The Battle of Midway – 70 Years

Team,
June 4th marks the 70th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Midway – a significant victory for our Navy which ultimately marked one of the significant turning points of the war in the Pacific.

The Battle of Midway is not just a story about ships and aircraft; the real story is about the people who fought, the pilots who flew the planes and the Sailors who manned the ships. And it was our Sailors’ ability to make tough decisions in the midst of tremendous uncertainty and profound risk that would give us victory at Midway. Virtually every decision in this great battle would prove to be absolutely critical to the outcome.

The Spruance Decision
On the morning of 4 June, then LT Howard P. Ady, Jr., while flying a patrol in his PBY-5A, first spotted a single aircraft on a course to Midway. His first report on the enemy early that morning (one word: “Aircraft”) was soon followed by more detailed reports:

0534 “Enemy Carriers”
0540 “ED 180 sight 320”
0552 “Two carriers and main body of ships, carriers in front, course 135, speed 25”

ADM Spruance was closely following these reports and had begun steaming toward the Japanese Fleet to reduce the distance required for an attack. The Japanese aircraft were returning to their carriers after their strikes on Midway. Spruance initially planned to launch planes from the carriers ENTERPRISE and HORNET at 0900 from a range of less than 100 miles, but realized that if he could get his air wings airborne quickly enough, his planes would be in a position to strike the Japanese carriers while their aircraft were still exposed on deck.

Accordingly, Spruance ordered an all-out attack and started launching aircraft at 0700 – a full two hours early – and at maximum range from the enemy. The decision to go “all in” and strike early came with significant risk but would, without a doubt, prove to be the single most important decision of the entire battle (and one of the most important decisions of the war). Had the Japanese been given time to refuel and rearm their aircraft, and keep their carriers on the move, the outcome of the battle could have certainly been much different.

The “McCluskey Moment”
Our attack on the Japanese Fleet did not start off well. 15 TBD Devastators – an obsolete aircraft at this point in the war – from HORNET’s Torpedo Squadron EIGHT (VT-8) were the first to reach the Japanese Fleet. VT-8 attempted to attack the carrier SORYU (shortly after 0915), but didn’t stand a chance against the superior Japanese ZERO fighter plane; it was over before it even began. Every plane from VT-8 was quickly shot down and only one crewman survived – Ensign George Gay. Moreover, not one torpedo hit its mark and our initial attack had tragically failed.

Next to attack were 14 TBD Devastators from ENTERPRISE’s Torpedo Squadron SIX (VT-6). The aircraft set their sights on the Japanese carrier KAGA, but in the end lost ten aircraft and didn’t score a single hit on the ship.

Our next wave of attack came from Torpedo Squadron THREE (VT-3) of the YORKTOWN. VT-3 was the only torpedo squadron to attack with a fighter squadron – six F4-F Wildcats from Fighter Squadron THREE. The fighter cover wasn’t enough to protect the torpedo squadron and in the end, only two of the Devastators returned.

At this point, 41 of our TBD Devastators from three different squadrons had engaged the enemy and only six returned. Worse, we had not hit a single Japanese ship.

Before proceeding further, at this point, we have to pause and pay special tribute to the courage and heroism of the pilots and aircrew of the three torpedo squadrons making the initial attacks on the Japanese Fleet. These men flew into overwhelming opposition, low and slow on their torpedo drop runs, knowing their chance of survival was virtually nil. Every single pilot pressed home their attacks. Their example of devotion to duty, steadfastness and courage has never been surpassed.

But the tide would soon change. LCDR Clarence Wade McCluskey, Air Group Commander of ENTERPRISE, was leading the carrier’s 32 SBD Dauntless dive bombers to the location where he expected to find the Japanese Fleet. Upon reaching the position and finding nothing but empty ocean, McCluskey was at a critical decision point (the “McCluskey Moment”!). He had burned more than half of his fuel searching for the Japanese Fleet and knew that if he continued on, it would certainly be a one-way trip for his group of dive-bombers. But he also knew that there was very little time left before the Japanese scout planes would find our ships and effectively eliminate the element of surprise on which Spruance had so heavily gambled.

McCluskey made the decision to continue searching for the Japanese carriers. A few minutes later, just as two of his dive-bombers had run out of fuel and were forced to ditch in the ocean, he spotted the wake of a ship that turned out to be the destroyer ARASHII. ARASHII had engaged USS NAUTILUS with depth charges and was heading back to the Japanese carrier force. McCluskey, dangerously low on fuel, had a hunch and made the decision to follow the destroyer. A few minutes later he found the Japanese Fleet.

