USS Lafayette (AP-53)
Encyclopedia
USS Lafayette (AP-53) was the French luxury liner
following the latter's seizure under the maritime right of angary
in New York by the United States after the Fall of France.
Intended for conversion into a high-speed troopship
, Lafayette caught fire at New York during the conversion process on the night of 9–10 February 1942 and capsized. She was eventually raised again at great expense and floated to the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard for repair, but the job proved too difficult and she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
11 October 1945, and sold for scrap in 1946 to Lipsett, Inc.
, the President of the French Republic
. Normandie completed her first Atlantic crossing, arriving in New York City on 3 June 1935, winning the coveted Blue Riband
for making the crossing in 4 days, 3 hours, 2 minutes — an average speed of 29.98 knots (58.8 km/h).
Eventually, however, looming hostilities in Europe compelled Normandie to seek haven in New York harbor
, where the U.S. government interned
her on 3 September 1939, two days after Germany
invaded Poland. She remained in French hands, "commanded by French officers and manned by a French crew" into the spring of 1941. On 15 May 1941, the U.S. Treasury Department detailed about 150 Coast Guardsmen to go on board the ship and Pier 88 to "insure [Normandies] safety and guard against sabotage."
When the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) became a part of the Navy on 1 November 1941, Normandies USCG detail remained intact, with the "management of the boilers, machinery, and other equipment ... left to the French crew", the Coast Guardsmen becoming "as familiar with the ship and her operation as was practicable under the circumstances, [but] by observation alone." On 12 December 1941, however, five days after the attack on Pearl Harbor
, the Coast Guard removed Captain Herve Lehude and his crew and took possession of the ship under the right of angary
, maintaining steam in the boilers, a fire watch, "and all other matters relating to the maintenance of the ship in [an] idle status."
: "Here is a suggestion on the 'Normandie' from Jim Warburg." Knox, in turn, passed the suggestion and its endorsement along to Admiral Harold R. Stark, the Chief of Naval Operations
(CNO), with the notation: "Please note the attached suggestion. It has some good features." Soon thereafter, Adm. Stark contacted Rear Adm. Randall Jacobs, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation
: "Looks good to me. Please stop in & talk it over."
Soon thereafter, on 20 December 1941, the Auxiliary Vessels Board "as a matter of official record took cognizance of the oral information received" that President Franklin D. Roosevelt
"had approved the transfer of the S.S. Normandie to the Navy." On 22 December, the CNO issued orders that Normandie be converted to a "convoy unit loaded transport", and the following day sent a despatch to Rear Adm. Adolphus Andrews, Commandant, 3rd Naval District, authorizing him to accept the ship "under conditions satisfactory to the Bureau of Ships
[BuShips]." The Maritime Commission turned Normandie over to the Navy the day before Christmas of 1941. From that date, security for the vessel came under Rear Adm. Andrews's jurisdiction, and under his orders, a USCG detachment of six officers and 277 men remained on board under Lt. Comdr. Earl G. Brooks, USCG, to "... have the safety of the ship in hand." A contract for her conversion to a troop transport was awarded to Robins Dry Dock and Repair Co., a subsidiary of Todd Shipyards
, on 27 December. On that date, Capt. Clayton M. Simmers, the 3rd Naval District Materiel Officer, reported to the Bureau of Ships (BuShips) his estimate that the conversion work could be completed by 31 January 1942, and planning for the work to be done proceeded ahead on that basis. Lt. Comdr. Lester C. Scott, USNR, headed the detail representing the District Materiel Office on board the ship to monitor the contractors' carrying out the terms of their contract. Soon thereafter, Secretary of the Navy Knox approved the name La Fayette (later universally and unofficially contracted to Lafayette) on 31 December 1941, and she was classified as a transport, AP-53.
, but alongside Pier 88. On 9 January 1942, the CNO offered the vessel to the U.S. Army, who accepted that offer on 14 January "with the understanding that the conversion would be completed by the Navy." At the Navy's invitation, the Army provided a group of "marine engineers and naval architects" familiar with U.S. Army transport construction "to recommend such changes in the conversion work as they might deem necessary if the vessel was to be operated by army personnel." On 26 January, however, the CNO asked the Chief of Staff of the Army if the Navy could retain and operate Lafayette after her conversion, to which the army responded in the affirmative. That change in plans "set back or delayed [conversion work] for an estimated period of two to three weeks ..." Capt. Simmers's advising BuShips that "it would not be practicable to complete the conversion until about 28 February" fell on deaf ears. The CNO insisted to BuShips that Lafayette would be commissioned as scheduled."
