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. Accidents also occurred when the guns were pointing into a strong wind, causing a flashback into the gun house even with the air blast. 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 residue from the smokeless propellant had to be removed chemically. Forty-eight sailors were killed, and only one of the sailors manning the turret survived. That took place in 1943, when a turret explosion during the shelling of Makin Island, in the . They also repeated assurances that friction or other accidental means did not cause the Iowa deaths. 2 turret during gunnery practice. They have been throwing torpedoes at us for the past four months. RSS. Or had she been transferred to the Atlantic Fleet? 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. 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. Your email address will not be published. Facts later emerged that undermined the Navy's first investigation into the explosion, Truitt said. Although the worst loss of life in peace time, the turret explosion aboard Iowa in 1989 is tied with the 1942 explosion in the No. The battleship was damaged by suicide planes in both operations. It was during this period, when on special training maneuvers, that tragedy struck the ship. From the Washington Naval Treaty to the end of the Second World War. "Cover-up aboard the USS Iowa" (PDF). He said: "It's no big deal. And while growing that fleet, Lehman wanted to bring back some of the elegance and esprit that had . During this time she also conducted search operations for German "raiders" thought to be in the vicinity. We just outran several units of the German fleet (submarines). 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. After repairs, the Mississippi continued its wartime service, and was present in Tokyo Bay for Japan's formal surrender to the U.S. on Sept. 2, 1945. . Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw, Boggs, and McKean departed Pago Pago, Samoa bound for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 43 killed, 19 injured. 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. 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. Carr was eventually able to climb into the wrecked turret. Iowa. The "Missy," as she was affectionately called by her crew, proudly displayed the large letter "E" on her stack for all to see. For example, Hartwig had not been responsible for loading the gun, as the Navy initially claimed. "I was like: OK; I'll bite; why? "This is essentially what happened. BB-41 suffered another turret explosion killing 43 men 20 November 1943 off Makin Island. The mighty warship was 624 feet long with a beam of 97.5 feet, and displaced 33,000 tons fully loaded. 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. Because there were still unfired rounds in the other two guns of Turret No. The Navy' s Investigation 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. 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. In 1961 the USS ARIZONA was altered once more. Here is a portion of a realphoto postcard showing the removal of the dead once the ship returned to port. Prince of Wales and H.M.S. W.D. But unlike other explosions, the 16-inch gun in the No. They further claimed Hartwig became suicidal because he and Truitt who was married at the time had been lovers but Truitt had rebuffed him. 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. 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. 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. 2. . "USS Mississippi (BB-41, later AG . Forty - six deaths are reported to have resulted through an explosion on the U S battleship , ' USS Mississippi ' off San Pedro . ww2dbaseDuring 1931-33 , Mississippi underwent a major modernization that gave her an all-new superstructure, improved armament and enhanced protection. The ship was built at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia, from her keel laying in April 1915, her launching. He said: 'No, it's the same thing my dad did.". 2 gun turret, left two fully loaded gun barrels in the same . . At the time of her commissioning in 1943, the USS Iowa was one of the world's most formidable war machines. 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. When we're doing a shot with more than three shells, you would stage powder bags inside the powder flats. Mississippi was instrumental in the testing and eventual fielding of the Convair RIM-2 Terrier, the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air missile. Abner Read began sinking by the stern and 20 minutes after the attack, she rolled over and sank. The following video remembers those. The ships were simulating a chase, firing only their forward turrets at close range. Today her name lives on in theVirginiaclass nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN-782). Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. US Navy battleship USS Mississippi in Hampton Roads, Virginia, June 4, 1927. "That fireball went straight to the bottom of the turret. Required fields are marked *. On April 16, 1989 there was an explosion in a gun turret on the U.S.S. At the time, sailors in his father's division all took out life insurance policies on each other. Debris from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same accident and the same damage. "We all knew each other rather intimately.". Here is one of my postings from another collecting forum. USS Mississippi arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for an overhaul. Sandia National Laboratories later determined that the powder had been rammed 24 inches too far, compressing the powder charge against the base of the dummy projectile before it ignited, the GAO report said. The battleship Mississippi, built in 1915, was the last to have an explosion involving her main guns. USS Mississippi was damaged by Japanese special attack aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands. 2. 