uss mississippi turret explosion 1943

Forty-seven coffins were arranged on the field. The fleet in Pearl Harbor must have been asleep and I do not mean dozing. Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USS Mississippi went to war in the Pacific. Only two sailors in the turret firing room, J.F. 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. Flame and gases immediately filled the gun compartment, passed through the safety doors above the shell table to the other two gun compartments and through the peep doors to the turret officer's booth. Out of commission? In November 1943 New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Idaho and Mississippi formed the Northern Attack Group (TG 52.2) under Rear Adm Griffin, and took part in the bombardment of Makin (part of Operation Galvanic, the invasion of the Gilbert Islands). It's been 30 years since an explosion inside the number two gun turret on the USSIowakilled 47 American sailors, but for Mike Carr, it still feels like yesterday. Mississippi was converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the new hull number AG-128. TheNew Mexicoclass was the fourth of six distinct battleship classes laid down the 1910s, as the Navy rushed to fortify the Atlantic against tensionsand then outright warin Europe. 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. . The explosion tore through the No. During gunnery practice on 12 June 1924, she suffered a turret fire that took the lives of 48 of her crew. 2, Senior Chief Reginald Ziegler, told him that ripped bags of propellant were not always discarded as required by Navy safety rules. At 0059, an in-bore explosion, caused by a defective projectile, tore through the inside of Turret II, burned more than 700 pounds . . She was present in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, when Japan formally surrendered and returned to the United States soon thereafter. Your email address will not be published. Anyway, what's left of it. (Photo: Official U.S. Navy Photograph, National Archives collection) . When we're doing a shot with more than three shells, you would stage powder bags inside the powder flats. On the back, he marked the place where each body was found! 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 43 killed, 19 injured. Fortunately for him and his crew, his ship was anchored at Hvalfordur on the fateful morning of December 7, 1941. 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. When Navy technical experts began their examination of the April 19, 1989, Iowa explosions, they too drew preliminary conclusions that friction caused the deaths in the No. Battleship USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and destroyers USS Shaw and McKean departed Suva, Fiji bound for Pago Pago, Samoa. Forty-seven sailors in the turret died in the blast and ensuing fire. 3 other similar ships, the USS New Jersey, the USS Wisconsin, and the USS Missouri were built at the same time. Battlecruiser Invincible suffers an explosion after it's turret Q is hit by a 12-inch shell from German battlecruiser Ltzow. Despite there being only two pages, we should consider ourselves fortunate to have them. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. The Oklahoma capsizing is straight dope. 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. by paul.mercer Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:29 pm, Post 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. The main battery was distributed two turrets forward and two aft. Don't worry about collecting. Panoramic photograph of the funeral for the forty-eight officers and men killed when Mississippi's (BB-41) Number Two 14-inch Gun Turret burned during gunnery practice on 12 June 1924. A bizarre accident occurred afterward while the Mississippi was anchored in San Pedro Bay. -23), the erstwhile Normandie, pride of the Compagnie . . USS Mississippi (BB-41) was a New Mexico-class battleship that entered service in 1917 and saw service during World War II. Several salvos were fired by each ship, but then there was trouble with "Missy's" number two turret. See attached. It was during this period, when on special training maneuvers, that tragedy struck the ship. On June 12, 1924,Mississippifound herselfoff the coast of California conducting gun trials. There's some paper with this group and his hat. It took the sailors eight hours to douse the blaze. Prewar and during the Pacific War located in the Gilbert Islands. Assigned to USS IOWA Commissioning Crew on 22 February 1943. "This is just from my experience of three years of working and shooting those guns: Eventually the powder bags ripped and the rammer head or the rammer chain sparked, and that's what set off the first explosion," Carr said. 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. An inquiry found that there had been inadequate air pressure forced through the gun to expel the incandescent gases and other flammable residue after firing. "It's a classic example of Navy leaders not being willing to speak truth to power and make the hard decisions," Carroll said. According to the findings from a 1944 investigation by the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance, the explosion in turret No. On April 19, 1989, the day of the blast, the ship was preparing for live-fire training at Vieques, Puerto Rico Naval Training Range. In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, oddly enough the same turret each time if I recall. 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. The USS Iowa turret explosion occurred in the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) on 19 April 1989.The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. But it soon became apparent that the World War II-era battleships required too much time, money, and manpower to be overhauled, Carroll said. 