Catastrophe struck in the early morning hours of January 17, 1977, in Barcelona, Spain when the LCM-6, leaving fleet landing at 2 AM on a final run back to the ships with 124 enlisted sailors and marines dressed for the cold winter weather collided with the 390-ton Spanish freighter "Urlea" in the inner harbor. The collision occurred about 80-feet off of the end of a high commercial pier where the vision of the coxswain was obstructed by the height of the pieras the two craft rounded the pier from opposite sides. Neither craft had time to react before the bulbous bow of the freighter lifted the bow of the LCM-6 and capsized the boat tossing the occupants into the dark harbor water. Personnel on the pier and at Fleet Landing scrambled to assist those in the boat but many had been in the liberty boat were disoriented or trapped under the high sides of the LCM-6.
GUAM, notified by the Beachguard of the accident, mustered the Rescue and Assistance Detail and sent them by boat to assist with the rescue efforts. The first word back to the States about the accident was garbled and reported that the GUAM and TRENTON had collided and that the GUAM had overturned. While that misinformation was later corrected, the consternation created among the concerned families of the deployed ships and embarked units was understandable. Rescue efforts continued throughout the night but by first light the effort had become one of recovery of our shipmates. The ships would end up spending several more days conducting accurate musters and accounting for the missing.
There were over one hundred sailors and marines on board the landing craft. Forty-nine sailors and marines from GUAM and TRENTON were lost in this tragic accident.
In 1978, one year later, a 12-foot granite and iron memorial to these men was erected in Barcelona near the Muelle de Barcelona that reads, "In memory of the members of the US Navy and US Marine Corps serving on the USS Guam and the USS Trenton who perished in this port on 17 January 1977, and in gratitude to the citizens, officials and rescue teams of Barcelona for their cooperation with the US Forces". See memorial photo and plaque photo.
The second photo is a Memorial at Port of Barcelona to those who died January 17, 1977. Each 49 sailors and marines names are etched on the memorial at Barcelona, Spain ~ see the rest of the photos.
Information, obituary and photos of the memorial by Jackie.
Note: Some photos are scaled down. Click on image for full size.
GUAM, notified by the Beachguard of the accident, mustered the Rescue and Assistance Detail and sent them by boat to assist with the rescue efforts. The first word back to the States about the accident was garbled and reported that the GUAM and TRENTON had collided and that the GUAM had overturned. While that misinformation was later corrected, the consternation created among the concerned families of the deployed ships and embarked units was understandable. Rescue efforts continued throughout the night but by first light the effort had become one of recovery of our shipmates. The ships would end up spending several more days conducting accurate musters and accounting for the missing.
There were over one hundred sailors and marines on board the landing craft. Forty-nine sailors and marines from GUAM and TRENTON were lost in this tragic accident.
In 1978, one year later, a 12-foot granite and iron memorial to these men was erected in Barcelona near the Muelle de Barcelona that reads, "In memory of the members of the US Navy and US Marine Corps serving on the USS Guam and the USS Trenton who perished in this port on 17 January 1977, and in gratitude to the citizens, officials and rescue teams of Barcelona for their cooperation with the US Forces". See memorial photo and plaque photo.
The second photo is a Memorial at Port of Barcelona to those who died January 17, 1977. Each 49 sailors and marines names are etched on the memorial at Barcelona, Spain ~ see the rest of the photos.
Information, obituary and photos of the memorial by Jackie.
Note: Some photos are scaled down. Click on image for full size.
Catastrophe struck in the early morning hours of January 17, 1977, in Barcelona, Spain when the LCM-6, leaving fleet landing at 2 AM on a final run back to the ships with 124 enlisted sailors and marines dressed for the cold winter weather collided with the 390-ton Spanish freighter "Urlea" in the inner harbor. The collision occurred about 80-feet off of the end of a high commercial pier where the vision of the coxswain was obstructed by the height of the pieras the two craft rounded the pier from opposite sides. Neither craft had time to react before the bulbous bow of the freighter lifted the bow of the LCM-6 and capsized the boat tossing the occupants into the dark harbor water. Personnel on the pier and at Fleet Landing scrambled to assist those in the boat but many had been in the liberty boat were disoriented or trapped under the high sides of the LCM-6.
GUAM, notified by the Beachguard of the accident, mustered the Rescue and Assistance Detail and sent them by boat to assist with the rescue efforts. The first word back to the States about the accident was garbled and reported that the GUAM and TRENTON had collided and that the GUAM had overturned. While that misinformation was later corrected, the consternation created among the concerned families of the deployed ships and embarked units was understandable. Rescue efforts continued throughout the night but by first light the effort had become one of recovery of our shipmates. The ships would end up spending several more days conducting accurate musters and accounting for the missing.
There were over one hundred sailors and marines on board the landing craft. Forty-nine sailors and marines from GUAM and TRENTON were lost in this tragic accident.
In 1978, one year later, a 12-foot granite and iron memorial to these men was erected in Barcelona near the Muelle de Barcelona that reads, "In memory of the members of the US Navy and US Marine Corps serving on the USS Guam and the USS Trenton who perished in this port on 17 January 1977, and in gratitude to the citizens, officials and rescue teams of Barcelona for their cooperation with the US Forces". See memorial photo and plaque photo.
The second photo is a Memorial at Port of Barcelona to those who died January 17, 1977. Each 49 sailors and marines names are etched on the memorial at Barcelona, Spain ~ see the rest of the photos.
Information, obituary and photos of the memorial by Jackie.
Note: Some photos are scaled down. Click on image for full size.
GUAM, notified by the Beachguard of the accident, mustered the Rescue and Assistance Detail and sent them by boat to assist with the rescue efforts. The first word back to the States about the accident was garbled and reported that the GUAM and TRENTON had collided and that the GUAM had overturned. While that misinformation was later corrected, the consternation created among the concerned families of the deployed ships and embarked units was understandable. Rescue efforts continued throughout the night but by first light the effort had become one of recovery of our shipmates. The ships would end up spending several more days conducting accurate musters and accounting for the missing.
There were over one hundred sailors and marines on board the landing craft. Forty-nine sailors and marines from GUAM and TRENTON were lost in this tragic accident.
In 1978, one year later, a 12-foot granite and iron memorial to these men was erected in Barcelona near the Muelle de Barcelona that reads, "In memory of the members of the US Navy and US Marine Corps serving on the USS Guam and the USS Trenton who perished in this port on 17 January 1977, and in gratitude to the citizens, officials and rescue teams of Barcelona for their cooperation with the US Forces". See memorial photo and plaque photo.
The second photo is a Memorial at Port of Barcelona to those who died January 17, 1977. Each 49 sailors and marines names are etched on the memorial at Barcelona, Spain ~ see the rest of the photos.
Information, obituary and photos of the memorial by Jackie.
Note: Some photos are scaled down. Click on image for full size.
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