Picking a Fight

The first rule of marine navigation? If you pick a fight with a rock, you will lose. Well, it should be amended to specifically mention submarines.

HONOLULU — A nuclear submarine ran aground about 350 miles south of Guam, injuring around 20 sailors, one of them critically, the Navy said.

There were no reports of damage to the USS San Francisco's reactor plant, which was operating normally, the Navy said.

The 360-foot submarine was headed back to its home port in Guam, and the Friday afternoon incident was under investigation, said Jon Yoshishige, a spokesman for the Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor.

He said there was no information yet on what the submarine struck.

Details on the sailors' injuries were not immediately available, but Yoshishige said an initial assessment put the number injured at around 20. The sub has a crew of 137, officials said.

For more information on USS San Francisco (SSN 711), check out the following links.

* Navy Fact File
* Global Security
* Naval Vessel Register