McCluskey quickly divided his dive-bombers into two groups and ordered VB-6 to attack the carrier AKAGI and VS-6 the carrier KAGA. The dive-bombers dove on their targets and hit after hit sealed the fate of the two flat tops. At the same time, dive-bombers from YORKTOWN’s VB-3 were wreaking complete havoc on the carrier SORYU. In just under six minutes, three of the four Japanese carriers at Midway were destroyed and the course of the war in the Pacific was dramatically altered.

There were many important decisions made during the Battle of Midway that contributed to the outcome of the battle (and ultimately the war in the Pacific). Each and every one of our Sailors – from ADM Spruance down to the crew in the bowels of YORKTOWN fighting to save their ship – had to make immediate decisions (their own “McCluskey Moment”) that carried significant consequences.

As we commemorate this significant battle and honor the memory of those who fought, we must never forget that it was our Sailors, who through great courage and tenacity, took on a much larger force – a well-trained, well-equipped and combat-experienced Japanese Battle Fleet – and won a remarkable victory against great odds.

When all is said and done, at Midway, Guadalcanal, Leyte Gulf and Okinawa and countless other desperate actions fought in World War II and wherever our Navy has fought since then, it’s always about our Sailors and how they stood tall at the moment of truth.
All the best, JCHjr

War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration Update

Team,
With the War of 1812 Bicentennial quickly approaching, I want to give you a brief update on our Navy’s commemoration program and then share a document with you I recently received from a member of my staff.

The War of 1812 Commemoration program is on track and we’re making good progress. The Naval History & Heritage Command (NHHC) did an excellent job building the commemoration program and putting all the pieces in place over the past two years to get us where we are today. Fleet Forces now has the lead (with NHHC support) and we’ll be executing a very robust program of events.

Our Navy has partnered with many cities and communities across the nation as well as national and international non-profit organizations such as Operation Sail (OpSail), the Navy League, the Naval Historical Foundation, and the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS), to commemorate our nation’s “second war of independence.” There will be celebrations in many cities across our nation with “Signature Events” in New York, Baltimore, Norfolk, New Orleans, Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland. The Signature Events are the largest of the planned events and will include aviation displays, aerial demonstration by our Navy’s Blue Angels and Leap Frogs (our Navy’s parachute team), participation from U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and foreign Naval ships, as well as some of the world’s largest and most impressive Tall Ships.

For those of you in the Hampton Roads area, our Norfolk commemoration will take place next June and there will be plenty to see and do. Virginia Beach will host the event’s air show with our Blue Angels on 2-3 June, and Norfolk and the Port of Hampton Roads will host our Navy and foreign military ships as well as the OpSail flotilla of Tall Ships from 6-12 June 2012 in conjunction with Norfolk’s annual Harborfest celebration. Our Navy has been working very closely with the region to coordinate these events and I’m certain you will not be disappointed.
You can stay up to date with all the War of 1812 events by checking the commemoration website at www.ourflagwasstillthere.org.

Finally, attached is a transcript of correspondence between Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton and Commodore John Rodgers (the first of many Naval officers from the famed Rodgers dynasty) shortly before the Congress declared war on Great Britain. The dialogue, particularly from Rodgers, gives a good sense of what they were thinking (strategically and tactically) at the onset of the war. Rodgers, the battle-hardened veteran of the First Barbary War, was of course supremely confident in our small Navy’s ability to outthink and defeat the much larger British Navy. In fact, despite the overwhelming odds against our Navy, our Sailors and Officers remained confident and determined to win throughout the entire war (and I truly believe that made the difference!). As I read the document, I realized not much has changed over the years; our Sailors today are just as confident, skilled, and have the same fighting spirit as the many who have served before us.  All the best, JCHjr

Naval Civil Engineering Masterpiece – An Example For Us

In the Pearl Harbor pumping station with
Captain John Polowczyk (CO, Fleet Logistics
Center PH), LCDR Angela Watson (Fuel Director),
and Mr. Scott Hedrick (Deputy Director of Fuel and
Facility Management at NAVSUP FLC Pearl Harbor)

Team,

Last week, while in Hawaii for an annual meeting with my Pacific Fleet counterpart Admiral Pat Walsh, I had the opportunity to visit the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility. As its name implies, "Red Hill" is an underground fuel storage facility buried deep in Red Hill overlooking Pearl Harbor.



