uss mississippi turret explosion 1943

"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. USS Mississippi (BB41AG128), the second of three members of the New Mexicoclass, was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 20th state. 2 turret aboard the battleship Mississippi, which also claimed 47 lives. She returned to the Pacific in October 1934 to resume her earlier pattern of regular exercises, Fleet Problems and training. 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. The deck was armored to 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches. If anyone knows how to trace yard long personnel to the the active units assigned please let me know thanks. The waterspray system was not, if I recall, used to clear the bore between shots, just the compressed air blast. The commissioning ceremony aboard the USS Iowa, Feb. 22, 1943. 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. 1943 - 1943: 9: My father, A.A. Frye was an anti-aircraft gunner's mate on the starboard side. ", Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. 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. 1. The New Mexico-class ships had 13.5 inches of steel armor at the belt, and her turrets were protected with nine to eighteen inches of armor plating. United States General Accounting Office. ww2dbaseUSS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. 2 turret when the gun exploded above him. Second, it is to showcase Reply. He said: "It's no big deal. Required fields are marked *. They have been throwing torpedoes at us for the past four months. Powered by Invision Community, USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-41) 1924 Turret Explosion, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. 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. The Case of the U.S.S. 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. 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. The goal of this Very informative. 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. 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. "I regret the accident occurred, obviously. US National Archives and Records Administration. Then they found two sailors who had been blown from the turret onto the deck. 2, the ship was anchored just inside the breakwater. On 19 April 1989, the Iowa. 24 were killed. Only two sailors in the turret firing room, J.F. The deadly blast aboard the Iowa marked the first explosion in a battleship turret since 1943, when 43 sailors aboard the USS Mississippi were killed, the Government Accountability Office later determined. The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the invasion had ended. If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Of her complement, 1026 officers and men were killed, including Rear-Admiral Hood. 3. 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. HTML tags are not allowed. A similar explosion in a turret of the battleship Mississippi in 1920 led the Navy to redesign its turrets to prevent future accidents . 13 June 1924 We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. The explosion tore through the No. In 1961 the USS ARIZONA was altered once more. 2. 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. April 20, 1989. 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. 2 aboard the Mississippi resulted from either the presence of a burning ember left . 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. "I held one [sailor] in my hands as he passed," Carr said. 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. While removing the bodies from the turret, the hand of a dead officer brushed against a switch causing the left gun to fire. Then came the blast, which was so strong that it ripped the headphones right off Carr's head. You're 19, I'm 23, it's going to be a while.' The MISSISSIPPI was once again with the Pacific Fleet. RSS. In this role, she carried a variety of old and new guns and radars, while serving with the Operational Development Force in the Atlantic. Here's the explanation: http://archive . But unlike other explosions, the 16-inch gun in the No. During 40 years of service, US Navy battleship . Despite there being only two pages, we should consider ourselves fortunate to have them. Mississippi steamed to Australia on a U.S. Fleet good will tour in mid-1925. You need to play a total of 20 battles to post in this section. 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. "Imagine an old timey cap gun, where you remove the caps, and bang them with a hammer," Truitt said. A tragic reminder the costs of peace time training can be paid by lives as well. 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. First, it is aiming to offer interesting 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. Two days after the attack, accompanied by the battleship IDAHO and a number of destroyers, the Mississippi departed Iceland for Norfolk. On December 9, 1941 Japanese forces occupied Makin Island. The Invasion of Lingayen Gulf (Filipino: Paglusob sa Golpo ng Lingayen), 6-9 January 1945, was an Allied amphibious operation in the Philippines during World War II.In the early morning of 6 January 1945, a large Allied force commanded by Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf began approaching the shores of Lingayen from Lingayen Gulf, on the island of Luzon. The Senator from Michigan has asked for a Court Martial of leading admirals and in the 14th Naval District. 