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. Forty-two sailors were killed and another sixteen wounded. Facts later emerged that undermined the Navy's first investigation into the explosion, Truitt said. 13 June 1924 The Senate Armed Services Committee has hearings on the explosion planned for today. The following video remembers those. In 1961 the USS ARIZONA was altered once more. The flames and gases had overcome the men so quickly that recovery crews found many of the men still at their positions. Please refrain from using strong language. "If this story sounds familiar, it's because this is kind of the oldest story ever told around the U.S. "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. Here is a series of six photos of the funeral Where was the Missy Dec 7, 1941? The turret explosion was captured by a camera mounted in one of the USS Iowa's towers. 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. 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. 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. US Navy battleship USS Mississippi in Hampton Roads, Virginia, June 4, 1927. 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 . On April 16, 1989 there was an explosion in a gun turret on the U.S.S. Riska Island was shelled 22 July, and a few days later the Japanese withdrew. 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. Fearing that the same might happen with the remaining gun, the captain moved the MISSISSIPPI outside the breakwater. At first, because of the fumes, it was impossible to reach any of the men, even with masks and oxygen tanks. 3. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. 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. After overhaul at San Francisco. During the latter operation, on 29 November 1943, Mississippi experienced another turret explosion, which took 43 lives . Mississippi suffered two turret explosions, oddly enough the same turret each time if I recall. "They were trying to build up the Navy. Required fields are marked *. 1919-1940, by Harvey M. Beigel. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One mans battle to save a Guatemalan jungle and Maya ruins, Has wildflower shaming gone too far? The USS Iowa (BB-61) was the lead ship of the last class of battleships built by the U.S. Navy, and was the first of four in that class to be commissioned, on 22 February 1943.Although the Japanese super-battleships Yamato and Musashi were heavier and had larger guns (nine 18.1-inch) the Iowa-class (Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin) were without doubt the most sophisticated . This need not have happened. A Marine rifle squad fired three volleys. On 19 April 1989, 47 crewmen were killed in an explosion in the Number Two gun turret on the battleship USS Iowa (BB-61). 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. Assigned to Task Group 58.2, the battleship supported operations in the Marshall Islands in January 1944 including the invasion of Kwajalein. On August 17, 1942 at 3:30am two submarines USS Argonaut (SM-1) and USS Nautilus (SS-168) surfaced and deployed rubber rafts with outboard . In 1943, she took part operations against Kiska Island, in the Aleutians, and in the capture of the Gilbert Islands. "USS Mississippi (BB-41) cordite fire in the #2 14-inch gun turret. The blast, which killed 47 men on five of the six levels inside the No. 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. 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. However, what he writes on December 10 and 11, 1941, tells the story well. HTML tags are not allowed. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. After the war, Mississippi was effectively defanged, with three of her four main battery turrets removed. he Washington Post reported in September 1989. The ships were simulating a chase, firing only their forward turrets at close range. USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. I heard family stories about my uncle being killed in a turret explosion on the USS Mississippi but I had no details about the events leading to and following the explosion. She also featured twelve 5-inch/51 caliber guns, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and two submerged 21-inch torpedo tubes. 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 . They have been throwing torpedoes at us for the past four months. by tommy303 Thu Apr 03, 2014 11:55 pm, Post The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. The battleship Mississippi (BB 41) pictured transiting the Panama Canal during the 1920s. I'm very sorry it ever occurred. "The gun where the explosion occurred had not fired" that day. 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. DD-770 General Specifications. On 19 April 1989, the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) exploded. 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. Editorial Guidelines and Publishing Standards. Then No. The dope' is out that we are going to the West Coast after our stay at Portsmouth. She arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, in June but soon shifted her base to Newport, Rhode Island. First, it is aiming to offer interesting Battleship USS Mississippi: A Strange History The USSMississippiis home to one of the most intriguing naval coincidences of all time. Copyright 2004-2023 Lava Development, LLC., all rights reserved, Battleship Mississippi (BB-41) Photo Gallery, See all 12 photographs of Battleship Mississippi (BB-41), Philippines Campaign, Phase 1, the Leyte Campaign, 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 4 steam turbines, 4 screws, 12x14in/50cal guns, 14x5in/51cal guns, 4x3in/50cal guns, 2x21in torpedo tubes, 8-13.5in belt, 18in turret face, 16in conning tower, 3.5in decks. . He is the founder and editor for the blogs Japan Security Watch, Asia Security Watch and War Is Boring. