▁of ▁Hawai i . ▁▁ 1 9 4 4 - 1 9 4 7 ▁After ▁sh aked own ▁in ▁the ▁Ch es ape ake ▁Bay , ▁Ma una ▁Lo a ▁loaded ▁on ▁ 5 , 6 0 0 ▁tons ▁of ▁am mun ition ▁at ▁Nor folk ▁and ▁depart ed ▁Ham pton ▁Ro ads , ▁Va ., ▁ 1 9 ▁December ▁with ▁a ▁stop over ▁at ▁San ▁Francisco ▁for ▁ 2 ▁days , ▁arriv ing ▁Pear l ▁Har bor ▁ 1 7 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁Ass igned ▁to ▁the ▁service ▁force , ▁on ▁ 1 ▁February ▁she ▁continued ▁on ▁to ▁the ▁Marsh alls ▁esc orted ▁by ▁, ▁reaching ▁Maj uro ▁ 7 ▁days ▁later ▁to ▁begin ▁re arm ing ▁the ▁fleet . ▁ ▁On ▁ 9 ▁February ▁a ▁near - dis aster ▁occurred ▁while ▁Ma una ▁Lo a ▁was ▁supp lying ▁ ▁with ▁gun pow der . ▁With ▁the ▁men ▁on ▁Ma una ▁Lo a ▁moving ▁the ▁pow der ▁containers ▁over ▁faster ▁than ▁they ▁could ▁be ▁removed ▁to ▁the ▁mag az ines ▁of ▁the ▁batt les hip , ▁the ▁can s ▁gradually ▁p iled ▁up ▁to ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁hundred ▁on ▁Pennsylvania ' s ▁forward ▁deck . ▁At ▁ 1 6 : 3 5 ▁a ▁flash ▁of ▁fl ame ▁le aped ▁out ▁across ▁her ▁deck , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁a ▁d ull ▁bo om ▁— ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁can s ▁had ▁expl oded ! ▁ ▁Gra ins ▁of ▁burning ▁pow der ▁were ▁hur led ▁about , ▁many ▁of ▁them ▁stre aking