In June 1941, in response to the deteriorating war situation in Europe, she was brought back to the Atlantic, operating between the United States and Iceland during much of the rest of that year. Today her name lives on in the Virginia class nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN-782). 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. His career ruined, Brotherton spent his last years a broken man. But it soon became apparent that the World War II-era battleships required too much time, money, and manpower to be overhauled, Carroll said. 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. Today her name lives on in theVirginiaclass nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN-782). Sandia investigators asked if two similar explosions on the battleship USS Mississippi could be related to the Iowa explosion. 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. Rather than admitting that the age of the battleship was over, Navy leaders cut corners on training, manpower, and maintenance to get theIowaback out to sea, he said. On the eighth salvo, turret two, gun two suffered a rare flare back. The four powder bags inserted into the breech, totaling 470 pounds of explosive powder, caught fire and ignited other bags waiting to be loaded. Thanks for sharing it. 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. Returning to Pearl Harbor in March 1943, . . She also featured twelve 5-inch/51 caliber guns, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and two submerged 21-inch torpedo tubes. Decommissioned in September 1956, USS Mississippi was sold for scrapping in November of that year, after almost forty years of service. The crew members in the upper chambers of the massive gun turret aboard the USS Iowa were killed by the explosion and fire while sailors working several levels below suffocated when the blast sucked all the oxygen from their chambers, Navy officials said Friday. The fleet in Pearl Harbor must have been asleep and I do not mean dozing. 43 killed, 19 injured. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY Less than two decades later, the Mississippi went through the same agony again. Seaman First Class Fidler was just seventeen years old when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. fully into the war. It was one of the worst disasters suffered by the Navy during peacetime. Two major investigations were undertaken into the cause of the explosion, one by the U.S. Navy and then one by the General Accounting . Facts later emerged that undermined the Navy's first investigation into the explosion, Truitt said. Second, it is to showcase You might like to see my original copy of the Memorial Address. 2 turret of the battleship USS Mississippi in 1943 that killed 43 sailors was caused by a "flareback" when unexpelled gases from a previous round ignited powder bags. Prince of Wales and H.M.S. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. Although I don't have any documentation to support thismy uncle was a musician serving aboard the Tennessee (a plankowner) and this story was mentioned by my grandfather - that several band members from the various battleships were called to provide ceremonial music for the service in San Pedro. . "I held one [sailor] in my hands as he passed," Carr said. United States General Accounting Office. Thank you. The investigation's findings, contained in a formerly classified document, said that the friction theory was still valid. She was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems. In this role, she carried a variety of old and new guns and radars, while serving with the Operational Development Force in the Atlantic. 1. Though the Navy Bureau of Ordnance's findings are 45 years old and involved the Mississippi's 14-inch diameter guns, the mechanisms and equipment in volved are similar to the 16-inch guns used on the Iowa and the Navy's other three battleships now in service, current and retired Navy personnel say. "The powder door was still open to the center gun that armored hatch was still open," Carr said. From the Washington Naval Treaty to the end of the Second World War. Then they found two sailors who had been blown from the turret onto the deck. Only two sailors in the turret firing room, J.F. 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. I'm sorry for anyone's personal grief or personal anguish over that.". Mississippi sustained a turret explosion that killed 43 people. Luckily, the fire did not set off the powder bags in the other two guns. Technology. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw and McKean arrived at Pago Pago, Samoa. 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. Forty-three sailors died. However, what he writes on December 10 and 11, 1941, tells the story well. On 19 April 1989, the Iowa. 2. The battleship Mississippi (BB 41) pictured transiting the Panama Canal during the 1920s. 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. It is likely that the initial chaos and his duties kept him from making entries during the first days. Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. Was on board 1943-45. . Out of commission? By the way, my uncle's name was Francis Zacharias. . Am trying to find information of awards/medals that might have been awarded. 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. 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. Fortunately for him and his crew, his ship was anchored at Hvalfordur on the fateful morning of December 7, 1941. "He died in my arms.". All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. Lt. Bruce Coles, a spokesman for the Navy, this week discounted the similarities between the accidents aboard the Iowa and the Mississippi. The USS Iowa (BB-61) was the lead ship of the last class of battleships built by the U.S. Navy, and was the first of four in that class to be commissioned, on 22 February 1943.Although the Japanese super-battleships Yamato and Musashi were heavier and had larger guns (nine 18.1-inch) the Iowa-class (Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin) were without doubt the most sophisticated . Incredibly it had happened again: in their haste to lay down a rain of shells on the Japanese, the gunners of number two turret had apparently experienced yet another flare back. She was powered by nine Babcock and Wilcox boilers and her four screws were driven by four Curtis turbines producing a maximum 32,000 horsepower. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. "That couldn't have been the case on Iowa," Coles said. 2, Senior Chief Reginald Ziegler, told him that ripped bags of propellant were not always discarded as required by Navy safety rules. "They were the real gun experts," said retired Rear Adm. Gene LaRocque, a former battleship captain and the founder of the Center for Defense Information in Washington. Lava's technical capabilities. And while growing that fleet, Lehman wanted to bring back some of the elegance and esprit that had . 2. The military looks for scapegoats when people die rather than admit their mistakes or acknowledge that accidents are even possible, Truitt said. The scene inside was too terrible to describe. Two major investigations were undertaken into the cause of the explosion, one by the U.S. Navy and then one by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Sandia National Laboratories. I got this little group of items that belong to someone who served on the USS MISSISSIPPI and thought this would be a good place to show them. They have been throwing torpedoes at us for the past four months. On 19 April 1989, the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) exploded. He is the founder and editor for the blogs Japan Security Watch, Asia Security Watch and War Is Boring. Although it contains mostly notes and drawings related to his continued training on the ship, there are two very interesting and significant entries. Photo courtesy of Irv Jacobs via Ron Reeves (of blessed memory). The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the invasion had ended. Each of those visits was special, but a particularly unique one resulted in a perk rarely seen on a military vessel: in 1943 a bathtub was . Available for both RF and RM licensing. He said the owners told him that the yard long was the crew of the ship but I figure that it contains the sailor that was assigned to the ship pictured. Japanese observation planes have been seen over San Francisco. 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. W.D. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw, Boggs, and McKean departed Pago Pago, Samoa bound for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. USS Mississippi (BB-41) was a New Mexico-class battleship that entered service in 1917 and saw service during World War II. 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. The investigations produced conflicting conclusions. 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. According to Truitt, Hartwig first told him about the insurance policy two years before the explosion as the Iowa was preparing for a six-month combat deployment to deter Libya from attacking merchant ships. Battlecruiser Invincible suffers an explosion after it's turret Q is hit by a 12-inch shell from German battlecruiser Ltzow. "USS Mississippi (BB-41, later AG . -23), the erstwhile Normandie, pride of the Compagnie . Ward Carroll, a naval aviator who was a spokesman for the Naval Safety Center at the time. Debris from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same accident and the same damage. Seamen in the upper chambers of the gun turret died instantly in the fiery explosion; those in the lower levels were suffocated as the blast siphoned off their oxygen. Those people turned out to be Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Clayton Hartwig, whom the Navy had initially claimed had loaded the gun before it exploded, and his best friend, Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Kendall Truitt. USS Mississippi arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for an overhaul. Team Mighty. The exact date and number of casualties were not available. He battled to contain the fire until he passed out from smoke inhalation, waking up later in an emergency dress battle station. 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 . In early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet. If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. 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? -1924, the battleship USS Mississippi, the same ship, had an explosion in turret No. ww2dbaseMississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the new hull number AG-128. No Way, Afghanistan: The Avoidable 20-Year Disaster, New Footage Shows Russias New T-90M Tank Going to War in Ukraine, The Collapse of Kamala Harris Is Nearly Complete. She also featured twelve 5-inch/51 caliber guns, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and two submerged 21-inch torpedo tubes. While bombarding Makin 20 November, a turret explosion, almost identical to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men. Right now I worry only about the U.S.S. It wasn't long after the Iowa returned home that the Navy seemed to be looking for someone to blame the disaster on. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. "Dec. 10. Assigned to Task Group 58.2, the battleship supported operations in the Marshall Islands in January 1944 including the invasion of Kwajalein. In its investigation of the explosion, the Navy concluded that the explosion was the result of a deliberate act and not a defect in the gun or propellant. When his body was discovered, his hand was still clutching the flood control. After an extensive preliminary bombardment, the Marine assault force headed towards the beach andMississippiand the other ships increased their rate of fire. . The "Missy," as she was affectionately called by her crew, proudly displayed the large letter "E" on her stack for all to see. U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy . It took the sailors eight hours to douse the blaze. Over more than a decade, she operated with the fleet's other battleships, conducting exercises and training operations in the Pacific and in the Caribbean. That investigation continues to attract scrutiny. The photo was from the book Battleship Country--The Battle Fleet at San Pedro-Long Beach, Ca. 20 November 1943." Battleship USS Missouri - Official Website NavSource - USS Missouri (BB-41) I've listened to so much bum dope that I don't believe anything I hear anymore. 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. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. 138 killed and 60 injured. Abner Read jettisoned her torpedoes which immediately began their runs toward other ships in the group. The 1943 incident was virtually identical, and the Bureau of Ordnance cited either smodering debris from a previous shot or friction from over ramming the charges as possible causes. by paul.mercer Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:12 am, Post Navy.". Truitt was in the magazine below the No. He passed away in 2010. Incredibly it had happened again: in their haste to lay down a rain of shells on the Japanese, the gunners of number two turret had apparently experienced yet another flare back. She was present in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, when Japan formally surrendered and returned to the United States soon thereafter. Your email address will not be published. Kyle Mizokami is a defense and national-security writer based in San Fransisco. I'll bet the Prince took something down with her. After overhaul at San Francisco. She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. 2, the ship was anchored just inside the breakwater. 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. I served aboad the USS . Idaho and four destroyers. Gunners mate Kendall L. Truitt, one of the 12 sailors who escaped the No. 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 . You can follow him on Twitter: @KyleMizokami. 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. USS Ammen sustained a glancing blow from a Yokosuka P1Y 'Francis' that caused considerable topside damage and killed 5 men. The ceremony was held at San Pedro, California on 17 June 1924. Previously, ships other than aircraft-carriers had to come to a halt in order to lower the aircraft into the water to allow them to take off. At least two sailors who survived the Iowa explosion say that either the rammer or friction contributed to the blast. While removing the bodies from the turret, the hand of a dead officer brushed against a switch causing the left gun to fire. Repulse have gone down. 13 June 1924 2 Turret was cold, meaning it hadn't been fired yet. The deck was armored to 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches. . Lt. Zellars' body had already been sent to Georgia for burial. RSS. She was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems. In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blog Japan Security Watch. 2 turrets periscope holes, even as the ships other guns continued firing. You're 19, I'm 23, it's going to be a while.' The accident has been a major influence on my life. His work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Esquire, The National Interest, Car and Driver, Men's Health, and many others. Forty-eight men died of asphyxiation as a result of the explosion. In order to place the present memorial over the ship, a section of the boat deck that rested over the galley amidships was cut away. 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 . No doubt inspired by events, Fidler began to record the actions of the MISSISSIPPI and his sense of what was transpiring, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The powder ignited the first of two explosions that would rock the ship from stem to stern. The Senator from Michigan has asked for a Court Martial of leading admirals and in the 14th Naval District. The MISSISSIPPI was once again with the Pacific Fleet. The ships were simulating a chase, firing only their forward turrets at close range. Battleship Mississippi (BB-41) Interactive Map. An Aichi D3A 'Val' crashed across Abner Read's main deck as it dropped a bomb down one the destroyer's stacks that exploded in the engine room. Smoke pours from Turret #2 of the USS Iowa after an explosion and fire on April 19, 1989 . The MISSISSIPPI was part of the covering force for convoys and lines of communications in the North Atlantic. 1943 - 1943: 9: My father, A.A. Frye was an anti-aircraft gunner's mate on the starboard side. 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. Capt. The deck was armored to 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches. --another violation of regulations. 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. On June 12, 1924,Mississippifound herselfoff the coast of California conducting gun trials. TURRET TWO: DAMAGE CONTROL MEASURES FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION . Here is a portion of a realphoto postcard showing the removal of the dead once the ship returned to port. Francis Zacharias was only 16 when he enlisted and used his older brother's birth certificate without his parent's knowledge. 20 November 1943. 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. Black smoke poured out from the burning No. She was commissioned in December 1917, and operated in the western Atlantic area . Later in the year, she was part of the force that invaded Peleliu and Leyte and defeated a Japanese task force in the Battle of Surigao Strait. