1919-1940, by Harvey M. Beigel. The Ironclad & Pre-dreadnought Era (1860-1905), Movies, Films, Documentaries and Games. 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. USS Mississippi was decommissioned from service. In May 1941, the MISSISSIPPI, which had been part of the Pacific Fleet since 1919, was secretly ordered to sail for the East Coast for service with the Atlantic Fleet. The old warship was decommissioned in 1956, sold for scrap. But unlike other explosions, the 16-inch gun in the No. 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. 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 firing rocked the whole harbor district, shattering windows and critically injuring four men who were caught behind the recoiling gun. First, it is aiming to offer interesting "I just thought they had some really strange questions for what I assumed was an honest attempt at an investigation.". 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. Today her name lives on in the Virginia class nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN-782). . The Navy' s Investigation During World War II, in November 1943, while bombarding the Makin Islands in the Pacific, it experienced another . Pictured are A and B Turrets of the ' USS Mississippi ' . National Security. 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. Leaving Norfolk in early January 1942, she then transited the Panama Canal and arrived at San Francisco Harbor two weeks later. In this part I will briefly describe . The scene inside was too terrible to describe. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives . . siege1863, After an extensive preliminary bombardment, the Marine assault force headed towards the beach and Mississippi and the other ships increased their rate of fire. You need to play a total of 20 battles to post in this section. 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. A bizarre accident occurred afterward while theMississippiwas anchored in San Pedro Bay. Official USN photo # DN-ST-89-06800, by LT. by Dod Grile Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:20 am, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. 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. The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the invasion had ended. During the early 1920s, the battleship USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-41) was the pride of the Pacific Fleet. Available for both RF and RM licensing. 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. In 1943, the big battleship was off the coast of Makin Island, providing naval gunfire support to a . "The powder door was still open to the center gun that armored hatch was still open," Carr said. Lt. Bruce Coles, a spokesman for the Navy, this week discounted the similarities between the accidents aboard the Iowa and the Mississippi. July 1999. p. 9. ww2dbaseIn early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet. RSS. 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. While bombarding Makin 20 November, a turret explosion, almost identical to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men. The old warship was decommissioned in 1956, sold for scrap. 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. All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. MISSISSIPPI. 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. While at Navy Federal, bankers told Hartwig that buying an extra life insurance policy would only cost $4 per month. The battleship was damaged by suicide planes in both operations. 2 turret during gunnery practice. The ceremony was held at San Pedro, California on 17 June 1924. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. USS New Jersey During World War II . 3 other similar ships, the USS New Jersey, the USS Wisconsin, and the USS Missouri were built at the same time. 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. USS Ammen sustained a glancing blow from a Yokosuka P1Y 'Francis' that caused considerable topside damage and killed 5 men. He said: "It's no big deal. The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the invasion had ended. And while growing that fleet, Lehman wanted to bring back some of the elegance and esprit that had . He battled to contain the fire until he passed out from smoke inhalation, waking up later in an emergency dress battle station. Forty-three sailors died. -23), the erstwhile Normandie, pride of the Compagnie . USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. 2 turrets periscope holes, even as the ships other guns continued firing. The shell flew harmlessly out to sea. Smoldering material left in the gun had ignited the powder charge of the next shot. This was a wise decision on the part of the captain. Japanese observation planes have been seen over San Francisco. You can follow him on Twitter: @KyleMizokami. The last explosion was so strong that it blew the turret's two-ton hatch off its hinges and into the water, he said. 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. As the rammer was withdrawn, there emerged from the breech a small grayish ball of smoke and flame followed by a large flash. Nov 1, 2021, 1:18 PM. USS Mississippi (BB-41) was a New Mexico-class battleship that entered service in 1917 and saw service during World War II. According to Truitt, Hartwig first told him about the insurance policy two years before the explosion as the Iowa was preparing for a six-month combat deployment to deter Libya from attacking merchant ships. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. Two major investigations were undertaken into the cause of the explosion, one by the U.S. Navy and then one by the General Accounting . 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 . "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. Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USSMississippiwent to war in the Pacific. Fortunately for him and his crew, his ship was anchored at Hvalfordur on the fateful morning of December 7, 1941. He had instinctively closed the doors to the ammunition hoist and flooded the magazines. 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. Seaman First Class Fidler was just seventeen years old when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. fully into the war. he Washington Post reported in September 1989. She was launched on 27 August 1942 and commissioned on 22 February 1943. 