Iniside Tank #19

One of our Navy’s great engineering feats, the Red Hill project was started in August 1940 as an effort to replace the above ground (and vulnerable to enemy attack) fuel storage tanks that were being used to supply our forces in the Pacific. Although the standard practice at the time was to bury fuel containers in shallow trenches, the huge amount of fuel we were storing in Pearl Harbor (a lot!) made this approach impractical. Our engineers went to the drawing board to come up with another solution. True to their reputation to make the impossible, possible, Navy civil engineers devised an ingenious plan to excavate 20 massive vertical storage tanks deep in the volcanic rock of Red Hill. The tanks were carved out of the volcanic rock 200 feet apart in two straight rows of ten, surrounded with concrete walls three to eight feet thick (depending on the location) and lined with steel walls. Each tank alone is 250 feet tall, 100 feet in diameter (large enough to hold a 20 story building) and holds 12.6 million gallons of fuel (roughly 300,000 barrels). Together, the 20 massive cylindrical tanks have a storage capacity of over 252 million gallons of fuel (enough fuel to power the entire U.S. for one third of a day). 

A good shot of the “Howling Owl”

railway in the upper tunnel

Between the two rows of tanks are two tunnels (upper/lower) connected by an elevator. The upper tunnel is near the top of the tanks (yet still 450 feet below ground!) and contains a small railway nicknamed the “Howling Owl.” The lower tunnel is below the tanks and contains three fuel lines – a 32-inch diesel line, and 18-inch and 16-inch jet fuel lines – that lead to the pumping station in Pearl Harbor a few miles away. Once the fuel (diesel, JP-5 and JP-8 jet fuel) reaches the pumping station it is then sent over to fuel piers for our ships and shipped by trucks to other bases around the island to fuel our forces in the Pacific. 

Despite the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the project continued uninterrupted and was ultimately finished nine months ahead of schedule in September 1943. Aside from a few modernizations (the terminal is now automated) the structure itself today has changed very little from when it was originally completed.

The area leading from the pump

station into the lower tunnel

68 years ago our predecessors (Navy and industry!) showed us what innovation and ingenuity really meant. When faced with the great challenge of an impending war, they had a job to do, and they did it. And they created a structure the likes of the world had never seen. And in 1995, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) designated the Red Hill facility a civil engineering landmark which officially made her a monument and forever puts her in the same class as our nation’s other great engineering feats (Washington Monument, Hoover Dam, etc).

The Red hill project is just one more example of things we built or developed in our history, from our first six frigates (the CONSTITUTION and her sister ships) that gained the great victories in the War of 1812 to the Aegis Combat Systems and its ability to engage ballistic missiles, when faced with extraordinary challenges in uncertain times.

Our predecessors did not believe they were helpless victims of a budget process or circumstances beyond their control; indeed, they determined that it was their choices that drove their actions, and not just their circumstances.   

Today, we must follow their example – we must recognize our generation’s “Red Hill” challenges and act on them. We are just as capable as the Sailors of any era in our history – we have the intelligence, drive and dedication to meet the challenges of our time, to ensure it is our actions that determine our future, not our current circumstances.

Read the story of Red Hill and you’ll understand what we can do.

All the best, JCHjr

*Click here to watch a very good video of the story of Red Hill.

The Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility

was designated a national historic

civil engineering landmark in 1995.



 





Centennial of Naval Aviation

Team,
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Naval aviation. There have been many events (air shows, Fleet weeks, ceremonies, and expositions) over the past year across our nation to celebrate this historic milestone and showcase the talent, capabilities and contributions of Naval aviation over the years.

The first aircraft was launched at sea from the deck of the cruiser USS BIRMINGHAM (in Hampton Roads!) on 14 November 1910. This achievement would be topped a few months later on 18 January 2011, when, in partnership with the Navy, the cycle was completed as the first landing occurred aboard the USS PENNSYLVANIA in San Francisco Bay. Four months later, on 8 May 1911, Captain Washington I. Chambers, unofficially designated the first officer in charge of Naval aviation, issued requisitions for two Curtiss biplanes, and officially gave birth to Naval aviation.

