A US Navy warship held together with coconut logs after a Japanese torpedo strike once sailed hundreds of miles in reverse to reach safe harbor

Fri, 12/01/2023 - 14:16

The USS New Orleans was hit by a torpedo and lost her entire bow during the Battle of Tassafaronga on November 1942.
US Naval Institute

Over 80 years ago, a US warship was badly damaged by a Japanese torpedo during the Battle of Tassafaronga.
The crew temporarily repaired the USS New Orleans with coconut logs.
To return to port, the ship then sailed backwards in order to avoid sinking.

81 years ago, a US Navy warship was badly damaged during an intense World War II naval battle, forcing its crew to make some rather unconventional repairs to get the ship back to a safe harbor.