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Honda Point Disaster
Encyclopedia
The Honda Point Disaster was the largest peace
time loss of U.S. Navy ships. On the evening of September 8, 1923, seven destroyer
s, while traveling at 20 knots (37 km/h), ran aground at Honda Point, a few miles from the northern side of the Santa Barbara Channel
off Point Arguello
on the coast in Santa Barbara County
, California
. Two other ships grounded, but were able to maneuver free of the rocks. Twenty three sailors died in the disaster.
first came in the 16th century. This area is also near the entrance to the sometimes treacherous Santa Barbara Channel
, a popular shipping shortcut for vessels going to and from the ports of southern California. The channel is 12 to 25 miles (40.2 km) wide between the coast and the Channel Islands. The problem with the entrance to the channel is that it is one of the windiest places for mariners to go through on the west coast. Often winds and waves are so severe that vessels will ride the storms out at the San Miguel Island
's small harbor. Waves ranging up to 30 feet (9.1 m) high have frequently forced the closure of the small harbors at Santa Barbara
, Ventura
, Port Hueneme
and Oxnard
.
The entrance to the channel acts like a vortex, sucking the winds and waves of Pacific storm systems into the passage. The most dangerous area is from Point Pedernales eastward, along the stretch of south-facing coast (much of which is now part of Vandenberg Air Force Base
's Western Launch and Test Range
), to Gaviota Creek, where U.S. Highway 101
meets the coast from the Santa Ynez Valley
. Sea vessels can be blown ashore, or with the dense fog that is common on the California coast, ships can simply run aground when they lose track of their location.
to San Diego Bay
in the late summer of 1923. The squadron was led by Commodore Edward H. Watson
, on the flagship
destroyer USS Delphy. All were Clemson-class
destroyers, less than five years old. The ships turned east to course 095, supposedly heading into the Santa Barbara Channel, at 21:00.
The ships were navigating by dead reckoning
, estimating their positions by their headings and speeds, as measured by propeller revolutions per minute. At that time radio
navigation aids were new and not completely trusted. The USS Delphy was equipped with a radio navigation receiver, but her navigator and captain ignored its indicated bearings, believing them to be erroneous. No effort was made to take soundings of water depth. These operations were not performed because of the necessity to slow the ships down to take measurements. The ships were performing an exercise that simulated wartime conditions, hence the decision was made not to slow down. In this case, the dead reckoning was wrong, and the mistakes were fatal.
Earlier the same day, the mail steamship SS Cuba
ran aground nearby. Some attributed these incidents in the Santa Barbara Channel to unusual currents caused by the great Tokyo earthquake of the previous week.
The lost ships were:
Light damage was recorded by:
The remaining five avoided the rocks:
Ultimately, a Navy court ruled that the disaster was the fault of the commodore and the ship's navigators. They also assigned blame to the captain of each ship, following the tradition that a captain's first responsibility is to his own ship, even when it is part of a formation.
, California
. Its land has been part of the air force base for over six decades. There is a plaque and a memorial of the shipwrecks at the site. The memorial includes a ship's bell from the Chauncey
, . A propeller and a propeller shaft from the Delphy
is on display outside of the Veterans' Memorial Building, in the nearby town of Lompoc, California
.
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
time loss of U.S. Navy ships. On the evening of September 8, 1923, seven destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s, while traveling at 20 knots (37 km/h), ran aground at Honda Point, a few miles from the northern side of the Santa Barbara Channel
Santa Barbara Channel
The Santa Barbara Channel is a portion of the Pacific Ocean which separates the mainland of California from the northern Channel Islands. It is generally south of the city of Santa Barbara, and west of the city of Ventura....
off Point Arguello
Point Arguello
Point Arguello is a headland used as a launch site by the United States Navy. Point Arguello was first used in 1959 for the launch of military and sounding rockets. It was transferred to the United States Air Force in 1964, at which time it became part of Vandenberg Air Force Base.There were 6...
on the coast in Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific coast. As of 2010 the county had a population of 423,895. The county seat is Santa Barbara and the largest city is Santa Maria.-History:...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Two other ships grounded, but were able to maneuver free of the rocks. Twenty three sailors died in the disaster.
Geography of Honda Point
The area of Honda Point—Point Pedernales is extremely treacherous for central California mariners, in that it features a series of rocky outcroppings (one of which is today named Destroyer Rock) sticking out about one and a quarter miles. Called the Devil's Jaw, this area has been a navigational hazard since the Spanish explorersHistory of California to 1899
Human history in California begins with indigenous Americans first arriving in California some 13,000-15,000 years ago. Exploration and settlement by Europeans along the coasts and in the inland valleys began in the 16th century...
first came in the 16th century. This area is also near the entrance to the sometimes treacherous Santa Barbara Channel
Santa Barbara Channel
The Santa Barbara Channel is a portion of the Pacific Ocean which separates the mainland of California from the northern Channel Islands. It is generally south of the city of Santa Barbara, and west of the city of Ventura....