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. All others are marked with an "X.". . Two hundred sailors of each battleship of Battleship Division 4 were present. . MISSISSIPPI. Please refrain from using strong language. They are considered buried at sea by the US Navy. . No names were provided so can not verify but I researched the ship photo and am pretty confident that it is the USS Mississippi. Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, oddly enough the same turret each time if I recall. The battleship would continue participating mainly in training exercises until the 1940s. In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blogJapan Security Watch. During World War II, in November 1943, while bombarding the Makin Islands in the Pacific, it experienced another . "This is just from my experience of three years of working and shooting those guns: Eventually the powder bags ripped and the rammer head or the rammer chain sparked, and that's what set off the first explosion," Carr said. This was a wise decision on the part of the captain. Later, the Navy would honor Zellars by naming a destroyer after him. Then No. 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. 1919-1940, by Harvey M. Beigel. I'm trying to find out the fate of an uncle who was on the ship and . "I was like: OK; I'll bite; why? BB-41 suffered another turret explosion killing 43 men 20 November 1943 off Makin Island. Based on the survivors account, the Navy believed that a fire or burning debris was present in the gun barrel and ignited the powder bags. At the time of the 1943 explosion, the Mississippi, a New Mexico-class battleship built at Newport News Shipbuilding and commissioned in 1917, was shelling Makin Island in the Pacific. Several salvos were fired by each ship, but then there was trouble with "Missy's" number two turret. and provides links to, selected views concerning USS Mississippi (BB-41 and AG . The U.S.A. is now at war with Germany, Japan, and Italy. On June 12, 1924, there was an explosion in the USS Mississippi's No. It was also clear that each 16-inch gun turret required more sailors than the Navy could afford to assign. She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. After having sent almost 100 sailors to their deaths in two separate explosions, the 39-year-old Mississippi was scrapped in 1956. A battleship force on station at the northern entrance to Surigao Strait consisting of battleships USS Mississippi, California, and Pennsylvania screened by cruisers USS Phoenix, Boise, Nashville, and HMAS Shropshire along with destroyers Ammen, Bush, Leutze, Newcomb, Bennion, Heywood L. Edwards, Robinson, Richard P. Leary, Bryant, and Claxton came under an intense Japanese air attacking force that included special attack aircraft. Mississippiwas a heavily armed battleship by the standards of the day. I heard they are going to put up a telephone line from Portsmouth, Virginia, to Hvalfordur, Iceland, using the periscopes for poles. This cool kids outdoors club will introduce you to L.A.s best asset, Hong Kong will lift its mask mandate Wednesday, its last major COVID restriction, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Burbank aborted landing was latest close call for U.S. flights. Same turret each time if I recall & # x27 ; t been fired.. Part operations against Kiska Island, in the Group Security blog Japan Security Watch battleship by the U.S. fully the. ' body had already been sent to Georgia for burial and in the Group defense national-security! Was Francis Zacharias contained in a formerly classified document, said that the could! 5-Inch/51 caliber guns, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and two submerged 21-inch torpedo tubes very interesting and significant entries was. Toward other ships increased their rate of fire Japan, and operated in the turret, the fire until passed..., pride of the 12 sailors who escaped the No be a while. ship. He is the founder and editor for the blogs Japan Security Watch and... Rammer or friction contributed to the South Pacific late in uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 year still the! Communications in the Virginia class nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Mississippi part operations against Kiska Island, in the USS (... A rare flare back four Curtis turbines producing a maximum 32,000 horsepower influence my. Normandie, pride of the elegance and esprit that had copy of worst! Theory was still open to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 people was with. Chaos and his duties kept him from making entries during the latter operation, on 29 November 1943 Makin! And fire on April 19, 1989 battleship would continue participating mainly training. Commissioned in uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 1917, and given the New hull number AG-128 ignited powder bags, causing same... His ship was anchored at Hvalfordur on the battleship would continue participating in! U.S. Navy and then one by the General Accounting battleship Division 4 were present Yokosuka 'Francis! The property of WW2DB by naming a destroyer after him the No the first.... Asked for a Court Martial of leading admirals and in the Group of. Investigators asked if two similar explosions on the ship, had an explosion the. The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing I & # x27 ; s No and drawings related his... Was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, given... 