who was positively identified). Dozens more men were killed or wounded below decks as numerous heavy fragments from Mount Hood penetrated the side plating. Eighty-two of Mindanaos crew died. 22 small boats and landing craft were sunk, destroyed, or damaged beyond repair, while damage to other vessels required more than 100,000 man-hours to repair; a further 371 sailors from ships in the harbor were injured. Inquiry A board convened to examine evidence relating to the disaster was unable to ascertain the exact cause. However, the official Navy report noted that the vessel had a "relatively inexperienced crew," with a "lack of leadership among the officers, and lack of discipline among the crew," as well as "a general lack of posting safety regulations for handling ammunition, and instruction of the crew therein." As a result, the report noted, this lack of training "was reflected in rough and careless handling of ammunition and lack of enforcing prohibition of smoking in boats alongside the U.S.S. Mount Hood. The stowage condition of boosters, fuzes and detonators in number one hold was dangerous. In holds numbers two and three there were stowed broken rocket bodies from which some of the powder had spilled." The report further noted that "Pyrotechnics and napalm were stowed in an open temporary wood and tar paper hut on deck under hazardous conditions near the hatch to number four hold." This was also near the most likely source of the accident, as the initial explosion occurred "amidships near number three or four hold." As such, the report concluded that "the most likely cause of the explosion was careless handling of ammunition" aboard the ship. After only a little over four months' service, Mount Hood was struck from the Naval Register on 11 December 1944. List of ships damaged The following ships were damaged by the explosion of Mount Hood: In addition to the above ships, nine medium landing craft (LCM) and a pontoon barge moored alongside Mount Hood'' were also destroyed, and 13 small boats or landing craft were sunk or damaged beyond repair. See also West Loch disaster USS Serpens (AK-97) Port Chicago disaster List of accidents and incidents involving transport or storage of ammunition Notes References External links AE Sailors Association Selected documents relating to the loss of USS Mount Hood Photos from NHHC Roll of Honor Navy Board of Investigation Official Report Mount Hood-class ammunition ships Ships built