“The only lack of leadership was that an NCO on scene didn’t tell them all to leave their gear and get out of a sinking craft.”
That sounds about right. It was certainly a CF with plenty of stupidity to go around for these marines to drown this way.
This may have been a convenient opportunity for them to get rid of the Major General. I suspect there may have been more rationale (justified or not) than just this accident.
I hadn't thought of this.