uss mississippi turret explosion 1943

3. Iowa. "He hit me on the shoulder one day, and he's like, 'If I ever die, you're going to be a rich man,'" Truitt recalled. This was a wise decision on the part of the captain. RSS. On December 9, 1941 Japanese forces occupied Makin Island. She was present in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, when Japan formally surrendered and returned to the United States soon thereafter. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw, Boggs, and McKean arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 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. For example, Hartwig had not been responsible for loading the gun, as the Navy initially claimed. He noted that the Navy ultimately discarded the Bureau of Ordnance's 1944 friction theory, deciding that a burning ember in the bore from a previously fired round had ignited the powder and caused the explosion. A fiery explosion ripped through a huge gun turret on the battleship USS Iowa yesterday, killing an estimated 47 sailors and injuring an undetermined number of others during a . Shortly after midnight October 1, NEWPORT NEWS commenced a gunfire support mission from her station off the South Viet Nam coast against NVA troops and bunker positions in the vicinity of Quang Tri City. The deck was armored to 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches. Accidents also occurred when the guns were pointing into a strong wind, causing a flashback into the gun house even with the air blast. The military eats their own it takes a while to realize that.". "I just thought they had some really strange questions for what I assumed was an honest attempt at an investigation.". The Case of the U.S.S. Lava's technical capabilities. The goal of this 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's a classic example of Navy leaders not being willing to speak truth to power and make the hard decisions," Carroll said. . "USS Mississippi (BB-41) cordite fire in the #2 14-inch gun turret. 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. Truitt was in the magazine below the No. . The shell flew harmlessly out to sea. 1919-1940, by Harvey M. Beigel. "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. by paul.mercer Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:12 am, Post On 20 November the Mississippi suffered an explosion in a main turret, killing 43 men. At the time of her commissioning in 1943, the USS Iowa was one of the world's most formidable war machines. Despite knowing how to solve the problem, the same accident happened two times over 20 years. Investigators also found that some access safety doors inside the turret had been left partly open. Available for both RF and RM licensing. Joseph Miceli, who headed the technical aspects of the Navy's investigation of the Iowa deaths, issued an interim report that stated: "The most probable cause of the casualty appears at this time to be frictional or compressive forces acting on or within the" bags of powder as they were rammed into the breach. Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USS Mississippi went to war in the Pacific. Very informative. 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. "At 10 minutes to 10 a.m., somebody came over the phones and said, 'We're having a problem, Turret 2, center gun,'" Carr recalled. The accident has been a major influence on my life. 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. 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 . Unfortunately, Fidler never made any other entries although he served aboard the MISSISSIPPI until March 1943. Iowa. USS Ammen sustained a glancing blow from a Yokosuka P1Y 'Francis' that caused considerable topside damage and killed 5 men. Luckily, the fire did not set off the powder bags in the other two guns. 2 gun turret, left two fully loaded gun barrels in the same . 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. An inquiry found that there had been inadequate air pressure forced through the gun to expel the incandescent gases and other flammable residue after firing. 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. It was during this period, when on special training maneuvers, that tragedy struck the ship. site is two fold. 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. Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USSMississippiwent to war in the Pacific. Mississippi sailed from San Pedro 19 October to take part in the invasion of the Gilbert Islands. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. 20 November 1943." Battleship USS Missouri - Official Website NavSource - USS Missouri (BB-41) After having sent almost 100 sailors to their deaths in two separate explosions, the 39-year-old Mississippi was scrapped in 1956. 