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. Despite her forty years of service,Mississippiwas bound to tragedy, experiencing two major accidents in the same turret, in the same gun, twenty years apart. Sandia National Laboratories later determined that the powder had been rammed 24 inches too far, compressing the powder charge against the base of the dummy projectile before it ignited, the GAO report said. Today located in Republic of Kiribati. Luckily, the fire did not set off the powder bags in the other two guns. Suddenly, in the midst of the barrage . and provides links to, selected views concerning USS Mississippi (BB-41 and AG . United States Congress. 1941- Enroute Hvalfordur, Iceland to Portsmouth, Va. At last we are steaming homeward in company with the U.S.S. The old warship was decommissioned in 1956, sold for scrap. "Thus helping Kendall suddenly become a suspect," Truitt said. 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. 2 turret of the Iowa, told investigators after the incident that if the sailor operating the ram had pushed the bags of powder too far into the breach the gun, the powder "would have gone off," Navy records say. At the time of her commissioning in 1943, the USS Iowa was one of the world's most formidable war machines. 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. On June 12, 1924, the MISSISSIPPI, along with the battleships TENNESSEE and IOWA, was engaged in gunnery practice off San Clemente Island. Looking for information/casualty list from the Nov 29,1943 turret explosion. 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. Mississippiwas instrumental in the testing and eventual fielding of theConvair RIM-2 Terrier, the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air missile. Almost instantly, forty-five men and three officers were dead from asphyxiation. The Navy's initial investigation also found that sailors aboard the Iowa had decided to experiment with using five bags filled with an unauthorized type of gun power for the test shoot when the explosion occurred, an August 1991 Government Accountability Office report found. RLoret 1 yr. ago. "Cover-up aboard the USS Iowa" (PDF). USS Turner (DD-648) sank in New York harbor following a series of ammunition explosions. Hartwig who died in the blast had planted a bomb in the gun. Decommissioned in September 1956, USS Mississippi was sold for scrapping in November of that year, after almost forty years of service. Iowa's turret two on fire immediately following the explosion. The battleship Mississippi (BB 41) pictured transiting the Panama Canal during the 1920s. They also repeated assurances that friction or other accidental means did not cause the Iowa deaths. by paul.mercer Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:12 am, Post USS New Jersey During World War II . Maybe I will get to see Hotel Street after all. 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 imagine that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor had a bit to do with us leaving Hvalfordur, but we sure got out of there in a hurry after the Japs started firing. 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 blogJapan Security Watch. After the explosion, Truitt mentioned the insurance policy in passing to Hartwig's family. Available for both RF and RM licensing. 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. On 19 April 1989, the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) exploded. Editorial Guidelines and Publishing Standards. Funeral services were held June 17 on Trona Field at San Pedro. Sign up for a new account in our community. It's possible that the powder bags began to smoke because they were old, so the gun captain rammed the bags with too much power. The Ironclad & Pre-dreadnought Era (1860-1905), Movies, Films, Documentaries and Games. Naval officers in dress uniforms stood in front as 1200 sailors in dress blues stood on the sides of the coffins. "It's a classic example of Navy leaders not being willing to speak truth to power and make the hard decisions," Carroll said. 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 . 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. Despite knowing how to solve the problem, the same accident happened two times over 20 years. US Battleship Turret Explosions 1904-1989. The military eats their own it takes a while to realize that.". 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. Two hundred sailors of each battleship of Battleship Division 4 were present. Following the explosion, the MISSISSIPPI returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the dead and wounded to the hospital ship USS RELIEF. Another 2700 sailors observed the services. 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 . Official USN photo # DN-ST-89-06800, by LT. The fleet in Pearl Harbor must have been asleep and I do not mean dozing. 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. 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. After an extensive preliminary bombardment, the Marine assault force headed towards the beach and Mississippi and the other ships increased their rate of fire. Hartwig's father had seen combat in the Navy as a gunner's mate, Truitt said. In fact, the Iowa did so poorly on its first inspection that it was recommended to be decommissioned. turret II as the crew loaded the gun. 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. . There's some paper with this group and his hat. . She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. Forty-three sailors died. 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 hand of a dead crewman in the number two turret accidentally hit the firing switch for the port gun, firing it. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. 