, a popular shipping shortcut for vessels going to and from the ports of southern California. The channel is 12 to 25 miles (40.2 km) wide between the coast and the Channel Islands. The problem with the entrance to the channel is that it is one of the windiest places for mariners to go through on the west coast. Often winds and waves are so severe that vessels will ride the storms out at the San Miguel Island
San Miguel Island
San Miguel Island is the westernmost of California's Channel Islands, located across the Santa Barbara Channel in the Pacific Ocean, within Santa Barbara County, California. San Miguel is the sixth-largest of the eight Channel Islands at , including offshore islands and rocks. Prince Island, off...
's small harbor. Waves ranging up to 30 feet (9.1 m) high have frequently forced the closure of the small harbors at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, Ventura
Ventura, California
Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...
, Port Hueneme
Port Hueneme, California
Port Hueneme is a small beach city in Ventura County, California surrounded by the city of Oxnard and the Pacific Ocean. The name derives from the Spanish spelling of the Chumash wene me, meaning "Resting Place". The area was discovered by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in the mid 16th century...
and Oxnard
Oxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
.
The entrance to the channel acts like a vortex, sucking the winds and waves of Pacific storm systems into the passage. The most dangerous area is from Point Pedernales eastward, along the stretch of south-facing coast (much of which is now part of Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
's Western Launch and Test Range
Western Launch and Test Range
The Western Range is the space launch range that supports the major launch head at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Managed by the 30th Space Wing, the WR extends from the West Coast of the United States to 90 degrees East longitude in the Indian Ocean where it meets the Eastern Range Operations...
), to Gaviota Creek, where U.S. Highway 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...
meets the coast from the Santa Ynez Valley
Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valley is separated from the Los Alamos Valley, to the...
. Sea vessels can be blown ashore, or with the dense fog that is common on the California coast, ships can simply run aground when they lose track of their location.
The incident
The fourteen ships of Destroyer Squadron 11 (DESRON 11) made their way south from San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
to San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
in the late summer of 1923. The squadron was led by Commodore Edward H. Watson
Edward H. Watson
Edward Howe Watson was a career United States Navy officer, who led a squadron of destroyers aground off Point Honda on the California coast in 1923.-Early life and marriage:...
, on the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
destroyer USS Delphy. All were Clemson-class
Clemson class destroyer
The Clemson class was a series of 156 destroyers which served with the United States Navy from after World War I through World War II.The Clemson-class ships were commissioned by the United States Navy from 1919 to 1922, built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, New York Shipbuilding...
destroyers, less than five years old. The ships turned east to course 095, supposedly heading into the Santa Barbara Channel, at 21:00.
The ships were navigating by dead reckoning
Dead reckoning
In navigation, dead reckoning is the process of calculating one's current position by using a previously determined position, or fix, and advancing that position based upon known or estimated speeds over elapsed time, and course...
, estimating their positions by their headings and speeds, as measured by propeller revolutions per minute. At that time radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
navigation aids were new and not completely trusted. The USS Delphy was equipped with a radio navigation receiver, but her navigator and captain ignored its indicated bearings, believing them to be erroneous. No effort was made to take soundings of water depth. These operations were not performed because of the necessity to slow the ships down to take measurements. The ships were performing an exercise that simulated wartime conditions, hence the decision was made not to slow down. In this case, the dead reckoning was wrong, and the mistakes were fatal.
Earlier the same day, the mail steamship SS Cuba
SS Cuba (1920)
The Cuba was a steamship owned by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. Originally launched in 1897 as the German SS Coblenz, she was seized by the United States in 1917, and named SS Sachem, until Pacific Mail purchased her from the Shipping Board on 6 February 1920 for US$400,000 and renamed SS...
ran aground nearby. Some attributed these incidents in the Santa Barbara Channel to unusual currents caused by the great Tokyo earthquake of the previous week.
Ships involved
![](http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encyclopediaimages/u/us/uss_s._p._lee_(dd-310).jpg)
- USS Delphy (DD-261)USS Delphy (DD-261)USS Delphy was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. Named for Richard Delphy, she was the flagship of the destroyer group involved in the Honda Point Disaster.-History:...
was the flagship in the column. She ran aground on the shore at 20 knots (39.2 km/h). After running aground, she sounded her siren. The siren alerted some of the later ships in the column, helping them avoid the tragedy. Three men died. There was one civilian aboard the Delphy. Eugene DoomanEugene DoomanEugene Hoffman Dooman served as counselor at the United States Embassy in Tokyo during the critical negotiations between the two countries during World War II. Born in Osaka to missionary parents of Assyrian background who themselves were born in northwest Iran, Dooman knew Japanese as a native...
