Some military information is kept secret to protect it from being discovered by adversaries. Nonetheless, during World War II, Congressman Andrew May seemingly ignored this protocol. In an ill-advised press conference, he shared classified information, which led to the loss of 10 submarines and the tragic deaths of 800 US Navy personnel.
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, the chairman of the House Military Affairs Committee, undertook a tour of American military operations in the Pacific Theater, where he obtained a substantial amount of classified wartime information. When he returned in June, he held a press conference and revealed that the high survival rates of American submarines were attributed to Japanese depth charges exploding at excessively shallow depths.
This revelation swiftly circulated through news channels and appeared in newspapers across the country.
Fallout of a blabbermouth
Soon after the news spread, the Japanese naval anti-submarine units adjusted their depth charges to explode at greater depths. As a result, Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, who managed the US submarine fleet in the Pacific, estimated that the breach in May resulted in the loss of 10 submarines and around 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.”
US Navy’s Pacific Submarine Fleet report
Following the press conference, the Navy’s Pacific Submarine Fleet released a report indicating that Japanese anti-submarine warfare (ASW) forces had failed to ascertain the maximum depth achievable by the US submarine fleet. However, the report did not specify whether the Japanese had adjusted their depth charge attacks to target deeper depths based on the information disclosed in May.
Alleged war profiteering
The ill-fated press conference was just one of several setbacks in Andrew May’s career. In the early days of the war, he got involved with two New York-based businessmen, Henry and Murray Garsson, who, despite having no prior knowledge or experience in arms manufacturing, tried to profit from the US involvement in the conflict by securing government munitions contracts.
On their behalf, May leveraged his role as chairman of the House Military Affairs Committee to approach Army ordnance and other government officials to obtain war contracts, favors, and draft deferments. For these efforts, he received substantial cash payments, a fact later revealed by a Senate investigating committee after the war.
Defective munitions
This quickly escalated into a scandal, which intensified after testimony about the Garssons’ company’s profiteering and the flaws in their munitions. Investigations revealed that their 4.2-inch mortar shells had faulty fuzes, causing them to detonate prematurely. This is thought to have caused the deaths of 38 American servicemen.
Paying for his actions… Maybe?
The repercussions of Andrew May’s wartime mistakes extended to his loss in the 1946 election. He was also tried and convicted on federal bribery charges on July 3, 1947, after less than two hours of jury deliberations.
Despite attempts to avoid imprisonment, he was ultimately sentenced to nine months in a federal facility. Murray and Henry Garsson also received prison sentences.
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Despite his tarnished reputation, May retained influence within the Democratic Party, which enabled him to secure a full pardon from US President Harry Truman in 1952. However, he was unable to fully revive his political career and, ultimately, returned to Kentucky to practice law until his death.