Now, as with the rest of our Navy, Naval aviation is very rich in history and heritage and full of remarkable stories of men and women who pushed the aviation envelope and gave us the amazing force we have today. Our early aviators literally wrote the book on Naval aviation and paved the way for the rest of the world to follow. But as compelling as our history is, I find it even more interesting that the foundation of Naval aviation – tactics, aircraft and aircraft carriers – was built during one of the worst economic periods in the history of our nation. In fact, during the period of 1920-1940 our defense spending averaged just 1.99% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and was among the lowest of the 20th century. In comparison, we spent an average of 4.6% of GDP on defense over the last two decades…a period which includes the post-Cold war downsizing and the post-9/11 build-up.

Despite the hardships and low funding (by modern standards), after WWI and during the Depression we experienced one of our greatest periods of innovation in Naval aviation’s history. We commissioned our first aircraft carrier, USS LANGLEY (CV-1) in 1920 (we would have three by the end of the decade), developed a robust pilot training program to learn about instrument flight and dive-bombing tactics, and fielded the BT-1 (in 1935) which served as the basis for the Douglas SBD Dauntless (the aircraft that would later take out all four of the Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway in 1942). Although our funding was low, each year we pushed ourselves and thought of new ways to overcome technological and tactical barriers.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, there was no time to prepare; we went to war with what we had and just five months later fought the first ever carrier-to-carrier battle against the Japanese at the Battle of Coral Sea. This battle was fought completely in the air at sea and was the first naval engagement in which ships of the opposing forces were not within sight of each other (and never fired a direct shot). The Battle of Coral Sea marked a new era in Naval warfare, one in which Naval air power would play the decisive role in delivering our combat capability. Although Coral Sea was a tactical victory for the Japanese, it set the stage for the rest of the war in the Pacific. Our carriers would face off again the following month at Midway (where we achieved a decisive victory) and later in the Eastern Solomons, Santa Cruz Islands, and finally at the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

We’ve certainly come a long way since the Fleet experiments in the early 20th century and the great battles of World War II. We’ve evolved our technology and developed and employed capabilities in ways our early aviators never thought possible. And although we have again entered a period of great fiscal uncertainty, I truly do believe our best days for Naval aviation are ahead of us. Indeed, we have done some of our best work in Naval aviation in our times of greatest challenge.

This past year has been a great one for Naval aviation and I look forward to the upcoming year when we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Battles of Coral Sea and Midway – two historic battles that laid the foundation for not only how we deploy and fight today, but how we THINK, INNOVATE and DELIVER when the stakes couldn’t be higher.
All the best, JCHjr

USS CONSTITUTION vs. HMS GUERRIERE

Team,
Today marks the 199th anniversary of the engagement between the frigates USS CONSTITUTION and HMS GUERRIERE.

On 2 August 1812, CONSTITUTION, under the command of a skillful and eager Navy Captain by the name of Isaac Hull, set out for a raiding cruise of British Merchant ships along the coast of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland before encountering the American privateer DECATUR whose Captain informed Hull that a British frigate could be found south of their position. Hull, itching for a fight, immediately fixed course for due south and went searching for the ship. The very next day at 1400 on 19 August, CONSTITUTION spotted a sail that turned out to be the HMS GUERRIERE.

Now, Hull was all too familiar with GUERRIERE. Just a month earlier and shortly after the outbreak of the war, CONSTITUTION was on her way to New York when she encountered a British squadron of five ships – a 64-gun ship of the line HMS AFRICA and four frigates, one of which was GUERRIERE. Clearly outnumbered, CONSTITUTION had no choice but to outmaneuver and outrun the British ships. Hull led the British ships on a three day chase and employed skillful tactics (such as towing and kedging) along the way to escape capture (thanks in large part to his First Lieutenant, Charles Morris)…but he was anything but content. The encounter left him eager for a fight, and this was his moment.

James Dacres, Captain of the GUERRIERE, was informed of CONSTITUTION’s pursuit and gave the order to drop sail to bring the Americans within firing range. CONSTITUTION was a much better built and equipped frigate but the British had a great tradition of ship-to-ship fighting at sea. Both crews were extremely confident in their abilities and their ships to fight and win this engagement.

