1924 — June 12, battleship USS Mississippi gun turret cordite fire off San Pedro CA  —  48

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-26-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

—  48  Berman, Bruce D.  Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 217.

—  48  US Dept. Navy. “Casualties: US Navy…Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured…”

—  48  US Naval History and Heritage Command. USS Mississippi (BB-41…), 1917-1956. 2000.

Narrative Information

 Law Firm of Baron and Budd, P.C.: “On June 12, 1924, there was an explosion in the USS Mississippi’s No. 2 turret during gunnery practice. Forty-eight men died of asphyxiation as a result of the explosion.”  (Law Firm of Baron and Budd, P.C.  “USS Mississippi BB-41,” Mesothelioma News.)

Navy 2000: “USS Mississippi, a 32,000 ton New Mexico class battleship, was built at Newport News, Virginia. She was commissioned in December 1917…

“During gunnery practice on 12 June 1924, she suffered a turret fire that took the lives of 48 of her crew….” (Navy 2000. USS Mississippi.)

USN: “USS Mississippi (BB-41) cordite fire in the #2 14-inch gun turret. 48 killed. 12 Jun. 1924.” (US Dept. Navy. “Casualties: US Navy…Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured…”)

Newspaper

June 19: “Clinton Boy Killed – “Buster” King a Victim of Battleship Explosion Frank B. King, youngest son of Judge J. D. King, of the Henry County Court was killed by an explosion on Board the U.S.S. Mississippi while the dreadnought was in firing practice on the San Clemente drill grounds off the harbor of San Pedro, Calif…. More than forty men were killed by the explosion which blew up turret No. 2. The turret was in firing practice when the reserve supply of powder four bags, containing 1,800 pounds of high explosives ignited while one of the guns was being fired at high elevation. Only three men in the turret escaped the others being burned to death or suffocated and more than a score of others outside the turret were severely burned. The Mississippi started back to San Pedro immediately and was met by two mine sweeping vessels and a hospital ship and the dead and injured were transferred to these relief vessels.”  (Henry County Democrat, Clinton MO – June 19 1924; reproduced in Rootsweb.ancestry.com.)

Sources

Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. Boston: Mariners Press Inc., 1972.

Henry County Democrat, Clinton MO – June 19 1924; reproduced in Rootsweb.ancestry.com. Accessed at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mohenry/local/kllocal.html

Law Firm of Baron and Budd, P.C. “USS Mississippi BB-41,” Mesothelioma News. 8/30/2009 at: http://www.mesotheliomanews.com/asbestos/navy-and-naval-shipyards/battleships/uss-mississippi-bb-41/

United States Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center. “Casualties: US Navy and Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured in Selected Accidents and Other Incidents Not Directly the Result of Enemy Action.” Washington, DC: Washington Navy Yard. Accessed at:  http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/NHC/accidents.htm

United States Naval History and Heritage Command. “USS Mississippi (BB-41, later AG0128), 1917-1956.” 2000. Accessed 3-26-2025 at: https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-navy-ships/battleships/mississippi-bb-41.html