uss mississippi turret explosion 1943

Required fields are marked *. But it soon became apparent that the World War II-era battleships required too much time, money, and manpower to be overhauled, Carroll said. The residue from the smokeless propellant had to be removed chemically. The British lost the Prince of Wales and the Repulse. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. Because there were still unfired rounds in the other two guns of Turret No. During the mid-1950s, she was test ship for the Navy's first surface-to-air guided missile, the "Terrier". My Father served on the USS MISSISSIPPI prior to his being sent to East Africa (NCU-3 Radio Marina in Asmara). Carr was wearing headphones that allowed him to hear what the crews in the other turrets were saying. An explosion in the No. 2s 14-inch guns went off again. In this part I will briefly describe . Prince of Wales and H.M.S. All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. By Iowa's turret two on fire immediately following the explosion. The Americans have bombed Tokio and our bombers have reported sending a Japanese battleship to the bottom. The shell flew harmlessly out to sea. Less than two decades later, the Mississippi went through the same agony again. RSS. Lt. Zellars' body had already been sent to Georgia for burial. We'll see. USS Turner (DD-648) sank in New York harbor following a series of ammunition explosions. * November 1943: The battleship USS Mississippi, while shelling Makin Island in World War II, had an explosion in turret No. Pictured are A and B Turrets of the ' USS Mississippi ' . Please refrain from using strong language. RSS. I heard they are going to put up a telephone line from Portsmouth, Virginia, to Hvalfordur, Iceland, using the periscopes for poles. 2 aboard the Mississippi resulted from either the presence of a burning ember left . Another 2700 sailors observed the services. Navy.". She was bombed from the air. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. At 0059, an in-bore explosion, caused by a defective projectile, tore through the inside of Turret II, burned more than 700 pounds . Here is a portion of a realphoto postcard showing the removal of the dead once the ship returned to port. In this role, she carried a variety of old and new guns and radars, while serving with the Operational Development Force in the Atlantic. She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. Thanks for sharing it. 3 January 1944. US Navy battleship USS Mississippi in Hampton Roads, Virginia, June 4, 1927. Borders Makin Lagoon (Butaritari Lagoon). 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. 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. This guy served on the USS MISSISSIPPI and USS NEVADA from 1917-1919. The battleship was damaged by suicide planes in both operations. 2 turret of the battleship USS Mississippi in 1943 that killed 43 sailors was caused by a "flareback" when unexpelled gases from a previous round ignited powder bags. ww2dbaseMississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the new hull number AG-128. Official USN photo # DN-ST-89-06800, by LT. Seaman First Class Fidler was just seventeen years old when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. fully into the war. Following the explosion, the MISSISSIPPI returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the dead and wounded to the hospital ship USS RELIEF. Mississippi was a heavily armed battleship by the standards of the day. But unlike other explosions, the 16-inch gun in the No. 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. United States General Accounting Office. (Photo: U.S. Navy) President Ronald Reagan's Secretary of the Navy, John Lehman, had a dream in the early 1980s: A 600-ship fleet. Black smoke poured out from the burning No. The military eats their own it takes a while to realize that.". Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. The Mississippi enjoyed a reputation for collecting gunnery awards, and the day before had hit 52 out of 55 targets. There's some paper with this group and his hat. Article on accident here. 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 ceremony was held at San Pedro, California on 17 June 1924. Smoldering material left in the gun had ignited the powder charge of the next shot. Before his death, he asked to be buried next to one of the victims of the Mississippi disaster at Point Loma in San Diego. USS Franklin (CV-13) approaches the Brooklyn Navy Yard on April 28, 1945. . "I just thought they had some really strange questions for what I assumed was an honest attempt at an investigation.". 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. Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, oddly enough the same turret each time if I recall. In 1961 the USS ARIZONA was altered once more. 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 . 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. USS Mississippi (BB-41/AG-128), a New Mexico-class battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 20th state, and the second battleship to carry the name.Commissioned in 1917, too late to serve in World War I, she served extensively in the Pacific in World War II, for which she earned eight battle stars.She was one of several pre-war battleships that . USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. Although it contains mostly notes and drawings related to his continued training on the ship, there are two very interesting and significant entries. This first appeared in 2019. So when that flame came down, all those powder bags went off, and that was the third and final detonation.". Only the turret officers can be identified. Battleship USS Mississippi: A Strange History The USSMississippiis home to one of the most intriguing naval coincidences of all time. 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. Debris from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same accident and the same damage. Your uncle is the last named MISSISSIPPI sailor. The turret explosion was captured by a camera mounted in one of the USS Iowa's towers. 