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CASUALTIES of the UNITED STATES NAVY and COAST GUARD

by Date and Ship/Base - 1914 to March 1917

Submarine E-2, battery explosion killed four men on January 15, 1916  (US Naval Historical Center, click to enlarge)

on to April 1917
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1. Information is in order - Date of death, Ship, Base or Location, Incident, Name, Rank, Service other than USN, Cause of death. (For Next of kin and  Appointment/Enlistment information, see lists by Name)
2. Main abbreviations:
A - Aviation, DOI - died of injuries, DOW - died of wounds, F - Female, G - General, JG - junior grade, NNV - National Naval Volunteers, R - Radio, USNRF - US Naval Reserve Force, USNRC - United States Naval Reserve Corps
3. Ranks of US Navy Commissioned Officers and Enlisted Men

4. See also Casualties by Name, starting at Abbate and ending at Zwieseland


 

 

 

1914

 

US Navy casualties from illness/disease and accidents in 1914 totalled 281

 

 

November 7, 1914

 

USS Ammen, destroyer (No.35, later DD-35), fire in forward fire room

 BORTELL, JAMES A, Fireman 2nd class, killed    

 

 

 

1915

 

US Navy casualties from illness/disease and accidents in 1915 totalled 305

 

 

January 19, 1915

 

USS Fulton, submarine tender (No.1, later AS-1), explosion in firebox of boiler

 FLAHERTY, WILLIAM J, Fireman 1st class, killed 

 

USS Kansas, battleship (later BB-21), steam accident in engine room on 18th

 CONWAY, ROBERT, Oiler, seriously burned, DOI 

 

 

January 28, 1915

 

USS San Diego, ex-California, armored cruiser (No.6), full speed run in Gulf of California on 21st, boiler explosion, (Water Tender and 8 firemen lost, only one man identified

 PETERSON, CHARLES W, Fireman, DOI   

Note: Awards of the Medal of Honor made to Ensign Robert Cary and Fireman, 2nd class Telesforo Trinidad


 

March 25, 1915

 

 

US Submarine F-4 (Skate, No.23) (above), sank during routine training off Honolulu Harbor

 ASHCROFT, GEORGE T, Gunner’s Mate, 1st class

 BUCK, CLARK GEORGE, Gunner’s Mate, 2nd class

 CAUVIN, ERNEST C, Machinist's Mate, 1st class

 COLWELL, HARLEY, Chief Electrician's Mate

 COVINGTON, WALTER F, Machinist's Mate, 1st class

 DEETH, GEORGE L, Electrician's Mate, 1st class

 EDE, ALFRED LOUIS, Lieutenant (JG), commanding officer

 GILMAN, FREDERICK, Gunner's Mate, 1st class (family spelling - GILLMAN)

 GRINDLE, ALISTON H, Chief Electrician's Mate

 HERZOG, FRANK N, Electrician, 2nd class

 HILL, EDWIN S, Machinist's Mate, 1st class

 HUGHSON, FRANCIS M, Machinist's Mate, 1st class

 JENNIE, ALBERT F, Electrician, 2nd class (family spelling - JENNI)

 LUNGER, ARCHIE H, Gunner's Mate, 2nd class

 MAHAN, IVAN L, Machinist's Mate, 1st class

 MOORE, HORACE L, Gunner's Mate, 1st class

 NELSON, WILLIAM S, Chief Machinist's Mate

 PARKER, TIMOTHY A, Ensign, executive officer)

 PIERARD, FRANK C, Chief Gunner's Mate

 WELLS, CHARLES H, Machinist's Mate, 2nd class

 WITHERS, HENRY A, Gunner's Mate, 1st class

Medal of Honor awarded to Chief Gunner's Mate Frank Crilley for saving another diver working on the wreck of F-4 on April 17, 1915


(Note: The above casualty list originally totalled 20 men lost. Other sources quote 21. The site "Eternal Patrol" identifies the additional man as Gunner's Mate Withers, whose name is now included. The site also includes two surname variations)


