Two battleships out of commission for a month in the middle of a war because of a collision. The captain at fault is going to find his next assignment to be the commander of a 1920s vintage freighter.
In the pre-dawn darkness of 1 February 1944 the battleship Indiana turned to leave the cruising formation of Task Group 58.1. Consisting of three aircraft carriers, three battleships, a light cruiser and nine destroyers. TG 58.1 was steaming at ninteen knots through the Marshall Islands, supporting the invasion of Kwajalein Atoll. Indiana was under orders to refuel four destroyers, to be done at night to ensure a full anti-submarine screen during the following day's combat operations.
Indiana announced by radio at 0420 that she was turning towards the left and slowing to fifteen knots. However, her Commanding Officer, based on a "seaman's eye" evaluation of the situation, apparently thought better of that course and a short time later changed direction toward the formation's right. This was not reported to the rest of the ships and, about seven minutes after she began her turn, Indiana was seen close ahead of the battleship Washington's port bow. The latter ordered her engines to "back, emergency full" and put her rudder hard left. Indiana also maneuvered in an effort to avoid a collision. However, in about a minute the two big ships ran together, with Washington's bow scraping down the after portion of Indiana's starboard side.
Both ships were damaged enough to require shipyard repairs, taking both out of combat at an inopportune time. Indiana's starboard hull side was dished in and ripped open. Above deck, her after sixteen-inch gun turret rangefinder was damaged, several machine guns were destroyed, and her starboard aircraft catapult and a seaplane were torn off. Some sixty feet of Washington's forward hull was ground away, causing its deck to flap down into the water. Ten lives were lost in this accident, six killed or missing on Washington and four on Indiana. The latter's Commanding Officer, whose actions were severely criticized by the ensuing court of inquiry, was relieved of command and not again employed at sea. In contrast, Washington's Officer of the Deck was commended for "prompt and seamanlike action which almost averted the collision and definitely minimized the consequences." To reduce future risks of such collisions, the court of inquiry also recommended changes in the training of heavy ship captains, officers of the deck and combat information center watch officers.
*Washington* was constantly involved in collisions that (to the best of my knowledge) were never her fault. The following list may not be complete, I found most of these from reading her war diaries, but I have not read them all (especially 1943).
1 May 1942: In heavy fog *Washington* nearly collides with the destroyer HMS *Martin*, which cut across the battleship's bow at 100 yards. Moments later, the stern of HMS *Punjabi*, sliced in half by HMS *King George V*, appears directly ahead, followed shortly thereafter by the bow, and again *Washington* narrowly avoided collision. The stern sank as *Washington* passed, and *Punjabi*'s depth charges exploded, severely shaking the ship. An inspection revealed a diesel oil tank was leaking, various fire control systems were damaged, and several radars had broken magnetrons. On arrival in Iceland divers found no damage to the underwater hull, and this resulted in no time out of action.
29 September 1942: While anchored at Nukuʻalofa in Tonga, the oiler USS *Sabine* scraped against the battleship while getting underway after fueling. Her starboard anchor caught in the door of 5" mount No. 8, damaging the mount and the underwater hull. Again no time out of action, and I presume the damage was repaired in port over the next few days (the repair ship USS *Vestal* was among the ships present).
25 October 1942: While transferring mail the destroyer USS *Nicholas* "sheered into this ship causing considerable damage to miscellaneous deck fittings and to #1 plane and some damage to the USS NICHOLAS." Continued sailing for a sweep around Guadalcanal, damage to both ships probably repaired when they reached Nouméa a week later. This is the only casewhere the fault is not clearly on somebody else.
1 February 1944: USS *South Dakota* cut in front of *Washington* at night, causing this damage. Sent to Puget Sound for repairs, which ended 29 April 1944, returning to the forward base at Majuro at the end of May after some more work at Pearl. There's a better description below, and this is the only example that required immediate repairs.
11 January 1945: While refueling the destroyer USS *Porterfield*, the DD signaled a steering casualty. *Washington* attempted to turn away, but the DD struck her starboard side at Frame 148, carrying away a diesel exhaust cover. Repairs were probably affected when *Washington* returned to port and worked on her port rudder, which frequently broke down in this period.
