USS Serpens: The Coast Guard’s Greatest Loss
By William H. Thiesen 2018-01-27 17:39:25
“I felt and saw two flashes after which only the bow of the ship was visible. The rest had disintegrated and the bow sank soon afterwards.†– Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Perry Stinson, USS Serpens commanding officer
The quote above refers to the Coast Guard-manned USS Serpens. Nearly 73 years ago on January 29, 1945, a catastrophic explosion destroyed the transport. In terms of lives lost, the destruction of the Serpens ranks as the single largest disaster ever recorded in Coast Guard history.
https://www.maritime-executive.com/features/uss-serpens-the-coast-guard-s-greatest-loss#gs.RenosXc
