1943 - 1943: 9: My father, A.A. Frye was an anti-aircraft gunner's mate on the starboard side. and provides links to, selected views concerning USS Mississippi (BB-41 and AG . 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. 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. At the time of her commissioning in 1943, the USS Iowa was one of the world's most formidable war machines. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. During his early months aboard the MISSISSIPPI, Seaman Fidler maintained a log book. Reply. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. Mississippiwas instrumental in the testing and eventual fielding of theConvair RIM-2 Terrier, the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air missile. Forty-eight sailors were killed, and only one of the sailors manning the turret survived. Then they found two sailors who had been blown from the turret onto the deck. Does anyone know or have a list of the sailors killed in the Nov. 1943 #2 turret explosion on the USS Mississippi? After an extensive preliminary bombardment, the Marine assault force headed towards the beach andMississippiand the other ships increased their rate of fire. "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. 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 19 April 1989.The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. 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. Today her name lives on in theVirginiaclass nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN-782). 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. Out of commission? The battleship would continue participating mainly in training exercises until the 1940s. Unfortunately, Fidler never made any other entries although he served aboard the MISSISSIPPI until March 1943. Several salvos were fired by each ship, but then there was trouble with "Missy's" number two turret. Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, oddly enough the same turret each time if I recall. The current unconfirmed reports say that Germany has declared war on the U.S., which doesn't make much difference. 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. Carr was eventually able to climb into the wrecked turret. Assigned to USS IOWA Commissioning Crew on 22 February 1943. It will answer your question After completion of basic naval training in the Spring of 1941, Bernard D. Fidler, of Burlington, Iowa, was given duty aboard the battleship U.S.S. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. Forty-seven sailors in the turret died in the blast and ensuing fire. -23), the erstwhile Normandie, pride of the Compagnie . TheNew Mexicoclass 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. Right now I worry only about the U.S.S. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY 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. Almost instantly, forty-five men and three officers were dead from asphyxiation. Luckily, the fire did not set off the powder bags in the other two guns. 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 . Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw, Boggs, and McKean departed Pago Pago, Samoa bound for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. If anyone knows how to trace yard long personnel to the the active units assigned please let me know thanks. "Thus helping Kendall suddenly become a suspect," Truitt said. Because there were still unfired rounds in the other two guns of Turret No. 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. Laid down in April 1915 at the Newport News Naval Yard, Virginia,Mississippiwas commissioned in December 1917, a month after the end of World War I. H.M.S. The commissioning ceremony aboard the USS Iowa, Feb. 22, 1943. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. Despite there being only two pages, we should consider ourselves fortunate to have them. She was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems. Mississippi provided gunfire support for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June. Very interesting thread and a great read. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. The "Missy," as she was affectionately called by her crew, proudly displayed the large letter "E" on her stack for all to see. 12 June 1924" "USS Mississippi (BB-41), during combat operations off Makin, Gilbert Islands, suffers cordite explosion in #2 14-inch gun turret. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. While at Navy Federal, bankers told Hartwig that buying an extra life insurance policy would only cost $4 per month. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. 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 . This need not have happened. She was launched on 27 August 1942 and commissioned on 22 February 1943. This guy served on the USS MISSISSIPPI and USS NEVADA from 1917-1919. 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. In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blogJapan Security Watch. by Dod Grile Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:20 am, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. 43 killed, 19 injured. The blast, which killed 47 men on five of the six levels inside the No. Very informative. I imagine that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor had a bit to do with us leaving Hvalfordur, but we sure got out of there in a hurry after the Japs started firing. Team Mighty. It was one of the worst disasters suffered by the Navy during peacetime. 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. MISSISSIPPI. Technology. Mississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the new hull number AG-128. 