Vella Gulf suffers new fuel tank casualty 4 days ago A fresh fuel leak casualty has again forced the guided-missile cruiser Vella Gulf back to Norfolk. Here, Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Abraham Moore signals a helicopter to start its engines Feb. 10 during a pre-deployment exercise last month. (MC2 Dean CatesNavy) The stricken U.S. warship Vella Gulf got back underway this past weekend but quickly returned to port following a fuel leak in the same tank that sidelined the guided-missile cruiser’s deployment late last month. Officials are still assessing whether the latest fuel tank casualty that emerged as the ship steamed near the Virginia Capes was caused by the same corrosion and leakage issues that prompted the ship’s U-turn back to Norfolk last month after deploying with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group.