He is the founder and editor for the blogs Japan Security Watch, Asia Security Watch and War Is Boring. Class: Allen M. Sumner class destroyer Named for: Reigart Bolivar Lowry Complement: 336 Officers and Enlisted Displacement: 2200 tons Length: 376 feet 6 inches Beam: 40 feet Flank Speed: 34 knots Range: 6500 Nautical Miles Final Disposition:Scrapped October 1996 The New Mexico class was the fourth of six distinct battleship classes laid down the 1910s, as the Navy rushed to fortify the Atlantic against tensionsand then outright warin Europe. Laid down in April 1915 at the Newport News Naval Yard, Virginia, Mississippi was commissioned in December 1917, a month after the end of World War I. Mississippi sailed from San Pedro 19 October to take part in the invasion of the Gilbert Islands. At the time of her commissioning in 1943, the USS Iowa was one of the world's most formidable war machines. The scene inside was too terrible to describe. Navy.". The commissioning ceremony aboard the USS Iowa, Feb. 22, 1943. Joseph Miceli, who headed the technical aspects of the Navy's investigation of the Iowa deaths, issued an interim report that stated: "The most probable cause of the casualty appears at this time to be frictional or compressive forces acting on or within the" bags of powder as they were rammed into the breach. A news report about the USS Iowa gun turret explosion in 1989. . The Case of the U.S.S. At 0059, an in-bore explosion, caused by a defective projectile, tore through the inside of Turret II, burned more than 700 pounds . Miceli's team responded that the explosions were not related, because the Mississippi incidents were not actual explosions, but "intense burnings" of the powder which resulted from different . When the Iowa investigation was completed and released on Sept. 7, the Navy said this idea had been discarded after Miceli and his team were unable to cause an explosion with friction and after Navy criminal investigators conceived their theory that the blasts were caused by a distraught sailor. Here's the explanation: http://archive . . Thanks for posting. "If this story sounds familiar, it's because this is kind of the oldest story ever told around the U.S. 2 turret. There is also a picture of what I think is the USS MISSISSIPPI. During his early months aboard the MISSISSIPPI, Seaman Fidler maintained a log book. One man who was recognized as a hero of the disaster and credited with saving the ship was the turret captain, Lt. (jg) Thomas E. Zellars. During World War II, in November 1943, while bombarding the Makin Islands in the Pacific, it experienced another . National Security. 2. She was present in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, when Japan formally surrendered and returned to the United States soon thereafter. Also served on USS TENNESSEE, USS KULA GULF (CVE108) and USS FRANK FRIDAY FLETCHER. Several salvos were fired by each ship, but then there was trouble with "Missy's" number two turret. Anyway, what's left of it. "USS Mississippi (BB-41) cordite fire in the #2 14-inch gun turret. 43 killed, 19 injured. Looking for information/casualty list from the Nov 29,1943 turret explosion. I'm sorry for anyone's personal grief or personal anguish over that.". During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives . Black smoke poured out from the burning No. The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the invasion had ended. The turret explosion was captured by a camera mounted in one of the USS Iowa's towers. It's possible that the powder bags began to smoke because they were old, so the gun captain rammed the bags with too much power. In these tests, Navy technicians simulated conditions in the center gun at the time of the accident, including ramming the 110-pound bags of powder 21-inches further into the barrel than normal. The USS Iowa turret explosion occurred in the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) on April 19, 1989. It was also clear that each 16-inch gun turret required more sailors than the Navy could afford to assign. The exact date and number of casualties were not available. During 40 years of service, US Navy battleship . Flame and gases immediately filled the gun compartment, passed through the safety doors above the shell table to the other two gun compartments and through the peep doors to the turret officer's booth. While removing the bodies from the turret, the hand of a dead officer brushed against a switch causing the left gun to fire. Shortly after midnight October 1, NEWPORT NEWS commenced a gunfire support mission from her station off the South Viet Nam coast against NVA troops and bunker positions in the vicinity of Quang Tri City. Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USS Mississippi went to war in the Pacific. Mississippi was instrumental in the testing and eventual fielding of the Convair RIM-2 Terrier, the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air missile. At least two sailors who survived the Iowa explosion say that either the rammer or friction contributed to the blast. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USSMississippiwent to war in the Pacific. For example, Hartwig had not been responsible for loading the gun, as the Navy initially claimed. I met my life-long friend Dave Welch, got to experience Fleet Week in NYC, and lived through the turret 2 explosion. They have been throwing torpedoes at us for the past four months. Article on accident here. A new method in the launch of ship-based aircraft was displayed with the explosive-powered catapult launch of a Martin MO-1 observation plane from the forward turret of the USS Mississippi. They also repeated assurances that friction or other accidental means did not cause the Iowa deaths. The gunners on all three battlewagons were competing for a $20 prize that Congress had voted to award the fleets most proficient naval marksman. Even before the sailors caskets could be shipped to their hometowns, the court of inquiry was underway. It took the sailors eight hours to douse the blaze. During the mid-1950s, she was test ship for the Navy's first surface-to-air guided missile, the "Terrier". Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One mans battle to save a Guatemalan jungle and Maya ruins, Has wildflower shaming gone too far? "The powder door was still open to the center gun that armored hatch was still open," Carr said. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY Iowa . Suddenly, in the midst of the barrage, smoke and gas erupted from the rangefinders on either side of the number two turret. Kyle Mizokami is a defense and national-security writer based in San Francisco who has appeared in theDiplomat, Popular Mechanics, Foreign Policy,War is Boring,and theDaily Beast. Another sailor, David Smith, claimed that Navy investigators had coerced him into telling them Hartwig propositioned him and discussed how to use a bomb's timer, the Washington Post reported in September 1989. The MISSISSIPPI and her sister ships of Battleship Division Three represented most of the remaining battleship strength in the U.S. Navy. Forty-three sailors died. On 19 April 1989, 47 crewmen were killed in an explosion in the Number Two gun turret on the battleship USS Iowa (BB-61). This freed up the name USS Mississippi (BB-41) for one of twelve "standard type" battleships, designed with a similar armor scheme, speed, and main armament in order to operate together. "Then approximately two minutes later, I recognized Senior Chief [Reginald] Ziegler, who was the chief in charge of Turret 2, yell into the phones: 'Fire, fire, fire! 2, the ship was anchored just inside the breakwater. Almost instantly, forty-five men and three officers were dead from asphyxiation. Naval shore leaves were immediately canceled, and every attempt was made to keep news of the accidental discharge of the gun from leaking out. US National Archives and Records Administration. 43 killed, 19 injured. Smoke pours from Turret #2 of the USS Iowa after an explosion and fire on April 19, 1989 . Because there were still unfired rounds in the other two guns of Turret No. 12 June 1924" "USS Mississippi (BB-41), during combat operations off Makin, Gilbert Islands, suffers cordite explosion in #2 14-inch gun turret. and provides links to, selected views concerning USS Mississippi (BB-41 and AG . Second, it is to showcase The last explosion was so strong that it blew the turret's two-ton hatch off its hinges and into the water, he said. Another sailor, Senior Master Chief Steven Skelly, told Milligan that "There has been account after account of all classes of battleship" where friction ignited ripped bags of powder as they were rammed into the gun. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ. 1941- Enroute Hvalfordur, Iceland to Portsmouth, Va. At last we are steaming homeward in company with the U.S.S. Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, oddly enough the same turret each time if I recall. Was on board 1943-45. . 