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The United States Navy Memorial

Navy Memorial Honoring the Men & Women of the Sea Services

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Serpens

Ship Designation: 
AK-97
Date Lost: 
Monday, January 29, 1945
Explosion at Laguna Beach
Anchored off Lunga Beach in the Solomons and loading depth charges in her holds, Serpens suddenly exploded in the process. 198 members of the ship's crew perished in the accident along with 57 Army stevedores who were assisting in the loading process. There were 2 survivors from the explosion along with a shore party of 8 who were ashore at the time of the accident. ... No cause for the explosion which destroyed Serpens has ever been determined

Lost At Sea Log

Number of sailors in this log: 195

Namesort descending Service Branch
Y 1c Robert Thomas USCG
MM 1c James Thornburgh USCG
MOMM 1c Hubert Turner USCG
BM 2c Vernon Twait USCG
GM 2c William Vaughan USCG
CEM Edgar Vedder USCG
WT 3c Samuel Villemont USCG
WT 2c Harold Vincent USCG
Cox John Walko USCG
Std 1c Eugene Ward USCG
Cox Delos Wardle USCG
SM 2c Kinchion West USCG
Sea 1c Woodrow Wetts USCG
Sea 2c Alton White USCG
SC 1c Charles Wood USCG

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Prepared by CAPT R. O. Strange USN (Ret.)