At 1700, GUERRIERE commenced firing with her weather deck guns and then switched to her port broadsides, but all the shots either fell short or did little damage. The cannonballs struck but bounced off of CONSTITUTION’s 21-inch thick wooden hull, thus earning her the famous name “Old Ironsides” and vindicating Joshua Humphrey’s insistence on using the rarer and much more expensive southern live oak. CONSTITUTION returned fire during the first hour with her port guns, but also with little effect.

At 1800, precisely one hour after the first shots were fired, the ships maneuvered closer and within minutes they were within “pistol-shot” of each other. They furiously exchanged broadside shots until CONSTITUTION took out GUERRIERE’s mizzenmast and eliminated her ability to effectively maneuver. Hull took advantage of the situation and maneuvered around GUERRIERE’s bow to deliver two raking broadsides that took down her main yard. During the chaos of battle, the ships had maneuvered too closely and GUERRIERE’s bowsprit became entangled with CONSTITUTION’s mizzen rigging leaving the ships bound dangerously close to each another. Both ships prepared boarding parties as musket fire erupted from each side. Ironically, it was during this exchange that both ships took their greatest casualties. As the ships broke free from each other, GUERRIERE’s foremast and mainmast collapsed, and effectively left her dead in the water.

At 1900, as CONSTITUTION approached for round two, GUERRIERE fired a shot in the opposite direction to signal her desire to surrender and thus ended the first major naval engagement of the War of 1812.
Isaac Hull took GUERRIERE’s remaining crew of over 200 as prisoners, including her Captain, James Dacres. Ten impressed Americans were found among the GUERRIERE crew (impressments were one of the reasons we went to war with the British). Casualties onboard GUERRIERE were more than five times those on CONSTITUTION, even though CONSTITUTIONS crew was close to double in size. The next morning, when it was apparent that GUERRIERE was too damaged to be towed, she was burned and sunk. The victory over GUERRIERE gave a much-needed boost to American morale in the war. Although we were only two months into the war, we had already experienced setbacks with losses at Fort Mackinac, Fort Dearborn, and the surrender of Detroit (by General William Hull, who just happened to be the uncle of Isaac Hull). Despite the superior frigates of the U.S. Navy, it was the brilliant seamanship by her Captain and crew that brought victory to CONSTITUTION. There was a fighting spirit among her crew that was unmatched by the British navy.

This great single ship victory over what was considered the greatest strength of the much larger Royal Navy, along with the USS UNITED STATES’ capture of HMS MACEDONIAN and CONSTITUTION’s later victory over HMS JAVA, rocked the Royal Navy back on their heels, and demonstrated the superb fighting spirit of our Sailors and the superb fighting qualities of our ships.

All the best, JCHjr

USS CONSTITUTION fires a 21-gun salute

toward Fort Independence on

Castle Island during an underway to

celebrate the 213th launching

day anniversary of the ship.

A Fatal Lethargy of Mind

Team,

Today marks the 69th anniversary of the start of what became the worst defeat at sea our Navy has ever experienced – the Battle of Savo Island.

To set the scene, it’s D+1 on 8 August 1942 and the American forces have just landed on Guadalcanal and Tulagi. Task force 62, the amphibious force led by Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner, was responsible for offloading the Marines and their supplies and equipment from the Navy transports. Turner’s screening force, commanded by Australian Rear Admiral Victor A.C. Crutchley and comprised of eight cruisers and eight destroyers secured the area around Savo Island to screen the landing area and protect the transports. Savo Island splits “the Slot,” the body of water that separates the eastern and western Solomon Islands, into two lanes of approach to Guadalcanal and Tulagi.

Night disposition of the Allied screening force
on 8-9 August 1942

To cover the north and south lanes, and the eastern approach from Indispensible Strait, Crutchley divided his screening force into three elements:

To the north, there were two destroyers and three heavy cruisers; two destroyers and two light cruisers covered an eastern approach; and to the south he positioned two escort destroyers and three heavy cruisers, including his own flagship, the HMAS Australia. Crutchley also employed two radar pickets to the west as part of an early warning system.

On the Japanese side, Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa, commander of the Japanese 8th fleet, had already assembled a strike force of seven cruisers and one destroyer to respond to the American landings. Mikawa’s 8th fleet was based out of Rabaul, New Britain 1,100 miles to the northwest of Guadalcanal. His route to the battle would take him out of Rabaul, around Cape St. George, through the Buka Strait, down the eastern coast of Bougainville, and into New Georgia Sound, also known as “the Slot.”

