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. The dope' is out that we are going to the West Coast after our stay at Portsmouth. Thanks for posting. Very informative. 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 . 2. The Navy's investigation of this tragedy initially concluded that the explosion was caused by the suicidal acts of Gunner's Mate Clayton Hartwig, who was killed in the explosion. Running a zigzag course at 19 knots (known as Baker 3 in Navy lingo), the 624-foot Mississippi chased another battleship, the California, which was towing a large target. 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. 1943 - 1943: 9: My father, A.A. Frye was an anti-aircraft gunner's mate on the starboard side. by Dod Grile Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:20 am, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. 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. 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. On June 12, 1924, there was an explosion in the USS Mississippi's No. I collect yard longs - mostly army or armored WWII but do have some Navy. 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. They have been throwing torpedoes at us for the past four months. Copyright 2004-2023 Lava Development, LLC., all rights reserved, Battleship Mississippi (BB-41) Photo Gallery, See all 12 photographs of Battleship Mississippi (BB-41), Philippines Campaign, Phase 1, the Leyte Campaign, 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 4 steam turbines, 4 screws, 12x14in/50cal guns, 14x5in/51cal guns, 4x3in/50cal guns, 2x21in torpedo tubes, 8-13.5in belt, 18in turret face, 16in conning tower, 3.5in decks. She returned to the Pacific in October 1934 to resume her earlier pattern of regular exercises, Fleet Problems and training. I never researched the turret explosion story, but the one aboard the Iowa in 1989 (killing 47) was what spurred my grandfather to relay the story to me regarding his brother. U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy . . On December 9, 1941 Japanese forces occupied Makin Island. Black smoke poured out from the burning No. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. The shell flew harmlessly out to sea. The residue from the smokeless propellant had to be removed chemically. 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. . 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. Outbound passengers aboard the all-night party ship Yale watched in disbelief as the shell from the Mississippi flew over them, landing in the ocean only a few hundred feet away without exploding. 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. . Lt. Bruce Coles, a spokesman for the Navy, this week discounted the similarities between the accidents aboard the Iowa and the Mississippi. But unlike other explosions, the 16-inch gun in the No. 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. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. The turret explosion was captured by a camera mounted in one of the USS Iowa's towers. 20 November 1943. Your email address will not be published. 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. She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. 43 killed, 19 injured. Following the explosion, the MISSISSIPPI returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the dead and wounded to the hospital ship USS RELIEF. As the rammer was withdrawn, there emerged from the breech a small grayish ball of smoke and flame followed by a large flash. "Cover-up aboard the USS Iowa" (PDF). 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. 2, Senior Chief Reginald Ziegler, told him that ripped bags of propellant were not always discarded as required by Navy safety rules. H.M.S. 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. Navy investigators allege that Hartwig, the captain of the gun, had encouraged the rammer that day to push the load that far. She was commissioned in December 1917, and operated in the western Atlantic area . 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. But it soon became apparent that the World War II-era battleships required too much time, money, and manpower to be overhauled, Carroll said. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives . 47 men were killed. Two hundred sailors of each battleship of Battleship Division 4 were present. "I regret the accident occurred, obviously. The ship was built at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia, from her keel laying in April 1915, her launching. He braved the flames, smoke, and carnage inside the turret to turn on sprinklers so that bags of gunpowder would not go off, and he secured hatches so that the accumulating water would not sink the ship,he told Penthouse in a January 1990 interview. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. It said this conclusion was reached even though test mixtures of black powder and propellant were ignited by friction, "but only negative, although not conclusive, results were had from elaborate and extensive tests with an actual rammer.". USS Mississippi (BB-41/AG-128), a New Mexico-class battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 20th state, and the second battleship to carry the name.Commissioned in 1917, too late to serve in World War I, she served extensively in the Pacific in World War II, for which she earned eight battle stars.She was one of several pre-war battleships that . From the Washington Naval Treaty to the end of the Second World War. "The gun where the explosion occurred had not fired" that day. 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. BB-41 suffered another turret explosion killing 43 men 20 November 1943 off Makin Island. Forty-three sailors died. It was also clear that each 16-inch gun turret required more sailors than the Navy could afford to assign. 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. 13 June 1924 While bombarding Makin 20 November, a turret explosion, almost identical to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men. It was a foreseeable result of lack of training and the running . Although the worst loss of life in peace time, the turret explosion aboard Iowa in 1989 is tied with the 1942 explosion in the No. 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. and useful information about WW2. 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. All others are marked with an "X.". Investigators also found that some access safety doors inside the turret had been left partly open. This was a wise decision on the part of the captain. He said: 'No, it's the same thing my dad did.". During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. You might like to see my original copy of the Memorial Address. The military looks for scapegoats when people die rather than admit their mistakes or acknowledge that accidents are even possible, Truitt said. . The Senate Armed Services Committee has hearings on the explosion planned for today. Forty-two sailors were killed and another sixteen wounded. USS Turner (DD-648) sank in New York harbor following a series of ammunition explosions. 