Who remembers the night the U.S. Navy accidentally sank seven of its own ships?

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - July 11, 2023 - PRLog -- On the morning of September 8, 1923, a squadron of United States Navy destroyers departed San Francisco on a routine run down the coast to San Diego. More than 700 sailors were eager to return home on their fourteen ships — but many would never arrive.

Due to heavy fog along the shoreline and unusual currents affecting the speed of the ships, traditional navigation methods became faulty. Officers on board the lead ship, the USS Delphy, trusted these methods more, though, than the newer radio direction finding technology that disputed their calculations.

At 9:00 pm, in darkness and in fog, the captain of the Delphy ordered the squadron to turn into the Santa Barbara channel — which, unfortunately, was still miles to the south.

One after another, ships traveling at 20 knots slammed into the rocky shore. Within minutes, seven had been wrecked and two more were damaged. Twenty-three sailors lost their lives.

For years after, during investigations and court martials, the wreckage in the surf served as a constant reminder of the Navy's greatest peacetime disaster — a cause of embarrassment but also of pride for the heroic response of the men called upon to put their lives at risk in the rescue of their companions.

Over time, the stories of that night have been largely forgotten. But as the hundredth anniversary of that night approaches, it's time again to honor those who made the greatest sacrifice.

For an overview of what happened that night, resources for stories, and a list of planned commemorations, visit https://hondapoint1923.com.

Photo:
https://www.prlog.org/12973387/1