Anyone heard of when USS William D Porter tried to sink USS Iowa (with Roosevelt on board)?

[fbs]

I didn't know of that, and read about it by chance. Most amazing fact. I guess most in the forum know about that, and I'm the last one to find it, uh?

[Grit]

The Captain was probably a Republican.

[chesmart]

Thats what they used to call the ship

[Terminus]

Many times...

[topeverest]

Hilarious...who's the political comedian?

In all seriousness what is the skinny on this myth?

[chesmart]

On 12 November, she departed Norfolk to rendezvous with Iowa (BB-61) the following day. That battleship was on her way to North Africa carrying President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Cairo and Teheran Conferences. Porter was involved in a major mishap while departing Norfolk when her anchor tore the railing and lifeboat mounts off a docked sister destroyer while manoeuvring astern. The next day, a depth charge from the deck of Porter fell into the rough sea and exploded, causing Iowa and the other escort ships to take evasive maneuvers under the assumption that the task force had come under torpedo attack by a German U-boat.[1] On 14 November, at Roosevelt's request, Iowa conducted an anti-aircraft drill to demonstrate her ability to defend herself. The drill began with the release of a number of balloons for use as targets. While most of these were shot by gunners aboard Iowa, a few of them drifted toward the William D. Porter which shot down balloons as well. The Porter, along with the other escort ships, also demonstrated a torpedo drill by simulating a launch at Iowa. This drill suddenly went awry when the #3 torpedo aboard William D. Porter discharged from its tube and headed toward Iowa.[1] William D. Porter attempted to signal Iowa about the incoming torpedo but, owing to orders to maintain radio silence, was forced to use a signal lamp. However, the destroyer first misidentified the direction of the torpedo and then relayed the wrong message, informing Iowa that Porter was backing up rather than telling her that a torpedo was in the water.[1] In desperation the destroyer finally broke radio silence, using codewords that relayed a warning message to Iowa regarding the incoming torpedo. After confirming the identity of the destroyer, Iowa turned hard to avoid being hit by the torpedo. Roosevelt, meanwhile, had learned of the incoming torpedo threat and asked his Secret Service attendee to move his wheelchair to the side of the battleship, so he could see.[1] Not long afterward, the torpedo detonated in the ship's wake some 3,000 yards astern of the Iowa. Iowa was unhurt, but trained her main guns on William D. Porter out of concern that the smaller ship may have been involved in some sort of assassination plot.[2] Following these events, the William D. Porter's captain, and her entire crew, were placed under arrest - the first time in U.S. Navy history that this had occurred. The ship and her crew were ordered to Bermuda for an inquiry into the Iowa affair. Captain Walker and several of his officers were sentenced to shore duty in obscure locations. Torpedoman Lawton Dawson, whose failure to remove the torpedo's primer had enabled it to fire at Iowa, was sentenced to hard labor, though President Roosevelt intervened in his case, as the incident had been an accident.[3] A week later, William D. Porter returned to Norfolk and prepared for transfer to the Pacific. She got underway for that duty on 4 December, steamed via Trinidad, and reached the Panama Canal on the 12th. After transiting the canal, the destroyer set a course for San Diego, where she stopped between 19 and 21 December to take on cold weather clothing and other supplies necessary for duty in the Aleutian Islands.

[mbar]

Don't mess with a Fletcher-Class. Seriously though the fallout from this was rough. Everyone arrested. And can you imagine being on that DD when Iowa trained it's guns on it?

[chesmart]

And the entire ship with the remaining crew was sent to Alaska probably one of the worst places to be stationed

[wdolson]

I read an interview with one of the surviving crew who had been involved in the accidental launch that day.  Someone had accidentally left an active primer for the torpedo.  Pandemonium broke out on the ship when it happened.  The guy interviewed pulled the fired primer out and threw it overboard.  There was some CYA going on.

I believe the Porter was brand new at the time and most of the crew was very green. 

Bill

[bigred]

Wait till El Sid sees this quote!

ORIGINAL: che200

And the entire ship with the remaining crew was sent to Alaska probably one of the worst places to be stationed

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: bigred

Wait till El Sid sees this quote!

ORIGINAL: che200

And the entire ship with the remaining crew was sent to Alaska probably one of the worst places to be stationed

You mean El Cid Again, I guess. He disappeared. The AE was a blow to his RHS mod. He could not see it coming [:)]

EDITED: anyway, are you trying to imply that he almost assassinated (a terrible accident) a White House dweller? [8D]

[Footslogger]

Thats quite odd using one of your own ships as a practice target.[8|]

[chesmart]

Well thats what happened to them

[Ron Belcher]

Should I get the Porter during my Iron Man .. I'll be sure to keep her dry docked! [X(]

I am proud to have served onboard ships that trained hard and obtained the "Battle E"
and even ComDesRon 7's "Meatball flag" for a clean sweet of all department "E" awards!
God Bless the Callaghan DDG994 and its crew! Was the best ship in the PacFleet in '83!