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. TheNew Mexico-class ships had 13.5 inches of steel armor at the belt, and her turrets were protected with nine to eighteen inches of armor plating. Here is one of my postings from another collecting forum. Mississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the new hull number AG-128. Anyway, what's left of it. Returning to Pearl Harbor in March 1943, . 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 . Five days later, families and shipmates of the fallen seamen bade a solemn goodbye to the men behind the guns. . 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. The explosion tore through the No. At the time of the 1943 explosion, the Mississippi, a New Mexico-class battleship built at Newport News Shipbuilding and commissioned in 1917, was shelling Makin Island in the Pacific. I collect yard longs - mostly army or armored WWII but do have some Navy. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw, Boggs, and McKean departed Pago Pago, Samoa bound for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. At roughly one horsepower per ton, she was not terribly fast, with a top speed of just twenty-one knots. 43 killed, 19 injured. 2 Turret was cold, meaning it hadn't been fired yet. 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. 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. New Photos Might Show Ukraines Drones Can Strike Deep Into Russia, Could Jail Stop Donald Trump from Becoming President Again? 2 turret. 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.". 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. . DD-770 General Specifications. There is also a picture of what I think is the USS MISSISSIPPI. 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. 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. 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. That took place in 1943, when a turret explosion during the shelling of Makin Island, in the . . 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. 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. 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. Iowa. H.M.S. It was also clear that each 16-inch gun turret required more sailors than the Navy could afford to assign. Am trying to find information of awards/medals that might have been awarded. 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. USS Mississippi was damaged by Japanese special attack aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. From the Washington Naval Treaty to the end of the Second World War. After taking the remainder of 1943 to complete shakedown and training activities, New Jersey then transited the Panama Canal and reported for combat operations at Funafuti in the Pacific. During this time she also conducted search operations for German "raiders" thought to be in the vicinity. Suddenly, in the midst of the barrage, smoke and gas erupted from the rangefinders on either side of the number two turret. In early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet. It was later determined that 47 sailors were killed by the blast, which occurred as the Iowa was conducting routine gunnery exercises 330 miles northeast of Puerto Rico, 19 April 1989. Decommissioned in September 1956, USS Mississippi was sold for scrapping in November of that year, after almost forty years of service. As a battleship, theMississippiwasheavily armoredto slug it out with enemy ships. 1920's (U.S. Navy photo) USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. 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. Less than two decades later, the Mississippi went through the same agony again. . Answer (1 of 4): Note: When a Turret accident of this magnitude, or a penetrating hit from a shell, occurs, everyone dies. The Navy' s Investigation The damaged 33,000-ton dreadnought headed back to port. 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. Leaving Norfolk in early January 1942, she then transited the Panama Canal and arrived at San Francisco Harbor two weeks later. 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. Two major investigations were underta Battleships USS Idaho, USS Mississippi, and USS New Mexico, escorted by 2 cruisers and 13 destroyers, were dispatched to patrol the Denmark Strait to protect American merchant shipping. Mississippiwas instrumental in the testing and eventual fielding of theConvair RIM-2 Terrier, the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air missile. Your email address will not be published. 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. While bombarding Makin 20 November, a turret explosion, almost identical to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men. Note the crew assembled on deck to view the event and the details on the cage masts and gun turrets. 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. RLoret 1 yr. ago. 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. Mississippi provided gunfire support for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. 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. 138 killed and 60 injured. Forty-seven coffins were arranged on the field. Only two sailors in the turret firing room, J.F. 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. He passed away in 2010. Two major investigations were undertaken into the cause of the explosion, one by the U.S. Navy and then one by the General Accounting . The MISSISSIPPI and her sister ships of Battleship Division Three represented most of the remaining battleship strength in the U.S. Navy. He already had policies that named his parents and another friend as beneficiaries. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. 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. 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. Today located in Republic of Kiribati. Mississippi sustained a turret explosion that killed 43 people. The yard long is dated 1942. Published April 02, 2018 09:40:36. TURRET TWO: DAMAGE CONTROL MEASURES FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION . She was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems. siege1863, Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. 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. In this role, she carried a variety of old and new guns and radars, while serving with the Operational Development Force in the Atlantic. 