Capt. Robert G. Coman reported as Lafayettes prospective commanding officer on 31 January 1942. His crew, gradually augmented over ensuing days, consisted mostly of a skeleton engineering force that numbered 458 men, "less than half the number required for the efficient operation of the vessel at sea." Capt. Coman soon saw that the complicated nature and enormous size of his prospective command "was such to require many weeks, and, more properly, months, for a crew to familiarize itself with the ship and be prepared to function as an efficient unit ..." Mindful of that, and with his entire crew not yet assembled, Coman consulted with Capt. Simmers about 5 February 1942 — the CNO-mandated commissioning date of 11 February 1942 looming ever nearer — and "expressed his anxiety over attempting to take the vessel out on 14 February." Rear Adm. Andrews, cognizant of Simmers's concerns, authorized him to take his complaint to Washington. Consequently, the latter communicated with the office of the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations, asking that Lafayettes sailing be delayed for two weeks.
On 6 February 1942, Capt. Coman and Capt. Simmers traveled to Washington, and conferred with the CNO and with the Chief of BuShips, personally acquainting them with the situation and again urging that Lafayettes sailing be delayed. The two captains who had just come down from New York received encouraging word: "plans would be changed so that certain top[-]hamper ... might be removed to improve her stability, and that [that] work would take another 60 to 90 days, and thus afford ample time for completion of the other work and preparation of the vessel for sea." Undoubtedly relieved that their personal entreaties had bought time, Simmers immediately telephoned the contractor in New York, telling him of the change in plans. Accordingly, supervisors let off many workmen who would otherwise have been engaged in the rush to get Lafayette to sea.
An altogether unwelcome surprise, however, greeted Capts. Coman and Simmers upon their return from the capitol the next day (7 February 1942). They learned that plans for the reduction of top-hamper had been abandoned and Lafayette was to sail on 14 February as planned. This abrupt reversal necessitated summoning workmen back to the ship "and further added to the confused state of affairs" prevalent over the ensuing days. Coman and Simmers "made an appointment with Rear Adm. Andrews for 3 p.m. on 9 February, at which time they hoped to persuade [him] to take a definite stand." Simultaneously, BuShips's chief had arranged to consult with the CNO to postpone the sailing date. Meanwhile, contractors' workmen rushed about their assigned tasks. Shortly before "... the time set for the respective conferences in New York and Washington", however, sparks from Clement Derrick's torch set alight a bale of kapok
life preservers
stored temporarily in the ship's main salon.
Between 17:45 and 18:00 on 9 February 1942, authorities considered the fire "under control" with "mopping up" operations continuing until 20:00. Water entering the ship through submerged openings and flowing to the lower decks negated efforts to counter-flood, however, and Lafayettes list gradually increased to port. Shortly after midnight Rear Adm. Andrews ordered Lafayette abandoned, and the ship continued to list, a process hastened by the 6,000 tons of water having been played on her, New York fire officials concerned that the fire could spread to the nearby city buildings. Lafayette eventually capsized during the mid watch (02:45) on 10 February, "coming to rest on her port side at an angle of about 80 degrees."
"The world military situation at the time", Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox later wrote, "imposed a most pressing demand for troop transports and the enormity of the expansion of ship construction and conversion resulted in the placing of an extremely heavy burden upon the shoulders of those engaged in readying ships for military service. As a result, corners had to be cut and responsibility delegated to personnel less experienced and capable than would be the case in normal times..." A subsequent investigation opined "that the gross carelessness and utter violation of rules of common sense on the part of the employees of Robins Dry Dock and Repair Company, Incorporated, was the direct and sole cause of the fire on [board] the U.S.S. Lafayette." Almost miraculously, only one man died in the tragedy — Frank "Trent" Trentacosta, 36, of Brooklyn
, a Robins' employee and a member of the fire watch. Some 94 USCG and USN sailors, however, including some not only from Lafayettes pre-commissioning crew but men assigned to the receiving ship , 38 fire fighters, and 153 civilians "received medical treatment or hospitalization for various injuries, burns, smoke inhalation, and for exposure."
