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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

Name Service Branchsort descending
MM 3c Russell Leverentz USCG
Cox William Seleman USCG
Lt(jg) Robert Johnson USCG
QM 3c James Broshear USCG
Sea 2c Homer Dix USCG
Sea 1c Melvin Haskell USCG
Cox Albert Manke USCG
GM 2c William Vaughan USCG
GM 3c Woodward Babcock USCG
Sea 2c Clarence Day USCG
Sea 1c Ely Gamsu USCG
F 2c Felix Henigan USCG
SK 3c Walter Limbacher USCG
WT 3c Robert Smith USCG
Sea 1c Douglas Oaklund USCG
Sea 2c Leo Burke USCG
Sea 1c William Dunn USCG
SC 2c George Henshaw USCG
MM 3c John Mccarter USCG
CEM Edgar Vedder USCG

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