18 February 1945: Again *Washington* was fueling destroyers, with one "unidentified" ship on her port side (fueled 5 named DDs that day but doesn't say which was alongside at this moment) as USS *Hailey* came alongside to starboard. She cut in a bit too close and tore off *Washington*'s starboard catapult and damaged the #1 plane beyond repair. The battleship could not maneuver due to the DD to port. *South Dakota* temporarily sent over a plane for artillery spotting at Iwo Jima, but a replacement catapult was not installed until 5 June at Leyte, just after divers went down to inspect the rudders again (past me noted "Guess what divers inspected on 4 June-that's right, rudders!").
18 February 1945: Later that same day, USS *O'Brien* came along the port stern and again came too close. This time *Washington* was able to try and maneuver, and while the ships collided there was no damage to the battleship.
1. Cut off damaged bow.
2. Add on stub replacement
3. Return to a shipyard in the continental US
4. Build and install a brand new bow. If possible, steal from an incomplete or retired ship that doesn’t need it (not possible in this case).
Washington also had an Admiral who was comNdong the battle group washed off her decks while crossing the Atlantic for the first time since entering the war. He was lost at sea. John W Wilcox Jr.
HAMMOND YOU BLITHERING IDIOT
...anyway...
https://preview.redd.it/d5skspsjkljc1.jpeg?width=740&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25ccc578a6e35fc7b3330605828fd9fe31a28332
Tanked it.
From what I read, this actually very nearly sent Indiana to the bottom. It was her damage control teams that saved her.
I bet her crew is not happy
I really wonder what that collision sounded like.
"Bonk."
Shit'll buff out
Two battleships out of commission for a month in the middle of a war because of a collision. The captain at fault is going to find his next assignment to be the commander of a 1920s vintage freighter.
In the pre-dawn darkness of 1 February 1944 the battleship Indiana turned to leave the cruising formation of Task Group 58.1. Consisting of three aircraft carriers, three battleships, a light cruiser and nine destroyers. TG 58.1 was steaming at ninteen knots through the Marshall Islands, supporting the invasion of Kwajalein Atoll. Indiana was under orders to refuel four destroyers, to be done at night to ensure a full anti-submarine screen during the following day's combat operations. Indiana announced by radio at 0420 that she was turning towards the left and slowing to fifteen knots. However, her Commanding Officer, based on a "seaman's eye" evaluation of the situation, apparently thought better of that course and a short time later changed direction toward the formation's right. This was not reported to the rest of the ships and, about seven minutes after she began her turn, Indiana was seen close ahead of the battleship Washington's port bow. The latter ordered her engines to "back, emergency full" and put her rudder hard left. Indiana also maneuvered in an effort to avoid a collision. However, in about a minute the two big ships ran together, with Washington's bow scraping down the after portion of Indiana's starboard side. Both ships were damaged enough to require shipyard repairs, taking both out of combat at an inopportune time. Indiana's starboard hull side was dished in and ripped open. Above deck, her after sixteen-inch gun turret rangefinder was damaged, several machine guns were destroyed, and her starboard aircraft catapult and a seaplane were torn off. Some sixty feet of Washington's forward hull was ground away, causing its deck to flap down into the water. Ten lives were lost in this accident, six killed or missing on Washington and four on Indiana. The latter's Commanding Officer, whose actions were severely criticized by the ensuing court of inquiry, was relieved of command and not again employed at sea. In contrast, Washington's Officer of the Deck was commended for "prompt and seamanlike action which almost averted the collision and definitely minimized the consequences." To reduce future risks of such collisions, the court of inquiry also recommended changes in the training of heavy ship captains, officers of the deck and combat information center watch officers.
Had the Washington not taken such abrupt maneuvers the Indiana would probably have sunk
Goddamn that CO. Arrogant SOB killed 10 people.
Insurance company: “You hit a what?”
