 Although the sea had been growing rougher all day , the nearby cyclonic disturbance gave relatively little warning of its approach . Each of the carriers in the Third Fleet had a weatherman aboard , and as the fleet flagship New Jersey had a highly experienced weatherman : Commander G. F. Kosco , a graduate of the aerology course at Massachusetts Institute of Technology who had also studied hurricanes in the West Indies ; despite this , none of these individuals or staffs were able to give Third Fleet due warning of the impending typhoon . On 18 December , the small but violent typhoon overtook the Task Force while many of the ships were attempting to refuel . Many of the ships were caught near the center of the storm and buffeted by extreme seas and hurricane @-@ force winds . Three destroyers — Hull , Monaghan and Spence — capsized and sank with nearly all hands , while a cruiser , five aircraft carriers , and three destroyers suffered serious damage . Approximately 790 officers and men were lost or killed , with another 80 injured . Fires occurred in three carriers when planes broke loose in their hangars , and some 146 planes on various ships were lost or damaged beyond economical repair by fires , impact damage , or by being swept overboard . As with the other battleships of TF 38 , skillful seamanship brought New Jersey through the storm largely unscathed . She returned to Ulithi on Christmas Eve to be met by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz . 