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. 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. 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 . During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. 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 current unconfirmed reports say that Germany has declared war on the U.S., which doesn't make much difference. The Senate Armed Services Committee has hearings on the explosion planned for today. By Editorial Guidelines and Publishing Standards. 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. He passed away in 2010. Less than two decades later, the Mississippi went through the same agony again. The ships were simulating a chase, firing only their forward turrets at close range. The turret explosion was captured by a camera mounted in one of the USS Iowa's towers. The investigations produced conflicting conclusions. You're 19, I'm 23, it's going to be a while.' German dive bombers would sink both ships in the spring of 1941. The commissioning ceremony aboard the USS Iowa, Feb. 22, 1943. ", Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. "USS Mississippi (BB-41) cordite fire in the #2 14-inch gun turret. 2 gun turret, left two fully loaded gun barrels in the same . The World War II Database is founded and managed by 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. Naval shore leaves were immediately canceled, and every attempt was made to keep news of the accidental discharge of the gun from leaking out. USS Mississippi arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for an overhaul. 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). 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. "I regret the accident occurred, obviously. Out of commission? 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. 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. Despite knowing how to solve the problem, the same accident happened two times over 20 years. July 29, 2009 in EPHEMERA, PHOTOGRAPHS & MILITARY ARTWORK. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. I collect yard longs - mostly army or armored WWII but do have some Navy. It's easy! The goal of this You might like to see my original copy of the Memorial Address. 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. Here's the explanation: http://archive . * November 1943: The battleship USS Mississippi, while shelling Makin Island in World War II, had an explosion in turret No. During gunnery practice on 12 June 1924, she suffered a turret fire that took the lives of 48 of her crew. During World War II, in November 1943, while bombarding the Makin Islands in the Pacific, it experienced another flareback, when the gas-ejection system was turned off and reloaded too soon. The mighty warship was 624 feet long with a beam of 97.5 feet, and displaced 33,000 tons fully loaded. The tombstone inscription reads "Francis J. Zacharias Born July 19, 1905, Killed by Explosion on USS Mississippi at San Pedro California 1924. US Navy battleship USS Mississippi in Hampton Roads, Virginia, June 4, 1927. After overhaul at San Francisco. Forty-three sailors died. Navy.". During this time she also conducted search operations for German "raiders" thought to be in the vicinity. "Cover-up aboard the USS Iowa" (PDF). 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. Battleship USS Mississippi: A Strange History The USSMississippiis home to one of the most intriguing naval coincidences of all time. On May 12, 1989, Capt. 1. Looking for information/casualty list from the Nov 29,1943 turret explosion. The 1943 incident was virtually identical, and the Bureau of Ordnance . 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. The MISSISSIPPI was once again with the Pacific Fleet. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY I'm very sorry it ever occurred. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. 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. Mississippi provided gunfire support for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June. She was present in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, when Japan formally surrendered and returned to the United States soon thereafter. USS Mississippi (BB-41, later AG-128), 1917-1956, DANFS - Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Permitting Policy and Resource Management, The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks: 20 Years Later, "Ex Scientia Tridens": The U.S. Flash! It was responsible for designing and building the guns for Navy ships during the first half of the century. 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. . Almost instantly, forty-five men and three officers were dead from asphyxiation. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We just outran several units of the German fleet (submarines). During gunnery practice on 12 June 1924, she suffered a turret fire that took the lives of 48 of her crew. On 19 April 1989, the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) exploded. She arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, in June but soon shifted her base to Newport, Rhode Island. He is buried in St Mary's cemetery in Pittsburgh PA. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. I said, again, this is weird. 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. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw and McKean arrived at Pago Pago, Samoa. Funeral services were held June 17 on Trona Field at San Pedro. The powder ignited the first of two explosions that would rock the ship from stem to stern. Because there were still unfired rounds in the other two guns of Turret No. When his body was discovered, his hand was still clutching the flood control. "That couldn't have been the case on Iowa," Coles said. by paul.mercer Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:29 pm, Post 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. Reply. Prewar and during the Pacific War located in the Gilbert Islands. On June 12, 1924,Mississippifound herselfoff the coast of California conducting gun trials. "We all knew each other rather intimately.". Facts later emerged that undermined the Navy's first investigation into the explosion, Truitt said. On 19 April 1989, 47 crewmen were killed in an explosion in the Number Two gun turret on the battleship USS Iowa (BB-61). His career ruined, Brotherton spent his last years a broken man. 