LCS Montgomery Sustains Hull Crack in Hurricane Surf | Military.com: The littoral combat ship Montgomery is once again in need of repairs after suffering a hull breach in rough waves off Florida.
Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Haggard, a spokeswoman for Naval Surface Force Pacific, told Military.com the ship sustained a crack to its hull while departing Naval Station Mayport, Florida, under orders to sortie Tuesday ahead of Hurricane Matthew's landfall on the coast.
The mishap is under investigation, but a Navy official said it's strongly suspected that the ship collided with its tugboat.
Ships are often ordered out of port as a precaution ahead of significant storms. Haggard said the Montgomery was not the only ship told to sortie Oct. 4. Ahead of the storm, conditions were already choppy: Naval Station Mayport recorded maximum wind speeds of 28 miles per hour and maximum gusts of 38 miles per hour on Oct. 4.
The crack resulted in a minor leak, but the crew of the LCS contained the seawater intrusion, Haggard said. The damage did not necessitate an immediate return to port.
