The Second USS West Virginia (BB-48)-- Part 2: The One at Pearl Harbor

USS WEST VIRGINIA (BB-48)

(1923-1959)

It was launched in 1921 and commissioned in 1923 and was the last battleship to be launched before World War II.  It traveled the world and received six  of the "MeatBall," or battle Efficiency Pennants in the 1930s, an honor given to the battleship achieving the best score in gunnery, communications and engineering combined.

In 1940, it was sent to Pearl Harbor and during the attack, was hit by seven aircraft torpedoes and two bombs.  It sank, despite frantic attempts by the crew to prevent it.  Sixteen of the crew died.

However, the ship was raised in 1942 and after many repairs, was able to rejoin the fight in May 1943.  It was present during the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

On August 31, 1945, the USS West Virginia steamed into Tokyo Bay, Japan and two days later was anchored a few miles away from the USS Missouri.  Thus it became the only ship that was present at both Pearl Harbor and the official Japanese surrender.

The mast of the ship was later moved to West Virhinia University in Morgantown where it sits in Memorial Plaza.

--GreGen

Three U.S. Navy Ships Named USS West Virginia: The First (ARC-5)

From the January 27, 2023, 12 BOY (West Virginia) "From 1905 to now:  How the 3 Navy ships called 'West Virginia' served the US" by Sam Kirk.

The versions of the USS West Virginia served in both World War I and World War II and continues as a deterrent to Russian aggression in the Ukraine.

USS WEST VIRGINIA (ARC-5)  1903-1920

The first-ever USS West Virginia was an armored cruiser that was christened with a bottle of champagne and launched at Newport News, Virginia, on April 18, 1903.  It served  on fleets in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and was renamed the USS Huntington in 1916 to give the name West Virginia to a new battleship (the one at Pearl Harbor).

Under the name Huntington, the cruiser served in World War I.  After the war, it helped transport American soldiers home from Europe.  The ship served until1930 when it was stricken according to the London naval Treaty and sold.

The bell from the ship  is engraved "USS West Virginia 1905" and is in Memorial Plaza at West Virginia University.  The masthead from the USS West Virginia (BB-48) is also there.

--GreGen

DNA Helps Family Bury Pearl Harbor Relative 82 Years Later: Maurice Spangler

From the January 3, 2023,  Fox 31, Colorado's Own by Jeremy Hubbard.

Navy Seaman 1st Class Maurice Spangler was born and raised in Defiance, Ohio, and was just 19 when he died aboard the USS Oklahoma on the morning of December 7, 1941.

A total of 429 crew members died that day, but only 35 were identified when the ship was finally uprighted after being sunk for two years.

In April 2015, the Pentagon ordered Project Oklahoma.  As one of Maurice's few living relatives, Jerry Spangler gave DNA samples to help with his uncle's identification.

Maurice Spangler will be laid to rest again at the Punch Bowl in Oahu  on January 4.

--GreGen

Chillicothe Sailor Killed During Attack on Pearl Harbor Finally Laid to Rest: Joseph Hoffman of the USS Oklahoma

From the  10 WBNS News by Kevin Landers.

Musician First Class Joseph Hoffman was preparing to play the National Anthem on the deck of the battleship USS Oklahoma when it was slammed by torpedoes.

One of the surviving members of the Oklahoma's band recalls hearing the explosions and hearing over the intercom, "Air raid, man your battle stations."  Unfortunately for the band, their battle stations were  below decks passing ammunition.

The ship capsized within 12 minutes.  Hoffman was among the unaccounted for and buried as an unknown.

He was a graduate of Chillicothe High School in 1936 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1937  In 1949, the Joseph W. Hoffman Post #757 was named for him.

A memorial ceremony took place August 20 in his hometown of Chillicothe and he was laid to rest beside his family at Grandview Cemetery.

--GreGen

Sangamon Ordnance Plant-- Part 4

Six warehouses were  dismantled and reassembled at Springfield Airport (Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport).

Numerous wood frame buildings were dismantles  so that the surplus lumber could be used for the  veterans emergency housing program.

In January 1948,  it was announced that  553 acres of the site and eight buildings were sold to the DeKalb  Hybrid Seed Company for $98,000 to be used for a poultry  breeding operation.  (See January 17 post.)

This company has the famous winged ear of corn for its logo and is quite popular among students at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.  It is now called DeKalb Genetics Corporation.

The last surplus property was sold by April 15, 1948.

