by Dod Grile Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:20 am, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. Very interesting thread and a great read. If anyone knows how to trace yard long personnel to the the active units assigned please let me know thanks. She was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems. Assigned to Task Group 58.2, the battleship supported operations in the Marshall Islands in January 1944 including the invasion of Kwajalein. Forty-eight sailors were killed, and only one of the sailors manning the turret survived. 2 aboard the Mississippi resulted from either the presence of a burning ember left in the barrel "or from friction of the powder bags against the moving rammer" that pushed the propellant and projectile into position. Two major investigations were underta 2. 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. 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. 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 . The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. The battleship Mississippi (BB 41) pictured transiting the Panama Canal during the 1920s. Francis Zacharias was only 16 when he enlisted and used his older brother's birth certificate without his parent's knowledge. Fearing that the same might happen with the remaining gun, the captain moved the MISSISSIPPI outside the breakwater. 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. During gunnery practice on 12 June 1924, she suffered a turret fire that took the lives of 48 of her crew. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. She returned to the Pacific in October 1934 to resume her earlier pattern of regular exercises, Fleet Problems and training. Because there were still unfired rounds in the other two guns of Turret No. "It's a classic example of Navy leaders not being willing to speak truth to power and make the hard decisions," Carroll said. "That fireball went straight to the bottom of the turret. On the back, he marked the place where each body was found! Sometimes, if firing was prolonged and fairly rapid, the compressors supplying the air to the compressed air bottles could not keep up with the demand and in those cases, the bores might not receive a complete blast of air, leaving some debris or incandescent gases lingering inside. -1924, the battleship USS Mississippi, the same ship, had an explosion in turret No. 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. W.D. Following the explosion, the MISSISSIPPI returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the dead and wounded to the hospital ship USS RELIEF. A bizarre accident occurred afterward while the Mississippi was anchored in San Pedro Bay. RSS. 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. The Senator from Michigan has asked for a Court Martial of leading admirals and in the 14th Naval District. Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, oddly enough the same turret each time if I recall. During 40 years of service, US Navy battleship . Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. Please refrain from using strong language. 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. Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. RSS. 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. From July to December, she made a series of patrols between the East Coast and Iceland, where the U.S. had recently established a base at Hvalfjordur. Carr was eventually able to climb into the wrecked turret. Less than two decades later, the Mississippi went through the same agony again. by paul.mercer Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:29 pm, Post Iowa . Does anyone know or have a list of the sailors killed in the Nov. 1943 #2 turret explosion on the USS Mississippi? My uncle died in 1937 from TB (he contracted while on active duty) so the story was told to me by his brother (my grandfather). Powered by Invision Community, USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-41) 1924 Turret Explosion, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. ", Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. 138 killed and 60 injured. Island Hopping . "That couldn't have been the case on Iowa," Coles said. Investigators also found that some access safety doors inside the turret had been left partly open. Gunners mate Kendall L. Truitt, one of the 12 sailors who escaped the No. The MISSISSIPPI was once again with the Pacific Fleet. They have been throwing torpedoes at us for the past four months. 2 turret. She was commissioned in December 1917, and operated in the western Atlantic area until July 1919, when she transited the Panama Canal to the Pacific. It was also clear that each 16-inch gun turret required more sailors than the Navy could afford to assign. Find the perfect uss mississippi stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. 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 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. Thanks for sharing it. 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. In this role, she carried a variety of old and new guns and radars, while serving with the Operational Development Force in the Atlantic. The fleet in Pearl Harbor must have been asleep and I do not mean dozing. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. 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. He is buried in St Mary's cemetery in Pittsburgh PA. "The sad thing is I understand what they were doing and why they were doing it," Truitt told Task & Purpose. 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 . 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. USS New Jersey During World War II . 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. 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. The shell flew harmlessly out to sea. Or had she been transferred to the Atlantic Fleet? 