Mikawa was worried about the presence of American carriers. He knew the carriers had supported the previous landings and suspected they were still there, but he had no confirmation of their positions. Being spotted by Allied planes would not only disrupt his mission, but would likely put his ships at great risk of being attacked with no Japanese air cover available to him.

Fortunately for Mikawa, the actions of the Allied commanders were poorly coordinated. They were still new at this business and nothing in their training before the war prepared them for the reality of naval combat as practiced by the Japanese.

Map of the Solomon Islands depicting the route taken
by Vice Admiral Mikawa to attack the Allied Naval Forces
at Guadalcanal

Vice Admiral Frank Fletcher, commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, had lost twenty-one aircraft from his carriers during the initial landings and feared the consequences of another Japanese air raid. Low on fuel and with the threat of enemy torpedo and dive bombers on his mind, he decided to withdraw his carrier groups from the area and head for less confined waters. By the time Mikawa was en route to Guadalcanal, Fletcher - along with all U.S. air cover - had departed the scene.

When Turner learned of Fletcher’s departure, he was understandably upset. During the landing, the Japanese aircraft had struck the Allied landing force three times and Turner felt acutely vulnerable to further air raids. Left with no air support, Turner felt he had no choice but to cut the off-loading operation short. He continued to offload supplies through the night, but would withdraw the remaining transports the next day – with fewer than half the supplies and equipment delivered to the Marines ashore.

Mikawa, meanwhile, did not go unnoticed by Turner. Reconnaissance from the previous day had reported the presence of elements of a Japanese force, but each report was either dismissed or never made its way to Turner. One report from a Royal Australian pilot described three cruisers, two gunboats, and two seaplane tenders. Another report from a B-17 described the force as four cruisers and one destroyer, while another B-17 reported it as six unidentified ships. Given the relatively small size and spotty composition of the force, Turner dismissed the ships as a credible threat. He instead focused on the two seaplane tenders and assumed the Japanese were gathering their forces in the north for another air raid. Turner and Crutchley both assumed it highly unlikely that the Japanese would risk a night attack with such a small force.  Turner was confident the assault area was secure from a surface threat and thus relaxed his fatigued crews to CONDITION TWO and would rely on his screening force to protect the transports while they continued to off-load throughout the night.

By the time of Turner’s decision, night had fallen and Mikawa’s strong cruiser force was already in the slot. Both radar pickets had failed to detect Mikawa as he steamed past them toward Savo Island. With his ships arranged in column formation, and battle stations manned, at 0131 on 9 August 1942, Mikawa gave the order “every ship attack.” Mikawa’s flagship, the CHOKAI, launched its first torpedo and within five minutes the CANBERRA was struck and the Battle of Savo Island was underway. The CANBERRA could barely react before she was struck again by another torpedo. Over the next five minutes she was hit over twenty times and eventually sank the next morning.

During the attack on the southern group, Crutchley was away from his flagship. Turner had summoned Crutchley and Marine Major General Alexander Vandegrift to his flagship to deliver the news of the next day’s departure and discuss the overall situation. Crutchley, not wanting to risk a night transit back to his position in the southern group, had decided to keep his flagship in company with Turner’s forces. He had left CAPT Bode of USS CHICAGO in charge as the task group commander of the screening force.

Bode and the CHICAGO were not spared by Mikawa. After striking the CANBERRA, Mikawa’s ships zeroed in on the CHICAGO with deadly accuracy.  As a result, CAPT Bode was pre-occupied with fighting the damage to his ship and failed to alert the other group commanders of the attack that was now underway – a fatal mistake.

USS QUINCY, seen here burning and illuminated by
Japanese search lights, was sunk in this action

With the southern group in complete disarray and largely disabled, Mikawa turned his forces to deal with the northern group, positioned to the east of Savo Island. His ships fixed their sights on the VINCENNES, ASTORIA, and QUINCY and within minutes the un-alerted ships were slammed with a barrage of torpedoes and gunfire. Like the southern group, these ships were overcome within just minutes, and all three would be sunk.

During the chaos of the engagement on the southern group, Mikawa’s force had become divided. He was very concerned about the length of time it would take to regroup the force and reload the torpedo tubes. It was at this point that Mikawa made what many consider to be a very serious tactical error - he gave the order to abandon his objective of destroying the Allied transports and at 0220 departed the area.

