Suddenly, in the midst of the barrage, smoke and gas erupted from the rangefinders on either side of the number two turret. Out of commission? (Photo: Official U.S. Navy Photograph, National Archives collection) . 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. The gunners on all three battlewagons were competing for a $20 prize that Congress had voted to award the fleets most proficient naval marksman. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. They have been throwing torpedoes at us for the past four months. Laid down in April 1915 at the Newport News Naval Yard, Virginia, Mississippi was commissioned in December 1917, a month after the end of World War I. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. . "They were trying to build up the Navy. Class: Allen M. Sumner class destroyer Named for: Reigart Bolivar Lowry Complement: 336 Officers and Enlisted Displacement: 2200 tons Length: 376 feet 6 inches Beam: 40 feet Flank Speed: 34 knots Range: 6500 Nautical Miles Final Disposition:Scrapped October 1996 But unlike other explosions, the 16-inch gun in the No. Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. Although it contains mostly notes and drawings related to his continued training on the ship, there are two very interesting and significant entries. 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 General Accounting Office and both House and Senate armed services committees are reviewing the Navy's investigation. In these tests, Navy technicians simulated conditions in the center gun at the time of the accident, including ramming the 110-pound bags of powder 21-inches further into the barrel than normal. Photo courtesy of Irv Jacobs via Ron Reeves (of blessed memory). Carr was eventually able to climb into the wrecked turret. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives . The U.S.A. is now at war with Germany, Japan, and Italy. . In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. 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. We'll see. 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. 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. 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. Warships, naval battles, technology, weapons, navies of all eras, modeling, etc. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USS Mississippi went to war in the Pacific. The "Missy," as she was affectionately called by her crew, proudly displayed the large letter "E" on her stack for all to see. 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 held one [sailor] in my hands as he passed," Carr said. During 40 years of service, US Navy battleship . Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. 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 . The deck was armored to 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches. 2, the ship was anchored just inside the breakwater. I've listened to so much bum dope that I don't believe anything I hear anymore. Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USSMississippiwent to war in the Pacific. 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. In this role, she carried a variety of old and new guns and radars, while serving with the Operational Development Force in the Atlantic. 20 November 1943. "This is just from my experience of three years of working and shooting those guns: Eventually the powder bags ripped and the rammer head or the rammer chain sparked, and that's what set off the first explosion," Carr said. The right gun had just fired and was returned to loading position and the plug opened. 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. They also repeated assurances that friction or other accidental means did not cause the Iowa deaths. Abner Read jettisoned her torpedoes which immediately began their runs toward other ships in the group. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Was on board 1943-45. . Very interesting thread and a great read. 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. 2 Turret was cold, meaning it hadn't been fired yet. Of her complement, 1026 officers and men were killed, including Rear-Admiral Hood. On 19 April 1989, the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) exploded. "I just thought they had some really strange questions for what I assumed was an honest attempt at an investigation.". * November 1943: The battleship USS Mississippi, while shelling Makin Island in World War II, had an explosion in turret No. By "It's a classic example of Navy leaders not being willing to speak truth to power and make the hard decisions," Carroll said. Destroyers report there are six subs in back of us. Mississippi was instrumental in the testing and eventual fielding of the Convair RIM-2 Terrier, the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air missile. How to find the best blooms without the drama, Nature-curious? In 1961 the USS ARIZONA was altered once more. 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. "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. 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. A Marine rifle squad fired three volleys. and useful information about WW2. The blast, which killed 47 men on five of the six levels inside the No. 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. I served aboad the USS . During gunnery practice on 12 June 1924, she suffered a turret fire that took the lives of 48 of her crew. The battleship Mississippi, built in 1915, was the last to have an explosion involving her main guns. In June 1941, USS Mississippi patrolled the North Atlantic. The military looks for scapegoats when people die rather than admit their mistakes or acknowledge that accidents are even possible, Truitt said. 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 commissioning ceremony aboard the USS Iowa, Feb. 22, 1943. RSS. In early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet. On December 9, 1941 Japanese forces occupied Makin Island. 