A US Congressman's Press Plunder Caused the Deaths of 800 Submarine Crewmen During World War II

Certain military information is kept classified to prevent it from falling into the enemy's hands. Nonetheless, Congressman Andrew May seemed to ignore this protocol, as his ill-advised press conference led to the release of sensitive information. This leak caused the loss of approximately 10 submarines and the tragic deaths of 800 Navy crew members.

The May Incident

The United States Navy was known for its successes following the country's entrance into WWII . Despite Japanese attempts to sink their vessels, the Allied forces managed to evade their attacks. This was because, at the time, the Balao -class of submarine could dive to depths of 400 feet, deeper than the Japanese set their depth charges.

June 1943 press conference

In 1943, Andrew May, chairman of the House Military Affairs Committee, embarked on a tour of American military areas in the Pacific Theater , during which he was privy to a host of sensitive war-related information. When he returned that June, he held a press conference, where he revealed that American submarines only had a high survival rate because the Japanese charges were exploding at too shallow a depth.

This information was sent across press wires and published in publications across the US.

The fallout of a blabbermouth

Shortly after this news circulated, the Japanese naval anti-submarine forces modified their depth charges to detonate at deeper levels. This led Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, who oversaw the US submarine fleet in the Pacific, to calculate that May's breach cost the Navy 10 submarines and approximately 800 crew members' lives.

"I hear Congressman May said the Jap depth charges are not set deep enough," he said . "He would be pleased to know that the Japs set them deeper now."

The Navy's Pacific Submarine Fleet report

After the press conference, the Navy's Pacific Submarine Fleet published a report revealing that Japanese anti-submarine warfare (ASW) forces had not succeeded in discovering the maximum depth that the US submarine fleet could reach. Nonetheless, the report did not indicate whether the Japanese had modified their depth charge attacks to target deeper positions as a result of the information revealed in May.

Alleged war profiteering

The ill-fated press conference wasn't the only ding to Andrew May's career. During the early stages of the war, he became involved with two New York -based businessmen, Henry and Murray Garsson. Despite the pair having no prior arms manufacturing knowledge or experience, they sought to financially gain from the US involvement in the conflict by securing munitions contracts from the government.

On the pair's behalf, May used his position as chairman of the House Military Affairs Committee to contact Army ordnance and other government officials to obtain war contracts, favors, and draft deferments. For his efforts, he received substantial cash payments, information that was uncovered by a Senate investigating committee following the war.

Defective munitions

This soon turned into a scandal, which only grew following testimony about the profit-taking of the Garssons' company and the defects in their munitions . It was found their 4.2-inch mortar shells had defective fuzes, leading to premature detonation. It's believed this resulted in the death of 38 American servicemen.

Paying for his actions... Maybe?

The repercussions of Andrew May's mistakes during the war extended to his loss in the 1946 re-election. As well, he faced trial for federal bribery charges and was convicted on July 3, 1947, following less than two hours of jury deliberations. Despite attempts to evade imprisonment, he was ultimately sentenced to nine months in a federal facility.

Murray and Henry Garsson likewise received prison sentences.

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Despite his ruined reputation, May continued to have influence over politics within the Democratic Party, allowing him to secure a full pardon from President Harry Truman in 1952. He was, however, unable to fully revive his political career and thus returned to Kentucky to practice law until his death.