AG and MM Board

Hurricane's

Posted by Gerald Burr on April 24, 2010, 5:07 pm

Does any Armed Guard Shipmate remember the Great Atlantic Hurricane of Sept. 1944? I was on a Liberty ship returning from England to New York and we ran into this storm about 200 miles off New York, that was scary ride. When we got to New York there was quite a bit of destruction. Perhaps there were other hurricanes or tyhoons that someone remembers. Gerry Burr

Re: Hurricanes (and typhoons)

Posted by Ron Carlson on April 26, 2010, 2:18 pm, in reply to "Hurricane's"

There was also a very serious typhoon in the Pacific, on December 17-18, 1944, east of the Philippines. Three destroyers, SPENCE, HULL and MONAGHAN, capsized and sank, taking most of their men with them; about 790 sailors were lost from the three ships. Many other ships were badly damaged. The light carrier MONTEREY was nearly lost to fires that broke out on the hanger deck when aircraft stored there broke loose, crashed into each other, and ignited. A young officer aboard MONTEREY recalled nearly being washed overboard during the typhoon, before volunteering to lead a fire team below decks. The officer's name was Gerald Ford, later to become President.

(Off topic, it may be interesting to note that Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford and George H. W. Bush all served as naval officers in the Pacific during World War II. Must have been something in the water.)

There was a second severe typhoon on June 2-3, 1945, east of Okinawa. No ships were lost but many were damaged and six men were swept overboard from various vessels. Many airplanes were destroyed or damaged aboard carriers.

Admiral William Halsey was in overall command of the ships involved in both typhoons. Navy courts of inquiry found Halsey responsible for the losses in both typhoons due to poor judgment and recommended he be relieved of command. Both times Admiral Chester Nimitz, Halsey's superior, rejected the recommendations and kept Halsey as commander of the Third Fleet.

Ron Carlson, Webmaster

Re: Hurricanes (and typhoons)

Posted by Fran Kent on April 26, 2010, 7:01 pm, in reply to "Re: Hurricanes (and typhoons)"

Ron:

The typhoon you cite is well known to me. A high school friend was on the destroyer Spence. I don't think anyone got off her, certainly not my friend, who was in the black gang. As I heard it, the Spence had pumped out her sea-water ballast in preparation for going alongside a carrier to refuel when the typhoon hit. Didn't have a prayer.

Re: Hurricanes (and typhoons)

Posted by Gerald Burr on April 27, 2010, 3:55 pm, in reply to "Re: Hurricanes (and typhoons)"

In August of 1944 our Liberty ship was anchored about a half mile from shore in the Harbor of Batangus, in the northern Luzon Peninsula of the Phillipines, we were waiting with hundreds of other Merchant ships and Navl ships to head for Japan for the big invasion. We got news Truman had the Atom Bomb dropped and the war was over. One night we had a warning that a Typhoon was headed our way, some of the ships didn't take heed. The Typhoon hit bad that night and the next morning many of the ships were pushed on shore by the winds. Even though we had both Anchors down, we had been pushed to within about 100 yds. of the Shore. The hurricane we went through in the Atlantic was a lot scarier but I think a Typhoon packs a bigger wallop. Gerry Burr

Re: Hurricanes (and typhoons)

Posted by Gerald Burr on April 28, 2010, 5:55 pm, in reply to "Re: Hurricanes (and typhoons)"

Sorry I made a mistake on the year, it was 1945. Gerry Burr

Re: Hurricane's

Posted by Roy Brown on April 25, 2010, 8:36 pm, in reply to "Hurricane's"

I will be 84 on May 12 if you all want to pool $$$$$ and treat me!!!!
I, too, was in that hurricane off the East coast. We were in a convoy headed again for the Mediterranean and that was the first of our many problems.
We were in many storms so I don't have a clear, SEPARATE, memory of each of them. However, I clearly remember that it was a violent storm and I can recall when one side passed and we were in the "eye" of the Hurricane. It was a rather weird feeling.
It, too, passed and were struck by the other side.
I DO remember another trip, and a very bad storm we were in, and for us, it was a great deal worse. Our steering engine broke down time after time and we had one heck of a time making it through that one!
Memories! WOW! It's been a LONG, LONG time, my friends!!
Roy Brown