The Chief of BuShips assumed jurisdiction over the ship on 24 February 1942, and placed the wreck under the immediate cognizance of the Supervisor of Salvage, USN. "Removal of the superstructure, installation of scaffolding for access inside and outside the ship, removal of the fire hazard, and the exploration of certain unknown conditions which held the possibility of salvage in the balance" then began. Two days later, on 26 February 1942, as a result of the disaster, President Roosevelt issued an executive order vesting "full responsibility for the protection of the water front, water-front activities, and ships in our harbors in the Navy Department" with the Secretary of the Navy investing the Commandant of the Coast Guard as the "responsible individual" under that order.
"Considerable comment from the press and the public" had followed Lafayettes capsizing. On 1 May 1942, the committee appointed by Secretary of the Navy Knox recommended raising the ship, with disposition to be made "when the salvage operations neared completion." The Supervisor of Salvage received orders on 11 June 1942 to proceed. One of the largest operations of its kind in history ultimately succeeded in righting Lafayette on 7 August 1943. She was reclassified to an aircraft and transport ferry, APV-4, on 15 September 1943 and placed in drydock the following month. Extensive damage to her hull, however, deterioration of her machinery, and the necessity for employing manpower on other more critical war projects prevented resumption of the conversion program, and her hulk remained in the Navy's custody through the cessation of hostilities with the Axis
. While Lafayette never served in the role for which she had been taken over, the salvage work "produced scores of highly skilled salvage officers and divers who later played an important part in the salvage and emergency repair of vessels damaged during World War II."
Lafayette was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
on 11 October 1945. President Harry Truman authorized her disposal in an Executive Order on 8 September 1946, and she was sold for scrap on 3 October 1946 to Lipsett, Inc., of New York City. Delivered on 28 November 1946, the ship that had once been heralded as "an outstanding achievement in shipbuilding and overseas transportation" was broken up at Port Newark, New Jersey, by 31 December 1948.
Luxury liner
Luxury liner may refer to:*Passenger ships with a high standard of accommodation, especially ocean liners*Luxury Liner , a 1977 album by Emmylou Harris*"Luxury Liner" , 1948 motion picture from MGM...
following the latter's seizure under the maritime right of angary
Angary
Angary , the name given to the right of a belligerent to seize and apply for the purposes of war any kind of property on belligerent territory, including that...
in New York by the United States after the Fall of France.
Intended for conversion into a high-speed troopship
Troopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
, Lafayette caught fire at New York during the conversion process on the night of 9–10 February 1942 and capsized. She was eventually raised again at great expense and floated to the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard for repair, but the job proved too difficult and she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
11 October 1945, and sold for scrap in 1946 to Lipsett, Inc.
SS Normandie
The French turbo-electric, quadruple-screw liner Normandie was laid down on 26 January 1931 at St. Nazaire, France, by the Societe Anonyme des Chantier et Ateliers de Saint-Nazaire (Penhoet) for the Compagnie General Transatlantique (French Line); launched on 29 October 1932; christened by Madame Andre Lebrun, wife of Albert LebrunAlbert Lebrun
Albert François Lebrun was a French politician, President of France from 1932 to 1940. He was the last president of the Third Republic. He was a member of the center-right Democratic Republican Alliance .-Biography:...
, the President of the French Republic
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
. Normandie completed her first Atlantic crossing, arriving in New York City on 3 June 1935, winning the coveted Blue Riband
Blue Riband
The Blue Riband is an unofficial accolade given to the passenger liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean in regular service with the record highest speed. The term was borrowed from horse racing and was not widely used until after 1910. Under the unwritten rules, the record is based on average speed...
for making the crossing in 4 days, 3 hours, 2 minutes — an average speed of 29.98 knots (58.8 km/h).
Eventually, however, looming hostilities in Europe compelled Normandie to seek haven in New York harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
, where the U.S. government interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
her on 3 September 1939, two days after Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
invaded Poland. She remained in French hands, "commanded by French officers and manned by a French crew" into the spring of 1941. On 15 May 1941, the U.S. Treasury Department detailed about 150 Coast Guardsmen to go on board the ship and Pier 88 to "insure [Normandies] safety and guard against sabotage."