--GreGen

Sangamon Ordnance Plant-- Part 3

In October 1942, $20,000 cash intended for payroll was stolen  en route from a courier enroute to the Farmers State Bank of Illiopolis from the post office.

In August 1943, an artillery shell exploded at the Oak Ordnance Plant, killing Maurice Pryor, age 22, of Springfield, Illinois. Ten others were injured.

**********************************

Following the end of the war,  the facility closed and most of it dismantled, though some parts still remain.  A large portion of the site has been returned to farmland.  By June 1949, 90% of the farmland had returned to production.

The land had cost the government $3,186,922 and it was sold for $2,126,490, mostly to former owners (so they did well).

The Federal Works Agency received 359 buildings which were dismantled and removed, many for use as schools and colleges.

--GreGen

Sangamon Ordnance Plant (Illinois)-- Part 2

Around 15,000 workers were employed and construction was largely completed by  September 1942 at a cost of  $35 million.  It employed thousands during the course of the war, including many Woman  Ordnance Workers (WOW) and produced 20, 57, 75, 90 millimeter shells as well as 3 inch armor-piercing and high-explosive artillery shells.

It also produced  bomb fuses and  the core of fire bombs known as "Bursters."

****************************

Transporting Workers to the Plant

The plant used  IRT  Second Avenue Elevated coaches to get workers to it from Springfield.  Some photographs show that the IRT cars were riggesd with trolley poles for the job to obtain power for car heating and lighting.    At the end of the war,  the Defense Plant Corporation discarded these cars from the various plants.

--GreGen

Sangamon Ordnance Plant (Illinois)-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

In the last post I wrote about the Dekalb Corn Company buying some of this ordnance plant in Central Illinois (near Springfield) as war surplus after the war was over.

The Sangamon Ordnance Plant  was a United States Army amminition manufacturing facility constructed and operated during World War II.  It was located west of Illiopolis in Sangamon County, Illinois, encompassing 20,000 acres.

It began as two separate plants, the Sangamon and the Oak Ordnance Plants, separated by Illinois Route  36 and operated by  Remington Rand and Johnson & Johnson respectively.  Prior to the end of the war, they were consolidated into the Sangamon Ordnance Plant operated by Remington Rand.

Construction began in early  1942, following the acquisition of local farms through eminent domain with the groundbreaking occurring in April 1942.

--GreGen

   

DeKalb Corn Buys War Surplus Property in 1948

From the January 10, 2023, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back.

1948, 75 Years Ago

"Purchase of 553 acres of land and eight major buildings at the Sangamon Ordnance Plant, Illiopolis, Illinois, by the  DeKalb Hybrid Seed Company of DeKalb, was announced today by the War Assets Administration.

"The land and buildings were only a portion of the huge ordnance plant which loaded artillery shells for the Army services during the war.

"The portion purchased by  the DeKalb Company was  four of the nine shell-loading lies.  The newly acquired property will be used for expansion of the company operations, officials said today, with inbred chicken breeding to use a major portion of the facilities."

Getting Rid of War Surplus.  --GreGen

Youngest WW II Vet? Bill Stewart, 93

From the Bluefield Daily Telegraph

World War II veteran Bill Stewart, 93, participates  in an event celebrating the upcoming birthday of fellow veteran Joseh Eskenazi,  who at 104 years and 11 months old, is considered to be the oldest living veteran to survive the Pearl Harbor attack.

The event was held at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Wednesday,  January 11, 2023.

According to the museum,  Stewart served in the Occupation of Japan.  And, he is believed to be the youngest living World War II veteran.

He remembers going aboard the battleship USS Arizona  as a Boy Scout when its home port was in Long Beach, California.

He is one of the last three people living who were on the Arizona.

--GreGen

USS Blue (DD-387)-- Part 4: Sunk Off Guadalcanal

After patrolling off Noumea, New Caledonia,  from 13-17 August, 1862, the Blue returned to Guadalcanal, arriving  21 August.  59, 22 August, while patrolling "Ironbottom Sound" she was torpedoed by the Japanese destroyer Kawakaze.

("Ironbottom Sound" was the name given by U.S. sailors for the sea area near Guadalcanal where dozens of ships were sunk and many planes shot down.)

The explosion wrecked the Blue's engines, shafts and steering gear, as well as killing  nine men and wounding 21 others.

Throughout 22 and 23 August, unsuccessful attempts were made to tow the Blue to Tulagi.  

