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. Forty-seven coffins were arranged on the field. So when that flame came down, all those powder bags went off, and that was the third and final detonation.". The tombstone inscription reads "Francis J. Zacharias Born July 19, 1905, Killed by Explosion on USS Mississippi at San Pedro California 1924. Debris from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same accident and the same damage. Maybe I will get to see Hotel Street after all. The next shell was rammed into the gun and the four powder bags on the spanner tray were rammed into place behind it. 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. Available for both RF and RM licensing. 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 . Despite there being only two pages, we should consider ourselves fortunate to have them. Suddenly, in the midst of the barrage, smoke and gas erupted from the rangefinders on either side of the number two turret. by Dod Grile Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:20 am, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. Am trying to find information of awards/medals that might have been awarded. The last shell and charge was removed the next day. 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. When his body was discovered, his hand was still clutching the flood control. Today located in Republic of Kiribati. and provides links to, selected views concerning USS Mississippi (BB-41 and AG . --another violation of regulations. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. Hartwig who died in the blast had planted a bomb in the gun. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. Sometimes, if firing was prolonged and fairly rapid, the compressors supplying the air to the compressed air bottles could not keep up with the demand and in those cases, the bores might not receive a complete blast of air, leaving some debris or incandescent gases lingering inside. The 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. Two days after the attack, accompanied by the battleship IDAHO and a number of destroyers, the Mississippi departed Iceland for Norfolk. Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, oddly enough the same turret each time if I recall. He passed away in 2010. The recoil severely crushed ten men inside and the salvo narrowly missed an outgoing passenger vessel. On April 19, 1989, the day of the blast, the ship was preparing for live-fire training at Vieques, Puerto Rico Naval Training Range. In June 1941, USS Mississippi patrolled the North Atlantic. "That fireball went straight to the bottom of the turret. 2. During gunnery practice on 12 June 1924, she suffered a turret fire that took the lives of 48 of her crew. "Thus helping Kendall suddenly become a suspect," Truitt said. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. 2 16-inch gun turret aboard the Iowa (BB-61). The new Mississippi displaced 32,000 tons, could make 21 knots, and carried twelve 14 . Politics. Only the turret officers can be identified. ww2dbaseUSS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. "Then approximately two minutes later, I recognized Senior Chief [Reginald] Ziegler, who was the chief in charge of Turret 2, yell into the phones: 'Fire, fire, fire! Debris from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same accident and the same damage. Second, it is to showcase I'm very sorry it ever occurred. It wasn't long after the Iowa returned home that the Navy seemed to be looking for someone to blame the disaster on. 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. BB-41 suffered another turret explosion killing 43 men 20 November 1943 off Makin Island. "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. USS Mississippi (BB-41/AG-128), a New Mexico-class battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 20th state, and the second battleship to carry the name.Commissioned in 1917, too late to serve in World War I, she served extensively in the Pacific in World War II, for which she earned eight battle stars.She was one of several pre-war battleships that . Powered by Invision Community, USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-41) 1924 Turret Explosion, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. By 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 . What's our Navy doing anyway? 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. 12 June 1924" "USS Mississippi (BB-41), during combat operations off Makin, Gilbert Islands, suffers cordite explosion in #2 14-inch gun turret. Another 2700 sailors observed the services. "Cover-up aboard the USS Iowa" (PDF). But it soon became apparent that the World War II-era battleships required too much time, money, and manpower to be overhauled, Carroll said. TheNew 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. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. "Dec. 10. by tommy303 Thu Apr 03, 2014 11:55 pm, Post 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 . "I regret the accident occurred, obviously. Two hundred sailors of each battleship of Battleship Division 4 were present. She was present in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, when Japan formally surrendered and returned to the United States soon thereafter. A Marine rifle squad fired three volleys. Mississippi provided gunfire support for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June. Officers wearing full-dress uniforms and enlisted men formed a square around the coffins as rifle shots were fired 21 times and the Navy bugler played taps. 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. Forty-three sailors died. This first appeared in 2019. Does anyone know or have a list of the sailors killed in the Nov. 1943 #2 turret explosion on the USS Mississippi? Kyle Mizokami is a defense and national-security writer based in San Fransisco. While at Navy Federal, bankers told Hartwig that buying an extra life insurance policy would only cost $4 per month. Prewar and during the Pacific War located in the Gilbert Islands. 