When the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) became a part of the Navy on 1 November 1941, Normandies USCG detail remained intact, with the "management of the boilers, machinery, and other equipment ... left to the French crew", the Coast Guardsmen becoming "as familiar with the ship and her operation as was practicable under the circumstances, [but] by observation alone." On 12 December 1941, however, five days after the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, the Coast Guard removed Captain Herve Lehude and his crew and took possession of the ship under the right of angary
Angary
Angary , the name given to the right of a belligerent to seize and apply for the purposes of war any kind of property on belligerent territory, including that...
, maintaining steam in the boilers, a fire watch, "and all other matters relating to the maintenance of the ship in [an] idle status."
Lafayette
On 16 December 1941, J. P. "Jim" Warburg, advisory assistant to Colonel William J. Donovan, Coordinator of Information, in Washington, D.C., sent forward a short memorandum that he had prepared the previous day: "It would be a swell propaganda stunt now that we have taken over the NORMANDIE", he wrote, "to rename her the LAFAYETTE. What about it?" Donovan obviously saw merit in the suggestion, and passed it along, with an even shorter memorandum, on 18 December, to Secretary of the Navy Frank KnoxFrank Knox
-External links:...
: "Here is a suggestion on the 'Normandie' from Jim Warburg." Knox, in turn, passed the suggestion and its endorsement along to Admiral Harold R. Stark, the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
(CNO), with the notation: "Please note the attached suggestion. It has some good features." Soon thereafter, Adm. Stark contacted Rear Adm. Randall Jacobs, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation
Bureau of Navigation
The Bureau of Navigation was an agency of the U.S. government established in 1884 to enforce laws relating to the construction, equipment, operation, inspection, safety, and documentation of merchant vessels. The Bureau of Navigation was an agency of the U.S. government established in 1884 to...
: "Looks good to me. Please stop in & talk it over."
Soon thereafter, on 20 December 1941, the Auxiliary Vessels Board "as a matter of official record took cognizance of the oral information received" that President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
"had approved the transfer of the S.S. Normandie to the Navy." On 22 December, the CNO issued orders that Normandie be converted to a "convoy unit loaded transport", and the following day sent a despatch to Rear Adm. Adolphus Andrews, Commandant, 3rd Naval District, authorizing him to accept the ship "under conditions satisfactory to the Bureau of Ships
Bureau of Ships
The United States Navy's Bureau of Ships was established by Congress on June 20, 1940, by a law which consolidated the functions of the Bureau of Construction and Repair and the Bureau of Engineering. The new Bureau was to be headed by a Chief and Deputy-Chief, one selected from the engineering...
[BuShips]." The Maritime Commission turned Normandie over to the Navy the day before Christmas of 1941. From that date, security for the vessel came under Rear Adm. Andrews's jurisdiction, and under his orders, a USCG detachment of six officers and 277 men remained on board under Lt. Comdr. Earl G. Brooks, USCG, to "... have the safety of the ship in hand." A contract for her conversion to a troop transport was awarded to Robins Dry Dock and Repair Co., a subsidiary of Todd Shipyards
Todd Shipyards
Todd Shipyards was an American soccer club based in Brooklyn, New York that was an inaugural member of the American Soccer League. The team was formed when the Todd Shipyard company decided to merge the Brooklyn Robins Dry Dock with Tebo Yacht Basin F.C....
, on 27 December. On that date, Capt. Clayton M. Simmers, the 3rd Naval District Materiel Officer, reported to the Bureau of Ships (BuShips) his estimate that the conversion work could be completed by 31 January 1942, and planning for the work to be done proceeded ahead on that basis. Lt. Comdr. Lester C. Scott, USNR, headed the detail representing the District Materiel Office on board the ship to monitor the contractors' carrying out the terms of their contract. Soon thereafter, Secretary of the Navy Knox approved the name La Fayette (later universally and unofficially contracted to Lafayette) on 31 December 1941, and she was classified as a transport, AP-53.
Conversion
The exigencies of war, however, militated against Lafayettes conversion being accomplished in a shipyardShipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
, but alongside Pier 88. On 9 January 1942, the CNO offered the vessel to the U.S. Army, who accepted that offer on 14 January "with the understanding that the conversion would be completed by the Navy." At the Navy's invitation, the Army provided a group of "marine engineers and naval architects" familiar with U.S. Army transport construction "to recommend such changes in the conversion work as they might deem necessary if the vessel was to be operated by army personnel." On 26 January, however, the CNO asked the Chief of Staff of the Army if the Navy could retain and operate Lafayette after her conversion, to which the army responded in the affirmative. That change in plans "set back or delayed [conversion work] for an estimated period of two to three weeks ..." Capt. Simmers's advising BuShips that "it would not be practicable to complete the conversion until about 28 February" fell on deaf ears. The CNO insisted to BuShips that Lafayette would be commissioned as scheduled."
