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In September 1969, the SS Badger State, owned by States Marine Lines and under charter to the Military Sea Transportation Service, sailed on Voyage 46. She loaded a cargo of more than 6,000 tons of munitions at the Naval Ammunition Depot, Bangor, Washington, and Proceeded to South Vietnam. The loading and departure were without incident.
Approximately three days into the voyage, the ship’s master heard what he thought to be shifting cargo in the port side of number 4 lower hold, where 500-pound bombs had been stowed. Without hesitation, he notified his operational control authority and requested a port of refuge. When the hold in question was inspected at Pearl Harbor, no obvious evidence of cargo Movement could be found, but the master msisted that a 6- to 8-inch shift had occurred.
At the master’s request, approximately 100 tons °f cargo were shifted from the number 4 lower hold to number 2 upper ’tween deck to improve stability. After five days in Hawaii, the Badger tete continued on her voyage with an improved r°H period of 111 to 12 seconds. It had been
The Fate of the
Badger State
By Commander Paul C. Kinney,
U. S. Naval Reserve (Retired)
only 9\ seconds when she left Bangor. For the remainder of the outbound passage, the ship and her crew experienced fair weather. The maximum roll was about 20°. The Badger State discharged in Vietnam and returned to the United States in ballast. During the return trip, a hydraulic leak was discovered in the after starboard ram of the steering engine. Because the vessel was only a few days out of port, the crew decided to wait and repack the ram rather than attempt to repair it at sea.
These events are mentioned inasmuch as they relate to and set the stage for Voyage 47. . .
T'he SS Badger State arrived in port on 7 Decem- tn D-er ^9. Early the next morning, she proceeded “ier 91, Seattle, Washington, where the cargo ~ar was inspected by the Coast Guard, the crew Voyage 46 paid off, and the ship bunkered for £°Vage 47. Qn the morning of 9 December, the atft ef State shifted to the naval ammunition depot am an®or’ ^at evening, she commenced loading q munition. During her loading period, the Coast aar^ made a mid-term inspection of the condition adequacy of lifesaving equipments. The equip- 0r ,nts Were determined adequate and in working Veer’a°d an entry to that effect was made in the dup' S °EficiaI record booklet of inspection. Also 'n8 the loading period, a local marine engineering ram T-aS contracted to repack the steering engine Su ‘ Ehe first assistant engineer later provided as- accs tf,at this had been done. the Iere are several significant events that dealt with by °ading at Bangor. All events are those related (]ra/evvrnen and are not conclusions or conjectures tj0n ,n ^ the author. The master requested addi- TheCargo to add weight and improve stability, all vre^Uest was denied, and he was told “This is then°U re scheduled for, so this is all you get.' He fr0m guested that some heavy cargo be shifted stabjr°Wer holds to the ’tween decks to improve ny- This was evidently done, because the final
stow plan indicated a shift of some heavier cargo.
Another event during this loading period was the blocking and bracing of the cargo. The chief mate requested “tomming” in the number 5 hold but was refused, being told “That is not the way we do it here.” The chief mate then asked that extra shoring material be left on board to be used in the event cargo became loose. This request too was refused, but after much discussion and an argument on the dock, approximately twenty-five 4x4’s, 16 to 20 feet in length, were placed on deck and lashed down. Day workers inspecting the stowage found large spaces in the cargo and requested more blocking be done. They were told it would be, but inspection at sea later showed that no additional blocking had actually been done.
