USS Turner info?

[bob lamoreaux]

There seems to be a controversy regarding the cause of the sinking of the USS Turner the early morning of January 3, 1944, while anchored near the entrance to New York harbor. The "official" cause was, if the info I have is correct, that one of the forward magazines (probably the one below the #2 gun turret -- I hope I have this right, as this is the second gun turret from the bow) blew up. The magazine explosion is said to have been due to "hedgehog" anti-submarine weapons. At least two of the surviving crewmen (probably now deceased) maintain that the ship was hit by one or two torpedos fired by a U-Boat.

 

I have not seen the US Navy investigation report of the sinking of this ship (years ago it cost too much for me to purchase the 90+ page report), but the Navy apparently took photos of the engine grates. (Why, I don't know!) Additionally, the bow was raised sometime in '44 or '45 and salvaged. The rest of the wreck was apparently "demolished" as at least one ship entering the harbor scraped her bottom on the wreck.

 

I don't think -- but have no info on this -- that the bodies of the sailors who went down with the ship were recovered during the salvage efforts.

 

Anyone have info that could add to this? I'm interested if "hedgehogs" were stored in the #2 magazine and whether they had a tendency to explode for no apparent reason. I believe that someone has done research and determined that no U-Boats were operating along the Atlantic Coast at that time. However, the Turner apparently encountered and attempted to sink a U-Boat while returning to the US from Casablanca (escorted a convoy to one of the southern ports -- Norfolk? -- then, with another DD sailed to NY and anchored for the night to await entrance to the harbor in order to unload its munitions). I'd also be interested if there is any record of the demolition of the wreck. Was this a Navy duty or a Coast Guard responsibility and when was it carried out? I'm going to NARA (National Archives) and -- if pointed in the right direction -- will track this down.

 

Many thanks for reading through this rather lengthy post!

[Salvage Sailor]

Hi Bob,

 

From what I've read in years past, the two survivors claims were discounted by the USN review board who did believe it was a magazine explosion. I'm sure this did not satisfy them, and there are other cases of destroyers being lost to 'undetermined causes' that later turned out to be from U-Boats.