 

May 6, 1915

 

USS Wyoming, dreadnought battleship (later BB-31)

 SELL, GEORGE W, Seaman, killed  

 

 

September 9, 1915

 

USS Decatur, destroyer (No.5, later DD-5), believed Asiatic Station, ammunition explosion, all killed

 BELL, EWELL, Gunner's Mates 3rd class   

 ELKINS, LOID J, Gunner's Mates 3rd class 

 HAYDEN, WILLIAM U, Chief Gunner's Mate

Note: Medal of Honor awarded to Chief Watertender Eugene Smith for rescuing injured

 

October 5, 1915

 

USS Cummings, destroyer (No.44, later DD-44), stud carried away on discharge valve of No.4 oil pump

 TRUGILLO, GEORGE, Fireman 1st class

 

 

December 17, 1915

 

USS Delaware, dreadnought battleship (later BB-28), explosion in coal bunker

 WINDNESS, JACOB PETER, Chief Water Tender, died from burns     

 

 

 

1916

 

 

US Navy casualties from illness/disease and accidents in 1916 totalled 335

 

 

 

January 15, 1916

 

 

US Submarine E-2* (ex-Sturgeon, No.25, later SS-25), refitting in drydock, New York Navy Yard, battery explosion, four killed, one DOW, approximately six injured - see 16th. (above, crew members of E-2; it is not known if they were among the casualties)

 LOGAN, JOSEPH, Civilian

 PECK, JAMES H, Civllian

 SCHULTZ, JOHN P, Civilian

 SEABER, ROY BERNARD, Electrician 2nd class

 
January 16, 1916

 

US Submarine E-2* (No.25, later SS-25), refitting, battery explosion in New York Navy Yard on 15th

 CLARK, GUY HAMILTON, Jr, Machinist's Mate, injured, died in Navy Hospital, New York    

 Miles, E L, Chief Electrician, in Navy Hospital, N Y, "unlikely to recover" as of 16th.


*(Note: The original entry, which only included the two men listed on January 16, was from the New York Times archives. The later, more complete listing is from the "Eternal Patrol" site, from which it is implied that Chief Miles did survive)    

 


February 2, 1916

 

USS Dale, destroyer (later DD-4), Philippines area (telegram sent from Manila)

 JOSELYN, JOHN WALTER, Electrician, 3rd class, lost overboard, body not recovered

 

 

February 20, 1916

 

USS Delaware, dreadnought battleship (later BB-28), water evaporator burst on 19th

 ROBEY, EDGAR M, Fireman 1st class, severely burned, DOI   

 

 

July 14, 1916

 

USS Michigan, dreadnought battleship (later BB-27)

 JONES, MADISON S, Boatswain's Mate 2nd class, crushed between rammer and platform in No.2 gun turret, killed

 


 

August 29, 1916

 

 

USS Memphis (above, in 1908), ex-Tennessee, armored cruiser (No.10), wrecked by tidal wave off Santo Domingo City

