The Lost Target and the Cost of Caution

The Caine Mutiny

Queeg’s mishandling of a target-towing operation reveals how caution can become avoidance of responsibility.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Turn Begins The Turn Begins from "The Caine Mutiny". The Turn Begins Incident While Queeg is distracted by the shirttail issue, the Caine turns too far and crosses its own towline.

The Turn Begins from "The Caine Mutiny". The Turn Begins Incident While Queeg is distracted by the shirttail issue, the Caine turns too far and crosses its own towline.

The Turn Begins Incident While Queeg is distracted by the shirttail issue, the Caine turns too far and crosses its own towline. Loss The towline parts and the target drifts away, exposing a ship-handling failure amid an attempt to enforce minor discipline.

A Decision Deferred A Decision Deferred from "The Caine Mutiny". A Decision Deferred Opportunity Maryk and the boatswain’s mate say the target can be recovered, but Queeg worries about time, danger, and responsibility.

A Decision Deferred from "The Caine Mutiny". A Decision Deferred Opportunity Maryk and the boatswain’s mate say the target can be recovered, but Queeg worries about time, danger, and responsibility.

A Decision Deferred Opportunity Maryk and the boatswain’s mate say the target can be recovered, but Queeg worries about time, danger, and responsibility. Choice He asks higher authority for instructions and then returns to Pearl rather than make a direct decision to retrieve the target.

The Fiasco Report The Fiasco Report from "The Caine Mutiny". The Fiasco Report Reprimand ComServPac demands a personal report and calls the episode a fiasco.

The Fiasco Report from "The Caine Mutiny". The Fiasco Report Reprimand ComServPac demands a personal report and calls the episode a fiasco.

The Fiasco Report Reprimand ComServPac demands a personal report and calls the episode a fiasco. Grace challenges Queeg to admit that he did not know how to recover the target. Refusal Queeg insists that his decisions were sound and deflects responsibility onto the ship’s crew and his executive officer.

A Medical Log Entry A Medical Log Entry from "The Caine Mutiny". A Medical Log Entry Memory Maryk records the lost target as part of a growing pattern of indecision, rationalization, and blame shifting.

A Medical Log Entry from "The Caine Mutiny". A Medical Log Entry Memory Maryk records the lost target as part of a growing pattern of indecision, rationalization, and blame shifting.

A Medical Log Entry Memory Maryk records the lost target as part of a growing pattern of indecision, rationalization, and blame shifting. Evidence The incident matters less as a single error than as an example of how Queeg responds when a practical judgment must be made under uncertainty.

Reframed at Trial Reframed at Trial from "The Caine Mutiny". Reframed at Trial Defense Queeg presents the episode as a sensible refusal to risk sailors and violate orders.

Reframed at Trial from "The Caine Mutiny". Reframed at Trial Defense Queeg presents the episode as a sensible refusal to risk sailors and violate orders.

Reframed at Trial Defense Queeg presents the episode as a sensible refusal to risk sailors and violate orders. The history he once minimized becomes a question of credibility. Significance The trial forces the court to decide whether safe procedure can itself become a means of evading command responsibility.

During target-towing practice at Pearl Harbor

Immediately after the towline parts

The following day, after the Caine returns to port

Months later, during the investigation of Queeg’s command

During Queeg’s court-martial testimony