By the end of the first battle of Savo Island, the Japanese sank four Allied cruisers – the CANBERRA, VINCENNES, ASTORIA and QUINCY – seriously damaged a number of destroyers, and killed over 1,000 Sailors. Conversely, five Japanese ships were slightly damaged with less than 100 killed.

In less than one hour the Japanese inflicted the worst defeat at sea the U.S. Navy has ever experienced.

How did this happen?

Admiral Richmond Kelley Turner, in his post-battle report, wrote, "The (U.S.) Navy was still obsessed with a strong feeling of technical and mental superiority over the enemy. In spite of ample evidence of enemy capabilities, most of our officers and men despised the Japanese and felt themselves sure victors in all encounters under any circumstances. The net result of all this was a fatal lethargy of mindwhich induced a confidence without readiness, and a routine acceptance of outworn peacetime standards of conduct. I believe that this psychological factor, as a cause of our defeat, was even more important than the element of surprise."

In the Solomons, we eventually adapted - we got our heads into the fight at the same level as the Japanese, and we out-adapted them. And during the battle of Cape St. George – the final engagement of the Solomons Campaign, CAPT Arleigh Burke engaged a Japanese flotilla of five destroyers with an equal force of five Fletcher class destroyers – the CHARLES AUSBURNE, CLAXTON, DYSON, CONVERSE, and SPENCE. He engaged the Japanese at night and sank three of the five Japanese destroyers with no American casualties. Burke had trained hard and not only did he out-fight the Japanese at Cape St. George, he out-thought them as well.

By the end of the Solomon Islands campaign, our forces were far superior in executing night combat operations. We had developed superior radar which enabled superior combat tactics. We learned the hard way about command and control in combat in the littoral. We learned tactics and doctrine. We learned how to fight.

The Sailors in the Solomon Islands campaign from 1942-1943 took ownership of the situation and brought the Navy from the operational depths of Savo Island to the heights of Vella Gulf and Cape St. George.

The example these Sailors and Marines set for us during the Guadalcanal and larger Solomon Islands campaign, the first offensive campaign of the war for the United States, will stand forever. We would do well to study what they did and apply the lessons they learned to what we have to be ready to do today.

All the best, JCHjr

Memo from John Paul Jones

Team,
I recently received a letter from RADM Rob Wray, President, Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) that he has been handing out to his staff as part of an ethics training package. The letter, written as if from John Paul Jones, is a great example of what he might say to our officers today on the meaning of being an officer and serving in command.
RADM Wray did a superb job putting this letter together; I encourage you to take a few minutes to read it, think about it, and pass it on to your colleagues.
You can download a copy here.
All the best, JCHjr

Some Things Never Change

Team,
I recently came across a discussion from an 1895 Naval Institute Proceedings article in which a young officer, Lieutenant A.P. Niblack, commented on a prize essay by Lieutenant-Commander Richard Wainwright. LT Niblack lamented the peacetime Fleet's problem of maintaining combat readiness and proposed a dedicated squadron (“squadron of evolution”) to give crews the time and freedom from outside interference (read: staffs) they need to train.

I found his comments to be particularly interesting…too much demand, too much admin, not enough realistic training and weapons firing in 1895…sound familiar?
All the best, JCHjr

Honoring A Legacy of Courage – BMCM (Master Diver) Carl M. Brashear

Team,

I had the great privilege this week of speaking at a commemorative luncheon in honor of BMCM (Master Diver) Carl M. Brashear hosted by the Carl M. Brashear Foundation. The event was very well-organized and I was very grateful for being given the opportunity to participate. You can read a copy of my remarks here.

I believe we can all benefit from learning more about Master Chief Brashear. He served during a time when he had to fight the Navy every step of the way to bring his extraordinary talents to bear. Master Chief Brashear wasn’t content being placed in a box or waiting for others to knock down the walls for him. He took ownership of his situation, and with fierce determination, he overcame the many institutional barriers he encountered and compiled a record of professional achievement that I do not believe will be equaled by anyone, anytime soon. And he accomplished his most significant achievement AFTER the loss of his lower left leg as a result of a line-handling accident.

To learn more about Master Chief Brashear’s life and career, I encourage you to read “The Reminiscences of Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate Carl M. Brashear” conducted by the U.S. Naval Institute.  He's an example to us all.
All the best, JCHjr

War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration

Team,
Next year marks the start of the Bicentennial Commemoration of the War of 1812. Our Navy is partnering with non-profit organizations and cities around the nation to put together a commemoration program that will celebrate and honor our contribution to the war and the lasting impact it has had on our Navy and our nation. This commemoration program will not only educate the public on the importance of our Navy’s contribution to the war, but will also demonstrate – through Fleet Weeks, Navy Weeks and other special events – the great talent and capability of our Sailors today.

