US says sub didn't know Nissho Maru was sinking

A preliminary Navy report on the collision of a US submarine and a Japanese freighter last month concludes the sub left the scene because its crew didn't know the cargo ship was sinking, sources said. The report was prepared especially for Japanese Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki, who is visiting the United States.

The Navy announced April 21 it accepted liability for the April 9 sinking of the freighter Nissho Maru in the East China Sea. It collided with the USS George Washington, a Polaris submarine carrying nuclear missiles. Two Japanese crewmen died but no one aboard the sub was injured . Japanese lawyers have advised the Navy they estimated total damages at about $1.2 million.