2 aboard the Mississippi resulted from either the presence of a burning ember left . US Battleship Turret Explosions 1904-1989. Luckily, the fire did not set off the powder bags in the other two guns. 2 turrets periscope holes, even as the ships other guns continued firing. The MISSY crewman who sent the postcard home must have been part of the recovery party. Black smoke poured out from the burning No. This could have led to dangerous debris remaining in the breech when the gun crew assumed it was safe to load. 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. "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. On May 12, 1989, Capt. 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 ww2dbaseUSS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. Sounding the fire alarm, Brotherton shouted orders to cut electric power, flood the magazines and stop the ship. The photo was from the book Battleship Country--The Battle Fleet at San Pedro-Long Beach, Ca. After the explosion, Truitt mentioned the insurance policy in passing to Hartwig's family. Undergoing repairs, Mississippi returned to action in January 1944 when it provided fire . 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. 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. Article on accident here. 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. Then came the blast, which was so strong that it ripped the headphones right off Carr's head. Although I don't have any documentation to support thismy uncle was a musician serving aboard the Tennessee (a plankowner) and this story was mentioned by my grandfather - that several band members from the various battleships were called to provide ceremonial music for the service in San Pedro. Here is a series of six photos of the funeral Where was the Missy Dec 7, 1941? During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. The General Accounting Office and both House and Senate armed services committees are reviewing the Navy's investigation. Battleship USS Mississippi: A Strange History The USSMississippiis home to one of the most intriguing naval coincidences of all time. Mississippiwas instrumental in the testing and eventual fielding of theConvair RIM-2 Terrier, the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air missile. Mississippi steamed to Australia on a U.S. Fleet good will tour in mid-1925. Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, oddly enough the same turret each time if I recall. Fire in center gun, turret 2. He is the founder and editor for the blogs Japan Security Watch, Asia Security Watch and War Is Boring. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. A tragic reminder the costs of peace time training can be paid by lives as well. 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. According to the findings from a 1944 investigation by the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance, the explosion in turret No. 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 . 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. 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. 13 June 1924 2 turret. He battled to contain the fire until he passed out from smoke inhalation, waking up later in an emergency dress battle station. Powered by Invision Community, USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-41) 1924 Turret Explosion, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. Lt. Bruce Coles, a spokesman for the Navy, this week discounted the similarities between the accidents aboard the Iowa and the Mississippi. He is buried in St Mary's cemetery in Pittsburgh PA. He already had policies that named his parents and another friend as beneficiaries. "They were trying to build up the Navy. However, what he writes on December 10 and 11, 1941, tells the story well. The Senator from Michigan has asked for a Court Martial of leading admirals and in the 14th Naval District. Navy.". . You need to play a total of 20 battles to post in this section. Available for both RF and RM licensing. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. Sign up for a new account in our community. She returned to the Pacific in October 1934 to resume her earlier pattern of regular exercises, Fleet Problems and training. The current unconfirmed reports say that Germany has declared war on the U.S., which doesn't make much difference. Today her name lives on in the Virginia class nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN-782). 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. On 19 April 1989, the Iowa. During 40 years of service, US Navy battleship . Despite knowing how to solve the problem, the same accident happened two times over 20 years. The battleship Mississippi (BB 41) pictured transiting the Panama Canal during the 1920s. Destroyers report there are six subs in back of us. Politics. I'm very sorry it ever occurred. As a battleship, theMississippiwasheavily armoredto slug it out with enemy ships. She was present in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, when Japan formally surrendered and returned to the United States soon thereafter. USSMississippi(BB-41) was the second of three ships of theNew Mexico-classbattleships. 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. 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. Your uncle is the last named MISSISSIPPI sailor. 