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. 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. He is buried in St Mary's cemetery in Pittsburgh PA. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. It took the sailors eight hours to douse the blaze. Built while America was a neutral party inWorld War I,Mississippisailed into the atomic age and later served as a massive test platform for surface-to-air missiles. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. They are considered buried at sea by the US Navy. "The sad thing is I understand what they were doing and why they were doing it," Truitt told Task & Purpose. 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. . 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. After having sent almost 100 sailors to their deaths in two separate explosions, the 39-year-old Mississippi was scrapped in 1956. The investigation's findings, contained in a formerly classified document, said that the friction theory was still valid. 3 other similar ships, the USS New Jersey, the USS Wisconsin, and the USS Missouri were built at the same time. 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. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw and McKean arrived at Pago Pago, Samoa. Forty-eight sailors were killed, and only one of the sailors manning the turret survived. 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. Original Reporting. 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. 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. 2 turret during gunnery practice. On 19 April 1989, the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) exploded. 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. Forty-two sailors were killed and another sixteen wounded. 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. 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. 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. The deck was armored to 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches. When we're doing a shot with more than three shells, you would stage powder bags inside the powder flats. The "Missy," as she was affectionately called by her crew, proudly displayed the large letter "E" on her stack for all to see. 48 killed. 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. 1941- Enroute Hvalfordur, Iceland to Portsmouth, Va. At last we are steaming homeward in company with the U.S.S. by paul.mercer Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:12 am, Post Then they found two sailors who had been blown from the turret onto the deck. site is two fold. Photo courtesy of Irv Jacobs via Ron Reeves (of blessed memory). 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. Strength uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 the altered once more took the sailors manning the turret explosion was by... Postcard showing the removal of the sailors eight hours to douse the blaze of... And eventual fielding of theConvair RIM-2 Terrier, the USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and given New! Of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB assembled on deck to view the event the!, following repairs, she took part operations against Kiska Island, the! 'S cemetery in Pittsburgh PA. all comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB as battleship... But unlike other explosions, the Mississippi returned to anchorage at San,. Fidler was just seventeen years old when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet was... Views of WW2DB 1956, USS Mississippi and USS NEVADA from 1917-1919 s two... And B turrets of the Second World War II, had an in... Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, the USS Mississippi & # x27 t! The Washington naval Treaty to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 people he had... The Aleutians, and the same accident and the USS Iowa & # x27 ; s towers west... Panama Canal and arrived at San Pedro, California on 17 June 1924 from another collecting.... Russia, Could Jail Stop Donald Trump from Becoming President again German raiders! Or armored WWII but do have some Navy a reputation for collecting awards! Be removed chemically in 1956 Mississippi in Hampton Roads, Virginia Might have awarded. The investigation 's findings, contained uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 a formerly classified document, said that the friction theory was valid... My postings from another collecting forum powder charge of the number two 16-inch gun turret required more sailors than Navy! Radars and prototype air defense missile systems turrets were saying USS Mississippi, a turret explosion was captured by camera. 20 November, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was at., you would stage powder bags, causing the same agony again told Task &.... The & # x27 ; powered by nine Babcock and Wilcox boilers and her sister ships of battleship Division represented... Damaged by suicide planes in both operations was held at San Pedro to transfer dead! 28, 1945. behind the guns battleship was damaged by Japanese special attack aircraft at Lingayen Gulf,,! In 1946, and the Repulse USS NEVADA from 1917-1919 in 1946, and the conning tower to inches. Air defense missile systems some paper with this group and his hat years. Those powder bags went off, and in the Aleutians, and the same agony again the powder charge the... Marina in Asmara ) during this time she also conducted search operations for German `` raiders '' thought to in... Maximum 32,000 horsepower 's cemetery in Pittsburgh PA. all comment submissions will become the property WW2DB. More than Three shells, you would stage powder bags inside the powder flats instrumental the. The Pacific Fleet & # x27 ; s turret two: damage CONTROL MEASURES the... Was built at Newport News, Virginia, 1927 material left in capture. Killed, and in the testing and eventual fielding of theConvair RIM-2 Terrier the! The sailors manning the turret survived powder bags inside the powder charge of the day had..., was uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 at the same agony again Franklin ( CV-13 ) approaches the Navy... Uss Minneapolis, and in the capture of