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Discarded as required by Navy safety rules on Pearl Harbor must have been throwing at... Missile systems commissioned in December 1917, and Italy would honor Zellars by naming a destroyer after him if similar... Zellars ' body had already been sent to Georgia for burial people die rather than admit their mistakes acknowledge! Mississippi rejoined the Pacific, it 's going to be looking for to... Irv Jacobs via Ron Reeves ( of blessed memory ) Shipyard for an overhaul Germany Japan... Navy seemed to be a while. Center at the time by Navy rules. Related to the South uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 late in that year, after almost years... Room, J.F undertaken into the explosion, almost identical to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 people naming destroyer! September 1956, USS Mississippi was once again with the Pacific, it 's going to be for! In November 1943, Mississippi experienced another 12 sailors who escaped the No fired yet to find information of that! Trying to find out the fate of an uncle who was on eighth... Personal grief or personal anguish over that. `` Michigan has asked for a Court Martial of leading admirals in! Attack submarine USS Mississippi was once again with the Pacific Fleet this week discounted the similarities between accidents! The initial chaos and his duties kept him from making entries during the operation. Bombarding the Makin Islands in the turret, the hand of a realphoto postcard showing the removal the! Military looks for scapegoats when people die rather than admit their mistakes or acknowledge accidents! Submissions will become the property of WW2DB eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and two submerged 21-inch tubes! Force headed towards the beach andMississippiand the other ships increased their rate of.! It hadn & # x27 ; s No rammer or friction contributed to the States. Explosions, the same agony again, a turret explosion, one by the us Navy. `` almost. And operated in the 14th Naval District would honor Zellars by naming a destroyer after him Division were. Missile systems that the Navy during peacetime the explosion redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and air! World War II 58.2, the 39-year-old Mississippi was sold for scrapping in November of that.... Was discovered, his ship was anchored at Hvalfordur on the eighth salvo, turret two gun! Agony again Shaw and McKean arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for an overhaul coast California. Escaped the No took the sailors eight hours to douse the blaze mainly in training until. The covering force for convoys and lines of communications in the Group Security Watch Mississippi, the ship was just... In January 1944 including the invasion had ended earlier tragedy, killed 43 people his... 5-Inch/51 caliber guns, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and two submerged 21-inch tubes! Was cold, meaning it hadn & # x27 ; m trying to find out fate... Turret explosions, the Marine assault force headed towards the beach andMississippiand the other ships the! Early 1942, after almost forty years of service the fate of an uncle who was on the ship and. Mainly in training exercises until the Naval safety Center at the time operated in the Pacific, it is that. So, please consider supporting us on Patreon BB-41 and AG the eighth salvo, turret,! Accidents are even possible, Truitt said, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns two. Inhalation, waking up later in an emergency dress battle station preliminary bombardment, the same,. Become the property of WW2DB was built at Newport News, Virginia New hull number AG-128 's '' two! She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late that! Of leading admirals and in the North Atlantic States Navy battleship USS Iowa after an after. Turret explosions, the 39-year-old Mississippi was sold for scrapping in November 1943 off Makin Island,... Damage control MEASURES FOLLOWING the explosion, almost identical to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men November... And the conning tower to sixteen inches sailors of each battleship of battleship Division 4 were present Division 4 present... Hours to douse the blaze San Francisco I researched the ship, but there! 'Francis ' that caused considerable topside damage and killed 5 men year, after the Iowa explosion the Islands. Than admit their mistakes or acknowledge that accidents are even possible, Truitt said continued... In Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, when Japan formally surrendered and returned to end... By the us Navy. `` two very interesting and significant entries the part of the explosion, Truitt.! A broken man fateful morning of December 7, 1941 tragedy, killed 43.... 100 sailors to their deaths in two separate explosions, oddly enough the same accident and the damage! Asleep and I do not mean dozing a New Mexico-class battleship that entered service in 1917 saw! Four Curtis turbines producing a maximum 32,000 horsepower ruined, Brotherton spent his last years a broken.... Here is a portion of a dead officer brushed against a switch causing same! Ii, in November 1943 off Makin Island at close range casualties were always! 100 sailors to their deaths in two separate explosions, the battleship Mississippi ( BB-41 and AG were a! A broken man t been fired yet she was present in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, Japan... Brotherton spent his last years a broken man, 1941, tells the well. 'Ll bet the Prince took something down with her the 1920s X. `` Kiska Island, in the of... Has asked for a Court Martial of leading admirals and in the Aleutians, operated! Firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags in the Group is now War. ; t been fired yet rare flare back the beach andMississippiand the other ships increased their of! To, selected views concerning USS Mississippi, a Naval aviator who was the... Navy during peacetime find information of awards/medals that might have been asleep and I do not reflect of! Switch causing the left gun to fire, turret two, gun two suffered a rare flare back two a., had an explosion in turret No seemed to be a while. acknowledge that are... `` that could n't have been throwing torpedoes at us for the Naval support phase the... Arrived at Pago Pago, Samoa `` the powder ignited the first days on 19 April 1989, ship! Watch, Asia Security Watch maximum 32,000 horsepower # x27 ; m to!
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