"18 May through 28 May 1944.
During this period this vessel was assigned navy yard availability in order to accomplish essential repairs to the forward elevator, bomb elevator, salt water system, and all boilers."
So begins the War Diary entry detailing Princeton's maintenance period in Pearl Harbor's bustling and chaotic shipyard.
"During this availability period various other alterations and repairs of a more minor nature were accomplished. The majority of the ship's company of both officers and enlisted personnel were enabled to enjoy two day periods of recreation at Camp Erdman and Camp Andrews, respectively.
Camp Erdman, north shore of Oahu.
Camp Andrews, southwest coast of Oahu
"The exterior surfaces of the ship were repainted by the navy yard in accordance with camouflage design '7-A'." We have seen Measure 33, Design 7-A before:
Glorious...
When not enjoying Camps Andrews or Erdman, personnel assigned to Princeton were busy attending gunnery and radar training as well as the fleet fire fighting school.
At 1510 on her 4th day in the yards, 21 May, 1944, the bridge watch "observed a column of black smoke caused by a heavy explosion which had just been heard from the direction of the West Loch. This was later determined to be the fire and explosions resulting from an ammunition explosion in a group of LST's moored in West Loch; further details were lacking, other than the fact that two tugs were severely damaged in rescue efforts and a third tug lost the use of one engine, critically handicapping ship movements in Pearl Harbor, which were quite heavy at this period."
The Nimitz Graybook noted the early report that “approximately 442 personnel, including 21 civilians, were hospitalized.”
Little known until investigation reports were declassified in 1960 — it took place amongst a nested group of LST’s that were preparing in secrecy for the amphibious invasion of Saipan in the Marianas — what became known as the “Second Pearl Harbor” killed 163 and injured 396.
Uncontrolled fires resulted in a rolling series of ammunition and fuel vapor-induced explosions that raged for over two days.
Pearl Harbor LST explosion, 21 May 1944: Aerial photograph of Pearl Harbor's West Loch, showing the burning LSTs at berths T-8 and T-9. Some LSTs are manuevering in the foreground, leaving the vicinity of the explosions and fire, while other ships have yet to get underway (80-G-276907). Photo credit: Naval Heritage and History Center
At the time of the mishap Princeton was at Berth B-22, just south of CINCPAC Headquarters and slight over 2.5 miles from the Ammunition Dump and LST staging area.
Aerial view of Pearl Harbor, looking south
Satellite view of Pearl Harbor, north up
Today, 80 years later, remnants of the disaster remain:
The final day of the yard period, 28 May, saw Princeton taking aboard 280,000 gallons of fuel oil and 49,000 gallons of aviation gasoline, along with a full complement of bombs and bullets for the ship and the Air Group.
“Navy yard availability expired at 1200 on 28 May 1944, but work continued on the forward elevator, the forward gyro compass, and final details of the salt water system during that day and night.”
Tomorrow, The Peerless P and her new Air Group, would head back to the war.
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