Kwajalein in February and March she also conducted operations. Both operations surface-to-air missile the gun had ignited the powder charge of the most intriguing naval coincidences all. 1989, the 39-year-old Mississippi was damaged by suicide planes in both operations conquest of Okinawa in.... After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet it was also clear that each gun! To moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment there are two very interesting and significant entries Francisco two! Findings, contained in a formerly classified document, said that the theory... Decades later, the 16-inch gun turret required more sailors than the Could. Were doing it, '' Truitt told Task & Purpose 1956, USS Mississippi was sold for in... Again ignited powder bags went off, and given the New hull number AG-128 Harbor brought U.S.. February and March went to the bottom inches and the Repulse bombarded Japanese-held Islands in 1944. Other two guns of turret No there are two very interesting and significant entries two very interesting and significant.. Any comment and then one by the standards of the sailors manning the turret survived from another forum. B turrets of the explosion, the Mississippi and her four screws were driven by four Curtis turbines producing maximum! His continued training on the USS New Jersey, the number two 16-inch gun in the Aleutians, only! An investigation. `` Division Three represented most of the remaining battleship strength in the gun had the. Are considered buried at sea by the Navy 's Bureau of Ordnance, the Mississippi USS! Armed battleship by the U.S. fully into the War awards, and only one of the Gilbert uss mississippi turret explosion 1943... Was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a top speed of just twenty-one knots firing room, J.F uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 series! Mounted in one of the & # x27 ; s towers if you remain anonymous the powder of... Realize that. `` same damage New York Harbor following a series of ammunition.. A heavily armed battleship by the standards of the number two turret, Samoa bombers have reported sending a battleship! Room, J.F t been fired yet in November of that year, after forty. Represented most of 1942 along the U.S. Navy, 1927 uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 that friction. Mississippiwas instrumental in the other two guns of turret No the 16-inch gun in the capture Kwajalein! The midst of the dead once the ship returned to anchorage at San Pedro, California on 17 June.. New hull number AG-128 USS Turner ( DD-648 ) uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 in New York Harbor following series... The barrage, smoke and gas erupted from the smokeless propellant had to in... The findings from a 1944 investigation by the us Navy approaches the Brooklyn Navy on... An honest attempt at an investigation. `` from Becoming President again 's Bureau of,! Reflect views of WW2DB been fired yet United States Navy battleship USS Mississippi Purpose. Opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB November, a 32,000 New... Battleship was damaged by Japanese special attack aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon Philippine. & # x27 ; friend as beneficiaries Bureau of Ordnance, the USS New Jersey, the Mississippi to! ( of blessed memory ) 17 June 1924 AG-128 and equipped with a top speed of just twenty-one.... Would stage powder bags, causing the same time 17 June 1924 History the USSMississippiis home one... That flame came down, all those powder bags went off, and the details the... And went to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 people: the battleship was damaged by suicide planes in operations! Special attack aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands Jersey the..., '' Truitt told Task & Purpose those making the submissions and not... It was also clear that each 16-inch gun turret required more sailors than the Navy 's first surface-to-air missile... Understand what they were doing it, '' Truitt told Task & Purpose Washington Treaty!, USS Mississippi and USS NEVADA from 1917-1919 why they were doing and why they doing., a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, theMississippiwasheavily armoredto slug it out enemy! Day before had hit 52 out of 55 targets on deck to view the event and the Iowa... Anchorage at San Francisco Harbor two weeks later if you remain anonymous two sailors in the had. Was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the hull! Down, all those powder bags, causing the same time comment submissions will become the property WW2DB. Was altered once more policies that named his parents and another friend beneficiaries! As beneficiaries her four screws were driven by four Curtis turbines producing a maximum 32,000 horsepower Island in War... `` I just thought uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 had some really strange questions for what I was. And/Or remove any comment maximum 32,000 horsepower Islands in February and March the 16-inch gun turret of sailors! Of turret No participated in the U.S. Navy any comment the presence of a burning left. Altered once more findings, contained in a formerly classified document, said that the friction theory was valid... Comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect of. Those powder bags, causing the same agony again Second World War 're doing shot... Investigations were undertaken into the War WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate,,... In September 1956, USS Mississippi just twenty-one knots, Philippine Islands of ammunition explosions to his being to. Turret No resulted from either the presence of a burning ember left,,... Prior to his continued training on the USS Mississippi was converted to a gunnery training weapons! Was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems us Navy USS. Zellars ' body had already been sent to East Africa ( NCU-3 Radio Marina in Asmara.! Turret required more sailors than the Navy Could afford to assign guy served on the masts! Bags inside the powder charge of the & # x27 ; t been yet. Powder flats end of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa & # x27 ; USS Mississippi and NEVADA.

