The Navy Department Library
Bibliography and Archival Sources
Honda (Pedernales) Point, California, Disaster, 8 September 1923
Bibliography:
Duckworth, Spencer. Destroyers on the Rocks: Seven Ships Lost. Fort Bragg, CA: Cypress House, 2005.
Hadaway, Richard B. “Course Zero Nine Five.” US Naval Institute Proceedings 83, no.1 (Jan. 1957): 40-47.
Lockwood, Charles A. Tragedy at Honda. Philadelphia, PA: Chilton Co., 1960.
Loeb, Richard B. “Comment and Discussion: The Honda Point Disaster.” US Naval Institute Proceedings 84, no.5 (May 1958): 109-112.
McClench, Donald. “Comments on Navigational Aspects of the Disaster.” US Naval Institute Proceedings 83, no.1 (Jan. 1957): 47-48.
US Navy. Annual Reports of the Navy Department for the Fiscal Year (Including Operations to November 15, 1923). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1924. [see page 79].
US Navy Records Located at the National Archives in Washington DC:
Record Group (RG) 125
Records of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy.
Court of Inquiry, Case #12847, @ 2000 pages in Boxes 349 & 350, 11W2 28/12/2.
Includes 2 Courts Martial (Hunter and Watson) and charge out card for Blodgett.
Record Group (RG) 45
Office of Naval Records & Library, Navy Subject File 1911-1927.
RG-Groundings, Box 584, Folder #6 “Destroyers grounded off Honda Point September 8, 1923,” containing over 500 pages, 11W4 18/6/2.
OS – US Naval Vessels 1911-1927 (a file on each ship involved).
Record Group (RG) 80
General Records of Department of Navy, 1798-1947, General File For Navy, 1897-1926.
File # 26835, Box 2073, @ 300 pages (contains copies of Court of Inquiry), 11W3 24/14/3.
File # 27424, Box 2247, @ 1000 pages, 11W3 24/18/4.
File 26262-10680 Box 1696 11W3 11/1/4 @ 50 pages total.
File 26262-10681
File 26262-10682
File 26262-10683
File 26262-10699
File 26262-10721
File 26262-10722
File 26262-10723
File 26262-10724
File 26262-10725
File 26262-10761
Formerly Confidential Correspondence of the Secretary of the Navy.
File # 216-33:7. Microfilm reel: M1140 roll 104.
File # 232-41. Microfilm reel: M 1140 roll 115.
Photographs: Secretary of the Navy Formerly confidential 1927-39, file DD/L11-1 Box 166.
Hydrographic Charts: large volume RG 80-oversize 11W3 13/16/2.
Compilation of Court-Martial Orders, 1916-1937, Vol. 1 (Washington: Government
Printing Office, 1940), pages 866-873. (copy located in 11W3 16/27/2).
Point Honda Court Records:
Court of Inquiry 12847 (includes Watson’s and Hunter’s Court martial and a reference card to Blodgett’s “see selection board”).
Court Martial Cases (Many of these court cases include the logbook pages and charts as exhibits.):
| Blodgett, Lawrence F. | 58790 (card “see 12847). | |
| Hunter, Donald T. | 58789 (card “see 12847). | |
| Watson, Edward H. | 58791 (card see 12847). | |
| Morris, Robert | 58810 (approx. 275 pages). | |
| Seed, Walter D. | 58956 (approx. 150 pages). | |
| Roesch, Herbert O. | 59006 (card “see examination board) Includes examination board, but court case is not there. | |
| Calhoun, William L. | Number not known. | |
| Booth, Richard H. | 58955 (approximately 125 pages). | |
| Toaz, William H. | 58954 (approximately 150 pages). | |
| Davis, Louis P. | 58953 (card “with exam board”) (we don’t have his exam board). | |
| Pye, William S. | 58957 (card “with exam board”) (we don’t have exam board). |
Officers Promotion and Retirement Board files*
(Officers must be dead or completely retired before 1943.).
| Blodgett, Lawrence F. | None | |
| Hunter, Donald T. | Box 554 | |
| Watson, Edward H. | Box 1122 | |
| Morris, Robert | Box 501 with photo. | |
| Seed, Walter D. | Box 970 | |
| Roesch, Herbert O. | Box 621 with photo (does not include court proceedings). | |
| Calhoun, William L. | None | |
| Booth, Richard H. | Box 53 with photo. | |
| Toaz, William H. | Boxes 1079-1080 | |
| Davis, Louis P. | None | |
| Pye, William S. | None |
*These files include officers’ monthly fitness reports with evaluations about actions at Point Honda.
Note: The Regional Branch of the National Archives at Laguna Niguel, CA, also has four Hollinger boxes of materials relating to the incident.
