Even before the sailors caskets could be shipped to their hometowns, the court of inquiry was underway. A news report about the USS Iowa gun turret explosion in 1989. Today her name lives on in the Virginia class nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN-782). 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. Smoldering material left in the gun had ignited the powder charge of the next shot. His work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Esquire, The National Interest, Car and Driver, Men's Health, and many others. 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. 2. While bombarding Makin 20 November, a turret explosion, almost identical to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men. 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. The right gun had just fired and was returned to loading position and the plug opened. 1941- Enroute Hvalfordur, Iceland to Portsmouth, Va. At last we are steaming homeward in company with the U.S.S. * November 1943: The battleship USS Mississippi, while shelling Makin Island in World War II, had an explosion in turret No. Idaho and four destroyers. site is two fold. Anyway, what's left of it. 3 other similar ships, the USS New Jersey, the USS Wisconsin, and the USS Missouri were built at the same time. By lofar_dog, September 14, 2016 in Battleship Era After the war,Mississippiwas effectively defanged, with three of her four main battery turrets removed. 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. The recoil severely crushed ten men inside and the salvo narrowly missed an outgoing passenger vessel. A Marine rifle squad fired three volleys. Returning to Pearl Harbor in March 1943, . If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. The goal of this . Lt. Zellars' body had already been sent to Georgia for burial. Mississippiwas instrumental in the testing and eventual fielding of theConvair RIM-2 Terrier, the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air missile. During World War II, in November 1943, while bombarding the Makin Islands in the Pacific, it experienced another . In early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet. You're 19, I'm 23, it's going to be a while.' The World War II Database is founded and managed by Navy officials said this week the report on the Mississippi was authentic, but pointed out that it was later overruled by higher-ranking investigators. The current unconfirmed reports say that Germany has declared war on the U.S., which doesn't make much difference. "That's sort of what started the whole thing.". . "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 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. 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 . For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ. "Interestingly, I was never read my rights, nor did I realize that I was a suspect," Truitt told Task & Purpose. Another 2700 sailors observed the services. Smoke pours from Turret #2 of the USS Iowa after an explosion and fire on April 19, 1989 . 2 turret as Carr and other sailors donned their firefighting gear. 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. "I regret the accident occurred, obviously. . 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. 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. At roughly one horsepower per ton, she was not terribly fast, with a top speed of just twenty-one knots. 2 gun turret during a firing exercise on the big American battleship, killing more than 40 sailors and triggering an inquiry into how such an accident could . I'm sorry for anyone's personal grief or personal anguish over that.". 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. I still think we will make it without any casualties.". Thanks for sharing it. For example, Hartwig had not been responsible for loading the gun, as the Navy initially claimed. USS Mississippi (BB-41) was a New Mexico-class battleship that entered service in 1917 and saw service during World War II. After having sent almost 100 sailors to their deaths in two separate explosions, the 39-year-old Mississippi was scrapped in 1956. USS Mississippi was damaged by Japanese special attack aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands. 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. -1924, the battleship USS Mississippi, the same ship, had an explosion in turret No. 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. W.D. 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. Truitt was in the magazine below the No. 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. he Washington Post reported in September 1989. As a battleship, the Mississippi was heavily armored to slug it out with enemy ships. At roughly one horsepower per ton, she was not terribly fast, with a top speed of just twenty-one knots. 1919-1940, by Harvey M. Beigel. Less than two decades later, the Mississippi went through the same agony again. "Imagine an old timey cap gun, where you remove the caps, and bang them with a hammer," Truitt said. United States Congress. Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USSMississippiwent to war in the Pacific. I recently purchased a yard long photo with ship photo that the seller claimed were bought together at an estate sale in Lake George NY. When we're doing a shot with more than three shells, you would stage powder bags inside the powder flats. Powered by Invision Community, USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-41) 1924 Turret Explosion, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. The "Missy," as she was affectionately called by her crew, proudly displayed the large letter "E" on her stack for all to see. The shell flew harmlessly out to sea. 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 . I was on active duty at that time. Second, it is to showcase Five days later, families and shipmates of the fallen seamen bade a solemn goodbye to the men behind the guns. 