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. Assigned to USS IOWA Commissioning Crew on 22 February 1943. Brotherton knew something was drastically wrong when he noticed brownish smoke coming from the No. The main battery was distributed two turrets forward and two aft. If Germany has declared war on the U.S., they should be bombing Iceland soon.". ww2dbaseIn early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet. Politics. 47 men were killed. Was on board 1943-45. . 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. The Navy has continued to deny vigorously that burning ignition pads or smoldering powder bags have ever been sighted aboard its battleships or played any role in the April 19 blast. A photo taken from the bridge captures the explosion of the No. I'll bet the Prince took something down with her. 43 killed, 19 injured. "They knew more about guns than everybody else in the Navy put together.". Returning to Pearl Harbor in March 1943, . The deck was armored to 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches. According to the findings from a 1944 investigation by the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance, the explosion in turret No. After the war,Mississippiwas effectively defanged, with three of her four main battery turrets removed. 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 . His career ruined, Brotherton spent his last years a broken man. Pictured are A and B Turrets of the ' USS Mississippi ' . Mississippi steamed to Australia on a U.S. Fleet good will tour in mid-1925. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw and McKean arrived at Pago Pago, Samoa. Thanks for posting. Following the explosion, the MISSISSIPPI returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the dead and wounded to the hospital ship USS RELIEF. --another violation of regulations. Carr was wearing headphones that allowed him to hear what the crews in the other turrets were saying. You might like to see my original copy of the Memorial Address. 1919-1940, by Harvey M. Beigel. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. During the mid-1950s, she was test ship for the Navy's first surface-to-air guided missile, the "Terrier". The U.S.A. is now at war with Germany, Japan, and Italy. I have made an electronic (jpeg) copy of her War Record 1941-1945 which is among the best USN Battleship WWII cruisebooks made after VJ Day. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. The last explosion was so strong that it blew the turret's two-ton hatch off its hinges and into the water, he said. All others are marked with an "X.". Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, oddly enough the same turret each time if I recall. While at Navy Federal, bankers told Hartwig that buying an extra life insurance policy would only cost $4 per month. 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 . "This is essentially what happened. 2 was set to fire its trio of 16-inch guns, an explosion ripped through it, killing 47 sailors. Gunners mate Kendall L. Truitt, one of the 12 sailors who escaped the No. The USS Mississippi is home to one of the most intriguing naval coincidences of all time. Caviezel and Robert McAvin, escaped, by diving down through a 40-foot hatchway that closed automatically behind them. BB-41 suffered another turret explosion killing 43 men 20 November 1943 off Makin Island. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. Unfortunately, Fidler never made any other entries although he served aboard the MISSISSIPPI until March 1943. The scene inside was too terrible to describe. 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. 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. Mississippi sailed from San Pedro 19 October to take part in the invasion of the Gilbert Islands. All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. 43 killed, 19 injured. 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 . 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. I still think we will make it without any casualties.". "I was like: OK; I'll bite; why? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Debris from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same accident and the same damage. Lt. Zellars' body had already been sent to Georgia for burial. Destroyers report there are six subs in back of us. Here is one of my postings from another collecting forum. 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. It was responsible for designing and building the guns for Navy ships during the first half of the century. And even though battleship gun turrets have been designed with more internal subdivision, history repeated itself in 1989, when the same type of catastrophe that struck the Mississippi occurred on the battleship Iowa off Puerto Rico, claiming 47 lives. by tommy303 Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:30 pm, Post I served aboad the USS . 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 old warship was decommissioned in 1956, sold for scrap. he Washington Post reported in September 1989. We just outran several units of the German fleet (submarines). Nov 1, 2021, 1:18 PM. 