Collision off Cuba

A Russian cargo ship tries to run the US Navy's blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis. An American ship tries to block its way. They collide. Both ships sink. Hundreds of crew members of both ships die. What happens next?
 

Delta Force

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A Russian cargo ship tries to run the US Navy's blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis. An American ship tries to block its way. They collide. Both ships sink. Hundreds of crew members of both ships die. What happens next?

Hundreds of deaths seems unlikely given the warmth of the Caribbean and the fact that the United States Navy would be monitoring the area. Assuming it's a destroyer involved in the collision then the casualties would mostly be on the American end (the destroyer has a few hundred crew and weighs only 2,000 tons, while the cargo ship has a few dozen crew and weighs 10,000+ tons) and the Soviets would actually be in position to accuse the United States of being the aggressor, since a cargo ship with a maximum speed of 15 knots probably isn't going to try ramming a much faster and more maneuverable destroyer or be successful in an attempt if it did.
 
The situation was so closely monitored that almost everybody would know it was an accident immediately. I suspect there's lots of harsh words and blame but the other cargo ships decide that discretion is the better part of valor and don't try to run the blockade in case they get sunk themselves. In the US Navy there's court martials and embarrassment all round for somehow crashing and losing a warship to a freighter.

Again, lots of harsh words but I don't think this would encourage anybody to run the blockade, probably the opposite since it would show the US was being serious and aggressive in enforcing it if not particularly competent. The US probably pays reparations for sinking the freighter eventually. The who situation would be embarrassing.
 
A destroyer, at least in clear weather, would be able to avoid being rammed by a freighter, certainly by accident. It is possible a freighter could deliberately ram a destroyer but it would be difficult. If it was foggy/bad weather an accident more likely but both ships have radar and should be able to avoid an accident.
 
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