1943 – Mar 24, fragmentation bombs explosion, Portage Ordnance Depot, Portage, OH–11

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 5-14-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

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

–11  Piqua Daily Call, OH. “Another Victim of Explosion is Dead.” 3-26-1943, p. 11.

Narrative Information

Moran:  “Portage Ordnance Depot…11 [fatalities]…This accident occurred in an earth covered magazine loaded with fragmentation bombs with a net explosives weight (NEW) of 40,759 pounds of TNT. There were 10 men in the crew and only one body found. A man working in another magazine crew was killed at a distance of 450 feet from the detonation.”

Contemporary Newspapers:

March 24:  “Ravenna, O., March 24 – (AP) – An ammunition explosion at the government’s Portage ordnance depot today killed an undetermined number of loading crew members. Col. Raymond A. Brown, commanding officer, said two bodies had been recovered, but that the dead would number less than a dozen.  The explosion at 11:55 a.m, was felt in Youngstown and other

neighboring cities of northeastern Ohio. Spectators reported a huge cloud of smoke over the area.

“The explosion occurred where a crew of seven or eight normally is at work loading ammunition

for shipment, the officer said.  It was the first serious accident reported at either the depot or the adjacent Ravenna ammunition loading plant since they went into production.

“Ravenna is about 30 miles northwest of Youngstown, and about 35 miles southeast of Cleveland.”  (Biloxi Daily Herald, MS. “Undetermined Number of Men Killed in Explosion.” 3-24-1943, p. 1.)

March 26:  “Ravenna, O., March 26 (UP) – The number of victims in the explosion in the Portage Ordnance Depot in the government’s shell-loading arsenal rose to 11 today with the death of Robert Hiller, West Farmington, in a Cleveland hospital. The explosion Wednesday took 10 lives instantly. However, only one body has been recovered. Arsenal authorities continue their investigation of the cause of the explosion….” (Piqua Daily Call, OH. “Another Victim of Explosion is Dead.” 3-26-1943, p. 11.)

Sources

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=ADA50702

Piqua Daily Call, OH. “Another Victim of Explosion is Dead.” 3-26-1943, p. 11. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=88600990&sterm