Pearl Harbor Hawaii — By turns apologetic and defensive, the skipper of a submarine that sank a Japanese trawler took the stand Tuesday, blaming errors by himself and his crew for the accident.
"These mistakes were honest and well-intentioned," said Cmdr. Scott Waddle, who testified as the Navy court of inquiry neared an end.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, right, watches bereaved family members of the victims of the collision as they toss flowers into the ocean. They visited the site Tuesday off the coast of Honolulu.
Waddle's sworn testimony was a surprise because his attorney had indicated he would not testify without immunity, which the Navy rejected.
Waddle said he asked for immunity "in the event the international and political environment dictated that I be sacrificed to an unwarranted court-martial."
While criticizing the Navy's decision, he said he decided it was imperative he speak.
"This court and the families need to hear from me," he said, turning to face some of the victims' relatives. The wives of two of those killed brushed away tears as Waddle spoke.
Outside the hearing, Ryosuke Terata, whose son was among those killed, said the families welcomed Waddle's testimony as "keeping his promise that he made to us when he apologized."
Waddle's boat, the USS Greeneville, smashed into the Japanese fishing vessel Ehime Maru while demonstrating a rapid-surfacing drill for 16 civilians. Nine people, including four teen-age boys, were killed. Waddle said he was "truly sorry for the loss of life and the incalculable grief."
"As commanding officer, I am solely responsible for this truly tragic accident, and for the rest of my life I will live with the horrible consequences of my decisions and actions that resulted in the loss of the Ehime Maru," he said.
"I was trying my best to do the job that I was assigned," he said, and appeared to shift some blame to his crew for failing to provide backup.
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