Rain fell almost constantly during the Badger State’s loading period. No effort was made to keep the dunnage dry. In some squares, hatch boards were placed in position and carpenters had to crawl under them to shore cargo. Later inspection showed these areas had very little shoring and very few nails. Wedges used were saturated with moisture and not nailed. The first assistant engineer, having sailed on Voyage 46 when cargo had come loose, refused to sail on Voyage 47. He expressed a dissatisfaction with loading practices at Bangor, describing a gross lack of supervision; stevedores were engaging in
hotfs
sheath]^
falle°
down, having been held by only one nail in P*aC^t Sweatboards had also failed, and cargo was aga> ^ the hull in many areas. Places which the crew ^ asked to be reinforced at Bangor were found to still unreinforced. Thereafter, it was continuous^ shoring by the crew in one hold after another, master believed the shoring was within the cap^ bility of the ship’s force; not wanting to abort mission, he continued westward. $
From the 18th to the 25th of December, the c ^ experienced very bad weather. There existe
horseplay. Insufficient time remained to sign another engineer, so the chief engineer approached the first assistant at his hotel and talked him into making the voyage.
At 1530, 14 December 1969, the Badger State, with her 40-man crew and a bomb load of 6,109 short tons, departed Bangor for anchorage in Thornedike Bay to secure for sea. The securing was not done at Bangor, because it was necessary to vacate the berth. The ship took departure from anchorage at 2230, 14 December, and proceeded on a route provided by Fleet Weather Center, Alameda, California. Her course was to take her on a great circle route south of the Aleutians at about 52° north latitude, then continuing north of Midway, through the Marianas to San Bernardino Strait to transit the Philippines, then direct to Vietnam.
As the voyage began, the sea was flat and the ship didn’t roll; however, the next day the weather began to deteriorate. By late on the 16th, the mates had encountered a confused swell system running 12 to 16 feet and were experiencing rolls in the neighborhood of 20°. About 2000 on the 16th, upon hearing •unusual sounds in number 3 lower ’tween deck, the chief mate and an ordinary seaman investigated and found that the cargo of 500-pound bombs had shifted. The cargo was discovered to be jammed on
the port side of the ship, leaving an opening of aboa 12 feet on the starboard side. Whatever sweatboar ^ or sheathing had existed was completely broken 0 missing. One case of bombs was broken, and on bomb was rubbing against a frame, causing the u usual noises. Attempts were made to reshore t cargo by moving power saws to number 3 hold a using scrap wood to make up shoring material.
As the blocking began in number 3 hold, the co dition of the other holds was checked. This inspe tion revealed cargo to be adrift in nearly all lev^ of all holds, so the entire deck crew and avail3 hands from other departments were “rousted 0^ to assist in the reshoring. The inspection also vealed that blocking around ladders was^o^ existent; sheathing was nonexistent in most except on athwartship bulkheads. Where had existed in the wings, it had broken or
fewer than three swell systems, all of similar proportions but from different directions. Weather reports received from Alameda and Hawaii indicated a storm in the path of the Badger State. The master requested a more southerly route to avoid the front. Subsequent weather synopses received from Japan showed not one but two storms. A third was only days behind.
On the third day out of Bangor, a dozen nickel- size holes were discovered in wasted hull plating aPproximately 5 feet below the centerline of the shaft in the lower engineering spaces. Water was Pouring in, and the plating was “breathing” or Panting.” The first assistant engineer built forms and fabricated a patch approximately 3 by 3 feet using concrete and split bricks. The patch appeared to hold and when last observed was beginning to set UP around the edges with some small seepage around the bottom. The master then slowed about 2 knots to reduce the vibration and allow this patch to set properly. The vessel had been turning for a Sea speed of 14.5 knots. Meanwhile, the Badger State continued into worsening weather, and the crew continued reshoring in nearly all holds.
On the fifth day into the voyage, another hydraulic 'eak developed in the same starboard steering ram fhat had been repaired prior to departure. Because '^sufficient hydraulic fluid remained on board to complete the voyage with the machinery in this conation, it became necessary to repair it as soon as Practicable. By this time, the ship was experiencing rolls of 25 to 35°. To make repairs to the steering ram, it was necessary to stop the steering engine for tw° and one-half hours. During this time, the master attempted to maneuver the ship with the engines, 'a seas confused and of 20- to 30-foot proportions. ,n spite of his efforts, the Badger State was subjected to even greater rolling then had been experienced before. The shoring of cargo continued.