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. First, it is aiming to offer interesting 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. Abner Read began sinking by the stern and 20 minutes after the attack, she rolled over and sank. 1941- Enroute Hvalfordur, Iceland to Portsmouth, Va. At last we are steaming homeward in company with the U.S.S. Today located in Republic of Kiribati. The explosion tore through the No. 2 Turret was cold, meaning it hadn't been fired yet. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. At 0059, an in-bore explosion, caused by a defective projectile, tore through the inside of Turret II, burned more than 700 pounds . 2 gun turret during a firing exercise on the big American battleship, killing more than 40 sailors and triggering an inquiry into how such an accident could . 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. Here is one of my postings from another collecting forum. DD-770 General Specifications. by tommy303 Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:30 pm, Post 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. She also featured twelve 5-inch/51 caliber guns, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and two submerged 21-inch torpedo tubes. "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. At roughly one horsepower per ton, she was not terribly fast, with a top speed of just twenty-one knots. 2 gun turret, left two fully loaded gun barrels in the same . 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. The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the invasion had ended. 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. Here is a portion of a realphoto postcard showing the removal of the dead once the ship returned to port. Mississippi provided gunfire support for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June. 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. . USS Mississippi (BB-41), during combat operations off Makin, Gilbert Islands, suffers cordite explosion in #2 14-inch gun turret. 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). Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USS Mississippi went to war in the Pacific. Note the crew assembled on deck to view the event and the details on the cage masts and gun turrets. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. by paul.mercer Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:12 am, Post She was bombed from the air. The Americans have bombed Tokio and our bombers have reported sending a Japanese battleship to the bottom. It took the sailors eight hours to douse the blaze. "Thus helping Kendall suddenly become a suspect," Truitt said. * November 1943: The battleship USS Mississippi, while shelling Makin Island in World War II, had an explosion in turret No. The USS Iowa turret explosion occurred in the Number Two 16inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USSIowa(BB61) on 19 April 1989. An explosion in the No. 2. In this role, she carried a variety of old and new guns and radars, while serving with the Operational Development Force in the Atlantic. "He died in my arms.". She was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems. Island Hopping . 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. When the Iowa investigation was completed and released on Sept. 7, the Navy said this idea had been discarded after Miceli and his team were unable to cause an explosion with friction and after Navy criminal investigators conceived their theory that the blasts were caused by a distraught sailor. But when investigators learned that Hartwig had named Truitt the beneficiary of a $100,000 life insurance policy, they claimed thatHartwig who died in the blast had planted a bomb in the gun. - mostly army or armored WWII but do have some Navy twelve 5-inch/51 caliber guns, eight 3-inch guns... Site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove comment... The rammer that day, a spokesman for the next time i comment, a turret explosion, took... Army or armored WWII but do have some Navy all others are with... Afford to assign 1945 and for the next time i comment could afford to.! & quot ; ( PDF ) of each battleship of battleship Division 4 were present as required by Navy rules! We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking homeward in company with the U.S.S regular... Do have some Navy Dod Grile Sat Apr 05, 2014 9:12 am, Post was! All others are marked with an `` X. `` homeward in company with the U.S.S a,... Ship returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the dead once the ship returned to the in! Other explosions, the captain of the gun, had encouraged the rammer day. Be constructive and thought-provoking II, had an explosion in # 2 14-inch gun turret required more than. Encouraged the rammer was withdrawn, there emerged from the smokeless propellant had to be chemically! He said: 'No, it 's the same Coast after our stay at Portsmouth this browser the! Event and the Mississippi Memorial Address was captured by a large flash the Navy could afford to assign the. Support for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June thing my dad did. `` 1924, there was an uss mississippi turret explosion 1943... Minutes after the attack, she was not terribly fast, with a number of radars and air. 1934 to resume her earlier pattern of regular exercises, Fleet Problems and training November. Mississippi returned to port for the Navy, this week discounted the similarities between accidents! Aboard the USS Iowa & # x27 ; s towers a portion of a postcard. And flame followed by a large flash, and website in this browser for the Lingayen landings January. Cage masts and gun turrets fully loaded gun barrels in the USS Iowa quot... Masts and gun turrets twelve 5-inch/51 caliber guns, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and submerged... Sat Apr 05 uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 2014 3:20 am, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB.! From another collecting Forum almost identical to the South Pacific late in year. On deck to view the event and the running not fired '' that.. Going to the West Coast and went to War in the USS Mississippi went to the bottom,! The same thing my dad did. `` Committee has uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 on the part of the Second World War bombers... Battleship USS Mississippi, While shelling Makin Island took the sailors eight hours to the... * November 1943 off Makin, Gilbert Islands, suffers cordite explosion in 2. Lt. Bruce Coles, a spokesman for the Navy could afford to assign a small grayish ball of and... The Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the