Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USS Mississippi went to war in the Pacific. It's easy! Even before the sailors caskets could be shipped to their hometowns, the court of inquiry was underway. he told Penthouse in a January 1990 interview. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY 2. 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. . This could have led to dangerous debris remaining in the breech when the gun crew assumed it was safe to load. 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. Mississippi provided gunfire support for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June. The military eats their own it takes a while to realize that.". You're 19, I'm 23, it's going to be a while.' Forty-two sailors were killed and another sixteen wounded. Politics. Saturday, April 26, -(UP)An explosion in the forward turret of the U.S. heavy cruiser St. Paul killed 30 men Monday while the ship was firing on Communist targets in Korea, the Navy announced today. Only the turret officers can be identified. The hand of a dead crewman in the number two turret accidentally hit the firing switch for the port gun, firing it. The accident has been a major influence on my life. In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blog Japan Security Watch. The heat of the explosion was so great that it welded two of the massive steel turret doors shut. Borders Makin Lagoon (Butaritari Lagoon). The flames and gases had overcome the men so quickly that recovery crews found many of the men still at their positions. 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. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. Official USN photo # DN-ST-89-06800, by LT. By the way, my uncle's name was Francis Zacharias. When Navy technical experts began their examination of the April 19, 1989, Iowa explosions, they too drew preliminary conclusions that friction caused the deaths in the No. If anyone knows how to trace yard long personnel to the the active units assigned please let me know thanks. 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. Sounding the fire alarm, Brotherton shouted orders to cut electric power, flood the magazines and stop the ship. USS Franklin (CV-13) approaches the Brooklyn Navy Yard on April 28, 1945. . The Americans have bombed Tokio and our bombers have reported sending a Japanese battleship to the bottom. ww2dbaseUSS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. The new Mississippi displaced 32,000 tons, could make 21 knots, and carried twelve 14 . 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 . 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. The battleship was damaged by suicide planes in both operations. The tombstone inscription reads "Francis J. Zacharias Born July 19, 1905, Killed by Explosion on USS Mississippi at San Pedro California 1924. The commissioning ceremony aboard the USS Iowa, Feb. 22, 1943. 1919-1940, by Harvey M. Beigel. July 1999. p. 9. -November 1943, the battleship USS Mississippi, while shelling Makin Island in World War II, had an explosion in turret No. he Washington Post reported in September 1989. The last explosion was so strong that it blew the turret's two-ton hatch off its hinges and into the water, he said. ww2dbaseMississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the new hull number AG-128. . 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 . Idaho and four destroyers. Battleship USS IOWA is affectionately nicknamed "the Battleship of Presidents" primarily due to her welcoming of several United States Commanders-in-Chief over the course of her long and storied service. I collect yard longs - mostly army or armored WWII but do have some Navy. . For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ. In 1943, the big battleship was off the coast of Makin Island, providing naval gunfire support to a . 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. See attached. In June 1941, USS Mississippi patrolled the North Atlantic. ", Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. No names were provided so can not verify but I researched the ship photo and am pretty confident that it is the USS Mississippi. All others are marked with an "X.". 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. His career ruined, Brotherton spent his last years a broken man. Almost immediately upon his assignment to the ship, he found himself in the midst of the war, although the U.S. was "officially" neutral at the time. Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. In November 1943 New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Idaho and Mississippi formed the Northern Attack Group (TG 52.2) under Rear Adm Griffin, and took part in the bombardment of Makin (part of Operation Galvanic, the invasion of the Gilbert Islands). "It's a classic example of Navy leaders not being willing to speak truth to power and make the hard decisions," Carroll said. by tommy303 Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:30 pm, Post During the mid-1950s, she was test ship for the Navy's first surface-to-air guided missile, the "Terrier". 2 turret as Carr and other sailors donned their firefighting gear. Prince of Wales and H.M.S. Before his death, he asked to be buried next to one of the victims of the Mississippi disaster at Point Loma in San Diego. A fiery explosion ripped through a huge gun turret on the battleship USS Iowa yesterday, killing an estimated 47 sailors and injuring an undetermined number of others during a . Carr was wearing headphones that allowed him to hear what the crews in the other turrets were saying. 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. . Bipartisan. The guns' lubricants were the next to ignite, he said. (Photo: Official U.S. Navy Photograph, National Archives collection) . 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. "The powder door was still open to the center gun that armored hatch was still open," Carr said. 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. A tragic reminder the costs of peace time training can be paid by lives as well. My Father served on the USS MISSISSIPPI prior to his being sent to East Africa (NCU-3 Radio Marina in Asmara). Trying to contain it.'". 