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 . In this role, she carried a variety of old and new guns and radars, while serving with the Operational Development Force in the Atlantic. 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? "We stand by the results of the investigation," Coles said. The Senator from Michigan has asked for a Court Martial of leading admirals and in the 14th Naval District. July 29, 2009 in EPHEMERA, PHOTOGRAPHS & MILITARY ARTWORK. I served aboad the USS . "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. 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. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. Sign up for a new account in our community. The hand of a dead crewman in the number two turret accidentally hit the firing switch for the port gun, firing it. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. 2s 14-inch guns went off again. In this part I will briefly describe . 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. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. Forty-two sailors were killed and another sixteen wounded. 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. Then they found two sailors who had been blown from the turret onto the deck. 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. Then came the blast, which was so strong that it ripped the headphones right off Carr's head. MISSISSIPPI. Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. The shell flew harmlessly out to sea. 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. Mississippi. The Iowa was commissioned in 1943. Warships, naval battles, technology, weapons, navies of all eras, modeling, etc. 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. Key point:Twice the same gun turret had an issue that caused it to blow up. This was a wise decision on the part of the captain. 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. In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blogJapan Security Watch. 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. 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 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. Island Hopping . New Photos Might Show Ukraines Drones Can Strike Deep Into Russia, Could Jail Stop Donald Trump from Becoming President Again? But unlike other explosions, the 16-inch gun in the No. During the mid-1950s, she was test ship for the Navy's first surface-to-air guided missile, the "Terrier". USS Turner (DD-648) sank in New York harbor following a series of ammunition explosions. Technology. Photo courtesy of Irv Jacobs via Ron Reeves (of blessed memory). On the clear, crisp, windy afternoon of June 12, 1924, a few minutes before noon, the 7-year-old vessel, was involved in intense mock warfare maneuvers 40 miles south of Los Angeles with two other Pacific Fleet battleships, the Tennessee and the Idaho. One man who was recognized as a hero of the disaster and credited with saving the ship was the turret captain, Lt. (jg) Thomas E. Zellars. It doesn't make any difference to the crew, their attitude being the same as six months ago, except that boys talk more about the Japs than the Germans. Pictured are A and B Turrets of the ' USS Mississippi ' . It was also clear that each 16-inch gun turret required more sailors than the Navy could afford to assign. The blast, which killed 47 men on five of the six levels inside the No. 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. Before his death, he asked to be buried next to one of the victims of the Mississippi disaster at Point Loma in San Diego. Abner Read began sinking by the stern and 20 minutes after the attack, she rolled over and sank. 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. On June 12, 1924,Mississippi found herself off the coast of California conducting gun trials. I'll bet the Prince took something down with her. 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 . 2 turret aboard the battleship Mississippi, which also claimed 47 lives. Initially this had been the area of a flag and platform for ceremonies and visits to the site from 1950-1960. How to find the best blooms without the drama, Nature-curious? Reply. On 19 April 1989, the Iowa. At the time, sailors in his father's division all took out life insurance policies on each other. This could have led to dangerous debris remaining in the breech when the gun crew assumed it was safe to load. The tombstone inscription reads "Francis J. Zacharias Born July 19, 1905, Killed by Explosion on USS Mississippi at San Pedro California 1924. Brotherton knew something was drastically wrong when he noticed brownish smoke coming from the No. Later, the Navy would honor Zellars by naming a destroyer after him. Original Reporting. Team Mighty. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the invasion had ended. ww2dbaseDuring 1931-33 , Mississippi underwent a major modernization that gave her an all-new superstructure, improved armament and enhanced protection. 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. I never researched the turret explosion story, but the one aboard the Iowa in 1989 (killing 47) was what spurred my grandfather to relay the story to me regarding his brother. 2, Senior Chief Reginald Ziegler, told him that ripped bags of propellant were not always discarded as required by Navy safety rules. Post Required fields are marked *. He is buried in St Mary's cemetery in Pittsburgh PA. Very interesting thread and a great read. Despite knowing how to solve the problem, the same accident happened two times over 20 years. He already had policies that named his parents and another friend as beneficiaries. Mississippi was a heavily armed battleship by the standards of the day. However, what he writes on December 10 and 11, 1941, tells the story well. 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