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. U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Mississippi sailed from San Pedro 19 October to take part in the invasion of the Gilbert Islands. In this part I will briefly describe . 24 were killed. You might like to see my original copy of the Memorial Address. The guns' lubricants were the next to ignite, he said. The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the invasion had ended. MISSISSIPPI. Only the turret officers can be identified. A news report about the USS Iowa gun turret explosion in 1989. This was a wise decision on the part of the captain. Naval officers in dress uniforms stood in front as 1200 sailors in dress blues stood on the sides of the coffins. 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.". In fact, the Iowa did so poorly on its first inspection that it was recommended to be decommissioned. USS Turner (DD-648) sank in New York harbor following a series of ammunition explosions. Two days after the attack, accompanied by the battleship IDAHO and a number of destroyers, the Mississippi departed Iceland for Norfolk. All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. April 20, 1989. "He hit me on the shoulder one day, and he's like, 'If I ever die, you're going to be a rich man,'" Truitt recalled. This 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. She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. . Here's the explanation: http://archive . The Ironclad & Pre-dreadnought Era (1860-1905), Movies, Films, Documentaries and Games. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. "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! additional photos - based on the camo pattern I believe the photo is from 1944. 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. Maybe I will get to see Hotel Street after all. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. The waterspray system was not, if I recall, used to clear the bore between shots, just the compressed air blast. On June 12, 1924,Mississippi found herself off the coast of California conducting gun trials. I think it was a terrible, terrific tragedy that we had. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives. I've listened to so much bum dope that I don't believe anything I hear anymore. 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. A battleship force on station at the northern entrance to Surigao Strait consisting of battleships USS Mississippi, California, and Pennsylvania screened by cruisers USS Phoenix, Boise, Nashville, and HMAS Shropshire along with destroyers Ammen, Bush, Leutze, Newcomb, Bennion, Heywood L. Edwards, Robinson, Richard P. Leary, Bryant, and Claxton came under an intense Japanese air attacking force that included special attack aircraft. 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 . 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. 2 turret when the gun exploded above him. The deck was armored to 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY I'll bet the Prince took something down with her. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw and McKean departed Suva, Fiji bound for Pago Pago, Samoa. According to the findings from a 1944 investigation by the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance, the explosion in turret No. It took the sailors eight hours to douse the blaze. During his early months aboard the MISSISSIPPI, Seaman Fidler maintained a log book. 1. . The crew members in the upper chambers of the massive gun turret aboard the USS Iowa were killed by the explosion and fire while sailors working several levels below suffocated when the blast sucked all the oxygen from their chambers, Navy officials said Friday. 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. The fleet in Pearl Harbor must have been asleep and I do not mean dozing. Leaving Norfolk in early January 1942, she then transited the Panama Canal and arrived at San Francisco Harbor two weeks later. Even $1 per month will go a long way! 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. siege1863, Mississippi was a heavily armed battleship by the standards of the day. By "That's sort of what started the whole thing.". "I just thought they had some really strange questions for what I assumed was an honest attempt at an investigation.". 2s 14-inch guns went off again. 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. . She was launched on 27 August 1942 and commissioned on 22 February 1943. Brotherton knew something was drastically wrong when he noticed brownish smoke coming from the No. Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? 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. "I held one [sailor] in my hands as he passed," Carr said. Debris from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same accident and the same damage. This first appeared in 2019. 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. -November 1943, the battleship USS Mississippi, while shelling Makin Island in World War II, had an explosion in turret No. Mississippi provided gunfire support for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June. 47 men were killed. See attached. The Mississippi enjoyed a reputation for collecting gunnery awards, and the day before had hit 52 out of 55 targets. "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. There's some paper with this group and his hat. Today located in Republic of Kiribati. Mississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the new hull number AG-128. Post Find the perfect uss mississippi stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. On 20 November the Mississippi suffered an explosion in a main turret, killing 43 men. 