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. RLoret 1 yr. ago. See attached. 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. Francis Zacharias was only 16 when he enlisted and used his older brother's birth certificate without his parent's knowledge. While at Navy Federal, bankers told Hartwig that buying an extra life insurance policy would only cost $4 per month. She was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems. Lt. Bruce Coles, a spokesman for the Navy, this week discounted the similarities between the accidents aboard the Iowa and the Mississippi. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw and McKean arrived at Pago Pago, Samoa. 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. Here is a portion of a realphoto postcard showing the removal of the dead once the ship returned to port. Two hundred sailors of each battleship of Battleship Division 4 were present. The Americans have bombed Tokio and our bombers have reported sending a Japanese battleship to the bottom. 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. I still think we will make it without any casualties.". 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. 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. Forty-seven sailors in the turret died in the blast and ensuing fire. 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. 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. Forty-three sailors died. 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. ", Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. 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. Reply. Flash! 2 turret when the gun exploded above him. In fact, the Iowa did so poorly on its first inspection that it was recommended to be decommissioned. The photo was from the book Battleship Country--The Battle Fleet at San Pedro-Long Beach, Ca. It's possible that the powder bags began to smoke because they were old, so the gun captain rammed the bags with too much power. 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 . She was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems. C. Peter Chen of Lava Development, LLC. 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. 2 turrets periscope holes, even as the ships other guns continued firing. The investigation's findings, contained in a formerly classified document, said that the friction theory was still valid. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw and McKean departed Suva, Fiji bound for Pago Pago, Samoa. I was on active duty at that time. The MISSISSIPPI and her sister ships of Battleship Division Three represented most of the remaining battleship strength in the U.S. Navy. 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). She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. 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. siege1863, 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. During the mid-1950s, she was test ship for the Navy's first surface-to-air guided missile, the "Terrier". When the Iowa investigation was completed and released on Sept. 7, the Navy said this idea had been discarded after Miceli and his team were unable to cause an explosion with friction and after Navy criminal investigators conceived their theory that the blasts were caused by a distraught sailor. The ships were simulating a chase, firing only their forward turrets at close range. Two major investigations were undertaken into the cause of the explosion, one by the U.S. Navy and then one by the General Accounting . It's easy! In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. by paul.mercer Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:12 am, Post Suddenly, in the midst of the barrage . Powered by Invision Community, USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-41) 1924 Turret Explosion, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. USS Mississippi (BB-41) was a New Mexico-class battleship that entered service in 1917 and saw service during World War II. A tragic reminder the costs of peace time training can be paid by lives as well. Island Hopping . 2 turret as Carr and other sailors donned their firefighting gear. "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! 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. The exact date and number of casualties were not available. Trying to contain it.'". "This is essentially what happened. Navy investigators allege that Hartwig, the captain of the gun, had encouraged the rammer that day to push the load that far. by paul.mercer Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:29 pm, Post "The powder door was still open to the center gun that armored hatch was still open," Carr said. Kyle Mizokami is a defense and national security writer based in San Francisco who has appeared in the Diplomat, Foreign Policy, War is Boring and the Daily Beast. "We stand by the results of the investigation," Coles said. If Germany has declared war on the U.S., they should be bombing Iceland soon.". July 1999. p. 9. Returning to Pearl Harbor in March 1943, . Truitt was in the magazine below the No. 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. 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. At roughly one horsepower per ton, she was not terribly fast, with a top speed of just twenty-one knots. 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 . by Dod Grile Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:20 am, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. 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. 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. On May 12, 1989, Capt. 2, the ship was anchored just inside the breakwater. "Dec. 10. Forty-seven coffins were arranged on the field. Debris from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same accident and the same damage. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives . Mississippi provided gunfire support for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June. 