Honda Point Disaster

On this date, September, 8, 1923, The US Navy suffered the largest peacetime loss of Navy ships in what came to be known as the Honda Point Disaster.

Captain Edward H Watson was commanding Destroyer Squadron 11 form the lead ship, USS Delphy. In all, 14 Clemson class destroyers, all less than 5 years old, were in the convoy. The ships were all navigating by dead reckoning, but the Delphy was the lead ship and responsible for navigation. The Delphy was equipped with RDF, but the directional bearings received were dismissed as unreliable. Some of the ships weren't even yet equipped with radios.

The seas were unusually heavy with swells and strong tides, a result of the great Kanto Earthquake days earlier. There was also a heavy fog around the opening of the Santa Barbara Channel. Watson ordered and led the convoy to turn into the channel, but he was miles northeast of where he thought he was. The exercise they were on had the ships all following in tight formation and speed was kept at 20 knots to simulate war conditions. All of this led to the disaster.

The Delphy ran aground in the rocky outcroppings of Honda Point and one after another, 8 ships followed to their doom. Two managed to extricate themselves with little damage and five others avoided the rocks completely. The seven grounded and capsized ships were a total loss.

23 men died in the accident. 20 of them on the USS Young, the other 3 on the USS Delphy. Today we remember those who perished and all of those who helped to save any further loss of life. All of the men aboard all fourteen ships were forever affected by the disaster.

We salute the men of Destroyed Squadron 11:

Lost ships

USS Delphy (DD-261)

USS S.P.Lee (DD-310)

USS Young (DD-312)

USS Woodbury (DD-309)

USS Nicholas (DD-311)

USS Fuller (DD-297)

USS Chauncey (DD-296)

Damaged ships

USS Farragut (DD-300)

USS Somers (DD-301)

The others

USS Percival (DD(298)

USS Kennedy (DD-306)

USS Paul Hamilton (DD-307)

USS Stoddert (DD-302)

USS Thompson (DD-305)

In the ensuing courts martial, Capt Watson neglected to try and defend his actions and took full responsibility for the disaster. Many thought he had plenty of grounds for acquittal and he showed incredible honor and set a great example for leadership by placing all of the blame entirely upon himself.