She was scuttled  at 2221  on 23 August 1942 after all attempts to save her failed.

--GreGen

USS Blue (DD-387)-- Part 3: Guadalcanal

1942

The USS Blue joined the USS Enterprise  for air attacks on Wojte, Maloelap, Kwajalein Atolls, Marshall Islands on 1 February.

 During March-June she escorted convoys between Pearl Harbor and San Francisco and then proceeded to New Zealand, where she arrive  18 July.

Blue joined Task Force 62.2 (TG 62.2) for the Battle of Guadalcanal on 7 August and provide fire support and screening.  Although present, she took no part in the Battle of Savo Island on 9 August, but helped with evacuation of survivors of the HMAS Canberra that was severely damaged in the battle.

--GreGen

USS Blue (DD-387)-- Part 2: At Pearl Harbor

After spending her first year in shakedown and training cruises along the east coast and Caribbean, the Blue sailed for the Pacific Ocean  in August 1838 to become the flagship of Destroyer Division 7, Battle Force.  She exercised with the Battle Fleet in west coast waters until April 1940 when she accompanied her division to Pearl Harbor.

Except for an overhaul at Puget Sound Navy Yard (February-March 1941) and exercises  out of San Diego during April of that year, she remained based out of Pearl Harbor serving as the flagship of Destroyer Division Seven of Destroyer Squadron Four.

PEARL HARBOR

The Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, caught the USS Blue in port, but she safely made her way out tio sea  with only four ensigns on board.  She served  with the offshore patrol  in the approaches to Pearl Harbor during December 1941-January 1942.

--GreGen

USS Blue (DD-387)-- Part 1

In the last post I wrote that Walter Becker had been a survivor of the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor and also survived the sinking of two ships later in the war.  That would make a total of three ships that sank while he was on them.  Quite a record.

The second ship was the destroyer USS Blue (DD-387),

From Wikipedia.

USS BLUE (DD-387)

The USS Blue was a Bagley-class destroyer and named after Rear Admiral  Victor Blue (1865-1928). She served in World War II.

Launched  27 May 1937 by Norfolk Navy Yard; sponsored by  Miss Kate Lilly Blue, sister of  Rear Admiral Blue.  Commissioned  14 August 1937.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTCS

LENGTH:  341.8 feet

BEAM:  35.6 feet

COMPLEMENT:  158

ARMAMENT:  

four 5-inch guns, four .50 cal guns, 16 torpedo tubes,  two depth charge racks

--GreGen

Walter Becker, USS Oklahoma Survivor-- Part 2

It is so nice to write about men who survived the capizing of the USS Oklahoma, especially one who went on to do so well in life.

After Pearl Harbor, he was on the destroyer USS  Blue which was sunk at Guadalcanal on 22 August 1942.  So, he was on two ships that sank.  Unfortunate, but fortunate.  The Blue had also been at Pearl Harbor, but got underway.

After that, he was assigned to an aircraft carrier  that was attacked and sunk by Japanese kamakaze planes.  Unfortunately, the article did not say which one.  But, I did find a list of U.S. aircraft carriers sunk by kamakazes and the ones listed were Ommaney Bay (CVE-79), USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) and USS St. Lo (CVE-63).

That would make three ships he was on that sank.  I would have given up going to sea.

After the war, Becker eventually moved to Casper where he founded the Becker Fire  Equipment Company

Walter Becker died  December 4, 2015, at the age of 94.  His remains are interred at the Oregon Trail Veterans Cemetery north of Evansville.

--GreGen

Herman Schmidt Wasn't Only Wyoming Native on USS Oklahoma: Walter Becker-- Part 1

From the January 3, 2023, K-2 (Wyoming) "Late Casper resident survived USS Oklahoma attack, founded fire truck company" by Tom Morton.

Sheridan native Herman Schmidt was the only Wyoming resident on the battleship USS Oklahoma when it was sunk on December 7, 1941.

Longtime Casper resident Walter Becker, founder of the Becker Fire Equipment Company, was also aboard.

Becker was doing laundry in the engine room when the torpedoes hit.  He ran up four or five flights of stairs and jumped off just as the ship began capsizing.

He swam under then harbor's surface which was covered with burning oil and then picked up by a raft, reached the shore, then went back to the Oklahoma where he and others drilled through the ship's hull in an attempt to find other survivors.

After a couple days it became apparent that no one was left alive in the hull.