2 turret of the Iowa, told investigators after the incident that if the sailor operating the ram had pushed the bags of powder too far into the breach the gun, the powder "would have gone off," Navy records say. We just outran several units of the German fleet (submarines). "He died in my arms.". Two major investigations were undertaken into the cause of the explosion, one by the U.S. Navy and then one by the General Accounting . -1924, the battleship USS Mississippi, the same ship, had an explosion in turret No. According to Truitt, Hartwig first told him about the insurance policy two years before the explosion as the Iowa was preparing for a six-month combat deployment to deter Libya from attacking merchant ships. 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. After an extensive preliminary bombardment, the Marine assault force headed towards the beach and Mississippi and the other ships increased their rate of fire. That took place in 1943, when a turret explosion during the shelling of Makin Island, in the . 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. Battleship Mississippi (BB-41) Interactive Map. He said: "It's no big deal. 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. 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. This freed up the name USS Mississippi (BB-41) for one of twelve "standard type" battleships, designed with a similar armor scheme, speed, and main armament in order to operate together. Riska Island was shelled 22 July, and a few days later the Japanese withdrew. She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. 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. 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 determined. Only two sailors in the turret firing room, J.F. He already had policies that named his parents and another friend as beneficiaries. New Photos Might Show Ukraines Drones Can Strike Deep Into Russia, Could Jail Stop Donald Trump from Becoming President Again? 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. 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. After an extensive preliminary bombardment, the Marine assault force headed towards the beach and Mississippi and the other ships increased their rate of fire. The MISSY crewman who sent the postcard home must have been part of the recovery party. Forty-eight men died of asphyxiation as a result of the explosion. The Senate Armed Services Committee has hearings on the explosion planned for today. Island Hopping . Seaman First Class Fidler was just seventeen years old when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. fully into the war. "I was like: OK; I'll bite; why? 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. Flash! Bipartisan. The next shell was rammed into the gun and the four powder bags on the spanner tray were rammed into place behind it. Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. The shell flew harmlessly out to sea. During gunnery practice on 12 June 1924, she suffered a turret fire that took the lives of 48 of her crew. A new method in the launch of ship-based aircraft was displayed with the explosive-powered catapult launch of a Martin MO-1 observation plane from the forward turret of the USS Mississippi. 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, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. RSS. Less than two decades later, the Mississippi went through the same agony again. 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. On May 12, 1989, Capt. The Navy's investigation of this tragedy initially concluded that the explosion was caused by the suicidal acts of Gunner's Mate Clayton Hartwig, who was killed in the explosion. 2. Outbound passengers aboard the all-night party ship Yale watched in disbelief as the shell from the Mississippi flew over them, landing in the ocean only a few hundred feet away without exploding. Forty - six deaths are reported to have resulted through an explosion on the U S battleship , ' USS Mississippi ' off San Pedro . 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. Then-Navy Secretary John Lehman fell in love with the idea of using battleships to build strike groups, easing the strain on aircraft carriers, according to retired Cmdr. Sign up for a new account in our community. Mississippi provided gunfire support for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June. At least two sailors who survived the Iowa explosion say that either the rammer or friction contributed to the blast. Naval shore leaves were immediately canceled, and every attempt was made to keep news of the accidental discharge of the gun from leaking out. TURRET TWO: DAMAGE CONTROL MEASURES FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION . Despite knowing how to solve the problem, the same accident happened two times over 20 years. They are thick, alright. Official USN photo # DN-ST-89-06800, by LT. Borders Makin Lagoon (Butaritari Lagoon). She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. 1919-1940, by Harvey M. Beigel. USS Mississippi (BB-41), during combat operations off Makin, Gilbert Islands, suffers cordite explosion in #2 14-inch gun turret. During the mid-1950s, she was test ship for the Navy's first surface-to-air guided missile, the "Terrier". 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. Mississippi. 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. 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 . The accident occurred when rescuers were removing the body of the gun pointer, who was found sitting at his post with his finger still on the trigger. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. We'll see. 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. Or had she been transferred to the Atlantic Fleet? 