On the seventh day of the voyage, 21 December, a nipple failed on the superheater to the port boiler.
. 0 disassemble, repair, and reassemble this mach- •nary took approximately 12 hours. Again, the ves- Se was subjected to heavy rolling, and the shoring c°ntinued in nearly all holds. On 23 December, the faster requested a port of refuge because cargo was °°Se in number 3 lower hold, and the crew could a°t reach it. A C-2 cargo ship of the Badger State s ass provides no access to this area other than the atch opening itself. The master requested an escort p 'P and changed course to 140°, attempting to reach earl Harbor, his assigned port of refuge. This was ^vessel’s sixth ordered diversion from the origi- V intended route. The Badger State attempted ■ §et south and to Pearl Harbor as well as she could severe weather. The shoring of cargo had pro- .^essed to the point of just placing wedges and add- § support to existing shoring.
On 25 December, Christmas Day, the port of refuge was changed to Midway Island, but the master doubted if he could make it, because the course required was 208°, and this would put what he thought was a northwest swell on the beam. He found it impossible to hold this course because of the bad seas. For the previous 24 hours, the Badger State had experienced continuous rolls between 30 and 40°. On Christmas afternoon, the ship appeared to enter the eye of the storm. The winds abated, and it was even possible to take a few sun lines for navigation. Within a very few hours, however, the ship reentered the storm. The winds increased quickly and shifted from southeast to northwest. The only wind indicator on board was a pocket anemometer purchased by the master just prior to sailing. From this point on in the voyage, the wind velocity was beyond the 50-knot maximum capability of the instrument.
Unable to hold a course for Midway, the master brought the ship to a westerly heading of 260° to reduce the roll. Again, the cargo was showing signs of coming loose. Sleep was impossible as items began breaking loose throughout the ship. The refrigerator in the crew’s saloon, normally welded to the bulkhead, broke loose. The heavy chart desk, also welded, broke loose and slid across the chartroom. Late Christmas Day, the Badger State seemed to leave this storm and after a brief respite when the skies showed signs of clearing, entered the second storm. The shoring at this time was centered primarily in number 5 ’tween deck where 2,000-pound bombs had been stowed. About midnight, Christmas Night, a report was received on the bridge that num- “ Weather reports received from Alameda and Hawaii indicated a storm in the path of the Badger State. The master requested a more southerly route to avoid the front. Subsequent weather synopses received from Japan showed not one but two storms. A third was only days behind.”
ber 5 was secured. In fact, it was reported to be “the most secure hold on the ship.”
At 0135, 26 December, with the wind at Force 12 and the barometer at a remarkable 955 millibars, the vessel took 52° rolls to port and starboard. The port lifeboat was broken loose from the after davit and damaged beyond use. It continued to bang against the ship but remained attached. At 0345 on the 26th, the Badger State again experienced a 50°-52° roll. At 0400, a very heavy banging noise was heard aft.
An able seaman checking the holds reported to the bridge that “number 5 is a mess,” and he could feel and hear cargo moving in number 4 lower hold from the shaft alley. Rolling was now constantly 40°-50°. Immediately after this report, the ship’s boatswain and the chief mate began gathering every available crew member. “Put on your lifejackets and lay to number 5” they were told. “We have problems, the bombs are loose and rolling around like so many marbles.” An initial distress call was made.
As the crew began forming at number 5 hatch, the forward end of the first pontoon was raised to about 45°. Looking in, crew members saw no fewer than two dozen bombs loose and rolling from wing to wing. The Badger State was dipping the rail, and green water was being taken aboard and washing down the decks. In the number 5 ’tween deck, twisted and broken pallet and banding material lay scattered about. A complete and unobstructed pathway had formed on the deck from port to starboard across the square of the hatch. Loose and broken dunnage lay everywhere. The hatchboards into number 5 lower hold where 750-pound bombs were stowed were beginning to break and come apart from the pounding of bombs above. At least two bombs were seen to slide nose first into the lower hold through the space formerly occupied by hatch- boards. Sparks could be seen flying as the bombs struck each other and slid across the now-unprotected metal deck. Daylight could be seen through 6-inch holes in the shell plating where the 2,000- pound bombs were sticking their noses through the side from the constant pounding.
