The Second Pearl Harbor: The West Loch Disaster,May
In May ,with American forces closing in on the Japanese mainland,the Fifth Fleet Amphibious Force was preparing to invade Saipan. Control of this island would put enemy cities squarely within range of the B-29 bomber. The navy had assembled a fleet of landing ship tanks (LSTs) in the West Loch section of Pearl Harbor. On May 21,an explosion tore through the calm afternoon sky,spreading fire and chaos through the ordnance-packed vessels. When the fires had been brought under control,six LST