Approximate Location of the USS Missouri (BB-63) Grounding

USA / Virginia / Hampton /
 ship, battleship, historical layer / disappeared object, United States Navy
On January 17th, 1950 the USS Missouri (BB-63), then the only US Battleship in active commission, was outbound for sea from Naval Station Norfolk when she ran hard aground in this general area, some 1.6 miles from Thimble Shoals Light and a full three ship lengths outside of the channel.

Even though she was not traveling anywhere near her top speed, the 45,000 ton Battleship hit the shoals with enough momentum to drive her bow seven feet out of the water and get the ship stuck fast. Salvage and refloating efforts began immediately and after several attempts to pull the ship off the shoal at high tide failed, she was extensively lightered of fuel and ammunition and braced with pontoons to make her more buoyant, and a path was dredged around the ship.

Finally, after 16 days aground the Missouri was pulled off the shoal with the assistance of several tugboats and a full moon tide on February 1st, 1950. After underwater hull surveys revealed only minor damages, she was able to put to sea for a Midshipmen training cruise on February 15th.

Soviet Navy publications at the time had a field day ridiculing the grounding of a US capital ship in the US Navy's backyard, but the grounding did little to prevent the USS Missouri from arriving off the coast of North Korea only seven months later where she took a major part in the Korean War.

Her captain was cashiered from the service due to the extreme embarrassment the incident caused the Navy.

www.navsource.org/archives/01/63d.htm
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Missouri_(BB-63)
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   37°0'31"N   76°16'8"W

Comments

  • Locally known as the "MO Hole"
This article was last modified 12 years ago