Yeah, sounds like the filtration system worked as it was designed to work.
I’m betting the same won’t happen with the USS Detroit next year.
I’m betting you are right.
For $15-20k, they could have installed a clarifier in the line to clean the LO before it went to the filters. The clarifier is standard equipment on ships that have to make a living.
Metal debris in the LO filter? That is normal on the shakedown cruise, as there is a bit of grinding, welding, and threading residues, along with some debris associated with the engine wear-in, in the system after building the power plant. The real world solution is to chuck the dirty LO filter into the dustbin, and replace it. Later, when alongside, the LO can be changed out.
Perhaps they cannot afford to carry spare LO filters.