There was a book on it called "Tragedy At Honda" There is also a display in Lompoc devoted to the wreck.

It was an SP Roadmaster that lived at Arlight, MP 310.5, that heard the steam sirens or something and went out in the fog to take a look. He found a few sailors and they told him what happened. He is the one that called in the alarm on a company phone and alerted authorities. I think the Dispatcher had the Roadmaster flag down a Shriners Special to move some of the injured down the line where they could get help. When it got light out and the fog started to lift it was a mess.

They were following the lead ship down the coast, all in single file, the Navy way back then. They were going to make a turn to Port and either go down the Santa Barbara Channel or wait until they passed Santa Rosa Island to head south. Some Captain back in the line of ships knew the lead ship was reading a wrong radio beacon and was turning too soon and into the rocks of Point Arguello. He signaled the ships that were following him to take a 90 degree turn to starboard and, out to sea.

As was and is typical of Uncle Sam, they Court Marshaled the Captain that saved the rest of the fleet for disobeying a direct order. I guess their thinking was that the rest of the ships should have followed the Admiral into the rocks. Go figure.

I gave my copy of the book to my daughter that lives down in SLO years ago so I don't have it to refer to. The spur at Arlight got its name from the light at Point Arguello that was out on the point for ships.

Nudge