September 11, 1943,
USS Savannah (CL-42), a prewar Brooklyn class light cruiser, was hit by a German bomb while supporting our landing at Salerno. The bomb, which was dropped from high altitude, turned out to be a radio-controlled bomb, which hit the top of turret three and caused extensive damage, destroying part of the keel and killing most of the sailors in the forward part of the ship.
Here is a personal account of the event by one of the sailors aboard.
Savannah's effective gunfire in support of US troops ashore figures in the movie, "Big Red One."
The photos below show the ship after the bomb hit.
The bomb killed 197 out of
Savannah's 868-man crew.
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