... Bad weather ... Nasty stuff for sure for the US Navy to deal with a few times with some real bad results. Dad went through some real nasty stuff while on the USS Hornet in early 1945 and didn't care to chat about it too much. Here's a few listed below.
"By the time of the Second World War, the Navy relied on a system of ground observers, aircraft patrols, and aereological reports to provide weather and storm warnings. Still, the conflict between military necessity and possible weather damage to ships trying to carry out operations, meant storm losses were unavoidable. In addition to storms that sank merchant ships, scattered convoys, and damaged service craft off ports and beaches, the Navy lost three ships to storms in the Atlantic--on 18 February 1942, destroyer USS Truxtun (DD-229) and stores issue ship USS Pollux (AKS-2) were driven ashore during a storm in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland--killing 204 sailors--and the destroyer USS Warrington (DD-383) sank off Florida--drowning 248--during a great Atlantic hurricane on 13 September 1944."
"Even more dramatic were the three great typhoons that struck the Pacific Fleet in December 1944, and June and October 1945. The first two typhoons illustrate the dangers inherent in trying to carry out military operations. On 18 December 1944, numerous ships of the Pacific Fleet were caught by a typhoon of extreme violence while operating in support of the invasion of the Philippines. Three destroyers capsized with the loss of almost all hands and nine other warships were seriously damaged. Approximately 790 officers and men were killed and 146 planes were smashed, burned, or swept overboard. On 5 June 1945, during operations against Japanese airfields on Kyushu, Task Groups 30.8 and 38.1 passed through a typhoon southeast of Okinawa. Seven ships suffered severe injury, including heavy cruiser USS Pittsburgh (CA-72) which lost her bow and major flight deck damage to four aircraft carriers. Remarkably, although 76 aircraft were lost, only six men were killed."
"Perhaps the most intriguing storm occurred on 9 October, when a typhoon veered north from Formosa and passed very near Okinawa and the major fleet anchorage at Buckner Bay [Nakagusuku Wan]. The sudden shift in the storm's direction caught the bay full of amphibious shipping, ranging in size from large cargo ships to very small landing craft. Heavy seas sank 12 ships and drove 222 others ashore, almost three dozen more were damaged by collisions. The hurricane force winds also savaged installations ashore, wiping out tent camps, blowing down Quonset huts, destroying food stocks and other supplies. By 18 October, casualty estimates put the toll at 36 dead and 47 missing. If the war in the Pacific had not ended the previous month, this storm would have had dramatic effects on the planned invasion of the Japanese Home Islands."
Halsey's Typhoon (Typhoon Cobra)
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq102-4.htm"On 17 December 1944, the ships of Task Force 38, seven fleet and six light carriers, eight battleships, 15 cruisers, and about 50 destroyers were operating about 300 miles east of Luzon in the Philippine Sea. The carriers had just completed three days of heavy raids against Japanese airfields, suppressing enemy aircraft during the American amphibious operations against Mindoro in the Philippines. Although the sea had been becoming rougher all day, the nearby cyclonic disturbance gave relatively little warning of its approach. On 18 December, the small but violent typhoon overtook the Task Force while many of the ships were attempting to refuel. Many of the ships were caught near the center of the storm and buffeted by extreme seas and hurricane force winds. Three destroyers, USS Hull, USS Spence, and USS Monaghan, capsized and went down with practically all hands, while a cruiser, five aircraft carriers, and three destroyers suffered serious damage. Approximately 790 officers and men were lost or killed, with another 80 injured. Fires occurred in three carriers when planes broke loose in their hangars and some 146 planes on various ships were lost or damaged beyond economical repair by fires, impact damage, or by being swept overboard. This storm inflicted more damage on the Navy than any storm since the hurricane at Apia, Samoa in 1889. In the aftermath of this deadly storm, the Pacific Fleet established new weather stations in the Caroline Islands and, as they were secured, Manila, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. In addition, new weather central offices (for coordinating data) were established at Guam and Leyte."
