Comments on: Of Fire, Ice and Guts: 3 January 1944 http://steeljawscribe.com/2008/01/03/of-fire-ice-and-guts-3-january-1944 Notes and commentary on things present, reflections on a career in naval aviation and serendipitous items as strike me at the moment... Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:09:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Dan http://steeljawscribe.com/2008/01/03/of-fire-ice-and-guts-3-january-1944/comment-page-1#comment-4719 Dan Mon, 04 Jan 2010 05:59:22 +0000 http://steeljawscribe.com/2008/01/03/of-fire-ice-and-guts-3-january-1944/#comment-4719 Today, I give thanks. To the uncle I never met, and all his shipmates who are still with the Turner. Thank you for your service. Today, I give thanks. To the uncle I never met, and all his shipmates who are still with the Turner. Thank you for your service.

]]> By: Flatlander http://steeljawscribe.com/2008/01/03/of-fire-ice-and-guts-3-january-1944/comment-page-1#comment-1344 Flatlander Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:26:48 +0000 http://steeljawscribe.com/2008/01/03/of-fire-ice-and-guts-3-january-1944/#comment-1344 Fascinating story, thanks. Fascinating story, thanks.

]]> By: Theodore http://steeljawscribe.com/2008/01/03/of-fire-ice-and-guts-3-january-1944/comment-page-1#comment-1328 Theodore Fri, 04 Jan 2008 08:48:43 +0000 http://steeljawscribe.com/2008/01/03/of-fire-ice-and-guts-3-january-1944/#comment-1328 I didn't know about the helicopter's involvement in the TURNER rescue effort. Interesting. It's unclear what TURNER attacked on 23 October 1943. No U-boat loss can be corroborated with this action. Enemy action can be discounted as the cause of TURNER's loss. There were no U-boats in the area at the time, nor had there been for quite some time. What few U-boats were patrolling off North America by this time were operating in the Caribbean, and those efforts were about to be abandoned. TURNER's loss was almost certainly caused by an explosion originating in her Mousetrap stowage. Mousetrap was an anti-submarine rocket projector; its contact-fuzed ammunition was noted for its sensitivity. In 1946, the destroyer escort SOLAR blew up while offloading similarly-fuzed Hedgehog projectiles. In TURNER's case, it is probable that a Mousetrap initiated the chain of ammunition fires and explosions that destroyed the ship. I didn’t know about the helicopter’s involvement in the TURNER rescue effort. Interesting.

It’s unclear what TURNER attacked on 23 October 1943. No U-boat loss can be corroborated with this action.

Enemy action can be discounted as the cause of TURNER’s loss. There were no U-boats in the area at the time, nor had there been for quite some time. What few U-boats were patrolling off North America by this time were operating in the Caribbean, and those efforts were about to be abandoned.

TURNER’s loss was almost certainly caused by an explosion originating in her Mousetrap stowage. Mousetrap was an anti-submarine rocket projector; its contact-fuzed ammunition was noted for its sensitivity. In 1946, the destroyer escort SOLAR blew up while offloading similarly-fuzed Hedgehog projectiles. In TURNER’s case, it is probable that a Mousetrap initiated the chain of ammunition fires and explosions that destroyed the ship.

]]> By: Buck http://steeljawscribe.com/2008/01/03/of-fire-ice-and-guts-3-january-1944/comment-page-1#comment-1324 Buck Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:53:39 +0000 http://steeljawscribe.com/2008/01/03/of-fire-ice-and-guts-3-january-1944/#comment-1324 Wow... This is quite a tale in many more ways than one, SJS. Thanks! Wow… This is quite a tale in many more ways than one, SJS. Thanks!

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