Re: Hurricane's

Posted by Fran Kent on April 24, 2010, 5:37 pm, in reply to "Hurricane's"

I don't know that it was a named hurricane, but I remember running into some weather off Cape Henry, on the east coast, that was violent enough to be called all sorts of names. It was either late 1943 or early '44, and the tanker I was on was en route from Venezuela or Aruba or some place down there to, as I remember it, Marcus Hook, Pa. The sea was breaking over the bridge and the destroyer that was escorting us virtually disappeared every time its bow came sharply up, then down. I had never seen anything like it, nor did I afterward, and it instilled in me a profound respect for the power of Nature.

Re: Hurricane's

Posted by Gerald Burr on April 25, 2010, 1:57 pm, in reply to "Re: Hurricane's"

I looked up this hurricane on the Internet, and it was called the Atlantic Great Hurricane, it happened in Sept 1944, started in the Carribean and headed North and touch land in New Jersey and Long Island, by the time we were in it the winds were at 85 miles and hr. and waves were said to be 80 foot high. Our Liberty ship headed directly into it to avoid capsizing. Thanks for rembering your Atlantic Hurrican. Gerry Burr

Re: Hurricane's

Posted by Fran Kent on April 25, 2010, 2:13 pm, in reply to "Re: Hurricane's"

By September of '44 I think I was somewhere out in the Pacific. I've lost the little log I used to keep and no longer remember, with a few exceptions, where I was and when. It's all sort of fuzzy now. I remember ships and people and places, but the calendar's confused.

Re: Hurricane's

Posted by OMER PICARD on June 4, 2010, 10:13 am, in reply to "Re: Hurricane's"

WE WERE HIT BY THE TYPHOON IN SEPT. ON OUR WAY TO SIAPAN THEN TO TIANAN TO UNLOAD OUR CARGO OF FUEL IN 55 GAL DRUMS SOME DECK CARGO WAS DAMAGED. IT LASTED TWO OR THREE DAYS.WE HAD BENT PLATES IN THE BOW. WE HAD TO GO INTO DRY DOCK WHEN WE GOT BACK TO THE STATES.WE HAD TO STAND OUR WATCHES ON THE BRIDGE.ATE SANDWICHES FOR TWO DAYS. WE HAD A CAT ABOARD IT COULD WALK DOWN THE PASSAGE WAY WITH NO TROUBLE HE HAD HIS SEA LEGS.WE WERE PUTTING OUR FEET ON THE SIGE WALLS TO KEEP OUE BALANCE. THEY HAD TO PAINT THEM AFTER THE STORM WAS OVER.
OMER OICARD

Re: Hurricane's

Posted by Gerald Burr on April 25, 2010, 4:18 pm, in reply to "Re: Hurricane's"

Don't feel bad, I will be 86 in JUly and although my health is fair, my memory is not the best. I didn't get into the Pacific until after the war ended in Europe, and we were in a harbor in the Phillpines when Truman had the bomb dropped. What a relief to know it was over. Gerry Burr 031870

Re: Hurricane's

Posted by Fran Kent on April 25, 2010, 4:25 pm, in reply to "Re: Hurricane's"

I don't feel bad, Gerald. I'm happy to be here, considering that I'll be 85 this year. I'm not running any foot races, but I can still make it up and down the supermarket aisles -- once. And I have some wonderful memories. No regrets.

Re: Hurricane's

Posted by Mike on April 26, 2010, 7:04 pm, in reply to "Re: Hurricane's"

My Dad was in Convoy JW56A from Loch Ewe to Murmanak January 1944. The convoy left with 20 ships but before they reached Iceland 5 ships had to return to Loch Ewe because of damage from bad weather and rough seas. That must have been really bad to have 25% of the convoy turn around from the mission. The other ships sheltered off Iceland and theen proceeded to Murmansk. 3 more ships torpedoed on the way to Murmansk.

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