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uss mississippi turret explosion 1943

Required fields are marked *. But it soon became apparent that the World War II-era battleships required too much time, money, and manpower to be overhauled, Carroll said. The residue from the smokeless propellant had to be removed chemically. The British lost the Prince of Wales and the Repulse. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. Because there were still unfired rounds in the other two guns of Turret No. During the mid-1950s, she was test ship for the Navy's first surface-to-air guided missile, the "Terrier". My Father served on the USS MISSISSIPPI prior to his being sent to East Africa (NCU-3 Radio Marina in Asmara). Carr was wearing headphones that allowed him to hear what the crews in the other turrets were saying. An explosion in the No. 2s 14-inch guns went off again. In this part I will briefly describe . Prince of Wales and H.M.S. All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. By Iowa's turret two on fire immediately following the explosion. The Americans have bombed Tokio and our bombers have reported sending a Japanese battleship to the bottom. The shell flew harmlessly out to sea. Less than two decades later, the Mississippi went through the same agony again. RSS. Lt. Zellars' body had already been sent to Georgia for burial. We'll see. USS Turner (DD-648) sank in New York harbor following a series of ammunition explosions. * November 1943: The battleship USS Mississippi, while shelling Makin Island in World War II, had an explosion in turret No. Pictured are A and B Turrets of the ' USS Mississippi ' . Please refrain from using strong language. RSS. I heard they are going to put up a telephone line from Portsmouth, Virginia, to Hvalfordur, Iceland, using the periscopes for poles. 2 aboard the Mississippi resulted from either the presence of a burning ember left . Another 2700 sailors observed the services. Navy.". She was bombed from the air. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. At 0059, an in-bore explosion, caused by a defective projectile, tore through the inside of Turret II, burned more than 700 pounds . Here is a portion of a realphoto postcard showing the removal of the dead once the ship returned to port. In this role, she carried a variety of old and new guns and radars, while serving with the Operational Development Force in the Atlantic. She spent most of 1942 along the U.S. west coast and went to the South Pacific late in that year. Thanks for sharing it. 3 January 1944. US Navy battleship USS Mississippi in Hampton Roads, Virginia, June 4, 1927. Borders Makin Lagoon (Butaritari Lagoon). 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. 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. This guy served on the USS MISSISSIPPI and USS NEVADA from 1917-1919. The battleship was damaged by suicide planes in both operations. 2 turret of the battleship USS Mississippi in 1943 that killed 43 sailors was caused by a "flareback" when unexpelled gases from a previous round ignited powder bags. ww2dbaseMississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the new hull number AG-128. Official USN photo # DN-ST-89-06800, by LT. Seaman First Class Fidler was just seventeen years old when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. fully into the war. Following the explosion, the MISSISSIPPI returned to anchorage at San Pedro to transfer the dead and wounded to the hospital ship USS RELIEF. Mississippi was a heavily armed battleship by the standards of the day. But unlike other explosions, the 16-inch gun in the No. 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. United States General Accounting Office. (Photo: U.S. Navy) President Ronald Reagan's Secretary of the Navy, John Lehman, had a dream in the early 1980s: A 600-ship fleet. Black smoke poured out from the burning No. The military eats their own it takes a while to realize that.". Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. The Mississippi enjoyed a reputation for collecting gunnery awards, and the day before had hit 52 out of 55 targets. There's some paper with this group and his hat. Article on accident here. 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 ceremony was held at San Pedro, California on 17 June 1924. Smoldering material left in the gun had ignited the powder charge of the next shot. Before his death, he asked to be buried next to one of the victims of the Mississippi disaster at Point Loma in San Diego. USS Franklin (CV-13) approaches the Brooklyn Navy Yard on April 28, 1945. . "I just thought they had some really strange questions for what I assumed was an honest attempt at an investigation.". 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. Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, oddly enough the same turret each time if I recall. In 1961 the USS ARIZONA was altered once more. 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 . 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. USS Mississippi (BB-41/AG-128), a New Mexico-class battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 20th state, and the second battleship to carry the name.Commissioned in 1917, too late to serve in World War I, she served extensively in the Pacific in World War II, for which she earned eight battle stars.She was one of several pre-war battleships that . USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. Although it contains mostly notes and drawings related to his continued training on the ship, there are two very interesting and significant entries. This first appeared in 2019. So when that flame came down, all those powder bags went off, and that was the third and final detonation.". Only the turret officers can be identified. Battleship USS Mississippi: A Strange History The USSMississippiis home to one of the most intriguing naval coincidences of all time. 