12:00 a.m. June 9, 1999: For the Record Los Angeles Times Wednesday June 9, 1999 Home Edition Metro Part B Page 3 Metro Desk 2 inches; 37 words Type of Material: Correction Battleship photo--A photo of a naval funeral that accompanied the L.A. Then and Now column in Sundays Times was incorrectly credited. On 20 November the Mississippi suffered an explosion in a main turret, killing 43 men. On June 12, 1924, the MISSISSIPPI, along with the battleships TENNESSEE and IOWA, was engaged in gunnery practice off San Clemente Island. Another 2700 sailors observed the services. He said the final technical report on the Iowa explosions had been released to Congress; a congressional source said it concluded that gunner's mate Clayton Hartwig, who died in the blasts, put a bomb made of chemicals into the breech and the bomb exploded and ignited the powder and propellant when compressed by the rammer. Meanwhile, Mississippi and Nashville had to take emergency evasive actions to avoid the torpedoes. Forty-two sailors were killed and another sixteen wounded. A bizarre accident occurred afterward while the Mississippi was anchored in San Pedro Bay. She was commissioned in December 1917, and operated in the western Atlantic area . Politics. They further claimed Hartwig became suicidal because he and Truitt who was married at the time had been lovers but Truitt had rebuffed him. This could have led to dangerous debris remaining in the breech when the gun crew assumed it was safe to load. If Germany has declared war on the U.S., they should be bombing Iceland soon.". She was bombed from the air. She was armed with a main battery of twelve 14-inch/50 caliber guns mounted in four turrets of three guns each, with each gun mounted in a separate sleeve. . USS Turner (DD-648) sank in New York harbor following a series of ammunition explosions. It's been 30 years since an explosion inside the number two gun turret on the USSIowakilled 47 American sailors, but for Mike Carr, it still feels like yesterday. The investigations produced conflicting conclusions. Japanese observation planes have been seen over San Francisco. Reply. The Senator from Michigan has asked for a Court Martial of leading admirals and in the 14th Naval District. Although investigators concluded that a faulty gas-ejection system prevented one of the guns breech plugs from closing securely, thereby permitting a jet of flame to spurt back into the powder-filled room when a salvo was fired, the Mississippis skipper, Brotherton, still faced the Navys unforgiving notions of a commanders accountability. Pictured are A and B Turrets of the ' USS Mississippi ' . "They knew more about guns than everybody else in the Navy put together.". Forty-eight sailors were killed, and only one of the sailors manning the turret survived. This is part 2 of a series on the April 19, 1989 explosion on board the battleship Iowa which killed 47 sailors in gun turret 2 of the main (16") battery. On June 12, 1924,Mississippi found herself off the coast of California conducting gun trials. "Cover-up aboard the USS Iowa" (PDF). "He died in my arms.". . TURRET TWO: DAMAGE CONTROL MEASURES FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION . 2 turret as Carr and other sailors donned their firefighting gear. It was the deadliest peacetime naval disaster ever to occur along the California coast, an explosion that tore through a gun turret on the battleship Mississippi, killing 48 sailors and injuring dozens more. Built while America was a neutral party inWorld War I,Mississippisailed into the atomic age and later served as a massive test platform for surface-to-air missiles. Battleships USS Idaho, USS Mississippi, and USS New Mexico, escorted by 2 cruisers and 13 destroyers, were dispatched to patrol the Denmark Strait to protect American merchant shipping. The tombstone inscription reads "Francis J. Zacharias Born July 19, 1905, Killed by Explosion on USS Mississippi at San Pedro California 1924. In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blog Japan Security Watch. TheNew Mexicoclass was the fourth of six distinct battleship classes laid down the 1910s, as the Navy rushed to fortify the Atlantic against tensionsand then outright warin Europe. RSS. Mississippi was a heavily armed battleship by the standards of the day. The MISSY crewman who sent the postcard home must have been part of the recovery party. All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. Later, the Navy would honor Zellars by naming a destroyer after him. USS Ammen sustained a glancing blow from a Yokosuka P1Y 'Francis' that caused considerable topside damage and killed 5 men. . Maybe I will get to see Hotel Street after all. Abner Read began sinking by the stern and 20 minutes after the attack, she rolled over and sank. Then-Navy Secretary John Lehman fell in love with the idea of using battleships to build strike groups, easing the strain on aircraft carriers, according to retired Cmdr. Smoldering material left in the gun had ignited the powder charge of the next shot. "Imagine an old timey cap gun, where you remove the caps, and bang them with a hammer," Truitt said. 2. I was on active duty at that time. 2 Turret was cold, meaning it hadn't been fired yet. Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. The Invasion of Lingayen Gulf (Filipino: Paglusob sa Golpo ng Lingayen), 6-9 January 1945, was an Allied amphibious operation in the Philippines during World War II.In the early morning of 6 January 1945, a large Allied force commanded by Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf began approaching the shores of Lingayen from Lingayen Gulf, on the island of Luzon. It said this conclusion was reached even though test mixtures of black powder and propellant were ignited by friction, "but only negative, although not conclusive, results were had from elaborate and extensive tests with an actual rammer.". The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the invasion had ended. The guns' lubricants were the next to ignite, he said. Iowa. siege1863, Assigned to USS IOWA Commissioning Crew on 22 February 1943. The World War II Database is founded and managed by The military looks for scapegoats when people die rather than admit their mistakes or acknowledge that accidents are even possible, Truitt said. . In 1924 and 1943, open breech explosions had occurred in the Turret Two center gun aboard Mississippi, each time killing most of the crewmen in the turret. The following video remembers those. The Navy Bureau of Ordnance is considered authoritative on both weapons. The hand of a dead crewman in the number two turret accidentally hit the firing switch for the port gun, firing it. DD-770 General Specifications. As the stricken battleship glided into a San Pedro berth, Rear Adm. William V. Pratt boarded the ship and the hospital ship Relief pulled alongside. USS Mississippi arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for an overhaul. 13 June 1924 Today located in Republic of Kiribati. In early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet. She was launched on 27 August 1942 and commissioned on 22 February 1943. After the war, Mississippi was effectively defanged, with three of her four main battery turrets removed. "The gun where the explosion occurred had not fired" that day. Am trying to find information of awards/medals that might have been awarded. According to the findings from a 1944 investigation by the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance, the explosion in turret No. The next shell was rammed into the gun and the four powder bags on the spanner tray were rammed into place behind it. But when investigators learned that Hartwig had named Truitt the beneficiary of a $100,000 life insurance policy, they claimed thatHartwig who died in the blast had planted a bomb in the gun. "I was like: OK; I'll bite; why? USS Mississippi was damaged by Japanese special attack aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands. The photo was from the book Battleship Country--The Battle Fleet at San Pedro-Long Beach, Ca. * November 1943: The battleship USS Mississippi, while shelling Makin Island in World War II, had an explosion in turret No. After having sent almost 100 sailors to their deaths in two separate explosions, the 39-year-old Mississippi was scrapped in 1956. USS Mississippi (BB-41), during combat operations off Makin, Gilbert Islands, suffers cordite explosion in #2 14-inch gun turret. Navy records show that Emett C. Dunn, Jr., a civilian employee of the Navy stationed in Charleston, S.C., told investigators that during a March visit to the Iowa the senior enlisted man in turret No. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw and McKean arrived at Pago Pago, Samoa. -November 1943, the battleship USS Mississippi, while shelling Makin Island in World War II, had an explosion in turret No. Battleship USS Mississippi: A Strange History The USSMississippiis home to one of the most intriguing naval coincidences of all time. Post In May 1941, the MISSISSIPPI, which had been part of the Pacific Fleet since 1919, was secretly ordered to sail for the East Coast for service with the Atlantic Fleet. July 1999. p. 9. During this time she also conducted search operations for German "raiders" thought to be in the vicinity. . The battleship Mississippi, built in 1915, was the last to have an explosion involving her main guns. US Battleship Turret Explosions 1904-1989. Before his death, he asked to be buried next to one of the victims of the Mississippi disaster at Point Loma in San Diego. Right now I worry only about the U.S.S. USS Mississippi (BB-41) was a New Mexico-class battleship that entered service in 1917 and saw service during World War II. Sounding the fire alarm, Brotherton shouted orders to cut electric power, flood the magazines and stop the ship. Two major investigations were underta The deadly blast aboard the Iowa marked the first explosion in a battleship turret since 1943, when 43 sailors aboard the USS Mississippi were killed, the Government Accountability Office later determined. A tragic reminder the costs of peace time training can be paid by lives as well. Nov 1, 2021, 1:18 PM. The reports by psycholgists of the FBI and the Naval Investigative Service indicated Hartwig deliberately caused the April 19 blast in one of the battleship's gun turrents, killing himself and 46 . The ship was built at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia, from her keel laying in April 1915, her launching. additional photos - based on the camo pattern I believe the photo is from 1944. Official USN photo # DN-ST-89-06800, by LT. 2 turret aboard the battleship Mississippi, which also claimed 47 lives. The last U.S. warship to experience an explosion in a similar-type gun turret was the battleship USS Mississippi when it was shelling Japanese-held Makin Island in the Pacific in November 1943 . 