Certain military information is classified for a specific purpose: to prevent it from falling into the enemy’s hands. Unfortunately, Congressman Andrew May was seemingly unaware of this, as an ill-fated press conference he held in 1943 resulted in the loss of approximately 10 submarines and the tragic deaths of 800 US Navy crewmen.
The May Incident
Following the US’ entry into World War II, the country’s Navy gained recognition for its successes. Despite Japanese efforts to sink American vessels, the Allied forces skillfully evaded their attacks. The advantage lay in the capabilities of the Balao-class submarines, which could dive to depths of 400 feet – deeper than the Japanese set their depth charges.
In 1943, Andrew May, the chairman of the House Military Affairs Committee, embarked on a tour of US military zones in the Pacific Theater. During this time, he gained access to a plethora of sensitive war-related information.
Following his return that June, May conducted a press conference where he disclosed that the high survival rate of American submarines was attributed to the fact that 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
Not long after this news spread, the Japanese naval anti-submarine forces adjusted their charges to explode at a greater depth. This prompted Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, commander of the US submarine fleet in the Pacific, to estimate that May’s breach cost the Navy 10 submarines and resulted in the deaths of some 800 crewmen.
“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 released a report following the press conference, in which it determined Japanese anti-submarine warfare (ASW) forces had failed to uncover the maximum depth the US submarine fleet could reach. However, it failed to state whether the Japanese had altered their depth charge attacks to deeper positions due to May’s revelation.
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.
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 fallout for Andrew May’s many guffaws during the war included him losing re-election in 1946. He was then put on trial for federal bribery charges, and after less than two hours of jury deliberation was found guilty on July 3, 1947. Despite efforts to avoid incarceration, he was eventually sentenced to nine months in a federal facility.
Murray and Henry Garsson were also sentenced to prison terms.
Despite his be-smudged reputation, May continued to retain influence over politics within the Democratic Party. As such, he was able to secure a full pardon from President Harry Truman in 1952. He was, however, unable to revive his political career and thus returned to Kentucky to practice law until his death.