The last of the shoring material had been used on Christmas Day, and nothing remained to stop the bombs except ship’s stores and material. The entire crew began gathering and throwing everything available into the hold in an effort to contain the rolling and sliding bombs. First the hawsers and mooring lines, then chair cushions and finally the chairs themselves, lifejackets, mattresses, clothes, clean and dirty linen alike, and finally frozen meats from the reefer stores. This seemed to contain the bombs in the square but they continued to roll in the wings and forward. After all else had failed, it was decided to lower a pontoon into the hold. Schooner gear was rigged, and the starboard end of number 2 pontoon was lifted and the port end allowed to drop into the hold on top of the material previously thrown in. This action seemed to contain the bombs on the port side but was ineffective forward and to starboard. There was nothing left to throw in! All hands were ordered to clear the deck and stand by for rolls, because the ship was going to attempt to come around and make another try for Midway, approximately 500 miles to the south.
As the last two crew members stepped into the deckhouse and were beginning to dog the watertight door, it happened. ... an explosion in the forward starboard corner of number 5 ’tween deck. The time was 0940, 26 December 1969.
The explosion blew an 8 x 12-foot hole in the forward end of number 5 ’tween deck, starboard side. Both booms, from their cradles, were blown over the starboard side, breaking the starboard boom in half with number 2 pontoon still suspended, and warping the port boom into an acute arc. The remaining pontoons were lifted higher than the crosstrees of the mast.
When the initial distress call was made at about 0430, it tripped the automatic alarm on board the Greek MV Khian Star. The Khian Star established almost immediate radio contact and told the master of the Badger State that he would reach him in about two and one-half hours. During the time the Greek ship was approaching, the master of the stricken vessel made his decision to try for Midway. He offered every member of his crew the option of leaving to board the Khian Star or remaining with the Badger State. All hands elected to remain. The p°" tential rescue vessel asked if the crew was ready 10 abandon ship. The master had responded “NegU' tive, I will attempt a run to Midway.”
When the explosion occurred, the Khian Star was only 2 miles away. She was astern of the American ship, and her crewmen saw the flash and smoke, bu they were not immediately aware of an abandon ship signal. Immediately after the explosion, the master of the Badger State sounded the general alarm an passed the order to abandon ship. When the p^r lifeboat was damaged, it left only the starboard 69- man lifeboat and 2 rubber boats on the flying bridg^’ All hands, already in life jackets, proceeded to tn starboard boat and in an orderly fashion formed line. The lifeboat had previously been made ready for launching and the sea painter led forward. Thi is important, because this painter would ha've Pre vented the boat from drifting aft once in the wate • The rule of thumb for sea painter length is thre times the distance of boat to mean water level wh the boat is in the davits. . .
No frapping lines were used or known to exi ’ so as the ship rolled the boat swung in and out. La time the boat swung in, a couple of crew membe would jump aboard. The second mate slipped as attempted to enter the boat, and his leg was P'nfl^0 and severely injured, possibly broken. Unable jump into the boat, he was assisted up to nurn.
3 hatch where he would later be aided in abandon1 ^ ship. Apparently, all but five men made the Iifeb° ’ though no count was taken by any of the survivo The remaining five, including the master and injured second mate, stayed behind to launch
rubber boats from the flying bridge. The port boat Was launched and seen to inflate as it hit the water, then take off “cartwheeling” over the surface before the wind. The starboard boat was launched, but the fitter end of the C02 lanyard went down with the boat, evidently not tied. The boat did not inflate immediately but just drifted, still in its pod or colaPsed form. The Khian Star would later go along- ■ude what was thought to be this rubber boat and ”nd it inflated but empty.
