1944 – Dec 5, torpedo magazine explodes, US Naval Ammunition depot, McAlester, OK–11

–11  Daily Ardmoreite, Ardmore OK. “11 Die in Blast at McAlester Naval Depot.”12-6-1944, 1.

–11  Daily Capital News, Jefferson City, MO. “11 Servicemen Believed Dead…” 12-6-1944.

–11  McAlester News Capital, OK. “Civilian, Killed in an Explosion of a Storage…” 12-9-1944.

–11  Moran. Explosive Accident Summary: [WW] II. DoD Explosives Safety Board, 1992, p.116

–11  Morning Avalanche, Lubbock, TX. “Eleven…Dead in Explosion, McAlester.” 12-6-1944.

–11  Tuscaloosa News, AL. “11 Killed in Explosion of Torpedo Warheads.” 12-6-1944, p. 1.

Narrative Information

Moran:  “NAD McAlester….On 5 December 1944, while loading Torpex loaded bombs from a trailer into an igloo magazine, a detonation in the magazine propagated to the trailer, killing all 11 of the magazine crew.”  (Moran, Edward P. Jr. Explosive Accident Summary: World War II. DoD Explosives Safety Board, Aug 1992, pp. 115-116.)

Newspapers at the Time

Dec 6, Ardmore, OK: “M’Alester, Dec. 6. – (AP) – Capt. Elmer Woodside, commanding the McAlester naval ammunition depot, today released the names of seven enlisted men and four civilians killed in a blast which occurred while torpedo warheads were being transferred from trucks to a magazine. The dead in yesterday’s explosion were:

Gunner’s Mate 1/C Edgar T. Holder, McAlester.

Seaman 2/C John W. Bradford, Hot Springs, Ark.

Seaman 2/C Robert L. Dorland, Elizabeth, N.J.

Seaman 1/C Eugene Q. Mansfield, Shungopavy, Ariz.

Seaman 2/C Floyd Walker, McFarland, Cal.

Seaman 1/C Albert D. Williford, Marinette, Ariz.

Seaman 1/C Alphonso H. Zeyouman, Second Mesa, Ariz.

Samuel Gentry, 44, Savanna, truck driver.

Clarence C. Moore, 29, McAlester, hoist operator.

James Hart, 28, McAlester, truck driver.

George W. Carson, 48, McAlester, checker.

“‘We don’t know what happened,’ Woodside said, ‘and of course all witnesses who could tell us anything are presumed dead.’ The officer, however, was continuing an investigation into the blast, which he said involved about eight tons of the explosives used to charge warheads for marine torpedoes. ‘We are turning out several thousand tons of material a month,’ the officer said, ‘and this is out first serious accident.’ Woodside said the second shift at the depot went ahead with its work following the explosion ‘ with no reluctance at all.’” (Daily Ardmoreite, Ardmore OK. “11 Die in Blast at McAlester Naval Depot.”12-6-1944, p.1.)

Dec 6, Tuscaloosa News (AL): “McAlester, Okla., Dec. 6 – (UP) – Names of four civilians and seven naval enlisted men killed late yesterday in an explosion of torpedo warheads at the McAlester naval ammunition depot were announced today by Capt. …Woodside, commanding officer.  Woodside said cause of the tremendous blast at the cave-like magazine, or ‘igloo,’ in a isolated valley of the huge depot probably would never be known.  The blast left no trace of any of its victims, tearing a hole in the ground 15 feet deep and 20 feet in diameter.  ‘The men were handling the warheads in a routine operation,’ said Woodside. ‘Several of the warheads had been removed from two trucks parked outside the magazine and stored inside.  Something went wrong.  We probably never will know.”  (Tuscaloosa News, AL. “11 Killed in Explosion of Torpedo Warheads.” 12-6-1944, p. 1.)

Dec 9, McAlester News Capital (OK): “Memorial services for George W. Carson, 48, McAlester, a checker who was killed in the explosion at the United States Naval Ammunition depot, which took 11 lives Tuesday, will be held at Prague Sunday afternoon. The services will be held at the Parks Funeral home in Prague. The Edward Walla post No. 11 of the American Legion there will be in charge. Carson was a veteran of World War I. He had been a resident of Prague until about one year ago, when he moved to McAlester to work at the depot….”  (McAlester News Capital, OK. “Civilian, Killed in an Explosion of a Storage Magazine at the Naval Ammunition Depot.” 12-9-1944.)

Sources

Daily Ardmoreite, Ardmore OK. “11 Die in Blast at McAlester Naval Depot.”12-6-1944, p.1. Accessed 3-10-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/ardmore-daily-ardmoreite-dec-06-1944-p-1/

Daily Capital News, Jefferson City, MO. “11 Servicemen Believed Dead in Exp;osion” 12-6-1944, p. 1. Accessed 3-10-2024 at:

https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-capital-news-dec-06-1944-p-1/

Lubbock Morning Avalanche, TX. “Eleven Men Feared Dead in Explosion, McAlester.” 12-6-1944, p. 1. Accessed 3-10-2024 at:

https://newspaperarchive.com/lubbock-morning-avalanche-dec-06-1944-p-1/

McAlester News Capital, OK. “Civilian, Killed in an Explosion of a Storage Magazine at the Naval Ammunition Depot.” 12-9-1944. Accessed 4-21-2013 at: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=18769872

Moran, Edward P. Jr. Explosive Accident Summary: World War II. DoD Explosives Safety Board, Aug 1992. Accessed 4-19-2013: http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA507027

Tuscaloosa News, AL. “11 Killed in Explosion of Torpedo Warheads.” 12-6-1944, p. 1. Accessed at: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DuY-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=E00MAAAAIBAJ&pg=3122,6558088&dq=mcalester+explosion&hl=en