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. "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. Iowa's turret two on fire immediately following the explosion. Required fields are marked *. . It's easy! Iowa. Prince of Wales and H.M.S. This was a wise decision on the part of the captain. 3. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. The USS Mississippi is home to one of the most intriguing naval coincidences of all time. 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. Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. The closing of the hatch sealed the fate of any others who might have survived the blast, trapping them in the toxic, flaming gas cloud created by the explosion. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. 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. 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. The scene inside was too terrible to describe. H.M.S. 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 . 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. The deck was armored to 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches. TheIowasubsequently went to the shipyard so its power plant could be improved, but its gun systems weren't updated, he said. Island Hopping . 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. At the time, sailors in his father's division all took out life insurance policies on each other. It took the sailors eight hours to douse the blaze. When we're doing a shot with more than three shells, you would stage powder bags inside the powder flats. It was one of the worst disasters suffered by the Navy during peacetime. The battleship Mississippi (BB 41) pictured transiting the Panama Canal during the 1920s. It was also clear that each 16-inch gun turret required more sailors than the Navy could afford to assign. Anyway, what's left of it. 2, the ship was anchored just inside the breakwater. How to find the best blooms without the drama, Nature-curious? Naval officers in dress uniforms stood in front as 1200 sailors in dress blues stood on the sides of the coffins. There's some paper with this group and his hat. The shell flew harmlessly out to sea. Battleship USS Mississippi: A Strange History The USSMississippiis home to one of the most intriguing naval coincidences of all time. Iowa . But when investigators learned that Hartwig had named Truitt the beneficiary of a $100,000 life insurance policy, they claimed thatHartwig who died in the blast had planted a bomb in the gun. 47 men were killed. 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. The dope' is out that we are going to the West Coast after our stay at Portsmouth. * November 1943: The battleship USS Mississippi, while shelling Makin Island in World War II, had an explosion in turret No. The deck was armored to 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches. The General Accounting Office and both House and Senate armed services committees are reviewing the Navy's investigation. ww2dbaseDuring 1931-33 , Mississippi underwent a major modernization that gave her an all-new superstructure, improved armament and enhanced protection. German dive bombers would sink both ships in the spring of 1941. Of her complement, 1026 officers and men were killed, including Rear-Admiral Hood. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY Ziegler told Dunn that "he used torn powder bags and merely scooped up the loose grains and threw them into the gun behind the bags, then closed the breach and fired," those records quote Dunn as telling Navy investigators. On April 16, 1989 there was an explosion in a gun turret on the U.S.S. On June 12, 1924,Mississippi found herself off the coast of California conducting gun trials. She also featured twelve 5-inch/51 caliber guns, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and two submerged 21-inch torpedo tubes. Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USSMississippiwent to war in the Pacific. Over the protests of local clergymen, who believed that an admiral had no right officiating at funeral rites, Pratt insisted on delivering a tearful and moving eulogy. Warships, naval battles, technology, weapons, navies of all eras, modeling, etc. "The sad thing is I understand what they were doing and why they were doing it," Truitt told Task & Purpose. "That couldn't have been the case on Iowa," Coles said. Smoke pours from Turret #2 of the USS Iowa after an explosion and fire on April 19, 1989 . "If this story sounds familiar, it's because this is kind of the oldest story ever told around the U.S. A similar explosion in a turret of the battleship Mississippi in 1920 led the Navy to redesign its turrets to prevent future accidents . Here's the explanation: http://archive . Thanks for posting. This guy served on the USS MISSISSIPPI and USS NEVADA from 1917-1919. Almost instantly, forty-five men and three officers were dead from asphyxiation. According to the findings from a 1944 investigation by the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance, the explosion in turret No. 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.". Your email address will not be published. At roughly one horsepower per ton, she was not terribly fast, with a top speed of just twenty-one knots. He battled to contain the fire until he passed out from smoke inhalation, waking up later in an emergency dress battle station. Only two sailors in the turret firing room, J.F. Seamen in the upper chambers of the gun turret died instantly in the fiery explosion; those in the lower levels were suffocated as the blast siphoned off their oxygen. 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. 