, an expert on JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with the State DepartmentUnited States Department of StateThe United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
, was aboard as a guest of Captain Watson, whom he had first met in Japan. - USS S. P. Lee (DD-310)USS S. P. Lee (DD-310)The first USS S. P. Lee was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was named for Samuel Phillips Lee.-History:...
was following a few hundred yards behind. She saw the Delphy suddenly stop, and turned to port (left) in response. She ran into the coast. - USS Young (DD-312)USS Young (DD-312)The first USS Young was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was named for John Young.-History:...
made no move to turn. She tore her hull open on submerged rocks. The water rushed in, and capsized her onto her starboard (right) side within minutes. Twenty men died. - USS Woodbury (DD-309)USS Woodbury (DD-309)The third USS Woodbury was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named for Levi Woodbury.-History:Woodbury was laid down on 3 October 1918 at San Francisco, California, by the Union Iron Works plant of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation; launched on 6 February 1919;...
turned to starboard, but ran into an offshore rock. - USS Nicholas (DD-311)USS Nicholas (DD-311)USS Nicholas was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was the first Navy ship named for Samuel Nicholas , the first Commandant of the United States Marine Corps.-History:...
turned to port and also hit a rocky outcropping. - USS Fuller (DD-297)USS Fuller (DD-297)USS Fuller was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was the first Navy ship named for Marine Captain Edward Fuller , who was killed in the Battle of Belleau Wood.-History:...
piled up next to the Woodbury. - USS Chauncey (DD-296)USS Chauncey (DD-296)The second USS Chauncey was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named for Isaac Chauncey.-History:...
made an attempt to rescue sailors atop the capsized Young. She ran aground nearby.
Light damage was recorded by:
- USS Farragut (DD-300)USS Farragut (DD-300)The second USS Farragut was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named for Admiral David Farragut.-History:...
ran aground, but was able to extricate herself. She was not lost. - USS Somers (DD-301)USS Somers (DD-301)USS Somers , a Clemson-class destroyer, engaged in peacetime operations with the Pacific Fleet from 1920 until she was scrapped under the London Naval Treaty in 1930...
was lightly damaged.
The remaining five avoided the rocks:
- USS Percival (DD-298)USS Percival (DD-298)The first USS Percival was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was named for John Percival.-History:...
- USS Kennedy (DD-306)USS Kennedy (DD-306)The first USS Kennedy was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was named for the 21st Secretary of the Navy and US Representative from Maryland, John P. Kennedy.-History:...
- USS Paul Hamilton (DD-307)USS Paul Hamilton (DD-307)The first USS Paul Hamilton was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She was named for Paul Hamilton.-History:...
- USS Stoddert (DD-302)USS Stoddert (DD-302)USS Stoddert was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. It was named for Benjamin Stoddert.-History:...
- USS Thompson (DD-305)USS Thompson (DD-305)USS Thompson , a Clemson-class destroyer of the U.S. Navy named in honor of Secretary of the Navy Richard W. Thompson , never saw action against an enemy. She was the first Navy ship of that name; the second, , named for Robert M...
Court martial
![](http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encyclopediaimages/e/ed/edward_h_watson.jpg)
Honda Point today
Honda Point, also called Point Pedernales, is located on the seacoast of Vandenberg Air Force BaseVandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Its land has been part of the air force base for over six decades. There is a plaque and a memorial of the shipwrecks at the site. The memorial includes a ship's bell from the Chauncey
USS Chauncey (DD-296)
The second USS Chauncey was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named for Isaac Chauncey.-History:...
, . A propeller and a propeller shaft from the Delphy
USS Delphy (DD-261)
USS Delphy was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. Named for Richard Delphy, she was the flagship of the destroyer group involved in the Honda Point Disaster.-History:...
is on display outside of the Veterans' Memorial Building, in the nearby town of Lompoc, California
Lompoc, California
Lompoc is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The city was incorporated in 1888. The population was 42,434 at the 2010 census, up from 41,103 at the 2000 census....
.
Further reading
- Anthony Preston Destroyers (1998)
- Elwyn Overshiner Course 095 To Eternity (1980)
- Charles Hice The Last Hours Of Seven Four-Stackers (1967)
- Charles A. Lockwood (RADM USN, Ret.) Tragedy At Honda (1960)
External links
- Center for Naval History's excellent multipage text overview and photo gallery
- An account of the Point Honda Disaster from a British perspective
- Haze Gray and UnderwayHaze gray and underwayHaze gray and underway is a United States Navy saying that refers to surface ships in arduous duty at sea, in contrast to submarines or naval units in ceremonial roles or in port...
's page on the disaster