Capt. Robert G. Coman reported as Lafayettes prospective commanding officer on 31 January 1942. His crew, gradually augmented over ensuing days, consisted mostly of a skeleton engineering force that numbered 458 men, "less than half the number required for the efficient operation of the vessel at sea." Capt. Coman soon saw that the complicated nature and enormous size of his prospective command "was such to require many weeks, and, more properly, months, for a crew to familiarize itself with the ship and be prepared to function as an efficient unit ..." Mindful of that, and with his entire crew not yet assembled, Coman consulted with Capt. Simmers about 5 February 1942 — the CNO-mandated commissioning date of 11 February 1942 looming ever nearer — and "expressed his anxiety over attempting to take the vessel out on 14 February." Rear Adm. Andrews, cognizant of Simmers's concerns, authorized him to take his complaint to Washington. Consequently, the latter communicated with the office of the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations, asking that Lafayettes sailing be delayed for two weeks.
On 6 February 1942, Capt. Coman and Capt. Simmers traveled to Washington, and conferred with the CNO and with the Chief of BuShips, personally acquainting them with the situation and again urging that Lafayettes sailing be delayed. The two captains who had just come down from New York received encouraging word: "plans would be changed so that certain top[-]hamper ... might be removed to improve her stability, and that [that] work would take another 60 to 90 days, and thus afford ample time for completion of the other work and preparation of the vessel for sea." Undoubtedly relieved that their personal entreaties had bought time, Simmers immediately telephoned the contractor in New York, telling him of the change in plans. Accordingly, supervisors let off many workmen who would otherwise have been engaged in the rush to get Lafayette to sea.
An altogether unwelcome surprise, however, greeted Capts. Coman and Simmers upon their return from the capitol the next day (7 February 1942). They learned that plans for the reduction of top-hamper had been abandoned and Lafayette was to sail on 14 February as planned. This abrupt reversal necessitated summoning workmen back to the ship "and further added to the confused state of affairs" prevalent over the ensuing days. Coman and Simmers "made an appointment with Rear Adm. Andrews for 3 p.m. on 9 February, at which time they hoped to persuade [him] to take a definite stand." Simultaneously, BuShips's chief had arranged to consult with the CNO to postpone the sailing date. Meanwhile, contractors' workmen rushed about their assigned tasks. Shortly before "... the time set for the respective conferences in New York and Washington", however, sparks from Clement Derrick's torch set alight a bale of kapok
Kapok
Ceiba pentandra is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae , native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and to tropical west Africa...
life preservers
Personal flotation device
A personal flotation device is a device designed to assist a wearer, either conscious or unconscious, to keep afloat.Devices designed and approved by authorities for use by...
stored temporarily in the ship's main salon.
Fire and capsizing
The meetings planned for the afternoon of 9 February 1942 to discuss Lafayettes sailing never took place. The fire that began at 14:30 that day rendered any points, that could have been discussed, moot. Derrick quickly extinguished his torch and joined the frantic initial efforts of workmen who tried to put out the flames by beating on it with coats, pieces of carpet — anything that came to hand. Witnesses described the ensuing blaze as a "racing fire", a "singeing fire on the surface of the bales", and a "grass fire." All men engaged, whether employees of Robins Dry Dock and Repair Co., Coast Guardsmen, or Navy bluejackets, made "strenuous efforts" to extinguish the fire by "manual means and by fire fighting equipment available in the vicinity" — "some of [whom] were in a state of exhaustion when the [New York City] fire department [eventually employing both land and maritime units] arrived approximately 15 minutes after the fire was first discovered." A strong northwesterly wind blowing over Lafayettes port quarter swept the blaze forward, eventually involving the three upper decks of the ship within an hour of the start of the conflagration. Capt. Coman, along with Capt. Simmers, arrived about 15:25 to see his huge prospective command in flames.Between 17:45 and 18:00 on 9 February 1942, authorities considered the fire "under control" with "mopping up" operations continuing until 20:00. Water entering the ship through submerged openings and flowing to the lower decks negated efforts to counter-flood, however, and Lafayettes list gradually increased to port. Shortly after midnight Rear Adm. Andrews ordered Lafayette abandoned, and the ship continued to list, a process hastened by the 6,000 tons of water having been played on her, New York fire officials concerned that the fire could spread to the nearby city buildings. Lafayette eventually capsized during the mid watch (02:45) on 10 February, "coming to rest on her port side at an angle of about 80 degrees."