2 Turret was cold, meaning it hadn't been fired yet. The explosion tore through the No. Five days later, families and shipmates of the fallen seamen bade a solemn goodbye to the men behind the guns. USS Mississippi (BB-41) was the second of three ships of the New Mexico-class battleships. It was later determined that 47 sailors were killed by the blast, which occurred as the Iowa was conducting routine gunnery exercises 330 miles northeast of Puerto Rico, 19 April 1989. Francis Zacharias was only 16 when he enlisted and used his older brother's birth certificate without his parent's knowledge. Forty - six deaths are reported to have resulted through an explosion on the U S battleship , ' USS Mississippi ' off San Pedro . W.D. Forty-eight sailors were killed, and only one of the sailors manning the turret survived. Out of commission? -1924, the battleship USS Mississippi, the same ship, had an explosion in turret No. The last explosion was so strong that it blew the turret's two-ton hatch off its hinges and into the water, he said. Even $1 per month will go a long way! "It's a classic example of Navy leaders not being willing to speak truth to power and make the hard decisions," Carroll said. In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blogJapan Security Watch. Meanwhile, Mississippi and Nashville had to take emergency evasive actions to avoid the torpedoes. Looking for information/casualty list from the Nov 29,1943 turret explosion. Published April 02, 2018 09:40:36. Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USS Mississippi went to war in the Pacific. She returned to the Pacific in October 1934 to resume her earlier pattern of regular exercises, Fleet Problems and training. ww2dbaseIn early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet. Hartwig's father had seen combat in the Navy as a gunner's mate, Truitt said. 2, the ship was anchored just inside the breakwater. 2s 14-inch guns went off again. Kyle Mizokami is a defense and national-security writer based in San Francisco who has appeared in theDiplomat, Popular Mechanics, Foreign Policy,War is Boring,and theDaily Beast. The damaged 33,000-ton dreadnought headed back to port. Despite her forty years of service, Mississippi was bound to tragedy, experiencing two major accidents in the same turret, in the same gun, twenty years apart. Reply. Japanese observation planes have been seen over San Francisco. During the mid-1950s, she was test ship for the Navy's first surface-to-air guided missile, the "Terrier". 13 June 1924 The exact date and number of casualties were not available. 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. Less than two decades later, the Mississippi went through the same agony again. Mississippi sustained a turret explosion that killed 43 people. 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. U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy . In June 1941, in response to the deteriorating war situation in Europe, she was brought back to the Atlantic, operating between the United States and Iceland during much of the rest of that year. At least two sailors who survived the Iowa explosion say that either the rammer or friction contributed to the blast. It was responsible for designing and building the guns for Navy ships during the first half of the century. United States General Accounting Office. 1919-1940, by Harvey M. Beigel. by paul.mercer Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:29 pm, Post 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. . Unfortunately, Fidler never made any other entries although he served aboard the MISSISSIPPI until March 1943. The photo was from the book Battleship Country--The Battle Fleet at San Pedro-Long Beach, Ca. Seaman First Class Fidler was just seventeen years old when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. fully into the war. At first, because of the fumes, it was impossible to reach any of the men, even with masks and oxygen tanks. Despite knowing how to solve the problem, the same accident happened two times over 20 years. On 19 April 1989, the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) exploded. In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blog Japan Security Watch. Mississippiwas a heavily armed battleship by the standards of the day. They also repeated assurances that friction or other accidental means did not cause the Iowa deaths. Mississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the new hull number AG-128. 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. Riska Island was shelled 22 July, and a few days later the Japanese withdrew. Forty-three sailors died. The guns' lubricants were the next to ignite, he said. 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 Navy' s Investigation 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 . Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One mans battle to save a Guatemalan jungle and Maya ruins, Has wildflower shaming gone too far? 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. Flash! Decommissioned in September 1956, USS Mississippi was sold for scrapping in November of that year, after almost forty years of service. Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? Before his death, he asked to be buried next to one of the victims of the Mississippi disaster at Point Loma in San Diego. New Photos Might Show Ukraines Drones Can Strike Deep Into Russia, Could Jail Stop Donald Trump from Becoming President Again? 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. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives . She was present in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, when Japan formally surrendered and returned to the United States soon thereafter. Stop Donald Trump from Becoming President again armed services committees are reviewing the Navy during peacetime part the! Blew the turret firing room, J.F of service each time if I recall our stay Portsmouth... 1945 and for the Navy as a gunner 's mate, Truitt said been awarded security blogJapan security.. 2 of the worst disasters suffered by the Navy as a gunner 's mate, Truitt.! 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