Two More USS Oklahoma Unknowns Identified: William E. Blanchard and Wallace G. Mitchell

WALLACE G. MITCHELL

April 26, 2021

The Defense Department POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)  announced today that  Navy Seaman 1st Class Wallace G. Mitchell, 19, of Los Angeles, killed on board the USS Oklahoma on December 7, 1941, was accounted for on December 16, 2020.

He will be buried on May  28, 2021, in San Diego.

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WILLIAM E. BLANCHARD

April 23, 2021

The DPAA announced today that  the remains of 24-year-old Georgia sailor William E. Blanchard.  He was from the tiny community of Tignall, near Athens, Georgia, and will be buried June 7 in North Carolina.  On December 7, 1941, he was on the USS Oklahoma

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Three other Georgians aboard the USS Oklahoma have been identified in the last several years:

JOHN M. McDONALD of Cherokee County in 2018

ARCHIE CALLAHAN, JR. of Atlanta in 2017

JU;IAN B. JORDAN of Southwest Georgia in 2016.

--GreGen

California Shipbuilding Corp.-- Part 4: End of War, End of Calship

The Calship yard had workers from every corner of the United States, lured by work and good wages.  Eventually the force here numbered some 40,000.  Only 1% had had any shipbuilding experience before they came.

After the war, the U.S. Navy and Maritime Commission cancelled their contracts with Calship and the level of shipbuilding decreased.  Calship closed in September 1945, after launching its last Victory Ship.  It was "four years to the minute after the first  slid into the water."

Calship ranks 49th  among U.S. corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts.

In 1947 the Calship facility was taken over by  National Metal & Steel Corporation which operated a scrap yard there.  Fifty-five of the Liberty and Victory Ships that were built there were also scrapped there.

The surviving museum Victory ships SS American Victory and SS Lane Victory were built  in the Calship yard.  The SS American Victory is in Tampa, Florida, and the SS Lane  Victory is in Los Angeles.  They both are open to the public and sail occasionally.

--GreGen

California Shipbuilding Corporation-- Part 2: Very Fast Ship Production

Calship (California Shipbuilding Corporation) was created from scratch and began production of Liberty Ships in May 1941.  In the early 1940s, contracts from the U.S. Department of Maritime Commission and a number of U.S. Navy contracts led to great prosperity in L.A. shipbuilding businesses.

The Calship yard covered  175 acres on the  north side of Terminal Island.  It initially had eight ways which were later increased to fourteen.  Some 40,000 men and women  worked on the construction of the ships  Altogether, the ships that were produced here are referred to as the "Liberty Fleet."

The cargo ships were built with rapid construction with lower costs.    Just thirteen months after commencing production, the company broke the record by delivering 15 Liberty Ships in June 1942.  For the year, they delivered 111 Liberty Ships. more than any other yard in the United States.  In June the following year, they broke their own record by delivering twenty ships.  Then, again in December 1943, they delivered 23.

They Could Build Ships Very Fast.  --GreGen

California Shipbuilding Corporation-- Part 1: Built 467 Liberty and Victory Ships

Last week I wrote about the USS Jaguar and its service during World War II.

It was built by this company.

From Wikipedia.

And, I thought the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company built a lot of ships for WW II service, but this one built almost twice as many.

Built 467 Liberty and Victory ships during the war, including Haskell-class attack transports.  It was often referred to as Calship (California Shipbuilding).

The Calship shipyard was created  at Terminal Island, Los Angeles as part of the U.S.'s huge shipbuilding effort during the war.  W.A. Bechtel Co. was given sponsorship  and was in charge of executive direction.

As of the 1940, the Los Angeles shipyards had not built a large ship  in 20 years.  By  late 1941, though, shipbuilding had become the second largest  manufacturing industry  in the Los Angeles area.

--GreGen

USS Amethyst (YPc-3)-- Part 2: Patrolled Entrance of Los Angeles Harbor

The ship was assigned to Inshore Patrol, 11th Naval District and helped patrol the entrance to Los Angeles Harbor.  After the U.S. declared war, its role expanded to escorting vessels and convoys as well as  carrying local passenger traffic.

On April 1, 1943, the Amethyst was attached to Surface Task Group, Southern Section, San Pedro, California, and continued patrolling the California coast.  This duty continued until January 1944 and the ship was decommissioned 2 February 1944.

The Amethyst was placed back in commission 19 April 1944, thus time manned by a U.S. Coast Guard crew.  Through the end of 1945, it maintained plane guard station, collected weather data and carried out anti submarine and antiaircraft  coastal patrols.

--GreGen

California's Fort MacArthur-- Part 1: To Protect Los Angeles

From Wikipedia.

I had never heard of Fort MacArthur before, which I wrote about in the previous post, so had to look it up and research further.  The fort was an Army installation located at San Pedro, California.  A small section of it is still used by the U.S. Air Force for housing and administration.  It was named in honor of Lt. general Arthur MacArthur, the father of Douglas MacArthur.

In 1888, President Grover Cleveland designated it for protection of the growing Port of Los Angeles.  Construction started in 1914 and it served as a training area during World War I.  The first large gun batteries were constructed in 1917.

However, test firing of the massive 14-inch guns proved extremely unpopular with the fort's civilian neighbors and caused quite a few broken windows.

By the end of World War II, the large guns were being removed and were completely gone by 1948.

--GreGen

"The Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942" Recreated at Fort MacArthur

From the March 1, 1942, LA Times by Sebastien Basset.

The event took place Feb. 20 at Fort MacArthur Museum in San Pedro where the annual event and fundraiser was held.

Back on the night of Feb. 24-25, 1942, unidentified flying object(s) were spotted around Los Angeles, setting off a panic because of paranoia of a Japanese attack on the mainland so soon after Pearl Harbor. The Los Angeles area contained many vital military factories.

