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EXPLOSION IN TURRET TWO Investigation Continued 3. Our inquiry
included consultation 5-9 October at Naval Base Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines,
with the formal investigating officer (Rear Admiral P. P. Cole, COMSERVGRU THREE); and
during the same period, discussions with the Commanding Officer NEWPORT NEWS (Captain W.
F. Zartman) and various of the ship’s company; examination of the turret and the
ammunition recovered from it; and on-scene consultation with the ordnance technical team
sent to Subic by the Chief of Naval Material in connection with the casualty. Our inquiry also included consultations in HQ
NAVORDSYSCOM; review of information and informed opinion available in the headquarters and
from other ordnance-related technical commands: and examinations 13 and 30 October at NWL
Dahlgren, Virginia, of 8” projectile detonation experiments done in relation to this
casualty, and of the parts of the damaged gun and exploded projectile recovered from
NEWPORT NEWS and returned to Dahlgren for analysis. 4. We received
the most complete cooperation, assistance, and support in all phases of our inquiry, from
every fleet and Navy Department level concerned, notably COMNAVORDSYSCOM and COMSERVGRU
THREE. 5. We noted with
satisfaction the evidence that throughout this deployment the ship’s performance had
been outstanding, and that this had extended to the emergency actions taken in this
casualty. 6.
In-bore projectile explosions have been
occurring ever since explosive-loaded types came into use, and have been experienced with
every recorded type of explosive filler adopted for service. Reference (c) notes some 298 such explosions since
1888 in Navy guns of 3” and larger calibers (the total including many which were
deliberately induced at proving grounds for various purposes). Four have been reported since reference (c),
including that in NEWPORT NEWS, the latter being the first in that caliber in the nearly
fifty years it has been in service. Army
experience is believed comparable. 7. During World
War II the Navy fired some 3,104,000 rounds in 3” and larger calibers, out of which
10 shipboard in-bore prematures were recorded. Much
of that ammunition reflected design philosophy and technology dating from long before the
war. The new-generation designs which
appeared late in the war have been with us ever since, so afford a coherent basis for
consideration. The record of shipboard
in-bore explosions since World War II, 3” and larger, is as follows:
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