After Germany declared war on the United States, Wichita patrolled the Denmark Strait and encountered another severe storm. She collided with the freighter SS West Nohno and the British trawler HMS Ebor Wyke, then ran aground off Hrafneyri Light. The following day, the crew judged the damage minor enough for the cruiser to continue operating. Wichita did not receive her roughly three-week repair period in New York until February 1942. Weather, navigation, and close-quarters maneuvering were operational hazards in the North Atlantic alongside submarines and surface raiders.
Notable Point · 31:28-32:24
Collisions and grounding in an Atlantic storm
A patrol through the Denmark Strait shows how severe weather could produce collisions and a grounding even without enemy action.