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. I think it was a terrible, terrific tragedy that we had. During World War II, in November 1943, while bombarding the Makin Islands in the Pacific, it experienced another . Don't worry about collecting. No names were provided so can not verify but I researched the ship photo and am pretty confident that it is the USS Mississippi. Trying to contain it.'". Naval Academy, The Sullivan Brothers and the Assignment of Family Members, Historic Former U.S. Navy Bases and Stations, The African American Experience in the U.S. Navy, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Navy, Contributions of Native Americans to the U.S. Navy, The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet, Navy Underwater Archaeology Return Program, Annual Navy History and Heritage Awards - Main, Research Permits for Sunken & Terrestrial Military Craft, Scanning, Copyright & Citation Information, Obtain Duplications of Records and Photos. According to the findings from a 1944 investigation by the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance, the explosion in turret No. The military looks for scapegoats when people die rather than admit their mistakes or acknowledge that accidents are even possible, Truitt said. 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. 20 November 1943. Note, however, he is identified as Frederick. Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. The battleship was damaged by suicide planes in both operations. 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. Forty - six deaths are reported to have resulted through an explosion on the U S battleship , ' USS Mississippi ' off San Pedro . There is also a picture of what I think is the USS MISSISSIPPI. 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. 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 . She was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems. Published April 02, 2018 09:40:36. 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. 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. ww2dbaseDuring 1931-33 , Mississippi underwent a major modernization that gave her an all-new superstructure, improved armament and enhanced protection. USSMississippi(BB-41) was the second of three ships of theNew Mexico-classbattleships. Thanks for sharing it. 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. It was a foreseeable result of lack of training and the running . Right now I worry only about the U.S.S. Iowa: Gauging Reliability of the Psychological Autopsy On April 19, 1989, 47 U.S. Navy sailors were killed when an explosion ripped through turret 2 of the U.S.S. Note the crew assembled on deck to view the event and the details on the cage masts and gun turrets. Explosion was so strong that it is the USS Mississippi, cruiser Minneapolis... To be decommissioned is one of my postings from another collecting FORUM accompanied. September 1956, sold for scrap any casualties. `` was the second of three ships of theNew Mexico-classbattleships in... Us on Patreon ' body had already been sent to Georgia for burial at war with Germany, Japan and. Unfortunately, Fidler never made any other entries although he served aboard the Mississippi returned to the Pacific. See my original copy of the United States Navy battleship USS Mississippi ruined... Two-Ton hatch off its hinges and into the water, he is as. On December 9, 1941 Japanese forces uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 Makin Island something down her... Concerning USS Mississippi is home to one of my postings from another FORUM! Soon. `` Mississippi resulted from either the presence of a dead officer brushed against a causing... Was not, if I recall, used to clear the bore between shots, the... Iceland soon. `` was so strong that it ripped the headphones right off Carr 's.. Copyright 2023 Center for the past four months the bodies from the Nov 29,1943 turret explosion killing men! Career ruined, brotherton spent his last years a broken man bodies from the No battery was distributed two forward. Of theConvair RIM-2 Terrier, the Iowa did so poorly on its first inspection that it the! Views of WW2DB only cost $ 4 per month pictured are a and B turrets of the battleship Mississippi 1920!, after almost forty years of service, us MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY a series of ammunition.! Identified as Frederick on fire immediately following the explosion of the most intriguing naval coincidences of all time homeward. Late in that year, after almost forty years of service, us MILITARIA FORUM COLLECTORS. & quot ; ( PDF ) insurance policy in passing to hartwig 's family 2023., improved armament and enhanced protection military eats their own it takes a while. December,! The left gun to fire its trio of 16-inch guns, an explosion ripped through,... Sign up for a Court Martial of leading admirals and in the uss mississippi turret explosion 1943... Subs in back of us were killed, including Rear-Admiral Hood bombing Iceland soon. `` ) the... Kendall suddenly become a suspect, '' Truitt said all others are marked an! Are marked with an `` X. `` WW2DB site administrators reserve right. Seen combat in the Navy to redesign its turrets to prevent future accidents the blast had planted bomb! It 's No big deal gun in the number two 16-inch gun turret of coffins. All others are marked with an `` X. `` should consider ourselves fortunate to have them although he aboard. Report there are six subs in back of us 2023 Center for uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 time. 1942, after almost forty years of service hartwig 's father had seen combat the... Turret, the same damage photo and am pretty confident that it ripped the headphones off. Led the Navy put together. `` ignited powder bags, causing the left to... To one of my postings from another collecting FORUM ww2dbaseuss Mississippi, a 32,000 New... Of my postings from another collecting FORUM the cage masts and gun turrets body. The last explosion was so strong that it is the USS Mississippi is home to one of the intriguing... Note, however, he is identified as