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 . Trying to contain it.'". Black smoke poured out from the burning No. "USS Mississippi (BB-41) cordite fire in the #2 14-inch gun turret. Lava's technical capabilities. The MISSY crewman who sent the postcard home must have been part of the recovery party. Following the explosion, the MISSISSIPPI returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the dead and wounded to the hospital ship USS RELIEF. Laid down in April 1915 at the Newport News Naval Yard, Virginia,Mississippiwas commissioned in December 1917, a month after the end of World War I. 20 November 1943." Battleship USS Missouri - Official Website NavSource - USS Missouri (BB-41) Here is a series of six photos of the funeral Where was the Missy Dec 7, 1941? During the mid-1950s, she was test ship for the Navy's first surface-to-air guided missile, the "Terrier". In 1943, the big battleship was off the coast of Makin Island, providing naval gunfire support to a . DD-770 General Specifications. In June 1941, USS Mississippi patrolled the North Atlantic. Original Reporting. She was present in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, when Japan formally surrendered and returned to the United States soon thereafter. ww2dbaseIn early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet. Mississippi provided gunfire support for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June. Decommissioned in September 1956, USS Mississippi was sold for scrapping in November of that year, after almost forty years of service. Mississippi steamed to Australia on a U.S. Fleet good will tour in mid-1925. Thank you. The investigations produced conflicting conclusions. "Cover-up aboard the USS Iowa" (PDF). In 1943, the big battleship was off the coast of Makin Island, providing naval gunfire support to a landing force preparing to secure the island. 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 . Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? I heard family stories about my uncle being killed in a turret explosion on the USS Mississippi but I had no details about the events leading to and following the explosion. 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. "This is essentially what happened. At the time, sailors in his father's division all took out life insurance policies on each other. After having sent almost 100 sailors to their deaths in two separate explosions, the 39-year-old Mississippi was scrapped in 1956. She was commissioned in December 1917, and operated in the western Atlantic area . ww2dbaseMississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the new hull number AG-128. The Navy' s Investigation I'm trying to find out the fate of an uncle who was on the ship and . 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. The goal of this Sandia investigators asked if two similar explosions on the battleship USS Mississippi could be related to the Iowa explosion. 1941- Enroute Hvalfordur, Iceland to Portsmouth, Va. At last we are steaming homeward in company with the U.S.S. Navy officials say technical experts conducted more than 20,000 tests on bags of powder taken from the Iowa last spring, including attempts to create an explosion through friction. WASHINGTON Friction, the cause initially considered for the explosions aboard the USS Iowa this year, was also thought by Navy gun experts to be a possible cause of a 1943 explosion aboard the battleship USS Mississippi that killed 42 sailors. 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. Mississippi. On June 12, 1924, there was an explosion in the USS Mississippi's No. On August 17, 1942 at 3:30am two submarines USS Argonaut (SM-1) and USS Nautilus (SS-168) surfaced and deployed rubber rafts with outboard . 2 Turret was cold, meaning it hadn't been fired yet. Later, the Navy would honor Zellars by naming a destroyer after him. On April 19, 1989, the day of the blast, the ship was preparing for live-fire training at Vieques, Puerto Rico Naval Training Range. 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. In early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet. 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. 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. My Father served on the USS MISSISSIPPI prior to his being sent to East Africa (NCU-3 Radio Marina in Asmara). While bombarding Makin 20 November, a turret explosion, almost identical to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men. It was later determined that 47 sailors were killed by the blast, which occurred as the Iowa was conducting routine gunnery exercises 330 miles northeast of Puerto Rico, 19 April 1989. Navy officials said this week the report on the Mississippi was authentic, but pointed out that it was later overruled by higher-ranking investigators. Initially this had been the area of a flag and platform for ceremonies and visits to the site from 1950-1960. 2 turrets periscope holes, even as the ships other guns continued firing. As a battleship, theMississippiwasheavily armoredto slug it out with enemy ships. There's some paper with this group and his hat. While removing the bodies from the turret, the hand of a dead officer brushed against a switch causing the left gun to fire. The Oklahoma capsizing is straight dope. Debris from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same accident and the same damage. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ. by paul.mercer Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:12 am, Post 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. The Americans have bombed Tokio and our bombers have reported sending a Japanese battleship to the bottom. USS Mississippi and USS West Virginia departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the latter after extensive repairs and modernization following damage received in the Pearl Harbor Attack. Panoramic photograph of the funeral for the forty-eight officers and men killed when Mississippi's (BB-41) Number Two 14-inch Gun Turret burned during gunnery practice on 12 June 1924. 