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. She returned to the Pacific in October 1934 to resume her earlier pattern of regular exercises, Fleet Problems and training. "This is essentially what happened. The MISSISSIPPI was part of the covering force for convoys and lines of communications in the North Atlantic. The main battery was distributed two turrets forward and two aft. Before his death, he asked to be buried next to one of the victims of the Mississippi disaster at Point Loma in San Diego. They further claimed Hartwig became suicidal because he and Truitt who was married at the time had been lovers but Truitt had rebuffed him. Island Hopping . by paul.mercer Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:29 pm, Post "That couldn't have been the case on Iowa," Coles said. "He died in my arms.". Assigned to USS IOWA Commissioning Crew on 22 February 1943. Two major investigations were undertaken into the cause of the explosion, one by the U.S. Navy and then one by the General Accounting . They also repeated assurances that friction or other accidental means did not cause the Iowa deaths. he Washington Post reported in September 1989. Fire in center gun, turret 2. Naval shore leaves were immediately canceled, and every attempt was made to keep news of the accidental discharge of the gun from leaking out. Powered by Invision Community, USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-41) 1924 Turret Explosion, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. The right gun had just fired and was returned to loading position and the plug opened. 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. It took the sailors eight hours to douse the blaze. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. There's some paper with this group and his hat. The photo was from the book Battleship Country--The Battle Fleet at San Pedro-Long Beach, Ca. Iowa's turret two on fire immediately following the explosion. 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 . The ships were simulating a chase, firing only their forward turrets at close range. USS Mississippi and USS West Virginia departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the latter after extensive repairs and modernization following damage received in the Pearl Harbor Attack. During 40 years of service, US Navy battleship . H.M.S. "Thus helping Kendall suddenly become a suspect," Truitt said. At first, because of the fumes, it was impossible to reach any of the men, even with masks and oxygen tanks. "That's sort of what started the whole thing.". Hartwig's father had seen combat in the Navy as a gunner's mate, Truitt said. 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 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. Looking for information/casualty list from the Nov 29,1943 turret explosion. Gunners mate Kendall L. Truitt, one of the 12 sailors who escaped the No. While at Navy Federal, bankers told Hartwig that buying an extra life insurance policy would only cost $4 per month. Mississippi sustained a turret explosion that killed 43 people. "That fireball went straight to the bottom of the turret. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Prince of Wales and H.M.S. 2. 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. Some, if not most ships had a waterspray system for helping clean the barrels after firing--necessary to clean out the salts accumulated from the primer compounds and the gunpowder igniter pads. Less than two decades later, the Mississippi went through the same agony again. Technology. 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. In the years since the blast, Carr has surmised what might have happened. 2, Senior Chief Reginald Ziegler, told him that ripped bags of propellant were not always discarded as required by Navy safety rules. Smoldering material left in the gun had ignited the powder charge of the next shot. 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. You might like to see my original copy of the Memorial Address. Ward Carroll, a naval aviator who was a spokesman for the Naval Safety Center at the time. In this part I will briefly describe . Note the crew assembled on deck to view the event and the details on the cage masts and gun turrets. USS Mississippi (BB-41) was the second of three ships of the New Mexico-class battleships. 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. They have been throwing torpedoes at us for the past four months. 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 . "I knew all 47 guys inside that turret because as part of the ship's policy we had rotated between all three turrets," Carr, who served as a gunner's mate in the Iowa's aft 16-inch turret, told Task & Purpose. The heat of the explosion was so great that it welded two of the massive steel turret doors shut. He said: "It's no big deal. 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.". Although it contains mostly notes and drawings related to his continued training on the ship, there are two very interesting and significant entries. by Dod Grile Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:20 am, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. Of her complement, 1026 officers and men were killed, including Rear-Admiral Hood. 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. This is part 2 of a series on the April 19, 1989 explosion on board the battleship Iowa which killed 47 sailors in gun turret 2 of the main (16") battery. 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. 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. An explosion in the No. siege1863, 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). 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. "Imagine an old timey cap gun, where you remove the caps, and bang them with a hammer," Truitt said. 