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq102-5.htm"On 3 June 1945, the ships of Task Group (TG) 38.1, built around aircraft carriers USS Hornet (CV-12) and USS Bennington (CV-20), and the oilers in Task Group 30.8 were operating east of Okinawa, having just completed two weeks of air attacks against Japanese airfields on Okinawa and Kyushu. Although a tropical disturbance had been reported forming east of the Philippines, confused sighting reports and communications delays deprived Third Fleet of timely and accurate location information. Contradictory weather reports did not help the situation. On 5 June, the small and tight typhoon overtook TG 38.1, which passed through the eye of the storm at 0700 that morning. Hurricane force winds of 70 knots (80.5 miles per hour), with gusts up to 100 knots (115 miles per hour), damaged almost every ship in TG 38.1 and TG 30.8. In the former, heavy cruiser USS Pittsburgh (CA-72) lost her bow and two other cruisers suffered frame damage. All the fleet carriers suffered flight deck damage, while USS Belleau Wood (CV-24) also lost an elevator. The destroyers rode out the storm rather well, only USS Samuel N. Moore (DD-747) suffering major superstructure damage. In the refueling group, escort carriers USS Windham Bay (CVE-92) and USS Salamaua (CVE-96) lost part of their flight decks and tanker USS Millicoma (AO-73) suffered severe topside damage. One officer and five men were lost or killed, with another four seriously injured. Storm damage wrecked 43 planes and another 33 were washed overboard. After continued strong recommendations, the Pacific Fleet established uncoded plain language typhoon advisory dispatch procedures on 10 June and, two days later, began flying B-29 aircraft on storm reconnaissance missions."
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq102-6.htm"On 4 October 1945, a typhoon was spotted developing in the Caroline Islands and tracked as it moved on a predictable course to the northwest. Although expected to pass into the East China Sea north of Formosa on 8 October, the storm unexpectedly veered north toward Okinawa. That evening the storm slowed down and, just as it approached Okinawa, began to greatly increase in intensity. The sudden shift of the storm caught many ships and small craft in the constricted waters of Buckner Bay (Nakagusuku Wan) and they were unable to escape to sea. On 9 October, when the storm passed over the island, winds of 80 knots (92 miles per hour) and 30-35 foot waves battered the ships and craft in the bay and tore into the quonset huts and buildings ashore. A total of 12 ships and craft were sunk, 222 grounded, and 32 severely damaged. [for listing of vessels] Personnel casualties were 36 killed, 47 missing, and 100 seriously injured. Almost all the food, medical supplies and other stores were destroyed, over 80% of all housing and buildings knocked down, and all the military installations on the island were temporarily out of action. Over 60 planes were damaged as well, though most were repairable. Although new supplies had been brought to the island by this time, and emergency mess halls and sleeping quarters built for all hands, the scale of the damage was still very large. If the war had not ended on 2 September, this damage, especially the grounding and damage to 107 amphibious craft (including the wrecking of four tank landing ships, two medium landing ships, a gunboat, and two infantry landing craft) would likely have seriously impacted the planned invasion of Japan (Operation Olympic)."
Part 1
Waves are breaking ove the bow of the USS Yorktown (CV-10) of US Task Force off Iwo Jima, D-Day. F6F-5 Hellcats of VF-3 and VF-12 are on the deck.
USS Intrepid (CV 11) lists to port in heavy seas
USS Iowa (BB 61), encounters heavy seas on cruise to Tokyo, Japan
USS Neosho (AO-23). Scene on her main deck in early May 1942, as she refueled USS Yorktown (CV-5) in heavy seas
USS Essex (CV 9) fueling from USS Pamansett (AO 85) during storm at South China Sea, 17 January 1945
View of the freighter Daghestan in heavy seas
A mountain of spray rises in front of the carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB 42) as she steams through heavy seas in the Atlantic.
A destroyer plows through heavy seas in the South China Sea with the carrier Hancock (CV 19) steaming in the background.
Sailors pictured in one of the gun tubs on board the light aircraft carrier Langley (CVL 27) as she steams through heavy sea during a typhoon.
The bow of the light aircraft carrier Langley (CVL 27) is immersed in water as the ship plows through heavy seas off the Philippines 12 12 1944
A wave splashes over the bow of the carrier Hornet (CV 12) as she plows through a typhoon in the Western Pacific
USS Wasp (CV 18) pictured in the midst of a typhoon off Japan
USS Wasp (CV 18) pictured in the midst of a typhoon off Japan
USS Wasp (CV 18) pictured in the midst of a typhoon off Japan
USS Wasp (CV 18) pictured in the midst of a typhoon off Japan
USS Wasp (CV 18) pictured in the midst of a typhoon off Japan
USS Wasp (CV 18) pictured in the midst of a typhoon off Japan
USS Wasp (CV 18) pictured in the midst of a typhoon off Japan
Aircraft lashed down on the flight deck of Wasp (CV 18) in preparation for rough seas c 1945
Typhoon 12 18 1944
Typhoon 12 18 1944
Typhoon 12 18 1944
Barely see a liberty ship
Ships plow through heavy seas while steaming in the South China Sea Jan 1945
Ships plow through heavy seas while steaming in the South China Sea Jan 1945
Ships plow through heavy seas while steaming in the South China Sea Jan 1945
DD pushing through waves
Heavy Seas
Task force 38 caught in heavy seas
US Destroyer in very stormy South China Sea,s in January 1945 along side USS Taluga AO-62
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