4 ms·

This ship's story isn't unusual. Every ship during WWII was a safety nightmare. Fratricide was common. So too were dangerous navigation errors. Every weapon

This ship's story isn't unusual. Every ship during WWII was a safety nightmare. Fratricide was common. So too were dangerous navigation errors. Every weapon system was one checklist item away from a deadly mistake (ie torpedo primers being the only safety mechanism during a drill). We wax nostalgic for all the heroes of WWII, but by today's standards a WWII crew was a bunch of under-trained kids manning extremely dangerous equipment. Such are the needs of war.

hutzlibu 5y ago
"but by today's standards a WWII crew was a bunch of under-trained kids manning extremely dangerous equipment. " In nazi germany in the end, it was literal kids.
- missedthecue 5y ago
  Calvin Graham was a US navy servicemember in world war two who was awarded the bronze star and purple heart at age 12. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_Graham https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_Graham
- mgarfias 5y ago
  I once knew a Japanese dude, older guy, now dead. As a kid (like 12-13) he was conscripted by the Japanese military and made to flight test aircraft.
- tharkun__ 5y ago
  Reminds me of this film. "Die Brücke" (the bridge) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Br%C3%BCcke_(film) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Br%C3%BCcke_(film) Not exactly the same but heart wrenching (and gut spilling). IIRC we watched this in history class once.
kennystone 5y ago
They shot a live torpedo at FDR. Not the usual.
- mastax 5y ago
  Given it happened in November 1943, it may have been one of the first truely live mk14 torpedoes ;)
- sandworm101 5y ago
  Once upon a time every military asset operated with live rounds. There were no "training" rounds in wartime. What happened in the OP was someone missed a step in an otherwise very normal drill. Want to really scare yourself? Google around for "broken arrows", live nuclear weapons that went missing. Most all of them were live rounds being carried during training. Something went wrong and that live nuke ended up in a field or at the bottom of a lake.
dreamcompiler 5y ago
Based on some recent inexcusable and fatal mistakes, it's hard to believe that modern US Navy training has become much better. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/16/navy-homicide-charges-uss-fitzgerald-mccain/1038823001/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/16/navy-ho...

hutzlibu 5y ago

"but by today's standards a WWII crew was a bunch of under-trained kids manning extremely dangerous equipment. " In nazi germany in the end, it was literal kids.

missedthecue 5y ago
Calvin Graham was a US navy servicemember in world war two who was awarded the bronze star and purple heart at age 12. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_Graham https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_Graham
mgarfias 5y ago
I once knew a Japanese dude, older guy, now dead. As a kid (like 12-13) he was conscripted by the Japanese military and made to flight test aircraft.
tharkun__ 5y ago
Reminds me of this film. "Die Brücke" (the bridge) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Br%C3%BCcke_(film) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Br%C3%BCcke_(film) Not exactly the same but heart wrenching (and gut spilling). IIRC we watched this in history class once.

kennystone 5y ago

They shot a live torpedo at FDR. Not the usual.

mastax 5y ago
Given it happened in November 1943, it may have been one of the first truely live mk14 torpedoes ;)
sandworm101 5y ago
Once upon a time every military asset operated with live rounds. There were no "training" rounds in wartime. What happened in the OP was someone missed a step in an otherwise very normal drill. Want to really scare yourself? Google around for "broken arrows", live nuclear weapons that went missing. Most all of them were live rounds being carried during training. Something went wrong and that live nuke ended up in a field or at the bottom of a lake.

dreamcompiler 5y ago

Based on some recent inexcusable and fatal mistakes, it's hard to believe that modern US Navy training has become much better. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/16/navy-homicide-charges-uss-fitzgerald-mccain/1038823001/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/16/navy-ho...