Members of a U.S. Navy court of inquiry are divided about whether Cmdr. Scott Waddle should be court-martialed for the fatal Feb. 9 collision between the USS Greeneville and Japanese fishing trawler Ehime Maru, according to a Japanese newspaper.

The three-admiral panel is expected to submit a final report Saturday to U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Thomas Fargo.

The Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun quoted Navy sources as saying that the report will "severely reprimand" Waddle and his top two officers for negligence on duty. But the newspaper said that the admirals are divided on whether Waddle should face a court martial for the collision.

According to the newspaper, the final report is expected to incorporate both majority and minority opinions.

It will be up to Fargo to decide what to do next. His options range from issuing letters of reprimand all the way to convening court-martial proceedings against Waddle or his crew members.

Navy sources told the newspaper that the report is expected to recommend that Waddle shoulder responsibility for the collision since he neglected standard procedures and failed to take safety measures in his haste to conduct the sub's emergency surfacing drill. It was during that drill when the submarine collided with the ship nine miles south of Diamond Head.

Among Waddle's acts of negligence, according to the report:

• Failure to replace or repair a broken sonar monitor in the sub's command center.
• Placing unqualified trainees on sonar watch without supervision.
• Bypassing necessary communications with subordinates.
• Failure to properly use a periscope prior to the surfacing drill.

The sources also told the newspaper that the admirals suspect Waddle of dereliction of duty.

Under military law, Waddle could be charged with improperly endangering a vessel or even negligent homicide, since nine men and boys died when the sub struck the fishing boat.

The families of the sailors are demanding that the U.S. retrieve the bodies of the victims, which are presumed to be emtombed inside the wreckage 2,000 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

Previous Stories:

• April 9, 2001: Families Retract Demands To Raise Ehime Maru
• April 2, 2001: USS Greenville Leaves Dry Dock
• March 30, 2001: Admirals Nearly Complete Navy Inquiry
• March 22, 2001: Civilians Ride Navy Subs Again
• March 22, 2001: Civilians Describe Sub Experience
• March 21, 2001: Mori Pays Tribute To Ehime Maru Victims
• March 20, 2001: Sub Technician Stopped Tracking Japanese Ship
• March 20, 2001: Report: Substance Abuse Growing In Hawaii
• March 19, 2001: Ferry Project Report Released
• March 17, 2001: Minutes Could Have Stopped Sub Collision
• March 15, 2001: Ehime Maru Captain Describes Collision
• March 14, 2001: Sub Commander's Style At Heart Of Inquiry
• March 13, 2001: Admiral: Sub Commander Responsible For Safety
• March 12, 2001: Ehime Maru Captain Returns To Islands
• March 10, 2001: Attorney Challenges Expert Witness
• March 9, 2001: Waddle Apologizes To Families
• March 8, 2001: Waddle's Attorney Begins Cross-Examination
• March 7, 2001: Attorney: Waddle Will Not Testify
• March 6, 2001: Cheap Tickets Hits 10 Million Online Subscribers
• March 6, 2001: Court Of Inquiry Looks For Answers
• March 3, 2001: Sub Skipper Wants Immunity
• March 2, 2001: Ehime Maru School Students Graduate
• March 1, 2001: Waddle: 'Part Of Me Died' In Collision
• March 1, 2001: Carlisle, Donohue Among Sub Guests
• February 27, 2001: Japan: Bush Considering Salvage Of Sunken Ship
• February 26, 2001: Waddle Has 'Sincere Regret' About Collision
• February 25, 2001: Sub Investigation Could Widen
• February 22, 2001: Navy Court Of Inquiry Could Be Delayed
• February 20, 2001: Navy Likely To Raise Ehime Maru
• February 20, 2001: Sub Mishap Survivors Still Haunted
• February 19, 2001: Sucess Of Raising Ehime Maru 'Questionable'
• February 19, 2001: Robot Sub Hauled Out For Repairs
• February 19, 2001: Tennessee Town Supports Sub Crew
• February 16, 2001: Search Continues While NTSB Interviews Sub Crew
• February 15, 2001: Police Warn Of Sub Victim Fund Scam
• February 15, 2001: Japanese Outraged Over Sub Revelation
• February 15, 2001: Two Island Residents On Greeneville
• February 14, 2001: Sub Captain Could Face Criminal Inquiry
• February 13, 2001: Ehime Maru Crew Describes Disaster
• February 12, 2001: Bush Offers Prayer For Sub Victims
• February 12, 2001: Latest On Submarine Crash Investigation
• February 12, 2001: NTSB Begins Sub Collision Probe
• February 11, 2001: Ehime Maru Captain Speaks
• February 11, 2001: Sub Commander Reassigned As Search Continues
• February 11, 2001: Sub Collided During Emergency Maneuver