USS Liscome Bay-- Part 3: The Torpedo Hit the Bomb Magazine

On 23 November 1943, the Japanese submarine I-175 arrived off Makin.  The U.S. Task Force built around Rear Admiral Henry M. Mullinnix's three escort carriers:  Liscome Bay, Coral Sea and Corregidor,  was steaming 20 miles  southwest of Butaritari Island at 15 knots.

At 04:30 24 November, reveille sounded on the Liscome Bay.  Flight quarters sounded 04:50 and crew to routine general quarters at 05:05.  Flight crews began preparing their planes for dawn launching.  Thirteen planes had been readied on the flight deck, including one on the catapult.   They had all been  fueled and armed.

Since this was the Liscome Bay's first operation since leaving Pearl Harbor, she still had her full amount of fuel and bombs.  And, there were a lot of  big bombs on board as well as depth charges and torpedoes.

At about 05:10, a lookout on the starboard side of the ship reported a torpedo headed for the ship.  It struck behind the engine room and detonated the bomb magazine causing a devastating explosion that engulfed the whole ship.

--GreGen