The Extraordinary Voyage of the USS Marblehead

By May 1942, nearly half of the forty surface ships of the U.S. Asiatic fleet would be sunk, including the fleet’s largest vessel, the heavy cruiser USS Houston. But the improbable survival of one of the fleet’s vessels, the light cruiser USS Marblehead, is the stuff of legend. The extraordinary voyage of the Marblehead is history that deserves to be remembered.

This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.

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Script by THG

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[trevormiles]

Red White and Blue here... This heroic act of man against the odds and sea makes me stand in awe of past service men.

[edwardgabel]

Great lesson. You never lose until you quit.

[musicandairplanes]

My Father, Harry Clephane was a signalman on the USS Marblehead during that battle. He told us stories just like what this guy is saying. He was burnt really bad during the battle.

[laurencannon]

My great grandpa, Milburn E. "Mel" Smith, was on the USS Marblehead. He used to tell us how the crew would fill up buckets of flood water in the magazine, dump the filled buckets into the ocean, then repeat. I have some great photos of the crew members on the deck, there is even a photo of makeshift sail made out of what looks like a bed sheet. If it weren't for the events that led up to the ship docking in South African, my family probably wouldn't exist! Sounds melodramatic, but it is trie. My great grandpa met his future wife, Winifred, while docked in South Africa. She was a South African native who had never left the country. He met her while riding on the city bus, they hit it off, and continued to see each other while the ship was in dry dock. Before he left, a few short weeks later, he proposed to her. While the Marblehead, along with my great grandpa, made its way back to the US, Winifred packed her back and moved to Benson, Minnesota, where she waited for Mel to arrive. That was quite the transition for her, from never planning on leaving her oceanside home to moving half way across the world to the land locked Midwest, and for a man she barely knew. I envy her courage. They married shortly after, moved to San Diego (where he was restationed), had two daughter, three grandkids, and six great-grandchildren, including myself, although I was the only one able to meet them before they passed away. They were happily married for 50+ years. What a story of chance the Marblehead carries with it through history. heet. This video popped up on my feed by accident, but I am so glad it did, I was able to learn a bit more about the history and series of events, thank you The History Guy!

[donmoore]

My Father was a plank holder of the Scout Cruiser, USS Marblehead, after he enlisted into the US Navy in 1924. He went through Electrician training and was promoted to Electrician first Mate. His main function on the Marblehead was the maintenance of those Gyroscopic Compasses that had been destroyed by the Japanese attack described in this story. From 1924 to 1927 the USS Marblehead sailed up the Yangtze River to Shang hi China, in a show the flag issue with US citizens being threatened by the Chinese government. On it's return to the Atlantic in late 1926 the USS Marblehead was diverted to support the 2nd Nicaraguan Campaign where it's Marine component went ashore to establish a neutral area for US Citizens who were being threatened in the hostilities between the rebels and the government. Years after his death I discovered the medals he was awarded for both operations and later obtained his military records revealing his entire naval history. He served on the Marblehead until his discharge in 1927. During WWII he was employed in the Brooklyn Navy Yard working as an electrician. He was one of the few who could maintain the gyroscopic compasses of the fleet. One of his closest buddies stayed with the Marblehead for years, and retired after WWII as a Rear Admiral. Little is known of the early years of the ship, but it served proudly from 1924 through 1947.

[Lee-ish]

Another fasinating episode by THG.
Imho all decommissioned naval vessels deserve to have their bells preserved as a memorial to those who served on them.

[danieljones]

My father served aboard the Marblehead during the battle of Makasser Strait earning a silver star. Many years later, during a dinner at the CPO Club at Treasure Island, my father and the head chef at the CPO Club where reunited. Both thought the other had been killed during the battle. The head chef, (Chef Tang) had been a steward aboard the Marblehead.
I always wondered why such a valiant action, so desperately fought, never got much attention. Thank you History Guy for recognizing and acknowledging this valuable piece of our countries history.

[randysheppard]

My Great uncle George Albert Corbitt served on the USS Marblehead and died of his injuries he received during the Japanese bombing attacks. He lived 3 days from what I have been told and was buried on the island of Java. His body was later returned to the United States and he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Rest in Peace Uncle George

[egorsdad]

The history guy is the perfect coffee fare @ 5am on my porch, taking the place of the morning dismals of the local paper.

[yesthatsme]

USS Houston also deserves to be remembered. A heroic, and tragic, fight to the end.

[claudewmarsh]

My dad served on the marblehead Chief Warrant officer engineer, engine man, CWO ELDON C MARSH, All my brothers including my self served in the NAVY as well. It was most cool to see this story about my old man's ship, it's right up there with a story of a ship I served on, USS ARNOLD J ISBELL DD869 . KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, I love historic military documentaries, when they are done with integrity and accuracy. Good job ! EM3rd CW MARSH

[sarjim]

Once again, the most important assets of the USN was its training in damage control. It saved more ships than any kind of armament. _Marblehead_ was just one heroic story out of many as damage control teams struggled to save what the enemy thought was already lost.

[Headerflame]

My grandpa was on the USS Marblehead! I’ve often tried to retell the story but had some of the facts askew. Thanks for homework and celebration of its flight!

[mortalclown]

I love that your version of history leaves no stone unturned.

[PeterCombs]

I grew up in Marblehead MA, the town history of Naval service goes back to the war of 1812 when the town provided nearly the entire first crew of the "Consitution"...as few other towns had sailors with enough experience or the nerve to man the only warship against the British fleet early on.

[wierpkevin]

Why does it always feel so tragic when a valiant warrior, gets “decommissioned” ? As we all know the quiet fate that awaits. Thank you sir for if we are not able to preserve the warrior, at least she did not go quietly into the night and get forgotten as is the case of so many others that tragically were not even remembered. “All gave some, some gave all”.

[robertphillips]

My Father served about the USS Block Island the only US Aircraft Carrier to be sunk in the Atlantic Ocean during WW 2. He also served on its replacement the USS Block Island which went on to serve in the Pacific Ocean and was part of Operation Magic Carpet.

[gerryroncolato]

Great story, well covered. Her saga is usually overshadowed by other titanic events during that war, but, as you so well argue, it deserves to be remembered. One quibble. Houston was sunk at Sunda Strait, not at Java Sea. As an aside, I once met one of her survivors. He was a deck seaman and spent the war in a POW camp. He was a great, barrel-chested bruiser of a man, probably around 220 lb when I saw him (in 1980), and not fat. He said he returned home at a mere 115 lbs. after the war. This vet told me that the day before the Sunda Strait action the CO came on the 1MC (announcing system) to say how proud he was of his crew and that he did not expect the ship to survive the coming night's action. Did that worry him? Not so much. What he most remembered was that the CO opened up the "soda fountain" so the crew could eat all the ice cream they wanted. That, while operating near the equator in the days before air conditioning, meant a lot to the crew!! The CO did not survive the battle. Of the ~1300 men aboard only about 100 survived the war (per his recollection). But, maybe you've already told Houston's story...

[christopherlynch]

great little tidbit about the food labels being washed off. Every meal is a mystery meal!

[jayfelsberg]

I remember that on our second WESTPAC in 1976 on the Long Beach our captain, Harry Schrader, got on the 1MC and told the story of the gallant last stand, and rendered full honors as we passed over the site. Capt. Schrader (RIP) is my model of a Naval Officer.