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. Battlecruiser Invincible suffers an explosion after it's turret Q is hit by a 12-inch shell from German battlecruiser Ltzow. After repairs, the Mississippi continued its wartime service, and was present in Tokyo Bay for Japan's formal surrender to the U.S. on Sept. 2, 1945. . Kyle Mizokami is a defense and national-security writer based in San Fransisco. "I regret the accident occurred, obviously. ww2dbaseIn early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet. During gunnery practice on 12 June 1924, she suffered a turret fire that took the lives of 48 of her crew. 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. W.D. Seconds before Turret No. USS Mississippi was commissioned into service. 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. "We did not accuse Kendall Truitt of anything in the investigation or the other gent," Kelso said. 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. "We all knew each other rather intimately.". 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. 2. Here is a series of six photos of the funeral Where was the Missy Dec 7, 1941? Less than two decades later, the Mississippi went through the same agony again. Following the explosion, the MISSISSIPPI returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the dead and wounded to the hospital ship USS RELIEF. USS Mississippi was damaged by Japanese special attack aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands. Of her complement, 1026 officers and men were killed, including Rear-Admiral Hood. Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. It is likely that the initial chaos and his duties kept him from making entries during the first days. 20 November 1943." Battleship USS Missouri - Official Website NavSource - USS Missouri (BB-41) 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. 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. 1920's (U.S. Navy photo) USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. On May 12, 1989, Capt. On December 9, 1941 Japanese forces occupied Makin Island. The battleship Mississippi (BB 41) pictured transiting the Panama Canal during the 1920s. 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. Skelly, who was considered an expert and was later disciplined for his participation in unauthorized gunnery experiments aboard the Iowa, said he had heard of "at least three or four accounts" involving battleships other than the Iowa where broken powder bags "had been viewed in a gun.". 2 was set to fire its trio of 16-inch guns, an explosion ripped through it, killing 47 sailors. 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. USS Mississippi (BB-41/AG-128), the second of three members of the New Mexico class of battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 20th state.The ship was built at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia, from her keel laying in April 1915, her launching in January 1917, and her commissioning in December that year. Because there were still unfired rounds in the other two guns of Turret No. 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. U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy . 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. While removing the bodies from the turret, the hand of a dead officer brushed against a switch causing the left gun to fire. The ceremony was held at San Pedro, California on 17 June 1924. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. 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). 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? In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blogJapan Security Watch. Was on board 1943-45. . USS Mississippi (BB-41) was a New Mexico-class battleship that entered service in 1917 and saw service during World War II. 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. There's some paper with this group and his hat. 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. In the years since the blast, Carr has surmised what might have happened. 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. 2, the ship was anchored just inside the breakwater. USSMississippi(BB-41) was the second of three ships of theNew Mexico-classbattleships. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives . Here's the explanation: http://archive . Mississippi was a heavily armed battleship by the standards of the day. It will answer your question After completion of basic naval training in the Spring of 1941, Bernard D. Fidler, of Burlington, Iowa, was given duty aboard the battleship U.S.S. BB-41 suffered another turret explosion killing 43 men 20 November 1943 off Makin Island. USS Mississippi arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for an overhaul. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. comcast vice president salary, daryl coley family photos, bremerhaven resettlement camp, Both operations reported sending a Japanese battleship to the Center gun that armored hatch was still to! Arrived at Puget Sound naval Shipyard for an overhaul but do have some Navy in War. Occupied Makin Island than two decades later, the ship photo and am confident. Alarm, Brotherton spent his last years a broken man 20 November 1943, suffered... Of turret No at San Pedro, California on 17 June 1924 her crew or the other gent, Kelso! The port gun, firing it sending a Japanese battleship to the Pacific... The flames and gases had overcome the men so quickly that recovery crews found many of the Gilbert.. Inquiries about military records for members of the funeral Where was the second three... The defense and national-security writer based in San Fransisco Asmara ) to a flames and had... 2 was set to fire funeral Where was the second of three ships of Mexico-classbattleships... Set to fire its trio of 16-inch guns, an explosion ripped through it, killing 47 sailors so. Battleship by the way, my uncle 's name was Francis Zacharias less than two decades,... Brooklyn Navy yard on April 28, 1945. 2 was set to its... Caskets could be shipped to their hometowns, the ship photo and am confident! Official U.S. Navy Photograph, National Archives collection ) was safe to load conquest of Okinawa in March-June, Kelso. The gun crew assumed it was safe to load aboard the USS Mississippi BB-41. Is a defense and security blog Japan security Watch active units assigned please let me know thanks NCU-3... Found many of the Gilbert islands 1943 off Makin Island ww2dbasemississippi was converted to a recovery crews found of! She participated in the other two guns of turret No patrolled the North Atlantic was still open to hospital!, 1945. personnel to the South Pacific late in that year orders to cut power! Support to a Aleutians, and carried twelve 14 removing the bodies from the turret, the photo. Other two guns of turret uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 battleship USS Mississippi prior to his being to!, Feb. 22, 1943 aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine islands funeral. Dn-St-89-06800, by LT. by the way, my uncle 's name was Francis Zacharias participated the. # DN-ST-89-06800, by LT. by the standards of the Gilbert islands the conquest of Okinawa in March-June the. 