Meanwhile, in the starboard lifeboat, the scene changed from an orderly procession to one of wild at)andon. Two crew members attempted to ship the rudder but never got it in place. Men were also juggling to install the levers for the hand-propel- lng gear, but this was ineffective, because the pro- I e'ler was never engaged. One survivor recalled °°king for the boat plug but never found it. The 0at was lowered. As it reached the water’s edge, SUrge of a wave carried it all the way back up
the
me boat deck and it momentarily hung in the °cks. Again it was lowered, and this time the falls ere released. The sea painter, a 32-inch manila line, taut then went slack.
l ^uen the abandon-ship alarm was sounded, the ^oiier fires were shut down, and by now the Badger l had lost nearly all her way. She began drifting t0re the wind and because there was now no way get the lifeboat away from the side, it stayed ^ uugside and began drifting aft. The next big surge AUh^ht lhe lifeboat hard against the side of the ship, o h°ugh there were no obvious personnel injuries 0 arnage to the boat, some of the crew got panicky.
e decided to get away from the boat and jumped u er the side. Looking aft, crew members saw sir) S s*‘^‘n8 out the hole caused by the exploit n. At least two more crewmen “saw no point in Ugirig around” and jumped overboard, attempting away.
he next surge of the boat caused by the heavy
seas brought it hard into the jagged edges of steel blown out by the explosion. Several crewmen may have been injured in this collision. At least one received a severe injury. The chief electrician’s forehead was cut so seriously that the wound exposed brain tissue. He was seen alive in the water more than an hour later, but he did not survive.
With the boat still under the jagged hole, the Badger State rolled to starboard. As she did so, a 2,000-pound bomb slid out nose first very quickly and, narrowly missing the boat, fell into the water. When the ship rolled back to port, a second bomb, having gained momentum in the starboard roll, came out of the hole in the manner of a ski jumper. This bomb hit one crewman in the head driving him out of the boat. The bomb then landed squarely in the laps of at least four other crewmen. As the bomb landed in the boat, then about one-third full of water, someone yelled “Let’s get the hell out of here.” In one continuous motion of the bomb landing in the boat and the remaining crewmen rushing to the outboard side, the boat capsized.
The sea temperature at the time of abandoning ship was 56°, confused swells running 25-35 feet, waves 8 feet, the wind about 65 knots. After the boat capsized, many men continued to hang on. In fact, a few climbed aboard and tried to sit on it. Another surge brought the overturned boat hard against the Badger State again, but this time there were men in between. To make things even worse, a flock of about 20-30 sea birds began landing on and near the men and pecking at their heads, faces, and arms. Several survivors recounted their efforts to fight them off.
One deck maintenance man, after drifting away from the overturned lifeboat, managed to get alongside the Khian Star but was unable to climb the line thrown him. Several more lines were thrown him, and after he had thoroughly entangled himself, he was hauled to the deck of the Khian Star feet first. He survived, suffering from shock, exposure, and severe bruises on his arms and legs. Two of the crewmen who left the boat prior to its capsizing stayed together until they were washed alongside the rescue vessel. One wave carried them to the main deck level where both grabbed the fishplate. They couldn’t hang on and so fell back into the water. Another wave brought one of these men back up again; wrapping his arms around a stanchion, he
High seas surround the Badger State in this photo taken from an Air Force rescue plane. The ship’s crew was still on board when the picture was make.
managed to hold on until Greek seamen could pull him aboard. The other was never seen again.
The cadet engineer, escaping the capsizing by leaving the boat first, swam across a line in the water. After securing a bight to the boat, he swam out to the end to stretch it for other swimmers to hold onto. He reached the end of this line, the sea painter. It was seized, ending the speculation it had parted and added weight to the thought it had not been properly secured on the forepart of the Badger State. He was carried away from the lifeboat and two hours later was alongside the Khian Star. A wave carried him halfway up the Jacob’s ladder, and once he got a leg in the rungs he was lifted aboard, ladder and all.
