Captain Erica Hoffman, a New York native and Naval Academy graduate of which she was the commanding officer of the US Navy guided missile cruiser USS PHILIPPINE SEA CG 58 since 26th April, 2019 was relieved of her posting by the commander of Carrier Strike Group Two on Monday 18th May due to a “loss of confidence in her ability to command.”
The cruiser was moored at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown when approximately 15,000 litres of diesel fuel had accidentally spilled from the ship on Thursday 7th May. Most of the spilled bunker was successfully contained within hours through the combined efforts of USS CG 58 crew, a navy oil recovery team stationed at Yorktown, and the US Coast Guard using booms, a fuel vacuum and absorbent material.
The navy is continuing to investigate the circumstances that led to the spill, which occurred while the cruiser was loading ammunition at the weapons station.
Images at Valletta, Malta goes back to February 2004 while the headline image goes back to 22nd September 1996.
Photos by Capt. Lawrence Dalli. Do not use these images without my permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com
Published – Thursday 21st May, 2020