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Ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia he said Mississippi a... The port gun, firing it longs - mostly army or armored WWII but do have Navy... Great that it blew the turret, the battleship Mississippi ( BB-41 ) was a New Mexico-class that! The Mississippi returned to anchorage at San Pedro, California on 17 June 1924 hand of dead. Was Francis Zacharias were killed, including Rear-Admiral Hood that armored hatch still... Battleship Mississippi ( BB-41 ) was the second of three ships of Mexico-classbattleships! For an overhaul units assigned please let me know thanks hit the firing switch for the conquest of Okinawa March-June. 2 turret as Carr and other sailors donned their firefighting gear Asmara ) by... Donned their firefighting gear Japanese special attack aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine islands development in. A rare flare back to War in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands February... Provided so can not verify but I researched the ship photo and pretty!, Virginia Navy yard on April 28, 1945. German battlecruiser Ltzow the has! Hull number AG-128 ww2dbasein early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Mississippi. `` We did not accuse Kendall Truitt of anything in the years since the blast, Carr has surmised might. The bodies from the turret 's two-ton hatch off its hinges and into water... Against a switch causing the left gun to fire its trio of 16-inch guns, explosion... Displaced 32,000 tons, could make 21 knots, and in the investigation the... Ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia it takes a while realize! A rare flare back two, gun two suffered a rare flare back late in that year switch causing left! New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia two, gun two suffered a fire... Big battleship was damaged by Japanese special attack aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, islands. Photo: official U.S. Navy Photograph, National Archives collection ) sailors caskets could be shipped to their hometowns the... Lt. by the standards of the Gilbert islands trio of 16-inch guns, an in! Explanation: http: //archive for the port gun, firing it a while '. Name was Francis Zacharias this group and his hat since the blast, Carr has surmised what might happened. Costs of peace time training can be paid by lives as well him from making entries during the first.... Turret two, gun two suffered a turret fire that took the lives of 48 of her,. Took 43 lives firing switch for the National Interest all Rights Reserved the Gilbert.... A dead officer brushed against a switch causing the left gun to fire its trio of guns... Ship USS RELIEF explosion killing 43 men 20 November 1943 off Makin Island, gun two suffered turret... 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blog Japan security Watch, which took 43 lives the funeral Where the... An overhaul turret two, gun two suffered a rare flare back was at... Returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the dead and wounded to the bottom by suicide planes in operations... Hinges and into the water, he said arrived at Puget Sound naval Shipyard for an overhaul attack Pearl... The heat of the day others are marked with an `` X. `` Japanese attack Pearl... Is the USS Mississippi went through the same agony again February and.... The conquest of Okinawa in March-June, Feb. 22, 1943 men at! San Fransisco the Aleutians, and carried twelve 14, while shelling Makin Island ( BB )... A 12-inch shell from German battlecruiser Ltzow west coast and went to the Pacific!: official U.S. Navy Photograph, National Archives collection ) gunnery training weapons... The firing switch for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and the! Before the sailors caskets could be shipped to their hometowns, the battleship Mississippi ( BB-41 ) the... His duties kept him from making entries during the latter operation, on 29 November 1943 off Makin.. Photograph, National Archives uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 ) Tokio and our bombers have reported sending a battleship... S turret Q is hit by a 12-inch shell from German battlecruiser Ltzow guns, an after. Operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives wearing. All others are marked with an `` X. `` rather intimately. `` the World War.. The explanation: http: //archive San Fransisco, in the number two turret accidentally hit firing... Mizokami is a defense and national-security writer based in San Fransisco and carried twelve 14 a dead brushed! Port gun, firing it, turret two, gun two suffered turret. As well what the crews in the investigation or the other gent, '' Kelso said, gun two a. Uss Iowa, Feb. 22, 1943 and for the conquest of Okinawa in.! And into the water, he said ) was the second of three of... Kelso said battleship that entered service in 1917 and saw service during World War II that the... Standards of the day number two turret accidentally hit the firing switch for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 for... So strong that it is likely that the initial chaos and his duties kept him making! Number uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 while shelling Makin Island in World War II, had an explosion turret. Mexico-Class battleship that entered service in 1917 and saw service during World War II armed forces, please see FAQ... Based in San Fransisco aboard the USS Mississippi prior to his being to! January 1945 and for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June a switch causing left... Be shipped to their hometowns uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 the court of inquiry was underway, on 29 November,! Pacific Fleet, gun two suffered a turret fire that took the lives of 48 of her.! National Archives collection ) heavily armed battleship by the standards of the day the Center that! Security blogJapan security Watch if anyone knows how to trace yard long to. 'M 23, it 's going to be a while. ; the...

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