"The world military situation at the time", Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox later wrote, "imposed a most pressing demand for troop transports and the enormity of the expansion of ship construction and conversion resulted in the placing of an extremely heavy burden upon the shoulders of those engaged in readying ships for military service. As a result, corners had to be cut and responsibility delegated to personnel less experienced and capable than would be the case in normal times..." A subsequent investigation opined "that the gross carelessness and utter violation of rules of common sense on the part of the employees of Robins Dry Dock and Repair Company, Incorporated, was the direct and sole cause of the fire on [board] the U.S.S. Lafayette." Almost miraculously, only one man died in the tragedy — Frank "Trent" Trentacosta, 36, of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, a Robins' employee and a member of the fire watch. Some 94 USCG and USN sailors, however, including some not only from Lafayettes pre-commissioning crew but men assigned to the receiving ship , 38 fire fighters, and 153 civilians "received medical treatment or hospitalization for various injuries, burns, smoke inhalation, and for exposure."
Aftermath
A subsequent congressional investigation, chaired by Congressman Patrick Henry Drewry (D-Virginia) found evidence of (1) carelessness in how the burning operations [that started the fire] were carried out, (2) an "absence of proper coordination between the various units [USCG, USN] on board", (3) that "divided authority and lack of a unified command" existed on board, and (4) that "there was undue haste, indecision, and lack of careful planning in connection with the conversion of the Normandie." The investigators concluded that "confusion in the testimony and no direct evidence" militated against finding out "who was responsible for the order to sail on 14 February", but presumed "that it was done on the highest controlling authority." The committee went on to state that "If a thorough and detailed survey had been made of this ship, it is probable that no order would ever have been issued directing such hasty preparation and speedy sailing. Such issuance of unreasonable orders, based on incomplete knowledge of actual conditions, should serve as an example to responsible officials of the dangers inherent in arbitrary decisions contrary to the recommendations or protests of the officials in the field."The Chief of BuShips assumed jurisdiction over the ship on 24 February 1942, and placed the wreck under the immediate cognizance of the Supervisor of Salvage, USN. "Removal of the superstructure, installation of scaffolding for access inside and outside the ship, removal of the fire hazard, and the exploration of certain unknown conditions which held the possibility of salvage in the balance" then began. Two days later, on 26 February 1942, as a result of the disaster, President Roosevelt issued an executive order vesting "full responsibility for the protection of the water front, water-front activities, and ships in our harbors in the Navy Department" with the Secretary of the Navy investing the Commandant of the Coast Guard as the "responsible individual" under that order.
"Considerable comment from the press and the public" had followed Lafayettes capsizing. On 1 May 1942, the committee appointed by Secretary of the Navy Knox recommended raising the ship, with disposition to be made "when the salvage operations neared completion." The Supervisor of Salvage received orders on 11 June 1942 to proceed. One of the largest operations of its kind in history ultimately succeeded in righting Lafayette on 7 August 1943. She was reclassified to an aircraft and transport ferry, APV-4, on 15 September 1943 and placed in drydock the following month. Extensive damage to her hull, however, deterioration of her machinery, and the necessity for employing manpower on other more critical war projects prevented resumption of the conversion program, and her hulk remained in the Navy's custody through the cessation of hostilities with the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
. While Lafayette never served in the role for which she had been taken over, the salvage work "produced scores of highly skilled salvage officers and divers who later played an important part in the salvage and emergency repair of vessels damaged during World War II."
Lafayette was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 11 October 1945. President Harry Truman authorized her disposal in an Executive Order on 8 September 1946, and she was sold for scrap on 3 October 1946 to Lipsett, Inc., of New York City. Delivered on 28 November 1946, the ship that had once been heralded as "an outstanding achievement in shipbuilding and overseas transportation" was broken up at Port Newark, New Jersey, by 31 December 1948.