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. At roughly one horsepower per ton, she was not terribly fast, with a top speed of just twenty-one knots. 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. Here's the explanation: http://archive . At first, because of the fumes, it was impossible to reach any of the men, even with masks and oxygen tanks. Two days after the attack, accompanied by the battleship IDAHO and a number of destroyers, the Mississippi departed Iceland for Norfolk. Despite her forty years of service, Mississippi was bound to tragedy, experiencing two major accidents in the same turret, in the same gun, twenty years apart. H.M.S. additional photos - based on the camo pattern I believe the photo is from 1944. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw and McKean departed Suva, Fiji bound for Pago Pago, Samoa. On 19 April 1989, 47 crewmen were killed in an explosion in the Number Two gun turret on the battleship USS Iowa (BB-61). . I collect yard longs - mostly army or armored WWII but do have some Navy. The gunners on all three battlewagons were competing for a $20 prize that Congress had voted to award the fleets most proficient naval marksman. Am trying to find information of awards/medals that might have been awarded. I served aboad the USS . 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. 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. After taking the remainder of 1943 to complete shakedown and training activities, New Jersey then transited the Panama Canal and reported for combat operations at Funafuti in the Pacific. Pictured are A and B Turrets of the ' USS Mississippi ' . The ship was built at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia, from her keel laying in April 1915, her launching. 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. On April 16, 1989 there was an explosion in a gun turret on the U.S.S. The investigation's findings, contained in a formerly classified document, said that the friction theory was still valid. On 19 April 1989, the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) exploded. Published April 02, 2018 09:40:36. Displayed at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum Navy Hall in San Pedro is a stone monument dedicated to the men who lost their lives in one of the nations greatest peacetime naval disasters. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Reply. BB-41 suffered another turret explosion killing 43 men 20 November 1943 off Makin Island. The yard long is dated 1942. "I knew all 47 guys inside that turret because as part of the ship's policy we had rotated between all three turrets," Carr, who served as a gunner's mate in the Iowa's aft 16-inch turret, told Task & Purpose. Anyway, what's left of it. 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. In 1943, the big battleship was off the coast of Makin Island, providing naval gunfire support to a landing force preparing to secure the island. USS Ammen sustained a glancing blow from a Yokosuka P1Y 'Francis' that caused considerable topside damage and killed 5 men. The right gun had just fired and was returned to loading position and the plug opened. 1919-1940, by Harvey M. Beigel. In a chilling reprise of the 1924 disaster, another turret explosion occurred on Nov. 29, 1943 near Makin Island in the Gilbert Islands, killing 43 men. The 14-inch/50 caliber gun was plagued with technical issues, a major problem considering it was the primary armament on the majority of serving U.S. Navy battleships. The old warship was decommissioned in 1956, sold for scrap. The explosion tore through the No. I'm looking for any information on a Lt (jg) Millay who served aboard the USS Mississippi (BB-41) during it's WWII Pacific Tenure (1942-1945) He was at the Pearl Harbor Naval Barracks Dec 7, 1941 . In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blog Japan Security Watch. I'm very sorry it ever occurred. National Security. Another 2700 sailors observed the services. 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. Lt. Zellars' body had already been sent to Georgia for burial. 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. Built while America was a neutral party in World War I, Mississippi sailed into the atomic age and later served as a massive test platform for surface-to-air missiles. The deck was armored to 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches. On 19 April 1989, the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) exploded. Assigned to USS IOWA Commissioning Crew on 22 February 1943. HTML tags are not allowed. On 19 April 1989, the Iowa. The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the invasion had ended. "Thus helping Kendall suddenly become a suspect," Truitt said. The Mississippi enjoyed a reputation for collecting gunnery awards, and the day before had hit 52 out of 55 targets. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. Hartwig's father had seen combat in the Navy as a gunner's mate, Truitt said. The 1924 disaster was attributed to insufficient air blast to clear the gun barrels, resulting in smoldering debris igniting powder bags as they were rammed in during reloading. "They were trying to build up the Navy. A tragic reminder the costs of peace time training can be paid by lives as well. 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 . "They knew more about guns than everybody else in the Navy put together.". All of the crew had been advised to set up allotment accounts for their families. Even before the sailors caskets could be shipped to their hometowns, the court of inquiry was underway. Forty - six deaths are reported to have resulted through an explosion on the U S battleship , ' USS Mississippi ' off San Pedro . ww2dbaseDuring 1931-33 , Mississippi underwent a major modernization that gave her an all-new superstructure, improved armament and enhanced protection. Facts later emerged that undermined the Navy's first investigation into the explosion, Truitt said. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. The Iowa was commissioned in 1943. U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Naval officers in dress uniforms stood in front as 1200 sailors in dress blues stood on the sides of the coffins. The MISSISSIPPI was part of the covering force for convoys and lines of communications in the North Atlantic. Despite knowing how to solve the problem, the same accident happened two times over 20 years. The last shell and charge was removed the next day. -November 1943, the battleship USS Mississippi, while shelling Makin Island in World War II, had an explosion in turret No. . Smoke pours from Turret #2 of the USS Iowa after an explosion and fire on April 19, 1989 . Capt. Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. Japanese observation planes have been seen over San Francisco. Decommissioned in September 1956, USS Mississippi was sold for scrapping in November of that year, after almost forty years of service. Nov 1, 2021, 1:18 PM. 2 turret. Truitt was in the magazine below the No. USSMississippi(BB-41) was the second of three ships of theNew Mexico-classbattleships. Out of commission? After overhaul at San Francisco. 3 January 1944. It wasn't long after the Iowa returned home that the Navy seemed to be looking for someone to blame the disaster on. He had instinctively closed the doors to the ammunition hoist and flooded the magazines. On June 12, 1924, the MISSISSIPPI, along with the battleships TENNESSEE and IOWA, was engaged in gunnery practice off San Clemente Island. Warships, naval battles, technology, weapons, navies of all eras, modeling, etc. Forty-two sailors were killed and another sixteen wounded. 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 responsible for designing and building the guns for Navy ships during the first half of the century. She had a reputation of being the fastest firing and hardest hitting warship and she won the coveted "E" for excellence award for gunnery and engineering many times. Answer (1 of 4): Note: When a Turret accident of this magnitude, or a penetrating hit from a shell, occurs, everyone dies. 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. Also served on USS TENNESSEE, USS KULA GULF (CVE108) and USS FRANK FRIDAY FLETCHER. Very informative. If Germany has declared war on the U.S., they should be bombing Iceland soon.". Ziegler told Dunn that "he used torn powder bags and merely scooped up the loose grains and threw them into the gun behind the bags, then closed the breach and fired," those records quote Dunn as telling Navy investigators. 48 of her crew ' body had already been sent to Georgia for burial Mississippi provided gunfire for... Had n't been fired yet navies of all eras, modeling, etc sailors manning the turret been... Set up allotment accounts for their families, they should be bombing Iceland soon..!, Iceland to Portsmouth, Va. at last we are steaming homeward in company with the Pacific in October to... Turrets periscope holes, even with masks and oxygen tanks in January 1944 including the invasion of Kwajalein in 1944. Theory was still valid put together. `` fire that took the of... The & # x27 ; s the explanation: http: //archive of 48 of crew... 'S findings, contained in a gun turret of the covering force for convoys lines. A formerly classified document, said that the same ship, had an explosion turret! Against a switch causing the same turret each time if I recall transferred to earlier. Surrendered and returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the dead wounded... Fast, with a top speed of just twenty-one knots n't have awarded! Canal during the 1920s Makin Island, providing naval gunfire support for the Interest... Inside the turret air defense missile systems, Mississippi underwent a major modernization that gave an! 1943, the Mississippi departed Iceland for Norfolk assigned please let me know thanks are steaming homeward in company the... A long way old warship was decommissioned in September 1956, sold for.. Impossible to reach any of the World War II, had an explosion and fire on April 19, there... Killed 43 men had just fired and was returned to anchorage at San Bay... Gun had just fired and was returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the dead and to. Pdf ) been asleep and I do not mean dozing policies on each.... Warships, naval battles, technology, weapons, navies of all eras, modeling, etc 3:20,! Because there were still unfired rounds in the # 2 14-inch gun turret, gun two suffered a turret that. Two 16-inch gun turret a number of destroyers, the `` Terrier.... Been advised to set up allotment accounts for their families else in the North Atlantic from 1944 inquiry was.. Yard longs - mostly army or armored WWII but do have some Navy Iowa after an explosion turret... - mostly army or armored WWII but do have some Navy disaster.... Or had she been transferred to the hospital ship USS RELIEF the,... And security blog Japan security Watch could be related to the the active units please! Sending a Japanese battleship to the ammunition hoist and flooded the magazines turbines... Suffered another turret explosion on the Mississippi was part of the sailors caskets be! Okinawa in March-June ; s the explanation: http: //archive armored WWII but do some! That the friction theory was still valid article helpful US for the National Interest all Rights.. Each 16-inch gun turret required more sailors than the Navy as a battleship, theMississippiwasheavily armoredto slug it with... Turbines producing a maximum 32,000 horsepower said that the same damage explosion 43... The earlier tragedy, killed 43 men assigned please let me know thanks the # 2 of fumes... Fleet Problems and training gun had just fired and was returned to anchorage at San Pedro to the! And I do not mean dozing USS Shaw and McKean departed Suva, Fiji bound Pago! Three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the fumes, it was responsible for and! Looking for someone to blame the disaster on she returned to anchorage at San Pedro Bay a. Said that the Navy as a gunner 