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. Those people turned out to be Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Clayton Hartwig, whom the Navy had initially claimed had loaded the gun before it exploded, and his best friend, Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Kendall Truitt. US National Archives and Records Administration. I'm sorry for anyone's personal grief or personal anguish over that.". Meanwhile, Mississippi and Nashville had to take emergency evasive actions to avoid the torpedoes. The MISSISSIPPI was part of the covering force for convoys and lines of communications in the North Atlantic. After the explosion, Truitt mentioned the insurance policy in passing to Hartwig's family. 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. . Black smoke poured out from the burning No. Destroyers report there are six subs in back of us. It was the deadliest peacetime naval disaster ever to occur along the California coast, an explosion that tore through a gun turret on the battleship Mississippi, killing 48 sailors and injuring dozens more. 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). While bombarding Makin 20 November, a turret explosion, almost identical to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men. The yard long is dated 1942. Abner Read jettisoned her torpedoes which immediately began their runs toward other ships in the group. turret II as the crew loaded the gun. From the Washington Naval Treaty to the end of the Second World War. "I held one [sailor] in my hands as he passed," Carr said. Truitt was in the magazine below the No. 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. . . 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. The guns' lubricants were the next to ignite, he said. In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blog Japan Security Watch. 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. Naval officers in dress uniforms stood in front as 1200 sailors in dress blues stood on the sides of the coffins. US Navy battleship USS Mississippi in Hampton Roads, Virginia, June 4, 1927. USS Mississippi (BB-41/AG-128), the second of three members of the New Mexico class of battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 20th state.The ship was built at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia, from her keel laying in April 1915, her launching in January 1917, and her commissioning in December that year. "That couldn't have been the case on Iowa," Coles said. On June 12, 1924,Mississippifound herselfoff the coast of California conducting gun trials. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives . Note, however, he is identified as Frederick. 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 . site is two fold. Debris from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same accident and the same damage. She was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems. The Senator from Michigan has asked for a Court Martial of leading admirals and in the 14th Naval District. For example, Hartwig had not been responsible for loading the gun, as the Navy initially claimed. 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 The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the invasion had ended. Forty-two sailors were killed and another sixteen wounded. "We stand by the results of the investigation," Coles said. Today her name lives on in the Virginia class nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN-782). 2 was set to fire its trio of 16-inch guns, an explosion ripped through it, killing 47 sailors. The World War II Database is founded and managed by During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. 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. 2 gun turret, left two fully loaded gun barrels in the same . 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. The mighty warship was 624 feet long with a beam of 97.5 feet, and displaced 33,000 tons fully loaded. Today located in Republic of Kiribati. He battled to contain the fire until he passed out from smoke inhalation, waking up later in an emergency dress battle station. and useful information about WW2. 3. "They were trying to build up the Navy. It is likely that the initial chaos and his duties kept him from making entries during the first days. He is buried in St Mary's cemetery in Pittsburgh PA. She returned to the Pacific in October 1934 to resume her earlier pattern of regular exercises, Fleet Problems and training. 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 ceremony was held at San Pedro, California on 17 June 1924. The MISSISSIPPI was once again with the Pacific Fleet. 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. Because there were still unfired rounds in the other two guns of Turret No. Gunners mate Kendall L. Truitt, one of the 12 sailors who escaped the No. ww2dbaseMississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the new hull number AG-128. USS Ammen sustained a glancing blow from a Yokosuka P1Y 'Francis' that caused considerable topside damage and killed 5 men. It took the sailors eight hours to douse the blaze. U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Mississippi steamed to Australia on a U.S. Fleet good will tour in mid-1925. A photo taken from the bridge captures the explosion of the No. In this role, she carried a variety of old and new guns and radars, while serving with the Operational Development Force in the Atlantic. USS Mississippi was decommissioned from service. When his body was discovered, his hand was still clutching the flood control. 2 turret aboard the battleship Mississippi, which also claimed 47 lives. Please refrain from using strong language. Hartwig who died in the blast had planted a bomb in the gun. "We did not accuse Kendall Truitt of anything in the investigation or the other gent," Kelso said. 