DD150/L11-1 (028)                            U.S.S. BLAKELEY
                                                                       Care Postmaster, New York, N.Y.,
                                                                                   June 4, 1942  
     
  C O N F I D E N T I A L  
     
 
From: Commanding Officer.
To: Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Fleet.
  The Chief of the Bureau of Ships.
   
Subject: U.S.S. BLAKELEY - WAR DAMAGE REPORT.
   
Reference: (a)  BuShips Ltr. C-FS/L11-1(374) of Apr. 17, 1942.
 
     
          1.        The following report of war damage sustained by this ship is submitted as directed in reference (a).  All times are G.C.T.  
                  A.  GENERAL  
                          1.  The damage was received on May 25, 1942 at 1400.  
                          2.  The ship's position was Lat. 14-35-48 N., Long. 61-11-53 W.  
                          3.  Depth of water was about 800 fathoms.  
                          4.  Sky clear; Wind N.E. force 2; sea"  condition 1 with swells from N.E.; visibility:  unlimited  
                          5.  Draft before:  Fwd. 10' 4-1/2" approximately;  
                                                    Aft.  10' 11" approximately;  
                               Draft after:  Approximately the same as before.  
                          6.  There was an immediate list to starboard of approximately 15°.  This list is believed to have been caused by unequal flooding of unbalanced permanent weights in the forward part of the ship when this portion was blown away.  
                          7.  The ship was steaming at standard speed, 15 knots, with an actual speed over the ground of 12 knots, base course 155° T., zig-zagging as much as the congestion of small fishing boats in the area permitted.  
                          8.  BLAKELEY arrived off Diamond Rock, Martinique, F.W.I., at 1100, in compliance with orders to conduct the daily patrol off the west coast of Martinique.  A base course line of 335° - 155° T. was laid down three miles off Precheur Light.  
     
 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L  
DD150/L11-1 (028)                            U.S.S. BLAKELEY (150)
                                                                    June 4, 1942
                                                                                    
  Subject:        U.S.S. BLAKELY - WAR DAMAGE REPORT  
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                        BLAKELEY proceeded up the west coast conducting an anti-submarine search.  Condition III, Watch 2 was set, galley deck house guns, one torpedo mount, depth charge racks, and 30 and 50 Cal. A.A. Machine Guns were manned, continuous echo ranging, and ship was in Material Condition BAKER, steaming at standard speed 15 knots with boilers #1 and #2 in use, boilers #3 and #4 at steaming level.
   
  At 1250 a sound contact at range 2000 yards, bearing 350°T, was obtained on the echo ranging equipment.  The ship's position was approximately 3-1/2 miles bearing 242°T. from Precheur Light.  Course was immediately changed to 350°T. to begin approach for a depth charge attack.  At 600 yards the approach was discontinued as the contact was definitely established as a school of fish.  Precheur Light was passed bearing 065°T. and at 1257 the base course was reversed to 155°T.  About 1300 a school of black-fish appeared about 500 yards off the starboard bow and at the same time the sound operator announced contact bearing 025° relative, range 600 yards.  As the fish were in sight on the same bearing and approximately the same range no attack was started.
   
  About 1345 the sound material man went to the sound room to lubricate the sound equipment.  The sound operator secured the equipment for about ten minutes while it was being lubricated.  This was done without permission from and neither was it reported to the Officer of the Deck.  This error in judgment by the sound operator is not understood as he is the best operator in the ship and previous to this occasion had always obtained permission to secure.  The sound equipment was inoperative until about 1355 at which time the sound operator recommenced echo sound search starting from the starboard beam.
 
     
 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L  
DD150/L11-1 (028)                            U.S.S. BLAKELEY (150)
                                                                    June 4, 1942
                                                                                    
  Subject:        U.S.S. BLAKELY - WAR DAMAGE REPORT  
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  At about 1400 a jar and sound similar to those caused by the detonation wave of a depth charge was experienced.  This was followed immediately by an explosion which threw torrents of oil, water and debris into the air.  The ship was deluged by this matter.  All hands immediately went to their General Quarters stations although the General Alarm system was inoperable and passing the word was most difficult.
   
  Two or three men stated that they saw the impulse bubble of the torpedo a few seconds before it struck, but it was too late to report and to take preventative action.  The wake developed on the port hand after the ship had been hit and gone ahead several lengths.  Estimates of the length of the wake vary from 500 to 1000 yards.
   
  The extent of the damage was not definitely known but the whole bow forward of Frame 30 was completely gone and there was a 15 list to starboard.  It seemed that the ship was going on over and so the order was given to prepare to abandon ship.  The gun crews and torpedomen remained at their stations as they had been trained to do while the after damage control party lowered the boats to the rail and the engineering personnel began securing the forward fireroom.  While this was going on the Oil King exercised his initiative and commenced slucing oil in the DOG tanks.  By his prompt action the list was taken off the ship in about five minutes and it was then evident that the ship would float.  This caused the cancellation of all preparations to abandon ship.
   
  The bridge had telephone communication with the guns, torpedo mounts and depth charge racks by means of the JU and JP circuits which were paralleled.  All stations were ordered to keep a bright lookout for periscopes or other signs of submarine.  The guns and torpedo tubes were trained out.
   
  The engineroom stopped the engines when it was noted the steam pressure was dropping due to the securing of the forward fireroom.  At 1405 the fireroom personnel returned to the forward fireroom and lighted off #1 and #2 boilers.  At 1412
 
     
 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L  
DD150/L11-1 (028)                            U.S.S. BLAKELEY (150)
                                                                    June 4, 1942
                                                                                    
  Subject:        U.S.S. BLAKELY - WAR DAMAGE REPORT  
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  the Engineering Officer reported the engineering department ready to answer all bells.  Ship control was shifted to Secondary Conn and at 1415 an attempt was made to back into the harbour of Fort de France, Martinique, F.W.I., which was about 7 miles away.
   
  In the meantime, it was reported that a number of men were swimming about in the water.  The pulling whaleboat was lowered and given orders to pick up any survivors in the water.  The life boat picked up 2 survivors and was towed to port by a French Motor boat.
   
  The attempt to back was not successful due to the drag of the starboard shell plating which had been bent outboard and aft at Frame 30.  It was then decided to attempt to make port by going ahead.  The engines were ordered ahead 1/3 but this put very little way on the ship.  Speed was increased to 2/3 and although steering was moderately difficult and the engines had to be maneuvered to assist in steering, the ship was able to make port and to go alongside BEARN without assistance from a tug.  Shortly after going ahead toward Fort de France it was decided to shift firerooms to minimize danger of explosion should the forward fireroom bulkhead carry away.  The boilers in #2 fireroom were at steaming level.  Boilers #3 and #4 were lighted off at 1430 and were on the line at 1451, at which time the forward fireroom was secured.  The engineering department reported no further difficulty while entering port.
   
  While standing into port battle stations were kept manned and Number 4 gun fired one round at what was thought to be a periscope.  Other than this no one saw any evidence of a submarine.  The submarine made no further attacks on BLAKELEY.
 
     
     
 
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