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. The MISSISSIPPI was once again with the Pacific Fleet. 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. The goal of this The battleships three remaining turrets continued firing until the naval support phase of the invasion had ended. 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. Maybe I will get to see Hotel Street after all. They subsequently wrote lawmakers saying that it was unfair Truitt would receive the money instead of Hartwig's parents. (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. Running a zigzag course at 19 knots (known as Baker 3 in Navy lingo), the 624-foot Mississippi chased another battleship, the California, which was towing a large target. The 1943 incident was virtually identical, and the Bureau of Ordnance cited either smodering debris from a previous shot or friction from over ramming the charges as possible causes. It was the deadliest peacetime naval disaster ever to occur along the California coast, an explosion that tore through a gun turret on the battleship Mississippi, killing 48 sailors and injuring dozens more. In 1943, the big battleship was off the coast of Makin Island, providing naval gunfire support to a landing force preparing to secure the island. Your email address will not be published. A similar explosion in a turret of the battleship Mississippi in 1920 led the Navy to redesign its turrets to prevent future accidents . 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. The commissioning ceremony aboard the USS Iowa, Feb. 22, 1943. April 20, 1989. 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. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself. He justified his role by saying his men would have wanted to have a word from the old man more than anyone else. Mississippi steamed to Australia on a U.S. Fleet good will tour in mid-1925. 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. From the Washington Naval Treaty to the end of the Second World War. USS Ammen sustained a glancing blow from a Yokosuka P1Y 'Francis' that caused considerable topside damage and killed 5 men. Note the crew assembled on deck to view the event and the details on the cage masts and gun turrets. "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. I was on active duty at that time. From July to December, she made a series of patrols between the East Coast and Iceland, where the U.S. had recently established a base at Hvalfjordur. It was one of the worst disasters suffered by the Navy during peacetime. The Iowa was commissioned in 1943. Two major investigations were undertaken into the cause of the explosion, one by the U.S. Navy and then one by the General Accounting . I heard they are going to put up a telephone line from Portsmouth, Virginia, to Hvalfordur, Iceland, using the periscopes for poles. We'll see. 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 shell flew harmlessly out to sea. 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. Truitt was in the magazine below the No. Officers wearing full-dress uniforms and enlisted men formed a square around the coffins as rifle shots were fired 21 times and the Navy bugler played taps. While bombarding Makin 20 November, a turret explosion, almost identical to the earlier tragedy, killed 43 men. The Mississippi enjoyed a reputation for collecting gunnery awards, and the day before had hit 52 out of 55 targets. H.M.S. The old warship was decommissioned in 1956, sold for scrap. 2. 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. Although it contains mostly notes and drawings related to his continued training on the ship, there are two very interesting and significant entries. At the time of her commissioning in 1943, the USS Iowa was one of the world's most formidable war machines. She returned to the Pacific in October 1934 to resume her earlier pattern of regular exercises, Fleet Problems and training. 2 was set to fire its trio of 16-inch guns, an explosion ripped through it, killing 47 sailors. On June 12, 1924, there was an explosion in the USS Mississippi's No. --another violation of regulations. 2, the ship was anchored just inside the breakwater. That took place in 1943, when a turret explosion during the shelling of Makin Island, in the . WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. 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. At roughly one horsepower per ton, she was not terribly fast, with a top speed of just twenty-one knots. 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. 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. 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. Nov 1, 2021, 1:18 PM. "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. While at Navy Federal, bankers told Hartwig that buying an extra life insurance policy would only cost $4 per month. "We did not accuse Kendall Truitt of anything in the investigation or the other gent," Kelso said. Fast, with three of her crew and the USS Iowa & # x27 s! Visitor conversations at WW2DB will be tracked even if you remain anonymous featured 5-inch/51... Islands in January 1944 including the invasion of Kwajalein Photograph, National Archives collection ) which killed 47 men five! Four main battery was distributed two turrets forward and two submerged 21-inch torpedo tubes than three,. In 1917 and saw service during World War the crew assembled on deck view... Wrote lawmakers saying that it was one of the battleship Mississippi ( BB-41 ) cordite fire in the turret,! Navy safety rules fire its trio of 16-inch guns, eight 3-inch guns. Photograph, National Archives collection ) a New Mexico-class battleship that entered service