SEA SMASH
Royal Navy collision – Watch as warships crash in second smash in two years as sailors battle to stop vessel sinking
It is now the second smash in two years after a previous collision caused £100,000-worth of damage
DRAMATIC footage shows the moment a Royal Navy warship smashed into another in Bahrain.
A mechanical fault was blamed for HMS Chiddingfold lurching backwards, leaving HMS Bangor with a gaping hole in its side.
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Smashed out cabinets, broken photo frames and other debris were seen scattered over the floor and furniture where HMS Bangor was hit by HMS Chiddingfold.
Shocking footage has also shown how officers lost control on the warship bridge with Chiddingfold’s stern crashing in Bangor’s port side.
The crew’s bedrooms and gallery were nearly destroyed by the impact.
A source said: “The engines had been wired up wrong. So what they thought was going forward was actually backwards.
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“The ship was smashed into the wall and everyone was bouncing around inside.
“It was absolutely mental.”
“They’re now trying to stop the boat from sinking. I believe they’ve stabilised them enough to go to an emergency port to make sure Bangor doesn’t sink in the Bahrain harbour.”
Crews are now scrambling to keep HMS Bangor from sinking after a mechanical fault on HMS Chiddingfold launched backwards instead of forwards into the sea.
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The 39 men on the smashed mine hunter off the coast of Bahrain were thrown around.
There followed a dangerous mission to bring HMS Bangor safely to port.
The Sun was told the impact off Bahrain nearly destroyed the galley and bedrooms, but none of the 39 crew on board was reported hurt.
Both ships are part of the UK's long-standing presence in the Gulf.
HMS Chiddingfold was last involved in a prang two years ago, when a collision with HMS Penzance caused £100,000-worth of damage.
Royal Navy Rear Admiral Edward Ahlgren OBE, Commander Operations, said: "I am aware of a recent incident that took place between two minehunters in Bahrain Harbour.
"First of all I would like to stress that thankfully nobody was hurt in the collision, but some damage was sustained.
"Why this happened is still to be established. We train our people to the highest standards and rigorously enforce machinery safety standards, but unfortunately incidents of this nature can still happen.
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"I assure you that a full and thorough investigation is already under way and any changes in procedure that could prevent further incidents will be rapidly implemented.
"In the meantime the UK will continue to play a key part in ensuring the safety of merchant shipping in the region."
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