Prompt Cast
The Unlucky USS William D. Porter: A Series of Mishaps and Near-Disasters
TLDR The USS William D. Porter, known as the unluckiest ship in World War II, experienced a string of mishaps and near-disasters, including damaging another ship, accidentally launching a torpedo towards the USS Iowa with President Roosevelt on board, and being hit by a kamikaze pilot. Despite its unfortunate incidents, all crew members survived and the ship's story remained confidential until 1958.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The USS William D. Porter was known as the unluckiest ship in World War II because it almost killed the President of the United States.
01:32
The USS William D. Porter was a Fletcher-class destroyer that was commissioned in July 1943 and its first mission was to transport President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Morocco for the Cairo Conference and the Tehran Conference.
02:59
The USS William D. Porter had a series of mishaps, including damaging another ship while raising their anchor, accidentally causing an explosion with a depth charge, being hit by a rogue wave that washed a crew member overboard, and conducting an anti-aircraft drill for President Roosevelt.
04:12
During a torpedo drill, the USS William D. Porter accidentally launched a torpedo towards the USS Iowa, which had President Roosevelt and other high-ranking officials on board, causing panic and chaos as they tried to warn the Iowa.
05:30
The USS William D. Porter was ordered to leave the fleet and head to Bermuda after accidentally launching a torpedo towards the USS Iowa, and the entire crew was quarantined until an investigation could determine if it was an accident or sabotage.
06:41
The USS William D. Porter managed to find trouble even in the relatively safe Aleutian Islands, firing a round from one of its guns into the front yard of a commandant's reception, and later participated in the Battle of Okinawa where it shot down an incoming kamikaze pilot.
07:56
The USS William D. Porter sank after an explosion caused by a kamikaze pilot, but all of the crew members survived, and the incident was kept confidential until 1958.