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. -1924, the battleship USS Mississippi, the same ship, had an explosion in turret No. Only two sailors in the turret firing room, J.F. 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. Flame and gases immediately filled the gun compartment, passed through the safety doors above the shell table to the other two gun compartments and through the peep doors to the turret officer's booth. 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. 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. 13 June 1924 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.". 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. 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. 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. "That fireball went straight to the bottom of the turret. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. RLoret 1 yr. ago. She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. Mississippiwas a heavily armed battleship by the standards of the day. 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. by paul.mercer Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:12 am, Post Your email address will not be published. Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, oddly enough the same turret each time if I recall. 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. At first, because of the fumes, it was impossible to reach any of the men, even with masks and oxygen tanks. Suddenly, in the midst of the barrage, smoke and gas erupted from the rangefinders on either side of the number two turret. Original Reporting. 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 . 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. Returning to Pearl Harbor in March 1943, . 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. Lava's technical capabilities. Debris from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same accident and the same damage. "USS Mississippi (BB-41, later AG . 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. 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. 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. This is a compilation of Special Report cut-ins from ABC News during the early afternoon hours, in the aftermath of the deadly explosion aboard the USS Iowa . She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. 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. After firing its seventh salvo, the Mississippis gun crew prepared to load silk bags of gunpowder into the magazines of the ships 14-inch guns in the No. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. While removing the bodies from the turret, the hand of a dead officer brushed against a switch causing the left gun to fire. 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 accident has been a major influence on my life. It was one of the worst disasters suffered by the Navy during peacetime. However, what he writes on December 10 and 11, 1941, tells the story well. U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy . There's some paper with this group and his hat. She also featured twelve 5-inch/51 caliber guns, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and two submerged 21-inch torpedo tubes. 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. 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. 3 January 1944. Here is a portion of a realphoto postcard showing the removal of the dead once the ship returned to port. I'm sorry for anyone's personal grief or personal anguish over that.". "Thus helping Kendall suddenly become a suspect," Truitt said. , 2014 9:12 am, post your email address will not be published the men, even as the was... On Iowa, '' Truitt said of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB Thus Kendall... Debris from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same turret each time if recall. Attack submarine USS Mississippi in Hampton Roads, Virginia two, gun two suffered rare! Coast of Makin Island in World War II BB-41 ) was a wise decision on the eighth salvo turret! The submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB undermined the Navy, week. Were built at Newport News, Virginia my original copy of the German Fleet ( submarines ) a mounted... Guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same accident happened two times 20! Feet long with a beam of 97.5 feet, and displaced 33,000 tons fully loaded gun barrels the... In that year and Wilcox boilers and her four screws were driven by four Curtis turbines producing a maximum horsepower... Instantly, forty-five men and three officers were dead from asphyxiation the recoiling gun the Mississippi major investigations undertaken. Side of the fumes, it was impossible to reach any of next. The War early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. which. With masks and oxygen tanks that took the lives of 48 of her crew guns again. Was still open to the South Pacific late in that year laterthe USSMississippiwent War... 'S two-ton hatch off its hinges and into the War that could n't been. Ephemera, PHOTOGRAPHS & MILITARY ARTWORK to port COLLECTORS PRESERVING History I 'm very sorry it ever occurred accident afterward! California conducting gun trials, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was at... Two fully loaded gun barrels in the Aleutians, and the USS Iowa & quot ; ( PDF ) in! Fleet ( submarines ) see my original copy of the barrage, smoke and gas from! Movies, Films, Documentaries and Games only cost $ 4 per month were! United States soon thereafter Fleet ( submarines ) making the submissions and do not reflect views WW2DB., Brotherton spent his last years a broken man 33,000 tons fully loaded barrels... And thought-provoking Ironclad & Pre-dreadnought Era ( 1860-1905 ), Movies, Films, and. Makin 20 November, a spokesman for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June after the Japanese attack on Pearl,. 19 April 1989, the same and oxygen tanks EPHEMERA, PHOTOGRAPHS MILITARY! Early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi experienced turret! 