--GreGen

Nation's Oldest Pearl Harbor Survivor (105) Goes to WW II Museum in New Orleans: Joseph Eskenazi

From the January 6, 2023, CBS News Los Angeles.

Joseph Eskenazi, 105, was treated to a  heroic sendoff at Union Station Friday as he embarked on his journey from Los Angeles to the National  WW II Museum New Orleans.  This was part of the Gary Sinise Foundation's Soaring Valor  Program.  For the last eight years it has invited World War II veterans to visit the museum built in their honor.

He was joined by several other WW II veterans on the trip.

Eskenazi, a Redondo Beach-resident, is the oldest-living survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  He joined the Army in 1941 and was stationed at the Schofield Barracks during the December 7, 1941, attack.

He drove a bulldozer across an open field while being strafed and nearly hit by Japanese planes.

He was heading to repair train tracks for the expected invasion of Oahu and Hawaii.

--GreGen

Remains of Illinois Airman Identified

From the January 7, 2023, ABC Eyewitness News (Chicago)  "Remains of World War II airman from Illinois finally identified thanks to new technology."

The remains of a WW II airman have finally been accounted for.

Harold Kretzer, a 32-year-old Odin man in downstate Marion County, was a U.S. Army  Air Forces  tech.

In the summer of 1943,  he was on board a bomber that was hit by enemy fire and crashed in Romania.  He was buried there as an unknown hero,  but new technology has allowed his remains to be identified.  

He will be reburied in Springfield, Illinois.

--GreGen

Obituary for Herman Schmidt (Died on the USS OKlahoma)

From the previous post.

MAN KILLED IN ACTION HONORED

SHERIDAN--  Sheridan's first Memorial services for one of her sons who died in action  in World War II were held this week at the Immanuel Lutheran church.

The services were in honor of Herman Schmidt, 28, gunner's mate 3rd class, U.S. Navy, who was lost in action at Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, while he was on duty on a U.S. warship.

The body was not recovered.

--GreGen

Remains of USS Oklahoma Unknown from Wyoming Identified

From the January 3, 2023, Casper (Wyoming) Star Tribune "Remains of Wyoming sailor killed at Pearl Harbor identified."

Navy Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schmidt, 28, of Sheridan, Wyoming, was on board the USS Oklahoma on December 7, 1941.

His remains were officially identified two years ago, but announcement was put off by the Defense Department  until his family could be briefed.

He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery as some future date.

Since 2015, the remains of six other fallen  soldiers from Wyoming have been identified, including three killed in WW II, two from the Korean War and one from the Vietnam War.

--GreGen

USS Oklahoma-- Part 5: Pearl Harbor

On Sunday, December 7, 1941, the USS Oklahoma, along with about half of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, consisting of some 150 vessels, was at anchor in Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu when the Japanese came a-calling with a surprise attack.

Moored on Battleship Row alongside the USS Maryland, the Oklahoma was one of the first vessels hit.

Sadly, the Oklahoma was actually supposed to be out at sea patrolling, but the crew had been told there was to be an admiral's inspection on Monday.  So there they were in harbor.

When the attack began at around 8 a.m., Sunday morning, most of the crew were sleeping in their racks below decks and never made it up to the main deck.

At approximately 7:55 a.m., the first wave of Japanese attack planes struck the Oklahoma with three torpedoes.

The Oklahoma began capsizing as enemy planes strafed the decks.  The stricken ship was then struck by six more torpedoes and the port side was torn open.  Within fifteen minutes of the first torpedo, the Oklahoma rolled completely over, trapping hundreds below decks.

--GreGen

USS Oklahoma-- Part 4: Timeline

**  JULY 1929:  Maneuvers were greatly reduced during the Depression because of lack of fuel oil.

**  1933:  An earthquake hit Long Beach, Califirnia, while the Oklahoma was docked there.  Her crew deployed ashore to maintain order.

**  1933:  She  participated in a civil defense drill in Tacoma, Washington,  using the ship's generators to provide all electric power to the city for 24 hours.

**  JULY 1936:  Sailed to Spain to rescue American citizens and refugees during the Spanish Civil War.  While en route to France, a woman gave birth, the first time a baby was born aboard an American battleship.

**  DECEMBER 6, 1940:  Based at Pearl Harbor for patrol and exercises.

**  DECEMBER 7, 1941:  Pearl Harbor attacked by the Japanese.

--GreGen