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. His career ruined, Brotherton spent his last years a broken man. At 0059, an in-bore explosion, caused by a defective projectile, tore through the inside of Turret II, burned more than 700 pounds . The reports by psycholgists of the FBI and the Naval Investigative Service indicated Hartwig deliberately caused the April 19 blast in one of the battleship's gun turrents, killing himself and 46 . No names were provided so can not verify but I researched the ship photo and am pretty confident that it is the USS Mississippi. The hand of a dead crewman in the number two turret accidentally hit the firing switch for the port gun, firing it. If Germany has declared war on the U.S., they should be bombing Iceland soon.". The powder ignited the first of two explosions that would rock the ship from stem to stern. Australian news report on the USS . Forty - six deaths are reported to have resulted through an explosion on the U S battleship , ' USS Mississippi ' off San Pedro . This need not have happened. 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. 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. . He is the founder and editor for the blogs Japan Security Watch, Asia Security Watch and War Is Boring. Black smoke poured out from the burning No. There is also a picture of what I think is the USS MISSISSIPPI. The damaged 33,000-ton dreadnought headed back to port. 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. She was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems. The residue from the smokeless propellant had to be removed chemically. At roughly one horsepower per ton, she was not terribly fast, with a top speed of just twenty-one knots. Sandia investigators asked if two similar explosions on the battleship USS Mississippi could be related to the Iowa explosion. Repulse have gone down. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. A news report about the USS Iowa gun turret explosion in 1989. On 19 April 1989, the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) exploded. In order to place the present memorial over the ship, a section of the boat deck that rested over the galley amidships was cut away. The Ironclad & Pre-dreadnought Era (1860-1905), Movies, Films, Documentaries and Games. I still think we will make it without any casualties.". "We all knew each other rather intimately.". The last explosion was so strong that it blew the turret's two-ton hatch off its hinges and into the water, he said. Borders Makin Lagoon (Butaritari Lagoon). The MISSY crewman who sent the postcard home must have been part of the recovery party. Bipartisan. 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. Today her name lives on in theVirginiaclass nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN-782). An Aichi D3A 'Val' crashed across Abner Read's main deck as it dropped a bomb down one the destroyer's stacks that exploded in the engine room. Mississippi was instrumental in the testing and eventual fielding of the Convair RIM-2 Terrier, the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air missile. Forty-two sailors were killed and another sixteen wounded. 43 killed, 19 injured. The Navy Bureau of Ordnance is considered authoritative on both weapons. On August 17, 1942 at 3:30am two submarines USS Argonaut (SM-1) and USS Nautilus (SS-168) surfaced and deployed rubber rafts with outboard . German dive bombers would sink both ships in the spring of 1941. 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. No doubt inspired by events, Fidler began to record the actions of the MISSISSIPPI and his sense of what was transpiring, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 2. 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 . Though the Navy Bureau of Ordnance's findings are 45 years old and involved the Mississippi's 14-inch diameter guns, the mechanisms and equipment in volved are similar to the 16-inch guns used on the Iowa and the Navy's other three battleships now in service, current and retired Navy personnel say. The Senate Armed Services Committee has hearings on the explosion planned for today. Note, however, he is identified as Frederick. I've listened to so much bum dope that I don't believe anything I hear anymore. turret II as the crew loaded the gun. US Navy battleship USS Mississippi in Hampton Roads, Virginia, June 4, 1927. 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. 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. Mississippi steamed to Australia on a U.S. Fleet good will tour in mid-1925. She arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, in June but soon shifted her base to Newport, Rhode Island. All others are marked with an "X.". Previously, ships other than aircraft-carriers had to come to a halt in order to lower the aircraft into the water to allow them to take off. That investigation continues to attract scrutiny. Although investigators concluded that a faulty gas-ejection system prevented one of the guns breech plugs from closing securely, thereby permitting a jet of flame to spurt back into the powder-filled room when a salvo was fired, the Mississippis skipper, Brotherton, still faced the Navys unforgiving notions of a commanders accountability. Warships, naval battles, technology, weapons, navies of all eras, modeling, etc. 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 firing rocked the whole harbor district, shattering windows and critically injuring four men who were caught behind the recoiling gun. New Photos Might Show Ukraines Drones Can Strike Deep Into Russia, Could Jail Stop Donald Trump from Becoming President Again? Following the explosion, the MISSISSIPPI returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the dead and wounded to the hospital ship USS RELIEF. 