3. Sandia investigators asked if two similar explosions on the battleship USS Mississippi could be related to the Iowa explosion. You might like to see my original copy of the Memorial Address. ww2dbaseIn early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet. At the time, sailors in his father's division all took out life insurance policies on each other. USS Mississippi was commissioned into service. Decommissioned in September 1956, USS Mississippi was sold for scrapping in November of that year, after almost forty years of service. The USS Iowa turret explosion occurred in the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) on 19 April 1989.The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. United States General Accounting Office. According to the findings from a 1944 investigation by the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance, the explosion in turret No. In the case of theIowa, the devastating blast happened toward the tail end of the Cold War, when the Navy felt it needed 600 ships to counter the Soviets. The closing of the hatch sealed the fate of any others who might have survived the blast, trapping them in the toxic, flaming gas cloud created by the explosion. Naval Academy, The Sullivan Brothers and the Assignment of Family Members, Historic Former U.S. Navy Bases and Stations, The African American Experience in the U.S. Navy, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Navy, Contributions of Native Americans to the U.S. Navy, The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet, Navy Underwater Archaeology Return Program, Annual Navy History and Heritage Awards - Main, Research Permits for Sunken & Terrestrial Military Craft, Scanning, Copyright & Citation Information, Obtain Duplications of Records and Photos. What's our Navy doing anyway? During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. Warships, naval battles, technology, weapons, navies of all eras, modeling, etc. Francis Zacharias was only 16 when he enlisted and used his older brother's birth certificate without his parent's knowledge. I recently purchased a yard long photo with ship photo that the seller claimed were bought together at an estate sale in Lake George NY. Leaving Norfolk in early January 1942, she then transited the Panama Canal and arrived at San Francisco Harbor two weeks later. Gunners mate Kendall L. Truitt, one of the 12 sailors who escaped the No. He braved the flames, smoke, and carnage inside the turret to turn on sprinklers so that bags of gunpowder would not go off, and he secured hatches so that the accumulating water would not sink the ship,he told Penthouse in a January 1990 interview. Although each barrel was blasted between firings with pressurized air to evacuate debris, the middle barrel of each turret received a lower pressure burst than the left and right barrels. Your email address will not be published. The aging battlewagon had served longer than most ships at the time, but it had also experienced two rare tragedies, in the same place, under similar circumstances. Heres why experts say not to worry, How a Cucamonga Peak hiker survived a 200-foot fall from an icy trail, A record 6,542 guns were intercepted at U.S. airports in 2022, How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Rachel Bloom. The battleship was damaged by suicide planes in both operations. H.M.S. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. Undergoing repairs, Mississippi returned to action in January 1944 when it provided fire . This is a compilation of Special Report cut-ins from ABC News during the early afternoon hours, in the aftermath of the deadly explosion aboard the USS Iowa . On June 12, 1924,Mississippifound herselfoff the coast of California conducting gun trials. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. An inquiry found that there had been inadequate air pressure forced through the gun to expel the incandescent gases and other flammable residue after firing. Mississippiwas a heavily armed battleship by the standards of the day. by tommy303 Thu Apr 03, 2014 11:55 pm, Post The battleship Mississippi (BB 41) pictured transiting the Panama Canal during the 1920s. Two hundred sailors of each battleship of Battleship Division 4 were present. The battleship would continue participating mainly in training exercises until the 1940s. Seaman First Class Fidler was just seventeen years old when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. fully into the war. Truitt who was married at the time, sailors in his father 's Division all took out life insurance on..., the 39-year-old Mississippi was sold for scrapping in November of that year, after the Japanese attack on Harbor... 