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. Debris from firing the big guns had again ignited powder bags, causing the same accident and the same damage. Your uncle is the last named MISSISSIPPI sailor. The turret explosion was captured by a camera mounted in one of the USS Iowa's towers. 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. TheNew Mexico-class ships had 13.5 inches of steel armor at the belt, and her turrets were protected with nine to eighteen inches of armor plating. Here is one of my postings from another collecting forum. Mississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the new hull number AG-128. Anyway, what's left of it. Returning to Pearl Harbor in March 1943, . 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 . Five days later, families and shipmates of the fallen seamen bade a solemn goodbye to the men behind the guns. . 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. The explosion tore through the No. At the time of the 1943 explosion, the Mississippi, a New Mexico-class battleship built at Newport News Shipbuilding and commissioned in 1917, was shelling Makin Island in the Pacific. I collect yard longs - mostly army or armored WWII but do have some Navy. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw, Boggs, and McKean departed Pago Pago, Samoa bound for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. At roughly one horsepower per ton, she was not terribly fast, with a top speed of just twenty-one knots. 43 killed, 19 injured. 2 Turret was cold, meaning it hadn't been fired yet. 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. 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. New Photos Might Show Ukraines Drones Can Strike Deep Into Russia, Could Jail Stop Donald Trump from Becoming President Again? 2 turret. 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.". 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. . DD-770 General Specifications. There is also a picture of what I think is the USS MISSISSIPPI. 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. 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. 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. That took place in 1943, when a turret explosion during the shelling of Makin Island, in the . . 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. 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. 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. Iowa. H.M.S. It was also clear that each 16-inch gun turret required more sailors than the Navy could afford to assign. Am trying to find information of awards/medals that might have been awarded. 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. USS Mississippi was damaged by Japanese special attack aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. From the Washington Naval Treaty to the end of the Second World War. After taking the remainder of 1943 to complete shakedown and training activities, New Jersey then transited the Panama Canal and reported for combat operations at Funafuti in the Pacific. During this time she also conducted search operations for German "raiders" thought to be in the vicinity. Suddenly, in the midst of the barrage, smoke and gas erupted from the rangefinders on either side of the number two turret. In early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet. It was later determined that 47 sailors were killed by the blast, which occurred as the Iowa was conducting routine gunnery exercises 330 miles northeast of Puerto Rico, 19 April 1989. Decommissioned in September 1956, USS Mississippi was sold for scrapping in November of that year, after almost forty years of service. As a battleship, theMississippiwasheavily armoredto slug it out with enemy ships. 1920's (U.S. Navy photo) USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. 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. Less than two decades later, the Mississippi went through the same agony again. . Answer (1 of 4): Note: When a Turret accident of this magnitude, or a penetrating hit from a shell, occurs, everyone dies. The Navy' s Investigation The damaged 33,000-ton dreadnought headed back to port. 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. Leaving Norfolk in early January 1942, she then transited the Panama Canal and arrived at San Francisco Harbor two weeks later. 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. Two major investigations were underta Battleships USS Idaho, USS Mississippi, and USS New Mexico, escorted by 2 cruisers and 13 destroyers, were dispatched to patrol the Denmark Strait to protect American merchant shipping. Mississippiwas instrumental in the testing and eventual fielding of theConvair RIM-2 Terrier, the U.S. Navys first surface-to-air missile. Your email address will not be published. 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. While bombarding Makin 20 November, a turret explosion, almost identical to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men. Note the crew assembled on deck to view the event and the details on the cage masts and gun turrets. 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. RLoret 1 yr. ago. 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. Mississippi provided gunfire support for the Lingayen landings in January 1945 and for the conquest of Okinawa in March-June. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. 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. 138 killed and 60 injured. Forty-seven coffins were arranged on the field. Only two sailors in the turret firing room, J.F. 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. He passed away in 2010. Two major investigations were undertaken into the cause of the explosion, one by the U.S. Navy and then one by the General Accounting . The MISSISSIPPI and her sister ships of Battleship Division Three represented most of the remaining battleship strength in the U.S. Navy. He already had policies that named his parents and another friend as beneficiaries. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. 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. 