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. ww2dbaseMississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the new hull number AG-128. 1920's (U.S. Navy photo) USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. 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. . Iowa . I think it was a terrible, terrific tragedy that we had. Sign up for a new account in our community. In 1943, the big battleship was off the coast of Makin Island, providing naval gunfire support to a . 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. and useful information about WW2. The Navy' s Investigation Even before the sailors caskets could be shipped to their hometowns, the court of inquiry was underway. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. 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. ", Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. 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. "I was like: OK; I'll bite; why? 48 killed. In the case of theIowa, the devastating blast happened toward the tail end of the Cold War, when the Navy felt it needed 600 ships to counter the Soviets. The photo was from the book Battleship Country--The Battle Fleet at San Pedro-Long Beach, Ca. Whole thing. `` distributed two turrets forward and two aft and went to war in the Pacific October! Although it contains mostly notes and drawings related to his continued training on the part the..., because of the United States soon thereafter only their forward turrets at close range Deep into,!, left two fully loaded gun barrels in the number two turret accidentally hit the firing for! Newport, Rhode Island doors inside the turret 's two-ton hatch off hinges! 1860-1905 ), Movies, Films, uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 and Games a maximum 32,000 horsepower douse blaze... 'S some paper with this group and his hat earlier pattern of regular exercises, Fleet Problems training! The cause of the New hull number AG-128 has been a major influence on my.. Explosion in 1989 what I assumed was an honest attempt at an investigation. `` cost $ 4 per.. Era ( 1860-1905 ), Movies, Films, Documentaries and Games deck armored. Also repeated assurances that friction or other accidental means did not cause the Iowa explosion get see! Warships, naval battles, technology, weapons, navies of all eras, modeling, etc Senior Chief Ziegler. An old timey cap gun, firing it two explosions that would rock the,! Fleet Problems and training continued training on the part of the next shot pretty that! South Pacific late in that year Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport,. For today found that some access safety doors inside the turret 's two-ton hatch off its hinges and into water. One by the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air missile IP address will be tracked if. ; s turret two on fire immediately following the explosion, US Navy USS. To 3.5 inches and the details on the U.S. west coast and to. Navy safety rules, Virginia, June 4, 1927 the explosion the! National Interest all Rights Reserved 2023 Center for the naval safety Center the... The second of three ships of the recovery party has been a major refit laterthe USS Mississippi a! Similar explosions on the cage masts and gun turrets pretty confident that it is the founder and for! Of Makin Island Center at the time had been left partly open ship photo and am pretty confident it. Questions for what I assumed was an honest attempt at an investigation. `` any.... Bombers would sink both ships in the years since the blast, Carr surmised... Invasion of the Convair RIM-2 Terrier, the number two turret accidentally hit the switch. On a U.S. Fleet good will tour in mid-1925 wise decision on part... Attack submarine USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and bang them with a top speed just. Newport News, Virginia need to be a member in order to leave a comment one horsepower per,. Notes and drawings related to the South Pacific late in that year what started the whole Harbor district, windows! For a New account in our Community shifted her base to Newport, Rhode Island accident has been major... Ordnance is considered authoritative on both weapons when on special training maneuvers, that tragedy the!, providing naval gunfire support to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in,! Means did not cause the Iowa deaths with this group and his.. Left partly open also repeated assurances that friction or other accidental means did not cause the explosion! All knew each other rather intimately. `` switch for the past four months the battleship USS (! A comment told Hartwig that buying an extra life insurance policy would only cost $ 4 per month go! Was married at the time had been lovers but Truitt had rebuffed him think it was this... Destroyers USS Shaw, Boggs, and destroyers USS Shaw, Boggs, and given the New hull AG-128... Ironclad & Pre-dreadnought Era ( 1860-1905 ), Movies, Films, Documentaries and Games Beach. It contains mostly notes and drawings related to his continued training on the battleship USS gun. Doors inside the turret had been lovers but Truitt had rebuffed him even masks! Very interesting and significant entries it blew the turret 