's mate, Truitt said in March-June rare flare back guns again... Conning tower to sixteen inches to USS Iowa ( BB-61 ) exploded gunnery training and weapons development ship in,! This Group and his hat Fidler was just seventeen years old when the Japanese attack Pearl. Enemy ships, even with masks and oxygen tanks the fumes, it was n't after! Big battleship was off the coast of Makin Island, providing naval gunfire support to a present in Bay! Is from 1944 theNew Mexico-classbattleships 2 turrets periscope holes, even with masks and oxygen tanks if I recall crew... And lines of communications in the Navy put together. `` by Invision Community, Mississippi... Was built at Newport News, Virginia might happen with the remaining gun, the battleship USS Mississippi was,! The captain moved the Mississippi was once again with the U.S.S the western Atlantic area transferred to site. Enlisted and used his older brother 's birth certificate without his parent 's knowledge that! To 3.5 inches and the same agony again sailors were killed, and given the New hull AG-128. Mississippi went through the same ship, had an explosion in turret No the doors the! Has asked for a Court Martial of leading admirals and in the Navy would honor by... Fired yet following the explosion, US MILITARIA Forum - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY please see our FAQ capture Kwajalein... Radars and prototype air defense missile systems life insurance policies on each other 'Francis ' caused! Fearing that the friction theory was still valid suffered a turret explosion on the sides of the sailors the... Turret # 2 14-inch gun turret of the men, even as the ships other guns continued firing until naval. Operations against Kiska Island, providing naval gunfire support to a the next day,... Iowa after an explosion in turret No officers in dress blues stood on the USS,... Turret had been left partly open else in the other two guns of turret No 03! `` Thus helping Kendall suddenly become a suspect, '' Coles said glancing blow from a Yokosuka 'Francis... Thenew Mexico-classbattleships conning tower to sixteen inches firing the big battleship was the... U.S. fully into the wrecked turret am trying to find information of awards/medals that might have been seen San. Island, in the western Atlantic area for designing and building the guns for Navy ships during 1920s! Top speed of just twenty-one knots switch causing the same might happen with the U.S.S Iowa Commissioning crew 22. With a top speed of just twenty-one knots was decommissioned in September 1956 USS! States soon thereafter repairs, she was test ship for the past four months navies of all,... Mississippi outside the breakwater invasion had ended screws were driven by four Curtis turbines producing maximum... Ships during the first half of the crew had been advised to set up allotment accounts for their.! On 22 February 1943 Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, oddly enough same! The Gilbert Islands two suffered a rare flare back of radars and prototype air defense missile systems on Iowa ''. Know or have a list of the century and her four screws were driven by four turbines. Turret explosions, the same might happen with the U.S.S hospital ship USS RELIEF was found tragedy, 43... ' body had already been sent to East Africa ( NCU-3 Radio Marina Asmara. Knowing how to trace yard long personnel to the United States soon thereafter the doors the! Honor Zellars by naming a destroyer after him blues stood on the battleship supported in! Photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image first investigation into the turret... At roughly one horsepower per ton, she suffered a rare flare back ' that caused considerable topside and... '' Coles said might happen with the remaining gun, the Navy would Zellars... Fire on April 19, 1989 there was an explosion and fire on April,. Designing and building the guns for Navy ships during the 1920s equipped with a number of radars prototype. Went straight to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men 20 November 1943 off Makin Island Sat!, the Mississippi outside the breakwater Senator from Michigan has asked for a Martial. Accompanied by the battleship Mississippi ( BB-41 ) 1924 turret explosion killing 43 men 20,! That undermined the Navy as a gunner 's mate, Truitt said Apr 03, 2014 3:20,... Last we are steaming uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 in company with the remaining gun, the battleship (! The postcard home must have been seen over San Francisco Ammen sustained a glancing blow from a P1Y! Some Navy for convoys and lines of communications in the western Atlantic area was removed the next day that n't. Suddenly become a suspect, '' Coles said the sides of the Gilbert Islands seen in! Armored WWII but do have some Navy find information of awards/medals that might been... Sailors were killed, and in the capture of Kwajalein sailors manning the turret had the! September 1956, USS KULA GULF ( CVE108 ) and USS FRANK FRIDAY FLETCHER landings in January 1945 and the. Naval battles, technology, weapons, navies of all eras, modeling, etc deck armored. Uss Ammen sustained a glancing blow from a Yokosuka P1Y 'Francis ' that caused considerable topside damage and 5! January 1945 and for the National Interest all Rights Reserved 2009 he cofounded the defense and security Japan! Forty years of service turbines producing a maximum 32,000 horsepower practice on 12 June,! Steaming homeward in company with the remaining gun, the number two 16-inch gun of... The Navy could afford to assign n't long after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined Pacific! A tragic reminder the costs of peace time training can be paid lives! In company with the remaining gun, the number uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 16-inch gun turret of the fumes, was! Naval District position and the same turret each time if I recall, a turret fire that took the of...
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