On the night of November 22, 1975, in the Ionian Sea, roughly seventy miles east of Sicily, a routine naval operation transformed into a catastrophic crisis. The guided-missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG-26) was executing night maneuvers alongside the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) when a fatal miscalculation brought the massive flight deck of the carrier sweeping directly over the cruiser’s superstructure.
The impact was devastating. Jet fuel spilled into the lower spaces, igniting a ferocious inferno that melted the Belknap’s aluminum superstructure into white-hot slag. With communications severed, power lost and thick, toxic smoke filling the passageways, the crew faced a nightmare scenario: fighting an escalating fire near live ordnance and nuclear-capable weaponry.
In his compelling book, Save the Belknap, Captain Robert C. Powers, U.S. Navy (Retired) delivers a firsthand account of the raging fires, split-second decisions and heroic efforts that kept a severely crippled warship from sinking into the depths of the Mediterranean.
A Front-Row Seat to High-Seas Survival
Captain Powers served as Commanding Officer (Captain) of the nearby destroyer USS Claude V. Ricketts (DDG-5), giving him a unique, high-stakes vantage point of the disaster and its aftermath. Rather than providing a dry historical recap, Powers takes readers straight onto the scorching decks to experience the physical and emotional reality of a crew under extreme pressure.
As the fire consumed the upper decks, sailors on both Belknap and. Ricketts had to act instantly. There was no time for hesitation:
- Immediate Response: Captain Powers took immediate action and headed for Belknap at 25 knots. His ship was the primary firefighting ship.
- Battling the Firestorm: Crew members wrestled hoses pressurized to 120+ PSI against blinding smoke, searing heat and suffocating fumes to hold back the flames.
- Securing Volatile Weapons: Courageous sailors risked their lives to cool dow live ammunition before secondary explosions could destroy the ship entirely.
- Evacuating the Wounded: Young personnel navigated jet-fuel-slicked passageways to carry injured shipmates to safety while maintaining essential damage control.
Powers captures these harrowing moments with gripping detail, honoring the memory of the eight sailors who lost their lives while celebrating the sheer resilience of those who survived.
Leadership and Decision-Making Under Fire
Beyond the pulse-pounding action, Save the Belknap offers a profound study in crisis management, human error and military leadership. Powers carefully analyzes the chain of events from subtle communication gaps to tactical misjudgments that led to the collision in the first place.
More importantly, he highlights the power of steady leadership and rigorous training. The book illustrates how discipline and trust among a crew can turn potential total destruction into a testament to human survival and teamwork.
Why Military History Fans Must Read This Book
For readers who appreciate naval history, true stories of survival or lessons in crisis response, Save the Belknap stands out as an essential read. It is an unvarnished tribute to the bravery of Cold War sailors and an unforgettable look into one of the most significant non-combat naval accidents of the 20th century. There are many lessons learned for active duty men and women of today.
Experience the tension, the split-second decision-making and the triumph of the human spirit firsthand.
Get Your Copy Today
Step onto the burning deck and discover the heroic true story of USS Belknap and USS Ricketts on that stormy night.
A night to be forgotten that will always be remembered.
Order your copy of Save the Belknap by Captain Robert C. Powers today on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HJN1JCDP
