- Author
- Thomson, Max
- Subjects
- Ship histories and stories, History - WW2
- Tags
-
- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- June 1991 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
Mushrooming smoke rose 2,000 metres skyward, obscuring the ship and surrounding area for a radius of 500 metres.
U.S.S. MOUNT HOOD’s former position was shown by a trench in the ocean floor 100 metres long, 15 metres wide and more than 10 metres deep.
The largest piece of metal found was no bigger than 400 mm by 250 mm.
The concussion and metal fragments hurled from the ship caused casualties and damage to ships and small craft over a wide area during a period in which it virtually rained metal in Manus that day.
A Board convened to examine evidence relating to the disaster was unable to pinpoint the precise cause.
After only four months actual service and on her maiden assignment, AE 11 – U.S.S. MOUNT HOOD – was struck from the U.S. Naval Register.
Next day, November 11, 1944, was Armistice Day and it was a stunned and sombre ship’s company aboard H.M.A.S. HAWKESBURY that steamed out of Seeadler Harbour with the transports PRESIDENT HAYES and GEORGE CLYMER plus the U.S. destroyer KANE en route to the Marshall Islands in convoy after that eventful and awful day previously in Manus when it had virtually rained metal from the sky over the fleet anchorage following the explosion of U.S.S. MOUNT HOOD.