Summary and Key Points: On November 2, 1985, the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) struck Bishop Rock at Cortes Bank, approximately 100 nautical miles west-southwest of San Diego, during an Operational Readiness Exercise. The impact ripped a substantial gash in the carrier’s hull and damaged the propellers and port keel.
USS Enterprise Hits the Rocks…
We are often concerned about how nuclear-powered aircraft carriers have met their match. Anti-ship missiles and drones are always a concern. They are difficult to maintain and need costly midlife nuclear refueling. Carriers are big targets for enemy warplanes. And they can succumb to fires and even sewage problems. Did I mention the price tag? The USS Gerald R. Ford supercarrier cost more than $13 billion.
But sometimes the enemy of a ship is Mother Nature’s ocean geography. In 1985, the carrier USS Enterprise crashed into an underwater mountain. It ripped a gaping hole in the ship, and the captain and crew wondered if this was the end.
What Happened to the USS Enterprise?
The accident occurred off the coast of California during a drill.
The vessel hit Bishop Rock at Cortes Bank. The port side was ruined with a huge gash. This looked like it was going to be catastrophic. The Operational Readiness Exercise could have been the USS Enterprise’s last mission. And it had some wondering if the carrier would survive to sail again.
The plane captain of an F-14B Tomcat wipes down the canopy prior to flight operations from the flight deck of the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) on April 8, 1999. Enterprise and its embarked Carrier Air Wing 3 are on station in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch, which is the U.S. and coalition enforcement of the no-fly-zone over Southern Iraq.
(DoD photo by Airman Darryl I. Wood, U.S. Navy. (Released))
Bishop Rock is an underwater sea mount, and the formation is known as Cortes Bank. It is located 100 miles west of San Diego. While there was a substantial rip in the hull, the nuclear reactors were not affected, but the carrier would have to return to port for some emergency repairs. It was not clear at the time whether the Enterprise could make it back home safely.
The Command Team Made A Quick Decision to Save the Carrier
How did the crew react? This was the good news. They quickly engaged in damage control and executed the counter-flooding operation. This stabilized the massive ship. The carrier did not sink, and it was able to limp along until the crew was certain it could maintain a minimum speed.
Continue Mission or Limp Home
The sailors assessed the damage. Would the carrier be able to function well enough to complete the exercise? This was a critical time of decision-making. The carrier was stabilized, but there was still more danger ahead. The Enterprise could take on more water as the gash widened due to sea pressure. The commander took a chance and decided to continue the mission.
USS Enterprise. Image: Creative Commons.
Expensive Repairs Were Needed
However, there was going to be a reckoning. After the exercise, the Enterprise would need a massive amount of work, estimated at $17 million. The propellers were damaged, and the port keel needed repairing. Heads were also going to roll. The commander, Robert L. Leuschner Jr., was relieved.
This incident could have been a lot worse. The crew was well-trained to act quickly to counter the massive amount of seawater that could have sunk the carrier. Leuschner should be given credit for making a quick decision.
Was This Wreck Evidence of Systemic Weakness?
But this sent a message to allies and adversaries. The vaunted U.S. Navy carrier fleet was not invincible. Mistakes were made that could have led to the ship’s capsizing. Were American sailors up to the challenge of a war with the Soviet Union? An anti-ship missile could be used to make a carrier pay the price in damages and morale.
Image: Creative Commons.
The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) is underway in the Strait of Gibraltar. Enterprise is completing a deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. The U.S. Navy has a 237-year heritage of defending freedom and projecting and protecting U.S. interests around the globe. Join the conversation on social media using #warfighting. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel Meshel)
The captain’s negligence was evident in the wreck. There was a problem with the navigation system, and he lacked proper situational awareness. No command team wants to be responsible for a major accident that could have sent the ship to Davy Jones’ Locker, putting thousands of shipmates in danger of perishing with the ship.
Ramming or Collision Is Still a Potential Problem Today
The incident with the Enterprise still resonates today. More warships and commercial vessels are in the water at any given time. Accidents, miscalculations, and mistakes can create more opportunities for dangerous maneuvers that could lead to a crash.
The Stakes Are Still High
Sea lanes are crowded. Just take the current state of the Strait of Hormuz, where scores of ships are trying to maneuver through the critical waterway. There are sea mines too, and itchy trigger fingers on devastating missile systems.
One U.S. destroyer even opened fire from its 5-inch deck gun at an Iranian cargo ship that was sailing against American orders while enforcing a blockade against Iran.
The Soviets Would Have Rejoiced if the Enterprise Were Sunk
A damaged ship can be an act of war that prolongs the fight due to a misunderstanding and a lack of communication. During the Enterprise’s accident, the Cold War was raging.
President Ronald Reagan was trying to build up the 600-ship fleet. There could be no room for bad decisions. If the Enterprise were sunk, the Soviet state-run propaganda complex would have used the incident as a public relations bonanza to show that the U.S. Navy was weak and error-prone.
What About a Blockade in the Indo-Pacific?
Blockades could also happen in East Asia today. China could easily quarantine the Taiwan Strait and keep ships from departing or arriving in Taiwan. This would mean there could be problems with accidents again. A ship’s ramming or crashing into another could spark a battle and lead to a prolonged war.
Carriers Can Live to Fight Another Day
The Enterprise accident teaches us another lesson about carriers: they can take a punch and still survive. The crew’s quick reaction and the strength of their damage-control training allowed the carrier to survive without going to the bottom. This may mean a carrier could take a hit from an anti-ship missile or submarine and still fight again.
The name of the game now is ship survivability. The Enterprise incident is likely still studied at the U.S. Naval Academy, the various staff officer training schools, and the U.S. Naval War College. This could have been disastrous, and the need for advanced seamanship and improved navigation procedures was a lesson learned from an accident that could have been far worse. Let’s hope the nation’s carriers do not have to face this type of calamity again.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood, PhD
Author of now over 3,500 articles on defense issues, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: A Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