'S Bureau of Ordnance is considered authoritative on both weapons Portsmouth, at... Terrier, the 39-year-old Mississippi was anchored just inside the breakwater debris remaining in the vicinity that.! Strength in the breech when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi anchored! In # 2 14-inch gun turret USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and operated the... Technology, weapons, navies of all eras, modeling, etc when he enlisted and used his brother... Was instrumental in the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air guided missile, the explosion in turret No, which 43! The United States soon thereafter Truitt had rebuffed him mainly in training exercises until naval. The time had been lovers but Truitt had rebuffed him commissioning crew on 22 February.. Mexico-Class battleship that entered service in 1917 and saw service during World II! The bodies from the turret explosion, which also claimed 47 lives casualties were not available cordite in... First class Fidler was just seventeen years old when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi was New... The firing switch for the blogs Japan Security Watch, Asia Security Watch steaming homeward in with... In September 1956, USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and only one of the most intriguing naval of. Was test ship for the past four months Mississippi went to War in the midst the!, modeling, etc the costs of peace time training can be paid by lives as well 1942 and on. 43 lives of casualties were not available while bombarding the Makin Islands in the western area... There were still unfired rounds in the other two guns of turret.... Debris remaining in the midst of the sailors eight hours to douse the blaze participated the... History the USSMississippiis home to one of the next to ignite, he said Fidler was seventeen... * November 1943, while bombarding the Makin Islands in February and March was rammed into the War Mississippi. Gun trials and March ignite, he said at Newport news, Virginia 's all. Sorry for anyone 's personal grief or personal anguish over that. `` the coast of California conducting trials. Our FAQ and fire on April 19, 1989 II armed forces, please see our.... June 1924 Today located in Republic of Kiribati test ship uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 the port gun where! Pours from turret # 2 of the number two turret explosions, the explosion one... Remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the 12 sailors who escaped No! Armed forces, please see our FAQ his father 's Division all took out life insurance policies on each.!, oddly enough the same turret each time if I recall but then there was trouble with Missy... Operations for German `` raiders '' thought to be in the Pacific inquiry was underway War... In NYC, and lived through the turret explosion was captured by a camera mounted in one of number... As the Navy could afford to assign be related to the United States thereafter! And three officers were dead from asphyxiation a dead officer uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 against switch! B turrets of the Convair RIM-2 Terrier, the court of inquiry was underway, he said the defense Security... 1944 investigation by the standards of the barrage, smoke and gas erupted from the turret, killing men! Navy Bureau of Ordnance, the U.S. fully into the War, Mississippi returned to the findings from 1944... Most of the next shot the same turret each time if I recall suicidal. Safe to load Pacific, it experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives Zellars by naming destroyer... For inquiries about military records for members of the day both operations class battleship, was at. 1924 Today located in Republic of Kiribati the stern and 20 minutes the. Not fired '' that day KULA GULF ( CVE108 ) and USS FRIDAY... And returned to the blast attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. fully into the gun where the occurred! Fired '' that day Ammen sustained a glancing blow from a Yokosuka 'Francis. Survived the Iowa explosion for a court Martial of leading admirals and in the U.S. fully into the and..., where you remove the caps, and only one of the most intriguing naval coincidences all... News, Virginia and editor for the past four months missile, the battleship would continue mainly... And AG Hartwig had not fired '' that day this story sounds familiar, it another. Is kind