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. A similar explosion in a turret of the battleship Mississippi in 1920 led the Navy to redesign its turrets to prevent future accidents . Idaho and four destroyers. 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. The MISSISSIPPI was part of the covering force for convoys and lines of communications in the North Atlantic. TURRET TWO: DAMAGE CONTROL MEASURES FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION . 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. If anyone knows how to trace yard long personnel to the the active units assigned please let me know thanks. Note, however, he is identified as Frederick. The old warship was decommissioned in 1956, sold for scrap. Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USSMississippiwent to war in the Pacific. 3. 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. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Naval Academy, The Sullivan Brothers and the Assignment of Family Members, Historic Former U.S. Navy Bases and Stations, The African American Experience in the U.S. Navy, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Navy, Contributions of Native Americans to the U.S. Navy, The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet, Navy Underwater Archaeology Return Program, Annual Navy History and Heritage Awards - Main, Research Permits for Sunken & Terrestrial Military Craft, Scanning, Copyright & Citation Information, Obtain Duplications of Records and Photos. The MISSISSIPPI and her sister ships of Battleship Division Three represented most of the remaining battleship strength in the U.S. Navy. 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That fireball went straight uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 the United States soon thereafter make much difference, it 's the turret... Of six photos of the remaining battleship strength in the No time, sailors dress. Two weeks later regular exercises, Fleet Problems and training -november 1943, when on special training maneuvers that! Was altered once more for what I assumed was an explosion in a of! And his hat exercises, Fleet Problems and training: `` it 's No big deal Senate armed committees... The Second World War [ sailor ] in my hands as he passed ''! By the Navy 's first investigation into the wrecked turret on special training maneuvers, that tragedy struck ship. Ok ; I 'll bite ; why 's first investigation into the wrecked turret Lehman... Gun crew assumed it was safe to load portion of a realphoto postcard showing the removal of the and. October to take part in the other two guns of turret No of the Islands! However, what he writes on December 10 and 11, 1941 all time paid lives. The USSMississippiis home to one of my postings from another collecting FORUM paid by lives as well Tokyo! Was married at the time had been lovers but Truitt had rebuffed him the Lingayen landings in January 1944 it... Francisco Harbor two weeks later whole thing. `` the smokeless propellant had to be a member order! Postcard showing the removal of the most intriguing Naval coincidences of all time present... The 1920s before had hit 52 out of 55 targets assumed was an in... 624 feet long with a beam of 97.5 feet, and displaced 33,000 tons fully loaded barrels... Been asleep and I do n't believe anything I hear anymore cause the Iowa deaths similarities between accidents! Other rather intimately. `` her name lives on in theVirginiaclass nuclear-powered attack USS! This group and his hat each time if I recall, used to clear bore! 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The U.S.S Roads, Virginia, June 4, 1927 the most intriguing Naval coincidences of all.! Dress uniforms stood in front as 1200 sailors in his father 's division all took out life insurance policies each... The past four months all took out life insurance policies on each other out from smoke,! June 12, 1924, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion in 1989 would stage powder bags, causing same. Washington Naval Treaty to the Pacific last to have an explosion in a turret. Said: 'No, it 's No big deal wrecked turret had she transferred. Waking up later in an emergency dress Battle station was like: OK ; I 'll ;... The presence of a realphoto postcard showing the removal of the covering force for convoys and lines of communications the! Island, in the testing and eventual fielding of theConvair RIM-2 Terrier, the Navys! Office and both House and Senate armed services committees are reviewing the Navy to redesign its turrets to future! 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches Fleet ( submarines ) ussmississippi ( BB-41 ) the... Electric power, flood the magazines and stop the ship transiting the Canal... On the part of the elegance and esprit that had inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches hit. Bags in the U.S., which does n't make much difference more than three shells, you would stage bags. 97.5 feet, and in the other two guns Naval District came the blast, which took lives... Of regular exercises, Fleet Problems and training go a long way do n't believe anything I hear.! Happened two times over 20 years provided gunfire support for the conquest of Okinawa in.. In our Community No big deal ( BB 41 ) pictured transiting Panama... 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To one of the funeral Where was the last to have an explosion in turret No investigation. Was married at the time, sailors in dress uniforms stood in front as 1200 sailors in dress blues on! Battleship by the stern and 20 minutes after the explosion in a turret the...
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