Ship | Arrived | Departed | Cargo | Tonnage | |
SS JOSIAH SNELLING | 6/30/44 | 7/2/44 | Ammunition | 1055.51 | |
SS ALCOA PLANTER | 7/8/44 | 7/10/44 | " | 1200.97 | |
SS WILLIAM H. ASHLEY | 7/5/44 | 7/10/44 | " | 3256.76 | |
SS MORMACTERN | 7/12/44 | 7/17/44 | " | 3475.50 | |
Total | 8988.74 |
Officers | Enlisted Personnel | ||||
Marines | Navy | Marines | Navy | ||
July 1, 1944 | 3 | 71 | 73 | 1430 | |
July 31, 1944 | 3 | 60 | 88 | 1289 |
MK7 Incendiary Bombs in #1 Hold, MK47 Depth Bombs (Torpex loaded) in #2 Hold, Tail Vanes in #3 Hold, MK4 Fragmentation Bombs in #4 Hold, and 40mm in #5 Hold. Practically all the tonnage that had been loaded aboard the A. E. BRYAN was lower hold stowage.
A Coast Guard fire barge moored at the East end of the Ships' Pier was also destroyed and all hands aboard lost. A nearby Coast Guard patrol boat suffered no injury to vessel or crew other than blast damage to its superstructure. A MK33 1000-lb AP bomb landed on a passing oil barge. While same did not detonate, it caused considerable damage to the barge, which nevertheless was able to proceed under its own power to destination.
The dead consisted of:
9 | Naval officers engaged in supervision of ship loading at the pier; |
202 | Naval Enlisted Personnel (mostly colored), comprising two working divisions at the pier; |
1 | Marine enlisted man on sentry duty at the pier; |
5 | Coast Guard Enlisted Personnel--the crew of the Fire Barge; |
3 | Magazine Civil Service employees--the train crew; |
*30 | Armed Guard Personnel attached to the QUINAULT VICTORY and the A. E. BRYAN; |
**66 | Merchant Marine Personnel--crews of the two vessels; |
3 | employees of the Macco-Case Construction Co.--Contractors for the marginal wharf under construction |
* | Based on latest advice from the Armed Guard Center. |
** | Based on latest advice from the War Shipping Administration. |
The injured consisted of:
245 | Naval and Marine Corps personnel transferred to hospitals, the greater majority of which suffered slight injuries, principally from glass fragments; |
10 | Magazine civilian employees suffered lost time injures; |
Numerous other personnel were treated for minor injuries, the exact number of which we have no record. |
We are informed that the explosion was felt in a radius of some 40 miles.
The Army, in particular, were of inestimable assistance in the immediate feeding and evacuation of Magazine personnel.
The devotion to duty during the emergency of all personnel attached to the station was also of the highest order, including officers, enlisted personnel, and Civil Service employees.
Numerous services were restored the first day after the explosion, most remaining were restored the second, and all essential utility services were restored the third day. The assistance of T. L. Rosenberg, Electrical Contractors of Oakland, Calif., was particularly helpful in the restoration of light and power circuits.
Loading of ammunition aboard lighters at the Barge Pier (which was undamaged) was resumed 24 July, and the first lighter of warheads was shipped form the Magazine on 25 July. To date, a total of three lighters have been loaded and shipped since the explosion.
The contracting firm of Barrett and Hilp was assigned the rehabilitation of the Magazine Administration Building and Marine Barracks, Buildings A-1 and A-2, together with certain other designated structures, and moved their men and equipment on the station 19 July. The 42nd Construction Battalion were assigned the rehabilitation of the remaining Magazine facilities, including in particular the structures in the Barracks area. The Seabees moved men and equipment on the station 20 July. To date, the work of all parties involved in the reconstruction of Magazine facilities is proceeding expeditiously.
The Court convened at the U. S. Naval Magazine, Port Chicago, at 1000 21 July 1944 for its first session.
The 42nd Construction Battalion returned to Camp Parks on 19 August.
As of 31 August, except for minor painting and replacement of occasional sash, all facilities have been restored except the Recreation Building in the Barracks Area, replacement of doors in inset magazines in 4 barricades, Navy-owned telephone distribution system servicing the barricade and Ships' Pier area, Pump House and Electrical Shop, Bldg. A-4, and the Ships' Pier.
The unusable damaged portion of the Recreation Building was wrecked by the Seabees and the sections remaining will be incorporated in the enlarged Recreation Building to b e constructed under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Officer.
Completion of replacement of inset magazine doors in progressing and should be completed in the next two weeks.
The Navy owned telephone cable distribution system is being redesigned to take care of needs of modified expansion program.
Construction of the first hip Pier has progressed to the point where the first berth is practically completed and a ship is scheduled to begin loading 5 September. It is anticipated that the second berth will be completed approximately 1 October. Meanwhile, work has started on the construction of another 2 berths at Ship Pier No. 2, located 2160 feet east of Ship Pier No. 1.
On 14 August, there was a concerted refusal of duty on the part of 75 of such draft. After a warning by the Commanding Officer, all but 9 accepted duty. The 9 who refused duty have been recommended for trial by General Court Martial.
The entire draft of 110 men has been returned to Shoemaker, including 55 who were accorded trial by Summary Courts Martial.
Officers | Enlisted | ||||
Marines | Navy | Marines | Navy | ||
Aug. 1, 1944 | 3 | 60 | 73 | 1287 | |
Aug. 31, 1944 | 3 | 59 | 91 | 794 |
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Compiled and formatted by Patrick Clancey