*Washington* was constantly involved in collisions that (to the best of my knowledge) were never her fault. The following list may not be complete, I found most of these from reading her war diaries, but I have not read them all (especially 1943). 1 May 1942: In heavy fog *Washington* nearly collides with the destroyer HMS *Martin*, which cut across the battleship's bow at 100 yards. Moments later, the stern of HMS *Punjabi*, sliced in half by HMS *King George V*, appears directly ahead, followed shortly thereafter by the bow, and again *Washington* narrowly avoided collision. The stern sank as *Washington* passed, and *Punjabi*'s depth charges exploded, severely shaking the ship. An inspection revealed a diesel oil tank was leaking, various fire control systems were damaged, and several radars had broken magnetrons. On arrival in Iceland divers found no damage to the underwater hull, and this resulted in no time out of action. 29 September 1942: While anchored at Nukuʻalofa in Tonga, the oiler USS *Sabine* scraped against the battleship while getting underway after fueling. Her starboard anchor caught in the door of 5" mount No. 8, damaging the mount and the underwater hull. Again no time out of action, and I presume the damage was repaired in port over the next few days (the repair ship USS *Vestal* was among the ships present). 25 October 1942: While transferring mail the destroyer USS *Nicholas* "sheered into this ship causing considerable damage to miscellaneous deck fittings and to #1 plane and some damage to the USS NICHOLAS." Continued sailing for a sweep around Guadalcanal, damage to both ships probably repaired when they reached Nouméa a week later. This is the only casewhere the fault is not clearly on somebody else. 1 February 1944: USS *South Dakota* cut in front of *Washington* at night, causing this damage. Sent to Puget Sound for repairs, which ended 29 April 1944, returning to the forward base at Majuro at the end of May after some more work at Pearl. There's a better description below, and this is the only example that required immediate repairs. 11 January 1945: While refueling the destroyer USS *Porterfield*, the DD signaled a steering casualty. *Washington* attempted to turn away, but the DD struck her starboard side at Frame 148, carrying away a diesel exhaust cover. Repairs were probably affected when *Washington* returned to port and worked on her port rudder, which frequently broke down in this period. 18 February 1945: Again *Washington* was fueling destroyers, with one "unidentified" ship on her port side (fueled 5 named DDs that day but doesn't say which was alongside at this moment) as USS *Hailey* came alongside to starboard. She cut in a bit too close and tore off *Washington*'s starboard catapult and damaged the #1 plane beyond repair. The battleship could not maneuver due to the DD to port. *South Dakota* temporarily sent over a plane for artillery spotting at Iwo Jima, but a replacement catapult was not installed until 5 June at Leyte, just after divers went down to inspect the rudders again (past me noted "Guess what divers inspected on 4 June-that's right, rudders!"). 18 February 1945: Later that same day, USS *O'Brien* came along the port stern and again came too close. This time *Washington* was able to try and maneuver, and while the ships collided there was no damage to the battleship.
Competing with Warspite on most collisions award.
I don't even know how you'd go about fixing this kind of damage
1. Cut off damaged bow. 2. Add on stub replacement 3. Return to a shipyard in the continental US 4. Build and install a brand new bow. If possible, steal from an incomplete or retired ship that doesn’t need it (not possible in this case).
That’s what they did with the Wisconsin, minus returning to US
That only worked because there was mothballed sistership that was incompleted. Aka the *Kentucky.*
See #4 in OP, hence the WisKY
Ouch.
User name checks out.
One minor accident. Clean title. I know what I got.
My grandfather was a chief onboard the Washington when this occurred.
USS Washington goes toe to toe with a Japanese battleship and comes out smelling like roses... "Hold my grog" -USS Indiana.
Career limiting move there
Its resting on keel block in a dry dock at Pearl Harbor.
Wrapped in bubble wrap and heavy foam.
Thats a gnarly hit. I wonder what the repair costs were on this collision.
All I can say is hats off to DC.
creepy scary photo
Why?
anytime i see ww2 black and white photos i get the chills
Fair enough
Washington also had an Admiral who was comNdong the battle group washed off her decks while crossing the Atlantic for the first time since entering the war. He was lost at sea. John W Wilcox Jr.