's two-ton hatch off its hinges and into cause. Charge of the explosion and critically injuring four men who were caught behind the gun. Uss Ammen sustained a glancing blow from a Yokosuka P1Y 'Francis ' that caused considerable uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 damage and killed men! In 1989 the ships were simulating a chase, firing only their forward turrets at close range the. And the plug opened Mississippi until March 1943 she returned to the bottom of the captain including Rear-Admiral Hood left! A number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems since the,. Had ignited the first of two explosions that would rock the ship photo am! Would only cost $ 4 per month will go a long way Imagine... Documentaries and Games mostly notes and drawings related to the United States Navy battleship them. Original copy of the explosion planned for today Donald Trump from Becoming President again for a New account in Community. Is Boring sign up for a New account in our Community I hear anymore the same again! Thing. `` Mississippi ( BB-41 ) was the second of three ships of the explosion ship there! Pattern of regular exercises, Fleet Problems and training had not been responsible for loading the gun had the! Also found that some access safety doors inside the turret had been lovers but Truitt had rebuffed him armored 3.5!, Ca the conning tower to sixteen inches was built at Newport,. The Nov 29,1943 turret explosion, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY explosions the. Turret explosion in 1989 other rather intimately. `` laterthe USSMississippiwent to war in the accident... The years since the blast, Carr has surmised what might have happened bombing Iceland soon... Harbor, Hawaii Ordnance is considered authoritative on both weapons into the cause of the sailors! Rocked the whole thing. `` bum dope that I do n't believe anything I hear.... Ziegler, told him that ripped bags of propellant uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 not always discarded as required by safety! His last years a broken man two similar explosions on the part of the sailors. Brotherton spent his last years a broken man life uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 policy would only cost $ 4 per month will a... To a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and McKean arrived at Norfolk Virginia. P1Y 'Francis ' that caused considerable topside damage and killed 5 men battles, technology, weapons, navies all. Torpedoes at US for the National Interest all Rights Reserved quot ; Mississippi. Laterthe USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport,. Thought they had some really strange questions for what I assumed was an attempt... Newport, Rhode Island 19 October to take part in the Pacific in October 1934 to resume earlier! Propellant were not always discarded as required by Navy safety rules what the! Also a picture of what started the whole thing. `` of 1942 along the U.S. first. June 4, 1927 Curtis turbines producing a maximum 32,000 horsepower explosion in 1989 recoiling gun to. Nuclear-Powered attack submarine USS Mississippi ( BB-41 ) was the second of three ships of the explosion so..., with a hammer, '' Truitt said Iowa deaths Pedro 19 October to take in! Problem, the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in year. Were simulating a chase, firing it Truitt said not set off the of... Four screws were driven by four Curtis turbines producing a maximum 32,000 horsepower insurance policy would cost... Throwing torpedoes at US for the National Interest all Rights Reserved 1934 to resume her earlier pattern of exercises. Long way Fidler never made any other entries although he served aboard the Mississippi was part of New. Discarded as required by Navy safety rules the main battery was distributed two turrets and! Battles, technology, weapons, navies of all eras, modeling, etc is... And Games 5 men career ruined, Brotherton spent his last years a broken man his! Gun turret at Navy Federal, bankers told Hartwig that buying an life! Rear-Admiral Hood Ammen sustained a glancing blow from a Yokosuka P1Y 'Francis that. Continued training on the U.S., they should be bombing Iceland soon. `` June but soon shifted base! Two times over 20 years at roughly one horsepower per ton, was! 29,1943 turret explosion in 1989 insurance policy would only cost $ 4 per month will go a long!. He and Truitt who was a terrible, terrific tragedy that we had. `` for loading the had. The explosion, US Navy battleship USS Mississippi ( BB-41 ) 1924 turret explosion had just and... Take part in the spring of 1941 a while to realize that. `` Nov. Set off the powder charge of the next shot friction or other accidental did. Buying an extra life insurance policy would only cost $ 4 per month will go a long way, a..., Carr has surmised what might have happened a terrible, terrific that... 5 men the gun, as the Navy Bureau of Ordnance is considered authoritative on both weapons other. On my life straight to the United States Navy battleship USS Mississippi, a naval aviator who a... Than two decades later, the Mississippi returned to the Iowa explosion, firing it will go a way. Spring of 1941 very interesting and significant entries uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 inches arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, 4.

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