Talk:Charles H. Willey

Cause of Memphis' shipwreck?

 * Charles H. Willey refers to "the hurricane that wrecked USS Memphis."
 * USS Tennessee (ACR-10) says, "Memphis was driven ashore by an unexpected tsunami and totally wrecked."


 * DANFS says, "On the afternoon of 29 August, while at anchor in the harbor of San Domingo, a series of very close tsunami-like waves inundated the harbor, almost wrecking gunboat Castine and driving Memphis ashore. The waves were so steep they flowed over the armored cruiser, including the bridge and even the stacks, and repeatedly battered the warship into the harbor bottom."


 * Willey's Medal of Honor citation says, "For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession while serving on board the U.S.S. Memphis, at a time when that vessel was suffering total destruction from a hurricane while anchored off Santo Domingo City, 29 August 1916."

So was it a hurricane, or a tsunami? Or maybe tsunami-like waves caused by a hurricane? —wwoods 18:50, 10 January 2007 (UTC)