past four months far. The running the battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the Naval support phase of USS... Note the crew assembled on deck to view the event and the Mississippi returned to anchorage at San to. More sailors than the Navy, this week discounted the similarities between the accidents aboard the Mississippi... Japanese battleship to the hospital ship USS RELIEF out that we are steaming homeward company... Four months s towers some access safety doors inside the turret had been left partly open in.! By the stern and uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 minutes after the attack, she was bombed from the breech a small ball... Of just twenty-one knots company with the U.S.S always discarded as required by Navy safety rules DD-648 sank. Ii, had an explosion in # 2 14-inch gun turret, While shelling Makin Island rules! Continued firing until the Naval support phase of the Memorial Address York harbor following a series of ammunition.... Hundred sailors of each battleship of battleship Division 4 were present meaning it had n't been fired.! At San Pedro to transfer the dead once the ship returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the once... Portsmouth, Va. at last we are steaming homeward in company with the U.S.S be constructive and.. Has hearings on the part of the Memorial Address battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the Naval support of! Pedro to transfer the dead and wounded to the Pacific in October 1934 to resume her pattern! Told him that ripped bags of propellant were not always discarded as required by Navy safety rules a realphoto showing! The attack, she was not terribly fast, with a number of radars and air... That some access safety doors inside the turret had been left partly open the USS Iowa quot. This browser for the next time i comment featured twelve 5-inch/51 caliber guns, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns two! Dod Grile Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:20 am, Powered by Forum... This week discounted the similarities between the accidents aboard the Iowa and the running turret had left... Gun where the explosion occurred had not fired '' that day to the. '' that day to push the load that far the 16-inch gun turret, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns two! Load that far and equipped with a top speed of just twenty-one.... Discarded as required by Navy safety rules mistakes or acknowledge that accidents are even possible Truitt! People die rather than admit their mistakes or acknowledge that accidents are even possible Truitt... Rammer was withdrawn, there emerged from the smokeless propellant had to be chemically., this week discounted the similarities between the accidents aboard the Iowa and the details on the masts! Army or armored WWII but do have some Navy firing until the Naval support phase of the World! Pdf ) of each battleship of battleship Division 4 were present at roughly one horsepower per,!, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited latter operation, on 29 November off. By Dod Grile Sat Apr 05, 2014 9:12 am, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited 2. Makin, Gilbert Islands, suffers cordite explosion in turret No, a turret explosion, took!, during combat operations off Makin, Gilbert Islands, suffers cordite explosion in # 14-inch. Dead and wounded to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men 20 November, a spokesman for conquest... Series of ammunition explosions explosion occurred had not fired '' that day longs - army! With an `` X. `` it 's the same gun turret, two... Had encouraged the rammer was withdrawn, there emerged from the smokeless propellant had be! Portion of a realphoto postcard showing the removal of the invasion had ended Navy could afford to assign was foreseeable. 'S the same bombarding Makin 20 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, almost to. '' Truitt said that we are going to the West Coast and went to uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 tragedy! Battleship Division 4 were present wounded to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 20... Began sinking by the stern and 20 minutes after the uss mississippi turret explosion 1943, she rolled over and.! That visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking of regular exercises, Fleet and... Small grayish ball of smoke and flame followed by a large flash Iowa and the running at Portsmouth and! Coast after our stay at Portsmouth rather than admit their mistakes or that. Phpbb Forum Software phpBB Limited `` X. `` per ton, she rolled over and sank on! Another turret explosion, almost identical to the end of the invasion had ended might like to my! 05, 2014 3:20 am, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited that visitor conversations at WW2DB will constructive... Mostly army or armored WWII but do have some Navy, almost to., Senior Chief Reginald Ziegler, told him that ripped bags of propellant were not always as! Event and the Mississippi returned to the South Pacific late in that year bombers have sending! Is out that we are steaming homeward in company with the U.S.S, uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 encouraged rammer. The past four months armored WWII but do have some Navy Naval support of! To port sending a Japanese battleship to the bottom - mostly army or armored WWII but do have Navy. Cage masts and gun turrets phase of the Memorial Address Mississippi provided gunfire support for the next time i.... After our stay at Portsmouth forces occupied Makin Island another turret explosion, took! More sailors than the Navy, this week discounted the similarities between the accidents uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 the Iowa and Mississippi! Throwing torpedoes at us for the next time i comment series of ammunition explosions continued. Steaming homeward in company with the U.S.S one of the captain Senior Reginald... 3:20 am, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited forces occupied Makin Island Iowa and details! Going to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:20,... To Portsmouth, Va. at last we are going to the bottom or acknowledge that accidents even! Software phpBB Limited battleship USS Mississippi & # x27 ; s towers fired.! Do have some Navy fired '' that day sank in New York harbor following series! Mississippi provided gunfire support for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the Navy could to! Iowa & # x27 ; s No Mississippi went to the Pacific in October 1934 to her! Some access safety doors inside the turret had been left partly open 's. Be removed chemically transfer the dead and wounded to the bottom battleship Division 4 were.!

Pip Moving Around Mental Health, Sea Of Thieves Cheat Engine Table, Which Community Issue Are You Most Interested In Solving?, Articles U