 SINGAPORE: The US destroyer John S McCain collided with a tanker early on Monday (Aug 21) as the warship prepared to make a routine port call in Singapore, leaving a gaping hole in its hull and 10 sailors missing. USS Fitzgerald 
 
 The USS Fitzgerald collided with the container ship MC Crystal off the coast of Japan on June 17, resulting in the deaths of seven US sailors. In a statement addressing the collision between the USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker near Singapore, Navy Adm. John Richardson ordered an "operational pause" and fleet wide investigation. Two days after this -- which at the time was the year's fourth collision involving a US warship in East Asian waters -- the Navy relieved Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin of his duty as the US 7th Fleet's commander , citing a "loss of confidence in his ability to command." USS Champlain 
 
 In May, a South Korean fishing boat struck the USS Lake Champlain, while the Navy warship was conducting operations in international waters near the Korean Peninsula, the Navy said. The USS John S. McCain (named for the Arizona senator's father and grandfather) suffered significant damage to its hull, which flooded nearby compartments, including crew berthing, machinery and communications rooms, the 7th Fleet said in a statement.
– The search goes on for 10 missing US sailors after yet another accident involving a Navy ship. On Monday, Navy chief John Richardson took the rare step of ordering an "operational pause" in naval operations around the world so fleet commanders can assess what's going on, reports the Navy Times. Richardson, who pronounced himself "heartbroken" over the latest disaster, also ordered a broader investigation that goes beyond the details of the latest incidents and gets at the "root causes" of the problems. "This is the second collision in three months and is the last in a series of incidents in the Pacific theater," he said. "This trend demands more forceful action." Coverage: The collision: The USS John S. McCain, a destroyer, collided with an oil tanker off the coast of Singapore as it prepared to enter a port there. The collision happened just before dawn in one of the world's most congested shipping lanes, reports the New York Times. Things can get confusing in a hurry, especially in the dark. Protocol: There should have been plenty of crew members on deck looking for the lights of nearby ships, and, given the congestion, it wouldn't have been unusual for the ship's commander to be on the bridge, too. "Clearly at some point, the bridge team lost situational awareness," says Adm. William F. Moran, vice chief of naval operations, per the Washington Post. Out of position? The accident happened on the eastern approach to the Strait of Singapore, and AFP quotes one naval expert from Jane's who says, based on early reports, that the naval ship may not have been in the proper position, a possible sign of crew fatigue. The strait is only 10 miles wide, not leaving much room for error. It's a "dynamic environment" requiring extra vigilance, says one marine insurance official. Fourth this year: This is the fourth accident involving a US Navy ship in Asian waters this year, and CNN has details on all of them. The other big one, of course, was a June collision involving the USS Fitzgerald that left seven sailors dead. Prior to that, a South Korean fishing ship hit the USS Lake Champlain, and the US Antietam ran aground off Japan. A list at the New York Times goes back further. Not that John McCain: The ship in the latest accident isn't named for Vietnam war hero Sen. John McCain. It's named for his father and grandfather, both of them naval commanders during World War II, and the Sacramento Bee provides details on their careers.