[&o][&o][&o][&o][&o]

...just saying that training is a MUST! Porter probably got shoved into duty by "special
request" by someone high. Trying to get the Captain relieved of command. I shiver to
this !!! [:(]

[P.Hausser]

ORIGINAL: Grit

The Captain was probably a Republican.

HaHa..

My local newspaper today had a headline, saying "a sane Republican Senator"
and then had an article about this YouTube clip, and his rather "European'" type - of statements in the House..
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdwHN2De33Q

[wdolson]

I suggest the book Tales from a Tin Can.  It's about the USS Dale in the words of surviving veterans.  The author makes some historical mistakes in his background information, but the men's stories themselves makes it worth the read.  The Dale was there at Pearl Harbor and made it all the way through the war with one one casualty.  A guy was washed overboard in a typhoon, then washed back aboard with the next wave.  His first hand account is in there.  He was banged up a bit, but stayed with the ship.

Bill

[fbs]

OPERATIONAL REPORT FOR Nov 12, 1943

ASW attack at 103,25

Japanese ships
DD William D Porter

Allied ships
BB Iowa, 1 depth charge hit, minor damage
CA San Francisco
CL Helena
DD Farragut
DD Jarvis
DD Blue

Range closes to 20,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese detect Allied task force at 20,000 yards
Range closes to 15,000 yards...
Range closes to 10,000 yards...
Cpt Walker crosses the 'T' of Allied task force
DD William D Porter engages BB Iowa at 10,000 yards
BB Iowa asks "what the hell are you doing!!?"
Task forces break off....


Morning Air Attack on TF, near Casablanca, at 103,26

Japanese aircraft
Balloon x 12

Allied aircraft
none

Japanese aircraft losses
Balloon x 12

Allied aircraft losses
none

Japanese ships
DD William D Porter

American ships
BB Iowa, 3 balloon hits, 156 20mm gun hits, on fire, medium damage
CA San Francisco
CL Helena
DD Farragut
DD Jarvis
DD Blue


Day Time surface combat near Casablanca, at 103,28

Japanese ships
DD William D Porter

Allied ships
BB Iowa, 1 torpedo hit, heavy damage
CA San Francisco
CL Helena
DD Farragut
DD Jarvis
DD Blue

Range closes to 20,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese detect Allied task force at 20,000 yards
CONTACT: Allies detect Japanese task force at 20,000 yards
BB Iowa challenges DD William D Porter to bring it on!
Range closes to 15,000 yards...
BB Iowa telegraphs DD William D Porter saying "you are too wimpy to do it!"
Range closes to 10,000 yards...
BB Iowa's crew moonlight DD William D Porter
DD William D Porter fires 4 torpedoes at BB Iowa
*** CRITICAL HIT ***
Cpt Roosevelt, Franklin Delano bails out on his bathtub, but is rescued!
Cpt Walker is found to be RAdm Takagi, Takeo in disguise!!
Task forces break off....

[CarnageINC]

ORIGINAL: fbs

OPERATIONAL REPORT FOR Nov 12, 1943

ASW attack at 103,25

Japanese ships
DD William D Porter

Allied ships
BB Iowa, 1 depth charge hit, minor damage
CA San Francisco
CL Helena
DD Farragut
DD Jarvis
DD Blue

Range closes to 20,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese detect Allied task force at 20,000 yards
Range closes to 15,000 yards...
Range closes to 10,000 yards...
Cpt Walker crosses the 'T' of Allied task force
DD William D Porter engages BB Iowa at 10,000 yards
BB Iowa asks "what the hell are you doing!!?"
Task forces break off....


Morning Air Attack on TF, near Casablanca, at 103,26

Japanese aircraft
Balloon x 12

Allied aircraft
none

Japanese aircraft losses
Balloon x 12

Allied aircraft losses
none

Japanese ships
DD William D Porter

American ships
BB Iowa, 3 balloon hits, 156 20mm gun hits, on fire, medium damage
CA San Francisco
CL Helena
DD Farragut
DD Jarvis
DD Blue


Day Time surface combat near Casablanca, at 103,28

Japanese ships
DD William D Porter

Allied ships
BB Iowa, 1 torpedo hit, heavy damage
CA San Francisco
CL Helena
DD Farragut
DD Jarvis
DD Blue

Range closes to 20,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese detect Allied task force at 20,000 yards
CONTACT: Allies detect Japanese task force at 20,000 yards
BB Iowa challenges DD William D Porter to bring it on!
Range closes to 15,000 yards...
BB Iowa telegraphs DD William D Porter saying "you are too wimpy to do it!"
Range closes to 10,000 yards...
BB Iowa's crew moonlight DD William D Porter
DD William D Porter fires 4 torpedoes at BB Iowa
*** CRITICAL HIT ***
Cpt Roosevelt, Franklin Delano bails out on his bathtub, but is rescued!
Cpt Walker is found to be RAdm Takagi, Takeo in disguise!!
Task forces break off....

Nice touch...LOL [:D][:D][:D]