A fire and water tender, thrown clear by the capsizing lifeboat, saw the Greek ship when lifted into the air by the crest of a wave. He took what he thought was a lead on the bow and started swimming, hoping to be picked up. He had misjudged and passed astern, and the Khian Star passed without sighting him. Now he was left completely alone and thoroughly terrified. He decided his only recourse was to attempt to swim back to the overturned lifeboat because the ship surely would pick up the men in it. Now he was swimming into the wind. He swam for about 15 minutes and, stopping to rest, spotted a rubber boat still in its pod. He decided to make for this boat and after swimming for another 15-20 minutes, never reaching the rubber boat, the Khian Star suddenly appeared alongside. A life ring was thrown him and he was led astern. Because he was too weak to climb the Jacob’s ladder, he, too, was lifted aboard, ladder and all.
About this time, an Air Force C-130 arrived on scene and began dropping rubber boats. One boat inflated but took off before the wind as the Badger State's port boat had done. A line from the second boat which was dropped fell across the shoulder of one crewman who just grabbed it and hung on. The first man into this boat was an able seaman who literally pulled at least five others into the boat by the seats of their pants, then massaged and slapped them to keep them awake. After exposure in the water, most survivors told of continually wanting to go to sleep. The chief electrician with the injured head was alongside this rubber boat at one time, but before he could be assisted aboard slipped away—never to be seen again. Most of the men in this boat were later rescued by the Khian Star, but some were not. Their fates are not known.
Meanwhile, back on board the Badger State, the master and the remaining crewmen (except the injured mate) ran from door to door throughout the amidship house calling for anyone who might be left on board. Finding no one, they gathered together at number 3 hatch. At the master’s insistence, they donned life rings in addition to their lifejackets. The first over the side was the injured second mate, assisted by an able seaman. They were never seen again. The master and remaining two crewmen then jumped and started swimming toward the Khian Star. They were subsequently picked up in the same manner as most of the others, holding onto a ladder and being lifted aboard.
The Khian Star approached the overturned lifeboat onto which 10-15 men were still hanging. As she came alongside, men were again pinned between boat and ship. This time distinct screams were heard. Only a very few were rescued from this party- One Greek crewman tied a line to his waist and jumped over the side in an effort to rescue a Badg?r State crewman; however, the man was already dead. Unable to recover the body because of sea conditions, he was forced to let it go in order to save himself. On board the Greek ship, as survivors were brought aboard they were hustled inside; some walked, some were carried, unconscious. There they were stripped, wrapped in blankets, given hot tea, coffee, or whiskey, and an alcohol rubdown- It was several hours before most came around or were able to stand.
The Khian Star remained in the area of the Badg?r State throughout that day and the next, observing the fires among materials in number 5 hold and in* vestigating markers dropped by search aircraft. Sh^ did not recover any other persons. Finally, on - December, the active search for survivors was suspended by the Khian Star and she continued her voyage to Yokohama. The SS Flying Dragon, me vessel assigned to escort the ill-fated ammunition carrier to Midway, arrived late on 27 Decembor’ She remained on the scene until relieved by th Navy salvage tug Abnaki (ATF-96).
On the morning of 5 January 1970, the Badge State met her fate. The ship and her $10 miil|0^ cargo of ammunition settled by the stern and san of her own accord in calm water, 500 nautical mu north and east of Midway. In all, 14 persons wer rescued, 1 body recovered, and 25 more were rmsS ing and presumed dead.
Commander Kinney was graduated fr0IT1 jn / University of Wisconsin School of Journals |
1932. He worked as a newspaperman and sc ^ teacher before being commissioned as a Is Reserve officer in 1943. Among his waitin'6 ^ signments were command of the torpeu ^ triever YP-166 in Puget Sound and ordnance
__________ , ficer at Naval Weapons Station, Port Chic ^
California. After another stint teaching school in Wisconsin-.^ was recalled to active duty in 1950 and became safety officer at Port Chicago. Following release from active servi 1953. he remained there as a civil service supervisor of l°a0f and planning until his retirement in 1972. He died at the ag 69 in 1979.