A New Chapter for the Musashi
The thrilling discovery of the Japanese superbattleship Musashi in March marks an important and intriguing advance in underwater exploration. The Musashi, sister ship of the famous Yamato, was one of the two largest battleships ever built. Displacing more than 72,000 tons fully loaded, she mounted nine 18.1-inch rifles, the largest guns ever carried to sea. She was an innovative design in many respects, featuring a bulbous bow (unique for the time, but now a standard drag-reducing feature of many large vessels), an elegantly sloped main deck (designed to reduce weight), and the integration of her main armor belt as a strength member of the vessel (another weight-saving measure). In many ways, she represented the apotheosis of battleship design, rivaled in sheer power only by the American Iowa class.
For all her unique features, the Musashi had a relatively uninspiring wartime career. By the time she was commissioned in August 1942, the Japanese had already lost the Battle of Midway, and it was apparent that the aircraft carrier, not the battleship, would be the deciding weapon system of this naval war. The Musashi spent most of her time either in the Home Islands or at Truk, participating in only two major actions—the Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 1944), and the Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 1944), where she was destroyed.
The Musashi was part of Admiral Takeo Kurita’s Central Force, which had to traverse the Sibuyan Sea as it headed headed toward the American landings at Leyte. On 24 October 1944 she was attacked by waves of American carrier aircraft, beginning in the late morning and lasting until nearly dusk. By the end of the sixth and final of these assaults, she had been hit by an astonishing 19 torpedoes and 17 bombs. Still afloat but down heavily by the bow, her captain attempted beaching her. She never made it, capsizing and sinking in the early evening. More than 1,000 members of her crew perished.
I personally never doubted that the Musashi would be located in my lifetime. As one of the great undiscovered wrecks of World War II there was plenty of impetus to look for her. Her location was reasonably localized, in confined waters, and (in the relative scheme of these things) at a moderate depth of 4,000 feet. What has made her discovery intriguing, though, is who did it—Paul Allen, the cofounder of Microsoft. Obviously, Allen’s personal resources are rather robust. But he is to be complimented for assembling an obviously first-rate team and acquiring the requisite technology to go looking for the ship of his dreams. (Oh, and by the way, Paul, if you have an interest in finding the Akagi, I know a pair of historians who have the inside track on her . . .)
Sadly, the Musashi’s final moments upon leaving the surface were even more violent than the seven hours of air attacks she endured. Her shattered wreck lies strewn across the bottom, as if a rambunctious Rottweiler got into the kids’ Lego blocks. There had been survivor reports that the Musashi suffered an explosion in her grave after sinking—these reports were obviously true. It would appear that both No. 2 and No. 3 magazines detonated, pulverizing much of her midships. Even so, watching the ROV footage of her wreck as it was streamed live to YouTube was, to me and other members of the Pacific war naval history community, a truly monumental happening. I’m sure we’ll see more of the same in the years to come. I can’t wait.
–Jonathan Parshall, coauthor of Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway (Potomac Books, 2007).
Remembering Montford Point
On 19 February, the U.S. Naval Academy’s Midshipmen Black Studies Group hosted some of the first African-American Marine Corps recruits, known as Montford Point Marines. In 1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802, which gave African-Americans the opportunity to enlist in the Marine Corps. Training was still segregated, with black Marines completing basic training at Montford Point. It was not, however, any easier than the training white Marines went through (see “Memories of Montford Point,” February, pp. 32–37).
“We didn’t know what to expect; we didn’t really know what we would become or how hard the Marine Corps was,” reflected Franklin Beaird, a Montford Point Marine. “We learned, at least, you’d become a man of steel. You began to understand that if there was any obstacle, if you can’t go through it, you’re going to make sure that you’re going to go over it.”
Between 1942 and 1949, approximately 20,00 African-Americans trained at Montford Point, a number of whom went on to have long Marine Corps careers. “Life in my hometown was pretty difficult,” remembered Lee Douglas Jr., another Marine. “You couldn’t do, couldn’t go, and couldn’t belong to many things. I thank God that I volunteered to join the USMC and I served my country, and I made it back alive.”
In July 1948, President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981 negating armed service segregation, and in September 1949, Montford Point was deactivated. From then on, black recruits received basic training at Parris Island and Camp Pendleton.
“I think they have paved the way for diversity in general,” said Midshipman First Class Shakir Robinson. “Whether it’s race, gender, or religious background, diversity is what makes America strong. To have these Marines come to the Academy to share their experiences really affects us all. One of the best things about celebrating Black History Month, along with all of the multicultural celebrations, is we all get to celebrate our individual differences as one unit.”
Artifacts from an Ironclad
Work has started on the excavation of the CSS Georgia, which must be moved in order to deepen the Savannah, Georgia, shipping channel (see “Naval History News,” February 2014, p. 12). In March CNN reported that among the first artifacts recovered from the wreck were two sets of leg irons, used to restrain captives or prisoners. In the initial stage of the recovery, contract divers brought about 400 artifacts to the surface. Other items included a musket trigger guard, the butt stock of a gun, and an ironstone plate. In June and July, the Navy plans to send divers to bring up larger and heavier pieces such as the two engines, the propeller, a steam condenser, four guns, and parts of the casemate.
Chance to Visit a French Frigate
A replica of the French navy frigate Hermione is prepared to set sail in April on a voyage to the United States and Canada (see “Naval History News,” December 2014, p. 64). The trip will begin at the mouth of the River Charente, in Port des Barques, France—where the Marquis de Lafayette first boarded the original frigate on 10 March 1780 to tell George Washington in person that the French would provide ships and men to support American independence in the Revolutionary War. The crossing is expected to take 27 days before the Hermione arrives at her first port stop, Yorktown, Virginia. During her maiden voyage she will also visit Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; New York City; Greenport, New York; Philadelphia; Boston; and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
As part of shore-side activities, sailors will give tours of the Hermione, and there will be demonstrations of historic shipbuilding and colonial crafts, reenactments, and performances of French and American sailing songs.
A Surprise Gift
In addition to maintaining a U.S. Naval Institute membership for 58 years, one anonymous member’s passion for all things maritime also translated into building an extensive collection of nautical postcards, which he posthumously donated to the Institute in March. The collection, accumulated over the course of 50 years, contains approximately 3,500 cards, most of which depict historic naval, cruise, and merchant ships. It features images of British, French, German, and Japanese vessels as well as a comprehensive selection of Japanese art cards. Related items such as cruise-ship menus and luggage tags are also included in the collection. “We have been advised by the executor that another similarly sized donation of postcards from the estate will be forthcoming,” said the Naval Institute Foundation’s Sue Sweeney.