of the USS Iowa uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 Feb. 22, 1943 their in. Mainly in training exercises until the 1940s shouted orders to cut electric power, flood the magazines stop!, Brotherton shouted orders to cut electric power, flood the magazines and stop the ship the exact and. Fired '' that day selected views concerning USS Mississippi ( BB-41 ) cordite fire in the other two guns turret! And bombarded Japanese-held Islands in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held Islands in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held Islands the... Pago, Samoa I met my life-long friend Dave Welch, got to experience Fleet Week in NYC, lived. Sailors donned their firefighting gear a and B turrets of the day 14-inch turret... Powder door was still open, '' Carr said effectively defanged, with three of her four main battery removed! Series of ammunition explosions 4 were present Ammen sustained a glancing blow from a Yokosuka P1Y 'Francis that., Asia Security Watch and War is Boring also a picture of what I think is the founder and for... A major refit laterthe USSMississippiwent to War in the U.S. fully into the where. Leaving Norfolk in early 1942, after the attack, she was test ship for the blogs Japan Watch. Of all eras, modeling, etc modeling, etc on 2 September 1945, Japan... The breakwater the Iowa deaths ), during combat operations off Makin, Islands... Mississippi found herself off the coast of California conducting gun trials Japan Security Watch was the to! Next shell was rammed into place behind it switch for the Navy 's first surface-to-air guided missile, ship. Iowa explosion say that either the rammer or friction contributed to the blast IP Address will be even! World War II, had an explosion and fire on April 19, 1989 in Tokyo Bay on 2 1945! Our FAQ 's personal grief or personal anguish over that. `` the naval. And the four powder bags on the camo pattern I believe the photo was from turret... Gun where the explosion occurred had not fired '' that day, 1989 in.: a Strange History the USSMississippiis home to one of the oldest ever... Laterthe USSMississippiwent to War in the number two turret ( BB-41 and.! Having sent almost 100 sailors to their hometowns, the ship Security Watch War! ; I 'll bite ; why Fidler was just seventeen years old when the gun, where you remove caps. Blow from a 1944 investigation by the standards of the World War II forces. Rebuffed him crew assumed it was safe to load forty years of,. Assumed it was safe to load Pedro Bay Beach, Ca led to dangerous remaining., Gilbert Islands, suffers cordite explosion in turret No 100 sailors to their deaths in two separate explosions oddly... Powder door was still open, '' Carr said to ignite, he.. Missy 's '' number two turret a bizarre accident occurred afterward while the Mississippi was anchored inside. Everybody else in the other two guns uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 turret No explosion and fire on 19! Sank in New York Harbor following a series of ammunition explosions provided fire years... Scrapping in November 1943, while shelling Makin Island in World War II armed forces, please see our.! Of California conducting gun trials could be shipped to their hometowns, the in. Ever told around the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air guided missile, the `` Terrier '' over.. # DN-ST-89-06800, by LT. 2 turret, modeling, etc `` the gun had ignited the charge... Maintained a log book Strange History the USSMississippiis home to one of the USS Iowa & # x27 t. Navy 's first surface-to-air guided missile, the `` Terrier '' their deaths in two separate explosions, enough... Firing switch for the Navy put together. `` story sounds familiar, it 's this! Pdf ) 19, 1989 cordite fire in the # 2 of the & # x27 s! U.S. fully into the gun had ignited the powder charge of the had... That each 16-inch gun turret explosion in a main turret, the `` Terrier '' asked! Laterthe USSMississippiwent to War in the other two guns of turret No Harbor brought the fully..., as the Navy put together. `` he cofounded the defense and Security blog Japan Watch! Missile, the battleship USS Mississippi was scrapped in 1956 April 19,.. The breech when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S... Blow from a 1944 investigation by the standards of the most intriguing naval coincidences of all time you... The other two guns of turret No center gun that armored hatch was still open to the explosion! Effectively defanged, with three of her four main battery turrets removed investigators asked if two similar on. September 1956, USS KULA GULF ( CVE108 ) and USS FRANK FRIDAY.. Seaman first class Fidler was just seventeen years old when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Mississippi...

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