LCDR US Navy Retired

Remember Pear Harbor

Remember Pear Harbor

Most of us remember Pearl Harbor, but how many of us remember the 2^nd Pearl Harbor?

Seems there was a terrible explosion on one of the LST’s being loaded for battle. 
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEBCUTTERS/LST_69.html

Remember those killed and injured on 21 May 1944 – “The Second Pearl Harbor”

May 21
1944 - During preparations for the invasion of Saipan an accidental ordnance blast on LST 353 sets off cataclysmic ammunition explosions at West Loch, Pearl Harbor, killing 163 and injuring 396. Six tank landing ships (LST-39, LST-43, LST-69, LST-179, LST-353, LST-480), three tank landing craft (LCT-961, LCT-963, LCT-983), and 17 track landing vehicles (LVTs) are destroyed in explosions and fires.
From
http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/datesmay.htm

·         Accidental explosion occurs in tank landing ship LST-353 as she is being loaded with mortar ammunition at West Loch, Pearl Harbor. The cataclysmic blasts result in the loss of LST-39, LST-43, LST-69, LST-179, LST-353, and LST-480; tank landing craft LCT-961, LCT-963, and LCT-983; 17 tracked landing vehicles (LVT); and eight 155-millimeter guns. LST-205 and LST-225 are damaged. During firefighting efforts, big harbor tugs Osceola (YTB-129) and Hoga (YTB-146); medium harbor tug Geronimo (YTM-119); little harbor tugs YTL-233, YTL-306, YTL-307, YTL-308, YTL-309, and YTL-339; net tender (tug class) Tamaha (YTM-12); and Navy-chartered tug Mikioi suffer varying degrees of damage.

From
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-Chron/USN-Chron-1944.html

USS LST-43 sunk by explosion at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 21 May 1944.

USS LST-69 sunk by explosion at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 21 May 1944.

USS LST-179 sunk by explosion at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 21 May 1944.

USS LST-179 sunk by explosion at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 21 May 1944.

USS LST-480 sunk by explosion at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 21 May 1944.

From http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq82-1.htm

Also see: http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/160480.htm

And
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEBCUTTERS/LST_205.html

Photos of the best kept secret of WW2

http://members.aol.com/dolart/westloch.htm

This was copied from The History Channel
 “Four veterans return for the first time to West Loch, Pearl Harbor, where the rusty tip of a submerged ship is all that's left of a mysterious accident they survived. On May 21, 1944, they were among the men assembled for the invasion of the Japanese stronghold Saipan. Suddenly, there was a chain of explosions among the tightly berthed ships, and within minutes, many of the combat-loaded ships were on fire--127 servicemen died. The event remained classified until 1960 and the cause remains a mystery.”

Also see:

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEBCUTTERS/LST_19_Nasmyth_Memoir.html

Welcome Home - Gabe, Hannah, Holly, John and Karen

Untitled Comment

9:54 PM, Dec. 7, 2005 .. Posted by KarenW

Oops! With traveling all day, I forgot it was Pearl Harbor day. Thanks for the reminder! So glad to be home.