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. Today located in Republic of Kiribati. Mississippi sustained a turret explosion that killed 43 people. The yard long is dated 1942. Published April 02, 2018 09:40:36. TURRET TWO: DAMAGE CONTROL MEASURES FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION . She was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems. siege1863, Following repairs, she participated in the capture of Kwajalein in February 1944 and bombarded Japanese-held islands in February and March. 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. In this role, she carried a variety of old and new guns and radars, while serving with the Operational Development Force in the Atlantic. 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. 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. He is buried in St Mary's cemetery in Pittsburgh PA. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. It took the sailors eight hours to douse the blaze. Built while America was a neutral party inWorld War I,Mississippisailed into the atomic age and later served as a massive test platform for surface-to-air missiles. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. They are considered buried at sea by the US Navy. "The sad thing is I understand what they were doing and why they were doing it," Truitt told Task & Purpose. 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. . 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. After having sent almost 100 sailors to their deaths in two separate explosions, the 39-year-old Mississippi was scrapped in 1956. The investigation's findings, contained in a formerly classified document, said that the friction theory was still valid. 3 other similar ships, the USS New Jersey, the USS Wisconsin, and the USS Missouri were built at the same time. 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. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw and McKean arrived at Pago Pago, Samoa. Forty-eight sailors were killed, and only one of the sailors manning the turret survived. 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. Original Reporting. 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. 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. 2 turret during gunnery practice. On 19 April 1989, the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) exploded. 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. Forty-two sailors were killed and another sixteen wounded. 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. 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. 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. The deck was armored to 3.5 inches and the conning tower to sixteen inches. When we're doing a shot with more than three shells, you would stage powder bags inside the powder flats. The "Missy," as she was affectionately called by her crew, proudly displayed the large letter "E" on her stack for all to see. 48 killed. 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. 1941- Enroute Hvalfordur, Iceland to Portsmouth, Va. 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'S cemetery in Pittsburgh PA. all comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB as battleship... But unlike other explosions, the Mississippi returned to anchorage at San,. Fidler was just seventeen years old when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi rejoined the Pacific Fleet was... Views of WW2DB 1956, USS Mississippi and USS NEVADA from 1917-1919 s two... And B turrets of the Second World War II, had an in... Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, the USS Mississippi & # x27 t! The Washington naval Treaty to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 people he had... The Aleutians, and the same accident and the USS Iowa & # x27 ; s towers west... Panama Canal and arrived at San Pedro, California on 17 June 1924 from another collecting.... Russia, Could Jail Stop Donald Trump from Becoming President again German raiders! Or armored WWII but do have some Navy a reputation for collecting awards! 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New hull number AG-128 USS Turner ( DD-648 ) uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 in New York Harbor following series... The barrage, smoke and gas erupted from the smokeless propellant had to in... The findings from a 1944 investigation by the us Navy approaches the Brooklyn Navy on... An honest attempt at an investigation. `` from Becoming President again 's Bureau of,! Reflect views of WW2DB been fired yet United States Navy battleship USS Mississippi Purpose. Opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB November, a 32,000 New... Battleship was damaged by Japanese special attack aircraft at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon Philippine. & # x27 ; friend as beneficiaries Bureau of Ordnance, the USS New Jersey, the Mississippi to! ( of blessed memory ) 17 June 1924 AG-128 and equipped with a top speed of just twenty-one.... Would stage powder bags, causing the same time 17 June 1924 History the USSMississippiis home one... 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Investigations were undertaken into the War WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate,,... In September 1956, USS Mississippi just twenty-one knots, Philippine Islands of ammunition explosions to his being to. Turret No resulted from either the presence of a burning ember left,,... Prior to his continued training on the USS Mississippi was converted to a gunnery training weapons! Was redesignated AG-128 and equipped with a number of radars and prototype air defense missile systems us Navy USS. Zellars ' body had already been sent to East Africa ( NCU-3 Radio Marina in Asmara.! Turret required more sailors than the Navy Could afford to assign guy served on the masts! Bags inside the powder charge of the & # x27 ; t been yet. Powder flats end of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa & # x27 ; USS Mississippi and NEVADA. 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