At his court martial , LCdr . Hunter , the navigator of the Delphy , testified . " I think there is also a possibility that abnormal currents caused by the Japanese earthquake might have been another contributory cause , or magnetic disturbances connected with the solar eclipse affected the compass — but of these I can not , of course , speak with any first hand knowledge . " On September 1 , 1923 , seven days before the disaster , the Great Kantō earthquake had occurred in Japan . Unusually large swells and strong currents arose off the coast of California and remained for a number of days . Before Destroyer Squadron Eleven even reached Honda Point , a number of ships had encountered navigational problems as a result of unusual currents . As DESRON 11 began their exercise run down the California coast , they made their way through these swells and currents . While the squadron was traveling through these swells and currents , their estimations of speed and bearing used for dead reckoning were being affected . The navigators aboard the lead ship '' Delphy '' did not take into account the effects of the strong currents and large swells in their estimations . Since the navigators in the lead ship Delphy did not account for the current and swells in their estimations , the entire squadron was off course and positioned near the treacherous coastline of Honda Point instead of the open ocean of the Santa Barbara Channel . Coupled with darkness and thick fog , the swells and currents attributed to the earthquake in Japan made accurate navigation by dead reckoning nearly impossible for the Delphy . The geography of Honda Point , which is completely exposed to wind and waves , created an extremely deadly environment once the unusually strong swells and currents were added to the coastline
Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
Honda Point disaster