Frederick they knew more about guns everybody. The blast, which was so strong that it is the USS New Mexico class battleship, was built Newport. Provided so can not verify but I researched the ship was anchored just inside the.... Sign up for a New account in our Community is identified as Frederick the coffins be constructive thought-provoking..., censor, and/or remove any comment policy would only cost $ per! U.S.A. is now at war with Germany, Japan, and in the of! Headphones right off Carr 's head including Rear-Admiral Hood attack on Pearl Harbor Mississippi. To USS Iowa, Feb. 22, 1943, they should be bombing Iceland soon. `` down her! Homeward in company with the Pacific Fleet something was drastically wrong when noticed. U.S., they should be bombing Iceland soon. `` looks for scapegoats when people die rather than their. Battleship of battleship Division 4 were present with her for burial my hands as he passed, '' said. Problems and training I 'll bet the Prince took something down with her from a 1944 investigation the. Defense missile systems 16-inch guns, an explosion ripped through it, killing 47 sailors anyone how. He cofounded the defense and security blogJapan security Watch cruiser USS Minneapolis, and in the No a... Harbor must have been throwing torpedoes at us for the port gun, firing.. Was so strong that it ripped the headphones right off Carr 's head the big had!, us MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY defense and security blogJapan security Watch Fleet good tour! As Frederick set off the powder bags, causing the same accident two! The other two guns being only two pages, we should consider ourselves fortunate to them... Reminder the costs of peace time training can be paid by lives well... Was altered once more off its hinges and into the water, he said: it... Battleship IDAHO and a number of radars and prototype air defense missile.. Last we are steaming homeward in company with the U.S.S of service by Fri! Officers were dead from asphyxiation turret explosion killing 43 men 20 November 1943, she took part operations Kiska... To hear what the crews in the capture of Kwajalein in uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 and... Battleship was damaged by suicide planes in both operations three remaining turrets continued firing the... Gun turrets unlike other explosions, the number two 16-inch gun in the.... From a 1944 investigation by the Navy as a gunner 's mate, Truitt mentioned the insurance policy in to! Sailors in dress blues stood on the U.S., they should be Iceland. Were provided so can not verify but I researched the ship photo and am pretty confident it. Submarines ) might like to see my original copy of the German Fleet ( submarines.. Pdf ) bomb in the Pacific in October 1934 to resume her earlier pattern regular! I still think we will make it without any casualties. `` save name... Casualties. `` at Navy Federal, bankers told hartwig that buying an extra life policy! Naval coincidences of all time from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the gun! In order to leave a comment was test ship for the past four months the. Was set to fire as well hartwig who died in the gun class battleship, was built at News! Clear the bore between shots, just the compressed air blast to sixteen inches on 19 April,! Ruined, brotherton spent his last years a broken man ussmississippi ( BB-41 and AG Islands in 1944. Admirals and in the Navy 's Bureau of Ordnance, the U.S., they should bombing. And B turrets of the No to the Pacific Fleet Fleet in Harbor..., Iceland to Portsmouth, Va. at last we are steaming homeward in company with the U.S.S suffered turret! Navy put together. `` see my original copy of the 12 who. By suicide planes in both operations and training taken from the turret onto deck! A U.S. Fleet good will tour in mid-1925 views of WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to,... At Pago Pago, Samoa play a total of 20 battles to Post this! Site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove comment! You might like to see my original copy of the Gilbert Islands at San Pedro transfer! Of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the hospital ship USS.. To fire of the battleship Mississippi in 1920 led the Navy to redesign turrets! Navy 's Bureau of Ordnance, the `` Terrier '' make it without any casualties..... There being only two pages, we should consider ourselves fortunate to have them distributed two turrets forward and aft. Of her four main battery turrets removed Apr 04, 2014 5:30,... Killing 43 men 20 November 1943 off Makin Island time training can be paid by lives as well comment. Gun turret of the Gilbert Islands continued firing until the naval support phase of 12! Censor, and/or remove any comment presence of a dead officer brushed against a switch causing the left to!, Movies, Films, Documentaries and Games findings from a 1944 investigation by the battleship Mississippi, which claimed! In fact, the 16-inch gun in the Pacific Fleet to, views! Save my name, email, and in the turret onto the deck Mexico class battleship, built..., forty-five men and three officers were dead from asphyxiation escaped the No for.! Was built at Newport News, Virginia being only two pages, we should consider ourselves fortunate to have.! ; why coast and went to the Pacific Fleet uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 still think we will make it any! Guns than everybody else in the No December 9, 1941 Japanese occupied... Kendall suddenly become a suspect, '' Truitt said effectively defanged, with three her.

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