(Compilation from New York Times Dec. 26, 1969 to Jan. 16, 1970)
Dec. 26, 1969. A Vietnam-bound ammunition ship, carrying 8,900 bombs and rockets equal to 2,000 tons of TNT, was rocked by explosions and abandoned by her crew in rough seas 1,500 miles northeast of Hawaii.
Dec. 27. Fourteen crewmen were picked up by a Greek ship, the Khian Star, and a US Air Force HC130 rescue plane dropped life rafts and dye marker at the site. A Navy spokesman said the Badger State was carrying the rockets and bombs for the Air Force at Danang, South Vietnam under contract to the Military Sea Transportation Service. The bombs included 2,000 pounders which were loaded at the Bangor (Washington) Naval Ammunition Depot. At daybreak rescue planes and ships found no sign of the 26 missing men, some of whom were last seen clinging to life rafts in 20 foot seas. Heavy rains, high winds and thick clouds were impairing the search.
Dec. 28. Only one rescue vessel continued the hopeless search for the men. One body was recovered by the freighter American Dragon; at least four others were sighted, but surging seas prevented recovery. The Badger State was reported to be breaking up in heavy seas.
Jan. 1, 1970. The Navy abandoned plans to salvage the deserted munitions ship after the tugboat Abnaki nervously approached to within 2 miles of the freighter and reported fires still burning. The tug said the freighter had a 8 by 16 foot hole 4 feet above the water line in the starboard quarter. The Badger State eventually sank.
Jan 15. Captain Charles T. Wilson of the SS Badger State testified that the cargo of bombs exploded after a huge wave threw the freighter on its side.
From America to United States: The History of the long-range Merchant shipbuilding Programme of the United States Maritime Commission (1937-1952) Volume 2, L.A. Sawyer and W.H.Mitchell London: World Ship Society, 1978/1986
SS Badger State was a US Maritime Commission C-2, launched in February 1944 as the transport USS Starlight (AP 175).
U.S. government investigators critisized procedures for stowing bombs, after a bomb broke loose in the hold of the ship, exploded, and cause its sinking.
The crew fought for 9 days to steady the cargo and several times changed course to find calm seas, but each roll of the ship caused the bombs to roll or slide striking each other or the ship's hull where wood sheathing had splintered away.
Small holes were punched in the hull by the battering of the bombs. Several fell through holes in the tween deck hatch.
One of the bombs exploded and fire swept the ship. No other bombs exploded, but the explosion blew a hole 12 by 8 feet in the hull.
The wind blew away 2 liferafts, 35 men boarded a third raft, but a 2,000 pound bomb rolled out the hole in the side of the ship and capsized the liferaft.
Another freighter arrived to attempt a rescue, but many men were washed away in 30 foot seas while clinging to heaving lines, under attack from albatrosses.
The Badger State remained afire with bombs exploding for 10 days before sinking.