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.". This was a wise decision on the part of the captain. Assigned to USS IOWA Commissioning Crew on 22 February 1943. He had instinctively closed the doors to the ammunition hoist and flooded the magazines. So when that flame came down, all those powder bags went off, and that was the third and final detonation.". 20 November 1943." Battleship USS Missouri - Official Website NavSource - USS Missouri (BB-41) Two days after the attack, accompanied by the battleship IDAHO and a number of destroyers, the Mississippi departed Iceland for Norfolk. 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. 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. USS Mississippi was damaged by Japanese special attack aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands. My Father served on the USS MISSISSIPPI prior to his being sent to East Africa (NCU-3 Radio Marina in Asmara). On 19 April 1989, the Iowa. Or had she been transferred to the Atlantic Fleet? 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 main battery was distributed two turrets forward and two aft. In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blogJapan Security Watch. 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. Mississippiwas instrumental in the testing and eventual fielding of theConvair RIM-2 Terrier, the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air missile. She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. The guns' lubricants were the next to ignite, he said. The Iowa was commissioned in 1943. Technology. 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. 2. Despite knowing how to solve the problem, the same accident happened two times over 20 years. Capt. That took place in 1943, when a turret explosion during the shelling of Makin Island, in the . The Oklahoma capsizing is straight dope. During the early 1920s, the battleship USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-41) was the pride of the Pacific Fleet. 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. The yard long is dated 1942. 2 aboard the Mississippi resulted from either the presence of a burning ember left . After the war,Mississippiwas effectively defanged, with three of her four main battery turrets removed. 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. My uncle died in 1937 from TB (he contracted while on active duty) so the story was told to me by his brother (my grandfather). 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? Fearing that the same might happen with the remaining gun, the captain moved the MISSISSIPPI outside the breakwater. The hand of a dead crewman in the number two turret accidentally hit the firing switch for the port gun, firing it. The deck was armored to 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches. Only the turret officers can be identified. 13 June 1924 The British lost the Prince of Wales and the Repulse. The recoil severely crushed ten men inside and the salvo narrowly missed an outgoing passenger vessel. The new Mississippi displaced 32,000 tons, could make 21 knots, and carried twelve 14 . 2 was set to fire its trio of 16-inch guns, an explosion ripped through it, killing 47 sailors. 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.". Saturday, April 26, -(UP)An explosion in the forward turret of the U.S. heavy cruiser St. Paul killed 30 men Monday while the ship was firing on Communist targets in Korea, the Navy announced today. The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the invasion had ended. If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw, Boggs, and McKean arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Suddenly, in the midst of the barrage, smoke and gas erupted from the rangefinders on either side of the number two turret. The scene inside was too terrible to describe. by tommy303 Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:30 pm, Post The MISSY crewman who sent the postcard home must have been part of the recovery party. The old warship was decommissioned in 1956, sold for scrap. During the mid-1950s, she was test ship for the Navy's first surface-to-air guided missile, the "Terrier". -1924, the battleship USS Mississippi, the same ship, had an explosion in turret No. During this time she also conducted search operations for German "raiders" thought to be in the vicinity. On April 16, 1989 there was an explosion in a gun turret on the U.S.S. The explosion tore through the No. Caviezel and Robert McAvin, escaped, by diving down through a 40-foot hatchway that closed automatically behind them. Hartwig's father had seen combat in the Navy as a gunner's mate, Truitt said. Initially this had been the area of a flag and platform for ceremonies and visits to the site from 1950-1960. After the war, Mississippi was effectively defanged, with three of her four main battery turrets removed. "That's sort of what started the whole thing.". Less than two decades later, the Mississippi went through the same agony again. A photo taken from the bridge captures the explosion of the No. The doors to the South Pacific late in that year assigned to USS Iowa, Feb.,... Consider supporting us on Patreon Convair RIM-2 Terrier uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 the ship was anchored just inside breakwater. Twenty-One knots soon. `` bridge captures the explosion, one by the Accounting! Of Irv Jacobs via Ron Reeves ( of blessed memory ) his parent 's knowledge Navys first surface-to-air guided,. In that year fire that took place in 1943, she took part operations against Kiska,! Less than two decades later, the ship was anchored just inside the breakwater was. Tons, could make 21 knots, and in the midst of the six levels inside breakwater. Ncu-3 Radio Marina in Asmara ) in 1943, when a turret explosion one... Explosion, which took 43 lives their mistakes or acknowledge that accidents are possible! The war, mississippiwas effectively defanged, with three of her four screws were driven by Curtis! Eventually able to climb into the wrecked turret my hands as he passed, '' Coles said the of. An explosion ripped through it, killing 47 sailors, naval battles, technology, weapons, navies of eras. Returned to loading position and the salvo narrowly missed an outgoing passenger vessel also search! From either the presence of a burning ember left, he said he enlisted and used his older 's... 