[Gator101]

I am wondering if that explosion might have been the SS Robert Rowan - A liberty ship carrying ammo that was bombed by German aircraft off the coast of Italy. She burned for a while before the explosion and the crew was able to evacuate. It also allowed the explosion to be filmed since everybody knew what was coming.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Port Chicago, Mount Hood, Robert Rowans, and Black Tom pier (all massive ship explosions) I did not realize that the Port Chicago ammo ship blast was used by the Manhatten Project to estimate their nuke warhead blast dynamics.

Rowans is the only one in the Med: it's the most likely culprit since the others were after dark (US-based Black Tom Pier and Port Chicago), at sea (SS Luckenback) or sudden - no warning - events unlikely to have been photo'ed.

Reference:

http://www.portchicago.org/lastwave/chapters/LastWave_Ch8.pdf

[wolficatZ]

Thanks for the info, it may well have been the Robert Rowan; I haven't had any luck finding a video clip, but I'm still looking when I get a chance.

I seem to remember it being shown in the context of a Pacific battle, but that doesn't mean much considering all the chronological and historical inaccuracies dealing with archival film in documentaries.