A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine that was severely damaged in early October in an accident in the South China Sea struck an uncharted underwater mountain, an investigation has found, the Navy said on Monday. The USS Connecticut (SSN-22), a Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine, was operating in international waters in the Indo–Pacific region on Oct. 2 at the time of the collision, which resulted in 11 crew sustaining injuries—none life-threatening—a defense official told USNI News. A spokesperson for the 7th fleet, which operates in the Western Pacific and Indian oceans, told media outlets that a probe determined that the vessel had collided with a geological formation. “The investigation determined USS Connecticut grounded on an uncharted seamount while operating in international waters in the Indo–Pacific region,” the spokesperson first told USNI News. The investigation’s findings have been handed over to the fleet’s commander, Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, to “determine whether follow-on actions, including accountability, are …