Inside The History: 16" 45 caliber MK VI Gun Turret overview on USS MASSACHUSETTS BB 59 GM1 Retired Tom Lowney and historical gunnery expert Dr. John Scholes walk us through an overview on the 16" Turrets on USS MASSACHUSETTS | Battleship Cove

Tragedy in Turret Two – USS Newport News, 1972, On October 1, 1972, during combat operations off the coast of Vietnam, the USS Newport News (CA-148)—a Des Moines-class heavy cruiser—suffered a devastating internal explosion in Turret Two. While conducting night bombardment missions, one of the 8-inch shells inside the turret prematurely detonated, likely due to a faulty fuse or shell instability. The explosion tore through the gun compartment, igniting fires and causing secondary blasts. In the