rlevasse@hawk.ulowell.edu (Roger Levasseur) (04/21/89)
From: rlevasse@hawk.ulowell.edu (Roger Levasseur)
The incident that happened on the USS Iowa is certainly a sad event.
Initial news reports indicate that the 110 pound powder sacks were
ignited. Five sacks are used to fire a projectile from the gun.
Such accidents have happened before. In the Warship International
issue No. 1, 1982 "On Deck" column, a list of ships that have
had problems with guns, breeches, rammers, hoists, turrets, mines,
etc. resulting in accidents. The author of the list does not
claim it is complete. I have typed the list here for reference as
that it is likely a discussion of the Iowa will soon develop, and
that a history of such incidents may be useful. the "----" and "?"
are that of the author. Also, in the No. 3 and No. 4, 1982, issues, several
followup letters to the same column contain corrections and additions.
I have incorported them here as well.
-roger
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date ship flag notes
1875 Oct. 31 Magenta France Fire and explosion at Toulon. Scuttled.
1879 Jan. 2 Thunderer England Gun explosion in turret, at Smyrna.
Double-loaded.
38 ton gun burst. 7 killed
1880 Mar. 8 Dandolo Italy Gun explosion in turret.
1880 Dec. 29 Richelieu France Burnt out at Toulon. Scuttled
later salvaged.
1881 Apr. 29 Doterel England Blew up at Punta Arenas, Magellan Str.
1891 June 29 Cordelia England 6 in. gun explosion in Fiji Isl.
1896 May 15 Duperre France 13.4 in. shell exploded in magazine.
1896 July 28 Roma Italy Hit by lighytning at Spezia, burnt
out. Scuttled.
1897 Mar. 15 C. Veliki Russia Aft turret explosion. Crete. 23 dead.
Unlocked breech.
1901 Sept. 30 Moen Denmark Sunk by gun explosion.
1901 Nov. 9 Royal Sovereign England 6 in. gun explosion. Platea. 6 dead.
1902 Apr. 12 Mars England Turret fire at Berehaven. 11 dead
breech of 12 in. gun left open.
1903 Jan. 16 Massachusetts US Aft starboard 8 in. turret explosion
8 dead. Caribbean.
1903 Dec. 18 I. Huitfeldt Denmark Burnt out, eventually repaired.
1904 Apr. 13 Missouri US Backfire in aft turret at Pensacola.
32 dead.
1905 June 14 Magnificent England 6 in. gun explosion. Tetuan. 5 dead.
1906 ------- Fox England Magazine fire.
1906 Apr. 13 Kearsarge US Short-circuit in rammer switch.
10 dead. Cuba.
1907 June 22 Colorado US 8 inch turret fire.
1907 July 15 Georgia US 8 inch flashback. 6 dead, Cape Cod.
1907 Sept. 16 Kashima Japan Turret backfire. 34 dead
1908 Apr. 30 Matsushima Japan Blew up. 222 dead. Mako, Pescadores.
1908 Sept. 22 L. Treville France Gun explosion in aft turret. 14 dead.
1910 Mar. 27 Charleston US 3 in. gun explosion. 8 dead. Olongapo.
1911 Oct. 16 Nymphe England Gun burst in English Channel. 4 dead.
1912 June 26 J. Michelet France 6.4 inch gun explosion.
1915 May 27 Pr. Irene England Minelayer blew up 352 dead. Sheerness.
1917 Apr. 10 ---- US Ammo plant blew up. Chester Pa.
125 dead.
1917 Dec. 6 ---- Canada Halifax explosion. (Collision of
ammo ships) ca. 1400 dead.
1918 Aug. 13 Etruria Italy Sunk by explosion while loading ammo.
1919 Jan. -- Saranac US Minelayer. Burnt out at Norfolk.
1919 Oct. 31 Hyuga Japan Explosion during Imperial Review.
Tokyo Bay. 14 dead.
192? Gunboat Cuckoo England Gun explosion.
1920 Sept. 12? Haruna Japan No. 1 turret wrecked. probably
hoist explosion.
1921 Sept. 21 ---- Germany Oppau. Nitrate (fertilizer) plant
blew up. town destroyed.
1924 June 12 Mississippi US No. 2 turret explosion. San Pedro.
47 dead.
1924 Oct. 20 Trenton US Hoist explosion in forward turret.
14 dead.
1925 Apr. 8 C. Duilio Italy Hoist explosion. center turret
repairs took 3 years.
1926 Jan. 26 Farragut US 4 in. gun explosion. 2 dead.
premature-fired.
1927 Aug. 1 Tokiwa Japan Explosion. 38 dead.
1929 July 23 Devonshire England gun explosion in Aegean. 17 dead.
1939 Sept. 13. Pluton France Minelayer blew up. 216 dead. Casablanca.
1940 Apr. 30 M. Breze France Torpedo blew up. Ship sunk. Greennock.
1940 June 23 Khartoum England Torpedo blew up. Ship sunk. Dakar.
[battle damage may have been the reason
it blew up after the battle]
1940 Sept. 24 Richelieu France 15 in. shell expl. in gun-barrel. Dakar.
1040 Nov. 27 Pt. Napier England Minelayer burnt out. sank. Lock Alsh.
1941 Sept. 17 Kl. Uggla Sweden 3 nested DDs sunk by explosion. 2 later
salvaged. Harsfjarden.
1942 May -- Hyuga Japan Explosion of aft turret(s).
1943 July 17 ---- US Port Chicago. CA. ammo-loading plant
blew up. 322 dead.
1943 Aug. 14 Arrow England Explosion while loading ammo. Algiers.
Beyond repair.
1944 Jan. 3 Turner US believed to be caused by defective
ammo. off Ambrose Light
1944 Apr. 14 Ft. Stikine India Ammo ship blew up. Bombay.
docks destroyed.
1944 Apr. 30 Solar US unloaded ammo - explosion. Earle, NJ.
1944 May 21 5 LSTs US Nested LSTs (43, 69, 179, 353, 480)
blew up at Pearl Harbor.
1944 Nov. 10 Mt. Hood US Ammo ship blew up. Manus, Admiralty Is.
1945 Apr. 9 ---- Italy Ammo ship blew up. Bari. 360 dead.
1945 June 14 Donau Germany Blew up. Flensburg. 5 Danish
torpedoboats wrecked in nest.
1947 Apr. 16 ---- US Texas City. 561 dead. Nitrate-
fertilizer ship blew up.
1947 Aug. 18 ---- Spain Torpedo and mine plant blew up. Cadiz
dockyard. 147 to ca. 300 dead.
1948 July 28 ---- Germany I.G. Farben chemical works blew up.
Ludwigshaven. 200+ dead.
1955 ---- Novorossiisk Russia ex-Italian BB. blew up at Sevastopol.
1955 June 16 Sidon England Loading torpedoes. blew up and sank.
faulty torpedo design.
1972 Oct. 1 Newport News US shell explosion in No. 2 turret.
19 dead. Vietnam.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Roger Levasseur
University of Lowell
rlevasse@hawk.ulowell.edu