowers onto the water as a tribute to those presumed dead. Twenty-six people from the Ehime Maru were rescued after the accident.

Classified secrets revealed

Meanwhile, the investigating admirals asked Waddle where various crew members were stationed on the sub and grilled him about a sonar technician who had spotted the Ehime Maru, but didn't notify commanding officers.

Waddle acknowledged it was a mistake to have had that sonar technician tracking the contacts alone.

"It was wrong," he said.

The admirals also took Waddle to task for demonstrating for the 16 civilians aboard exactly how fast and how deep the nuclear submarine could go, both carefully guarded secrets.

"In this particular case, I didn't think about it," Waddle said.

"You don't think about protecting classified information?" one admiral said.

Vice Adm. John Nathman, the head of the court of inquiry, then admonished Waddle: "You chose to reveal the full capability of the submarine."

Waddle replied, "That was a mistake."

"Have you done it before?"

"Yes, sir," Waddle responded.

"You didn't think of it then?"

"No, sir," said the Greeneville skipper.

The admirals expressed dismay that at the deepest point, what's called the "test depth" in naval terms, the sub crew gathered water samples, put them in jars and labeled them for the civilians. The admirals believed the labeled jars would be a constant reminder to the civilians of exactly how deep they went.

"Those civilians are not likely to forget they got water samples from a test depth," Nathman said.

At another point, Nathman said Waddle wanted to be "slick" for the civilians aboard.

"Not slick, admiral. Safe," Waddle said.

Waddle reiterated that he was trying to "demonstrate the full capabilities" of the sub to its civilian guests.

"I wanted to give them a feel of what a warship and trained crew can do," Waddle said.

Waddle at one point referenced the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk, saying he wanted to show the VIP guests how a submarine could ascend from the depths of the ocean. The August 12 Kursk accident killed 118 men on board.

"The Kursk disaster was brought on by a torpedo accident," Nathman angrily countered. "How does that relate to an emergency blow?"

Waddle then backtracked, saying the admiral knew more about the Kursk accident than he.

'Your decision is wrong'

When the Navy on Monday denied Waddle's request for testimonial immunity, it said the court did not need the skipper's testimony to determine what happened on the Greeneville.

Testimonial immunity prevents testimony given in a court of inquiry from being used against a witness later in a court-martial.

As Waddle took the stand Tuesday, he said he had sought immunity for a "full, fair and thorough and complete investigation and to ensure my rights."

He told the court: "Your decision is wrong. I had done my duty to the best of my ability. I am truly sorry. Those mistakes I made were honest and well-intentioned."

Waddle then turned toward the family members of the victims in the courtroom and said, "The families need to hear from me."

"It is the right thing to do," he said before beginning his testimony. "Gentleman, I am ready for your questions."

The court fell silent and the legal counsel for the investigative panel, clearly caught off guard, had no immediate questions.

During a break in Tuesday's session, Waddle's attorney, Charles Gittins, told reporters that Waddle decided to testify "weeks ago" and that he was pleased his client did so.

"It's the right thing to do. He is the captain of the ship and it needs to be said," Gittins said. "Somebody has to stand up and say what needs to be said."

Waddle had apologized in person to many of the family members of victims in recent weeks, with many of them pleading for him to testify even without immunity.

Gittins said the concerns of the families "were something that we considered, but it was not the overriding consideration."

"The most important consideration in this matter was that Cmdr. Waddle was the captain of the ship, that the rest of the submarine force is watching him, his peers are watching him, guys who may be in his shoes in the future are watching him, and it was the right thing to do for those reasons."

Commander denied immunity in sub inquiry
March 19, 2001
Families of missing ask sub skipper to not seek immunity
March 17, 2001
Sub crewman: Not given 'enough time' to check data
March 16, 2001
Greeneville skipper apologizes to Ehime Maru captain
March 14, 2001
Navy sub collision inquiry gets first eyewitness testimony
March 13, 2001
U.S. Navy may OK attempt to raise Japanese ship
March 12, 2001
Sub skipper's family speaks out about collision
March 11, 2001

U.S. Coast Guard
CINCPACFLT :: USS Greeneville (SSN 772) incident
City of Uwajima's memorial site
U.S. Navy
 • CINCPACFLT statement on the USS Greeneville incident
 • Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet
 • USS Greeneville

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