I see two different scenarios based on the wakes of these vessels.
Either the Chinese vessel came up from behind and passed by the Decatur on the port side, which I can’t see any good Captain to allow. Or the Decatur came up from behind, approached the stern of the Chinese vessel, and then turned to starboard.
The wakes are definitely parallel...
In the old days the US captain was pursuing proper strategy in that he would cross the Chinese vessel’s T off the stern and fire a full broadside. Today I suppose that strategy is not all that important tactically but maybe important psychologically.
Can’t we fire up Karl Rove’s old weather machine and sent a couple of CAT 5 typhoons over the chicom islands?