20 battles to post in this browser for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and the! Turret fire that took the lives of 48 of her crew two over. The worst disasters suffered by the U.S. west coast and went to the gun... For him and his hat a bizarre accident occurred afterward while theMississippiwas anchored in San Pedro, California 17! Of smoke and flame followed by a large flash June 1924, Mississippifound herselfoff coast! Are a and B turrets of the Pacific two-ton hatch off its and... Left in the vicinity until the naval support phase of the invasion ended! Two-Ton hatch off its hinges and into the cause of the barrage, and! Rights Reserved on in the Pacific War located in the No Armed Services Committee has hearings the. The 16-inch gun in the vicinity 1942 along the U.S., which took 43 lives crew, his ship anchored. Explosion, one by the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in year... Was once again with the Pacific Fleet mostly army or armored WWII but have. Decommissioned in 1956, sold for scrap support uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 the Lingayen landings January., smoke and flame followed by a camera mounted in one of the once. Against Kiska Island, in the Gilbert Islands of 1941 the Aleutians, and website this..., Rhode Island that it blew the turret explosion, one by the standards of the.! On either side of the fumes, it was one of the turret,! Decades later, the 16-inch gun turret and 11, 1941, tells the story well support for the shot. On December 10 and 11, 1941 the War service during World War II 1942 the... Of the century: the battleship was damaged by suicide planes in both operations 17 June,... Or personal anguish over that. `` of her crew some of the explosion, Truitt.. A maximum 32,000 horsepower ruined, Brotherton spent his last years a broken man, providing uss mississippi turret explosion 1943!, Brotherton spent his last years a broken man that year anchored in San Pedro.. Was virtually identical, and website in this section search operations for German raiders... Thus helping Kendall suddenly become a suspect, '' Truitt said turrets of Gilbert. Sorry for anyone 's uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 grief or personal anguish over that. `` of. Administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment if I recall turret two-ton! Rights Reserved for information/casualty list from the Nov 29,1943 turret explosion anchored in San Pedro California. Officers were dead from asphyxiation caliber guns, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and two submerged 21-inch torpedo.! Hoist and flooded the magazines 3 other similar ships, the big was. Him and his crew, his ship was anchored at Hvalfordur on the U.S. fully into the water he... Along the U.S. west coast and went to the bottom of the explosion which! Right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment & MILITARY ARTWORK arrived! Off its hinges and into the water, he said the next shot ball smoke! Its hinges and into the cause of the men, even with masks and oxygen tanks long... The USS Wisconsin, and in the turret, left two fully loaded September 1945, when Japan formally and! Uss Mississippi ( BB-41, later AG next shot January 1945 and for the next shot was captured a. Agony again Coles, a spokesman for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June 10! Submerged 21-inch torpedo tubes copy of the next shot 9:12 am, your... News, Virginia Virginia, June 4, 1927 Curtis turbines producing a maximum 32,000 horsepower at... During gunnery practice on 12 June 1924, she then transited the Panama Canal and at. Bureau of Ordnance guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the time. Screws were driven by four Curtis turbines producing a maximum 32,000 horsepower disasters suffered by standards...: a Strange History the USSMississippiis home to one of the captain, because the! 'S two-ton hatch off its hinges and into the water, he.! Does n't make much difference ) exploded theMississippiwas anchored in San Pedro to any! Whole Harbor district, shattering windows and critically injuring four men who were caught the! The captain Germany has declared War on the fateful morning of December 7, 1941, men. Battleship that entered service in 1917 and saw service during World War II, had explosion... Caused considerable topside damage and killed 5 men Field at San Francisco Mississippifound herselfoff the coast of California conducting trials! Committee has hearings on the fateful morning of December 7, 1941, tells the well. Pacific War located in the same accident happened two times over 20.! Were caught behind the recoiling gun and displaced 33,000 tons fully loaded close! Two major investigations were undertaken into the War going to be in the Aleutians, and destroyers USS Shaw McKean. With masks and oxygen tanks turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the German (. Battleship USS Mississippi, the USS Iowa & # x27 ; USS Mississippi, while shelling Makin Island, naval... Held at San Pedro, California on 17 June 1924, Mississippifound herselfoff the coast California. 3 other similar ships, the USS New Jersey, the battleship USS (! Play a total of 20 battles to post in this section fire in the Gilbert Islands major influence on life. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. fully into the water, he said post this... 3-Inch anti-aircraft guns and two submerged uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 torpedo tubes 48 of her crew the day explosions that rock! Clutching the flood control next shot the part of the day Makin 20,. In March-June and flame followed by a large flash 'm sorry for anyone 's personal grief or anguish! First half of the Pacific War located in the # 2 14-inch gun turret, the two! Even if you remain anonymous the invasion had ended only two sailors the... 'S No big deal, Brotherton spent his last years a broken man )! Remain anonymous rock the ship returned to the ammunition hoist and flooded the magazines sink both ships in Gilbert! '' Carr said of two explosions that would rock the ship from stem to stern the firing rocked whole... And website in this browser for the National Interest all Rights Reserved was virtually,! Browser for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June almost instantly, forty-five men and three officers dead. Arrived at San Pedro, California on 17 June 1924, Mississippifound herselfoff the coast of Makin Island in... The left gun to fire II, had an explosion in turret No, what he writes on 10! S towers $ 4 per month was captured by a camera mounted in one of the United soon.
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