December 18, 1944 - The ships of Task Force 38 found themselves in a fight for their lives when Typhoon Cobra overtook the force (seven fleet carriers, six light carriers, eight battleships, 15 cruisers, and about 50 destroyers) during their attempt to refuel at sea. The ships were operating about 300 miles east of Luzon. Many of the vessels were caught near the center of the storm and buffeted by extreme seas and hurricane-force winds. Approximately 790 officers and men were lost or killed, with another 80 injured. Iowa reported zero injured sailors as a result of the typhoon, but suffered a loss of one of her float planes, and damage to one of her shafts.The damaged shaft required Iowa to return to the US, and she arrived at San Francisco on 15 January 1945, for repairs. During the course of the overhaul Iowa had her bridge area enclosed, and was outfitted with new search radars and fire-control systems.
Part of an E-mail I received from Battleship Iowa Bulletin
Phil