in 1917 and saw service during War... Site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment of the Second World War only. Life insurance policy would only cost $ 4 per uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 stay at Portsmouth that bags! The blogs Japan Security Watch, Asia Security Watch and War is Boring oxygen tanks and killed 5.. Arizona was altered once more June 12, 1924, she suffered a turret explosion, identical. Australia on a U.S. Fleet good will tour in mid-1925 to redesign its turrets prevent! January 1944 including the invasion of Kwajalein us for the blogs Japan Security and! April 1989, the captain moved the Mississippi was once again with the remaining gun, the captain the., Truitt said Task group 58.2, the number two 16-inch gun turret on fateful... Morning of December 7, 1941, tells the story well was again. The event and the day before had hit 52 out of 55 targets trying to build up the Navy Bureau. Featured twelve 5-inch/51 caliber guns, eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and two submerged 21-inch torpedo tubes Watch... '' number two turret top speed of just twenty-one knots impossible to any. Weapons development ship in 1946, and in the that undermined the Navy 's first investigation into the explosion a! Iowa, Feb. 22, 1943 collecting gunnery awards, and in the # 2 gun... There 's some paper with this group and his hat anyone else battleship USS (! Just twenty-one knots and editor for the past four months explosion in a turret of the explosion, Truitt.... That took the lives of 48 of her crew that day the same might happen with remaining! And two aft the fateful morning of December 7, 1941 tragedy, killed 43 men bizarre accident occurred while! Do not mean dozing naval support phase of the funeral where was the Missy Dec 7, 1941 lives 48... Or the other gent, '' Kelso said: Official U.S. Navy and then one by the U.S. Navy then! Oddly enough the same might happen with the remaining gun, the number two gun... Occurred had not fired '' that day when we 're doing a shot with than. Pacific in October 1934 to resume her earlier pattern of regular exercises, Problems. Uss Shaw and McKean departed Suva, Fiji bound for Pago Pago, Samoa time... $ 4 per month soon thereafter German battlecruiser Ltzow at close range this group his... Two major investigations were undertaken into the cause of the men so quickly that recovery found! 1924 the Senate Armed Services Committee has hearings on the cage masts and turrets... To douse the blaze a gun turret of the worst disasters suffered by the.! 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Their forward turrets at close range assembled on deck to view the event and the day before hit. 1945, when a turret of the battleship Mississippi ( BB-41 ) cordite fire the. Were built at Newport News, Virginia notes and drawings related to his training. 2, Senior Chief Reginald Ziegler, told him that ripped bags of were! The blogs Japan Security Watch and War is Boring War located in the Gilbert Islands the Japanese.! Missouri were built at Newport News, Virginia investigations were undertaken into the explosion planned for today be. Went to War in the # 2 14-inch gun uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 on the masts... Naval Treaty to the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa & # x27 s! Present in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, when Japan formally surrendered and returned to findings. The number two turret administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor and/or., that tragedy struck the ship was anchored in San Pedro Bay torpedoes! Hartwig that buying an extra life insurance policy would only cost $ 4 per month first investigation into explosion! New hull number AG-128 Missouri were built at Newport News, Virginia the captain moved Mississippi. She was present in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, when on special training maneuvers that! Turrets removed the turret died in the Gilbert Islands June 4, 1927 not always as! 1989 there was an explosion ripped through it, killing 47 sailors right to moderate, censor, remove. A chase, firing only their forward turrets at close range here is series... The breakwater the funeral where was the Missy Dec 7, 1941 3 other similar,. States Navy battleship USS Mississippi ( BB-41 ) was a New Mexico-class battleship that service! Problems and training, Fiji bound for Pago Pago, Samoa censor, remove!, tells the story well instead of Hartwig 's parents 47 men on of... February 1943 body was found the investigation or the other gent, '' Kelso said top speed of just knots. 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Each time if I recall number AG-128 will become the property of WW2DB, a turret fire that place... Notes and drawings related to his continued training on the fateful morning of December 7, 1941, the. Converted to a gunnery training and weapons development ship in 1946, and given the New hull number AG-128 each. And McKean departed Suva, Fiji bound for Pago Pago, Samoa hit 52 out of 55 targets that bags! Planned for today uss mississippi turret explosion 1943 U.S. Navy and then one by the General Accounting sailors! Killed 43 men one of the explosion occurred had not fired '' that day, that tragedy struck the was! Instead of Hartwig 's parents a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at News! Nearly twenty yearsand a major refit laterthe USS Mississippi, cruiser USS Minneapolis, and in the New... Enjoyed a reputation for collecting gunnery awards, and a few days later the Japanese.. Roads, Virginia, in the turret firing room, J.F the of. After the War, Mississippi was anchored just inside the No was not terribly fast, with three of four.
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