Fort MacArthur was the site of a former coastal defense artillery battery.

The event featured Big Band music, singers, dancers and, as darkness fell, air raid sirens blared, a wartime blackout followed, searchlights lit the sky and then a fireworks show recreated that night.  Military re-enactors scrambled to their posts and there was the sound of machine gun and artillery fire coming from a vintage tank on the property.

Hope They raised Som,e Needed Funds.  It Sounded Like a Real Good Time.  --GreGen

Back Then: SS Lane Victory to Escort USS Iowa

From the March 3, 2012, Contra Costa Times "SS Lane Victory to bring riders for USS Iowa arrival" by Donnie Littlejohn.

It will probably be another 2-3 months before the battleship USS Iowa arrives from San Francisco at the Port of Los Angeles where it will become a museum ship.  But, the SS Lane Victory, a World War II merchant Victory ship has plans to meet it.

And, for just $250, you can go along for the ride.

The Iowa, at the time was in the Port of Richmond, by San Francisco, being readied to be towed.

The USS Iowa Veterans Association was to have their annual reunion in Los Angeles July 2-6th.

--GreGen

When the Rose Bowl Was Played in Durham, NC-- Part 3

The planned-for Rose Bowl game in Pasadena had already sold 65,000 tickets for this Duke-Oregon State match-up.

Duke was not a popular choice. One Los Angeles newspaper reported that when Duke was announced there was "a moment of silent shock" and then "a full-throated chorus of boos."

Duke's previous Rose Bowl appearance, credited with paying for the school's new indoor basketball facility, Cameron Indoor Arena, was also unpopular. At that time, the Iron Dukes, led by Football Hall of Famer George McAfee, Dan Hill and Eric Tipton led Southern Cal until the final 40 seconds when the Trojans scored to win 7-3.

The January 1, 1942, Rose Bowl game, now to be played in North Carolina, nonetheless, sold out in just three days. Demand was so high that exrtra bleachers had to be borrowed from the University of North Carolina to accomodate the 56,000 fans.

And, the Game Was On. --GreGen

The USS Iowa Comes Home

December 2011 AP "USS Iowa nearing final voyage."

It is now in its final mooring near Los Angeles, California, but back in 2011 it was preparing to make the last voyage of a United States battleship.

The last-surviving World War II battleship without a home had been docked in Richmond, California (near San Francisco), is preparing for its final journey to the Port of Los Angeles.  It was to be towed there in March.  The Pacific Battleship center in Los Angeles has raised $8 million to rescue the 68-year-old ship from the Ghost Fleet in Suisun Bay. 

The 800-foot ship was commissioned in 1943 and was used in World War Ii, the Korean War and last sailed in 1990.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "The Iowa is long and lean and power-ful-looking like an old lion."  Its two anchors weigh 30,000 pounds each and it is the only American battleship ever fitted with a bathtub which was installed when the ship carried FDR to Africa on his way to his summit meeting in Iran during World War II with Churchill and Stalin.

In 1989, the middle gun on a turret exploded, killing 47 sailors.

While still in San Francisco, it was open for tours on weekends from 10-4 for a $10 donation.

Sure Glad They Saved It.  Fortunately, Most All of Our Last battleships Are Museums Today.  --GreGen

The USS Iowa Museum Opens in Los Angeles

From the July 7th Yahoo! News Reuters "Thousands vivit battleship USS Iowa as museum opens in L.A." by Dana Feldman.

The gallant ship's sides were draped in red, white and blue ribbons as its new role as a museum ship commenced July 7th in the Port of Los Angeles.  World War II planes: a B-25 bomber, P-40 Warhawk and P-51 Mustang did a flyover in a triangular formation to honor the occasion.

The 887-foot-long battleship was commissioned in 1943 and decommissioned in 1990.  After that, it was mothballed in San Francisco Bay until towed to Los Angeles a few months ago.  A $7 million restoration has taken place with $3 million given by the State of Iowa (I kind of wish they would have had the final berth in that state).

In World War II, it ferried FDR across the Atlantic to a meeting with Churchill and Stalin and is called "The Battleship of Presidents" and "The Big Stick."

Attendance was brisk opening day with 1,500 tickets bought inadvance and another 1000 over the counter for Saturday's grand opening.

Visitors were able to view FDRs specially-built bathtub that he had to use because of his polio. 

One visitor was Paul Chiapoinelli, 86, who was a Navy radio man during World War II but did not serve on the Iowa.  Joe Nishimura, 78, served on the Iowa in 1953 when he was 18 and received his gunnery training inthe Atlantic.

The Pacific Battleship Center group operates the museum which is open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Something Else to See in L.A..  --GreGen

The Battle of Los Angeles

From Wikipedia.

Also known as The Great Los Angeles Air Raid. This was the setting of the hilarious movie "1941" starring John Belushi as Captain Wild Bill Kelso, Kewpie carrying fighter pilot.

The battle was caused by what was thought to be a Japanese attack just one day after the February 23, 1942, bombardment of Ellwood, California that I wrote about in my previous post. This event tool place over the night of Feb. 24-25th.

People were still unsettled by the attack on Pearl Harbor, just a few months earlier.

It is believed that an errant weather balloon may have started it. Anti aircraft blasts caused further firing thinking it was enemy fire. Some folks even think it was caused by UFOs.

Air raid sirens went on all over Los Angeles County and a total blackout was ordered. At 3:16 AM, the 37Th Coast Artillery Brigade began firing 12.8 pound anti aircraft shells into the air with over 1400 eventually being fired.

Several buildings were damaged and three civilians killed as a direct result. Three more died from heart attacks attributed to the "Attack."

The U.S. Office of Air Force History blamed the event on "war nerves."

Oops! --GreGen