 ANDERSON, A J, Fireman, 2nd class

 BLACKWELL, J P, Coal Passer

 CARLTON, WILLIAM RICHARD, Ordinary Seaman

 COPIUS, W, Fireman

 CROSIER, LAWRENCE L, Fireman

 DIEHL, WILLIAM CHARLES, Seaman

 DUGAN, CHARLES MICHAEL, Fireman, 1st class

 DUPLISSEY, HENRI ALEXANDER, Ordinary Seaman

 FREDERICK, MELVIN FRANKLIN, Seaman

 GAWRONSKI, PETER PAUL, Coxswain

 HANNON, GEORGE ALOYSIUS, Seaman

 HARRINGTON, JAMES JOSEPH, Fireman

 HOWARD, CHARLES, Warrant Officer’s Steward

 JACKSON, WILLIAM EVANS, Ordinary Seaman

 KENNEY, WILLIAM F, Seaman

 MAJOR, FRED M, Seaman

 McDERMOTT, MARTIN A, Seaman

 MULLANEY, HENRY, Ordinary Seaman

 PORTER, A H, Water Tender

 QUINN, E J, Water Tender

 REYNOLDS, CHARLES JOSEPH, Ordinary Seaman

 ROLLINS, EDGAR A, Seaman

 RUD, GEORGE WILLIAM Chief Machinist’s Mate, awarded posthumous Medal of Honor

 RUDOPH, ALBERT J, Oiler

 SAINTCLAIR, ROY, Ordinary Seaman

 SHEEHAN, JOHN J, Fireman, 2nd class

 SMITH, WILIAM BURNETTE, Coxswain

 SNELL, RAYMOND GEORGE, Enlisted Seaman

 TAYLOR, CHARLES TAYLOR, Coal Passer

 TESHACK, JOSEPH, Fireman, 1st class

 THOMPSON, J H, Fireman, 1st class

 THROMER, JOHN W, Yeoman

 TINGLE, ROLAND L, Ordinary Seaman

 TOEPFER, WILLIAM H, Seaman

 TOWNSEND, J H, Fireman, 1st class

 WALTON, CHARLES L, Fireman

Awards of the Medal of Honor also made to Lieutenant Claud Jones and Machinist Charles Willey

(Note - the above casualty list totals 36 men. Other sources include Navsource - some 40 dead or missing and 204 injured; Naval History and Heritage Center - 41 killed; Wikipedia - 43 dead or missing: 10 washed overboard or killed by steam, 25 lost in motor launch carrying libertymen from shore and eight drowned in the dark trying to reach the shore. The differences need reconciliation.)

September 26, 1916

 

USS Colorado, armored cruiser (No.7), renamed Pueblo, November 1916 (later CA-7), engine room accident on 25th

 TORGERSON, SAUL, Machinist's Mate 1st class, burns, DOI  

 

 

October 13, 1916

 

 at home

 PFEIFER, FRANK, Chief Yeoman, USNRF, influenza     

 

 

 

1917

 

 

January 15, 1917

 

USS Oklahoma, dreadnought battleship (later BB-37)

 KENNEDY, HENRY G, Electrician 1st class, decapping primers from empty shell cases, fully charged shell accidentally mixed in, killed

 

 

February 21, 1917

 

Naval Hospital, Great Lakes, Ill

 FALLON HARRY BRUCE, Apprentice Seaman, illness/disease          

 

 

March 4, 1917

 

 

USCG Yamacraw (above, USCG), cruising cutter, mainly members of boat’s crew attempting to rescue crew of oil carrier SS Louisiana, stranded near Ocean City, Md, boat capsized, drowned

 AUSTIN, M L, Ordinary Seaman, USCG

 DUGGER J A, Boy, 1st class, USCG, tried to rescue shipmates

 FULCHER, D, Ordinary Seaman, USCG

 GARRISH, R L, Ordinary Seaman, USCG

 GRADY, R J, Master-at-Arms, USCG

 HARRIS, ROSS, Gunner, USCG

 JARVIS, G V, Seaman, USCG

 KAMBARN, M L, Quartermaster, USCG

 MIDGETT, T L, Ordinary Seaman, USCG

 SIMMONS, R E, Ordinary Seaman, USCG

 

 

March 11, 1917

 

Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Ill

 ASHEL, DELBERT MILTON, Apprentice Seaman, illness/disease       

 

 

March 17, 1917

 

Receiving Ship, Philadelphia, Pa

 DeVINE, CLARENCE RICHMOND, Yeoman, 2nd class, died    

 

 

March 21, 1917

 

Naval Hospital, Great Lakes, Ill

 WHITMIRE, WALTER, Apprentice Seaman, respiratory disease      

 

on to April 1917
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revised 5/8/11