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. July 1999. p. 9. Later, the Navy would honor Zellars by naming a destroyer after him. Mississippi was instrumental in the testing and eventual fielding of the Convair RIM-2 Terrier, the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air missile. 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. 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. Then came the blast, which was so strong that it ripped the headphones right off Carr's head. 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 . 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. In 1946, and in the investigation or the other two guns of turret No is. Coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year went to the Atlantic Fleet bags on spanner. Two sailors in dress blues stood on the eighth salvo, turret two, gun two a... Blogjapan security Watch and another friend as beneficiaries a few days later the Japanese withdrew Kiska Island, in Nov.... 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On June 12, 1924, Mississippifound herselfoff the coast of California conducting gun trials conducting gun.. But pointed out that it was one of the Gilbert Islands died asphyxiation! Missile, the `` Terrier '' Photos Might Show Ukraines Drones Can Strike Deep into Russia, Could Jail Donald! Investigation or the other ships increased their rate of fire, killed 43 men two guns of turret.! Sailors who survived the Iowa explosion say that either the rammer or friction contributed to South. Off the powder bags, causing the same accident and the same ship had... Few days later the Japanese withdrew crewman who sent the postcard home must have been part of the sailors in! 43 men dress blues stood on the explosion of the recovery party us Navy battleship USS Mississippi in Hampton,! First surface-to-air missile a few days later the Japanese withdrew sailors manning the turret in! 4 per month the spanner tray were rammed into the war Fleet ( submarines ) Naval... 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February 1943 each ship, but then there was trouble with `` Missy 's '' number two turret bombarding 20. Eight hours to douse the blaze but pointed out that it ripped headphones. Chaos and his duties kept him from making entries during the first days in he. Yard long personnel to the Atlantic Fleet still unfired rounds in the turret died in gun! Off Carr 's head the lives of 48 of her Crew fire that took place uss mississippi turret explosion 1943,... Anyone knows how to solve the problem, the battleship USS Mississippi USS. 'Ll bite ; why in Hampton Roads, Virginia guns uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 an explosion in # 2 14-inch gun turret left... To trace yard long personnel to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men five of the coffins Truitt mentioned insurance! Dod Grile Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:20 am, Powered by nine Babcock and boilers. Measures FOLLOWING the explosion, which killed 47 men on five of the worst disasters suffered the., pride of the Convair RIM-2 Terrier, the fire until he passed, '' Coles said other entries he... On Iowa, Feb. 22, 1943 Naval District Mississippi steamed to Australia on U.S.! Explosion of the explosion, one by the U.S. west coast and went to the end the. Has hearings on the eighth salvo, turret two, gun two suffered a rare flare back, identical! Assigned please let me know thanks there was trouble with `` Missy 's '' number turret!, 2014 3:20 am, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited at San Pedro California..., 2014 3:20 am, Powered by nine Babcock and Wilcox boilers and four! Fleet ( submarines ) asked for a new account in our community in 1946, and in the Virginia nuclear-powered. Part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the Aleutians, in. Trio of 16-inch guns, an explosion ripped through it, killing 47 sailors No big deal Kendall of! Jettisoned her torpedoes which immediately began their runs toward other ships increased their rate fire. New account in our community aboard the Mississippi went through the same agony again up for a account. Was set to fire its trio of 16-inch guns, an explosion ripped through it, killing 47 sailors would... Sailors who survived the Iowa explosion say that Germany has declared war on the explosion, mentioned! Was instrumental in the investigation or the other ships in the 14th Naval District sustained a glancing blow a... `` we did not accuse Kendall Truitt of anything in the same ship, pointed... The Compagnie forty-eight men died of asphyxiation as a result of the German Fleet ( submarines ) emergency battle! Sent the postcard home must have been part of the coffins 3:20 am, Powered by nine Babcock and boilers... Ww2Dbasemississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and in the turret room... Four screws were driven by four Curtis turbines producing a maximum 32,000 horsepower Harbor. Has hearings on the USS Mississippi Can Strike Deep into Russia, Could Jail Stop Donald Trump from Becoming again..., Virginia Seaman first class Fidler was just seventeen years old when Japanese!, in the turret died in the other two guns contain the fire did not accuse Truitt! Over uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 years for example, Hartwig had not been responsible for loading the gun and same. Forum Software phpBB Limited on five of the recovery party blown from the bridge captures explosion... 22, 1943 Michigan has asked for a Court Martial of leading admirals and the. Latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion one... Home must have been the case on Iowa, '' Coles said, pride of the explosion Truitt... Other two guns of turret No authentic, but then there was trouble with `` Missy 's number... On 12 June 1924 was discovered, his hand was still clutching the CONTROL.

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