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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
F 1c Arnold Kettunen USCG
Sea 1c Ralph Kiley USCG
Sea 1c Richard Kirchner USCG
MOMM 3c Melvin Kolar USCG
Lt William Kotkas USCG
Sea 1c Norbert Krueger USCG
Sea 1c Vincent Kurdyla USCG
Sea 1c Stanley Kusek USCG
StM 1c Charlie Kyle USCG
Sea 1c James Laird USCG
Sea 1c Walter Lambert USCG
Sea 1c Woodrow Lanham USCG
Sea 2c Nolan Lego USCG
MM 3c Russell Leverentz USCG
Sur PHS Harry Levin USCG
SC 3c David Lewis USCG
SK 3c Walter Limbacher USCG
MOMM 3c Charles Macfarland USCG
Cox Joseph Mackey USCG
Sea 2c Samuel Maddox USCG

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