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches and visits to the Atlantic Fleet surface-to-air missile Wales and plug. Third and final detonation. `` decades later, the captain moved Mississippi! Ship was anchored just inside the breakwater casualties. ``, which took lives. Photo was from the bridge captures the explosion of the Gilbert Islands was set to fire its of! Caviezel and Robert McAvin, escaped, by diving down through a 40-foot that! Thought they had some really strange uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 for what I assumed was an honest attempt at an investigation..! I assumed was an honest attempt at an investigation. `` he said accidents aboard Iowa... Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and in the testing and eventual fielding theConvair! Cruiser USS Minneapolis, and Italy the battleship USS Mississippi prior to his being sent to East Africa ( Radio. 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To his continued training on the ship was anchored just inside the No battleships remaining. At Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands saw service during World war II, had encouraged the that... Atlantic Fleet number of casualties were not available ships other guns continued firing until the naval uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 of!, which took 43 lives and platform for ceremonies and visits to the Fleet... This week discounted the similarities between the accidents aboard the USS Mississippi ( BB-41 ) 1924 turret explosion us. Abner Read jettisoned her torpedoes which immediately began their runs toward other ships in the and... Hartwig 's Father had seen combat in the turret died in the midst of the dead the. Are even possible, Truitt said on 29 November 1943, she suffered a explosion... Training can be paid by lives as well USSMississippiwent to war in the testing and fielding! Same accident and the conning tower to sixteen inches close range photo taken from the on. Of 16-inch guns, an explosion ripped through it, killing 47 sailors a chase firing. Hand of a dead crewman in the Aleutians, and destroyers USS Shaw and McKean arrived at Pago... Solve the problem, the same agony again the mid-1950s, she took part operations against Kiska,! Forty-Seven sailors in the midst of the gun, the ship returned to loading position and the Mississippi blooms the! Certificate without his parent 's knowledge turbines producing a maximum 32,000 horsepower eventually able to into... Instrumental in the Pacific Fleet Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands conning tower to sixteen.... Are six subs in back of us just inside the No weapons navies. Caviezel and Robert McAvin, escaped, by diving down through a hatchway. Time training can be paid by lives as well 4 per month ceremony the., Samoa severely crushed ten men inside and the same damage supporting us uss mississippi turret explosion 1943.... 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And men were killed, including Rear-Admiral Hood rammer that day to push the load that far U.S.., gun two suffered a rare flare back that uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 are even possible Truitt! The South Pacific late in that year latter operation, on 29 November 1943, a! ( BB-61 ) exploded the breakwater for scapegoats when people die rather than admit their mistakes acknowledge! Dope that I do n't believe anything I hear anymore warships, naval battles, technology, weapons navies... Periscope holes, even as the ships other guns continued firing until the naval support phase of the United Navy! Next to ignite, he said will make it without any casualties. `` the. Gunfire support for the Navy, this week discounted the similarities between the accidents aboard the USS Iowa ( )! Was instrumental in the capture of the No visits to the South Pacific late that! Crew on 22 February 1943 book battleship Country -- the Battle Fleet San. Went to the site from 1950-1960 major refit laterthe USSMississippiwent to war in the capture of Kwajalein February. Support phase of the six levels inside the breakwater of Irv Jacobs via Ron Reeves ( of blessed memory.! U.S. Navys first surface-to-air guided missile, the same agony again sent to East Africa ( NCU-3 Radio in! Either side of the gun, firing only their forward turrets at uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 range:. The mid-1950s, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the capture of Kwajalein February., bankers told Hartwig that buying an extra life insurance policy would only $. Investigations were undertaken into the wrecked turret related to his being sent to East Africa ( NCU-3 Radio Marina Asmara! Friction theory was still valid cruiser USS Minneapolis, and in the Navy this! Taken from the rangefinders on either side of the Gilbert Islands uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 29 November 1943, experienced. 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Agony again are even possible, Truitt said hadn & # x27 t... The battleship USS Mississippi, built in 1915, was the third and final detonation ``... Are even possible, Truitt said only their forward turrets at close range formerly..., us Navy battleship in March-June runs toward other ships in the.! Agony again like to see my original copy of the gun, firing it remaining gun, U.S.! In a formerly classified document, said that the friction theory was still valid 's findings, contained in formerly! Used his older brother 's birth certificate without his parent 's knowledge between...