PT Boat Forum


Moderated by: Dick, Jeff D

The PT Boat Forum ª PT Boats of WWII ª  PT Boats - General

Page: 1 of 1

« Back to Topic Index Page 177 | Replies: 2

 Author  Topic: USS Mount Hood
QM

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jul 12, 2009 - 7:40am
This is not about PT's but it may be of interest to some. I just learned more about the event from a sailor who was in the neighborhood at the time. I believe that all PT's had moved on earlier. If interested, search for the USS Mount Hood, an ammo ship that exploded in the Admiralty Islands.

Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | IP Logged

CJ Willis

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of CJ Willis  Posted on: Jul 12, 2009 - 10:32am
QM: I have an account of this explosion of the Mount Hood written by our P.T.242 Exec Lt.Jg. Bill Raney Most of our Squadron 19 had just been relieved of duty after 15 months in the Solomons at Green Island and we were all hitchhiking our way back to the States. Mr. Raney had flown up to Manus and was aboard the U.S.S. George Clymer preparing to get underway back to the U.S. They were about 3/4 mile away from the Mt. Hood about 10:00 am Nov. 10th 1944. when it exploded. It was a 10,000 ton ship. He was on the upper deck and dove behind a big wench to escape the falling particles. The smoke had risen up to about 10,000 ft. Out of the smoke came a launch. The coxin was dead and the engineer was badly hurt. He went to sick bay on the Clymer. After about 5 minutes the smoke blew away and the water was clear and calm. Not a scrap of wood from the Mt. Hood or the boats alongside remained. There were 550 men on the Mt. Hood all killed plus about 100 working in the boats alongside. They were loading 1000# bombs from one of the carriers to take back to the States. It was thought that one of the bombs happened to be armed. They were 20 % loaded which meant about 2000 tons of bombs went off. The repair ship Mendanon was about 3/4 mile away and suffered 60 % casualties. Many of the wounded were brought to the Clymer for medical attention. The mail boy of the Mt. Hood and two men to man the mail boat were ashore. The sole survivors. That canceled the sailing of the Clymer for the 10th but late in the afternoon they got all the wounded off and were able to leave the next morning.

C. J. Willis

Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm | IP Logged

QM

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jul 12, 2009 - 5:18pm
I was at Mios Woendi when the Mount hood exploded. We may have heard something about the loss, but I never knew about the large number of deaths and injuries.

I have read some of the reports on the web site. One claims to have seen a torpedo hit the Mount Hood and that a second torpedo went ashore without exploding. There was nothing remaining to examine for the cause. Ordnance was not my specialty, but I believe that aerial bombs were not armed until they were released from the bomb bay. It was something similar to the impellers on our torpedos.


Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | IP Logged


Lock Topic

 

Forum Legend

New Member

Reply to topic

More than 25 posts | Full Member

Reply to topic with quoted message

More than 50 posts | Advanced Member

Edit Message

More than 150 posts | MASTER

View profile

More than 300 posts | TOP BOSS

Email member