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POD: May 1945, but not really a WWII WI.

Rogue waves are monsterous waves that occur in mid-ocean. Only recently (1995) acknowledged to exist by oceanographers, they can grow to 30+ meters in height, and devastate ships. They are rare (fortunantly), but do occur. In OTL, oceanographers didn't really acknowledge the existence of these things until one (the Draupner wave) hit an oil platform in the North Sea in 1995.

What if we had earlier proof...

Admiral Halsey is in command of the USN's Third Fleet operating against Japan. In OTL, he sailed into a typhoon, which damaged many ships.

In this TL, he decides to skirt the edges of the typhoon. The fleet makes a long run around the storm. It encounters the heavy seas one would expect in mid-ocean near a typhoon, but nothing extraordinary until...

An AP reporter in on board the BB Missouri. He is taking photos of the nearby BB Indiana plowing through the heavy seas with an accompanying destroyer. The dark edge of the typhoon and heavy seas coupled with the bright sunshine the fleet is sailing through makes for a visually dramatic scene, and the reporter is capturing some shots. A shout from a lookout and the reporter looks up to see a monsterous 30 meter rogue wave bearing down on the Indiana. In horrid fascination, he snaps a pulitzer-prize winning series of photos of the Indiana plowing into the very deep trough at the base of the rogue wave, the wave breaking over the ship, and the BB surging through. The Inidana survives, but is heavily damaged. The DD isn't so fortunate - it is lost with almost all hands. The wave also damages other ships in the Third Fleet.

Hand waving away, this event doesn't impact the end of the war. However, there is documentary proof that these monster waves actually do exist. How does this impact ship design - both civilian and military -and insurance rates?

Mike Turcotte
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