In keeping with our Navy’s commitment to commemorate the War of 1812 and preserve our rich history, I intend to establish a drumbeat on this blog where we can discuss key battles and events and the lesser known facts that I believe shaped the war and in many cases have had a lasting effect on our Navy and nation.

I personally find the War of 1812 to be a very interesting part of our history and look forward to discussing it with you. It’s a war widely known as the “second war of independence” during which our undersized military took on the world’s largest empire and greatest Navy. From USS CONSTITUTION’s (“Old Ironsides”) defeat of HMS Guerriere to the Battle of Baltimore (which inspired our national anthem), to the Battle of New Orleans, our Navy scored decisive victories that continue to inspire us today.

But along with the tales of triumph and glory, there are those of serious economic challenges, military defeat and political division so severe that it threatened to break apart our young nation.
When we declared war on Britain in 1812, our nation had an Army of less than 10,000 and a Navy with 16 ships; we were in a deep economic depression – an unintended consequence of the Embargo Act of 1807 – that was crippling our economy and threatening the livelihood of our nation; and there was a strong minority in Congress staunchly opposed to war with the British Empire. We were clearly unprepared to take on the world’s greatest navy of 1,500 war vessels manned with the battle-hardened Officers and Sailors of the Royal Navy. In fact, the United States was viewed merely as a distraction for Britain, whose real focus was on defeating Napoleon’s France. But our Congress mustered the votes, issued the declaration for “Mr. Madison’s War” on 18 June 1812 and we went to war with what we had.

I look forward to digging into the war’s key battles and discussing the Great Lakes Fleet, our strategy of using American Privateers (who captured over 500 British vessels from 1813-14) and even some of the peculiarities of the war; such as, our greatest and arguably most impactful land battle of the time (New Orleans) which occurred two weeks after we had signed the Treaty of Ghent ending the war (poor communications can also be attributed to the start of the war). The outcome of the battle had absolutely no impact on the war, but was significant because it instilled in our nation a renewed sense of nationalism and pride.
There is much that I look forward to talking about and certainly hope you will join in the discussion.
Stay tuned for updates on the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration.
All the best, JCHjr

USS OREGON (BB 3) – A Remarkable Voyage

Team,

This Saturday (19 March) marks the 113th anniversary of the beginning of what would become one of the most historic and epic voyages ever to be undertaken by a U.S. Navy warship. It was a journey that would test the resolve and determination of every Sailor on board and mark the time when our “New Navy” would begin its legitimate rise as a global naval power.

In early 1898, tensions between the United States and Spain were high as Spanish-controlled Cuba was in the midst of a bloody revolution. President McKinley deployed the USS MAINE to Havana harbor as show of concern for the violent demonstrations that had swept Havana and to evacuate Americans should the need arise.

On the evening of 15 February 1898 the MAINE suddenly erupted into a massive explosion and rapidly sank to the bottom of the harbor, taking 260 of her crew with her. Although the cause of the explosion has never been determined (there are several theories), the event was enough to push an enraged American public over the edge and serve as a catalyst (but not the primary reason) for the war with Spain.

As war with Spain was imminent, the USS OREGON (BB 3) was ordered from the west coast of the United States to Jupiter Inlet, Florida where she would join Admiral William T. Sampson’s fleet in the Atlantic. The Panama Canal did not exist at the time so the shortest route by sea would be down the west coast of the United States, past Central and South America, through the straits of Magellan, and then back up the coastline to her destination in Florida. It was an arduous 14,000+ mile journey that was certain to be fraught with great challenges.

Shortly before she was to sail, OREGON’s commanding officer became ill and was replaced by CAPT Charles Clark of the monitor USS MONTEREY. CAPT Clark took command of OREGON and on 19 March 1898, with a shortage of 94 men in the crew of 473, got underway from San Francisco and set a course of due south for Callao, Peru, her first coaling stop.

The Chief Engineer of the ship, Robert W. Milligan, informed CAPT Clark the supply of fresh water was not adequate to feed the boilers and the crew…there would have to be some tough decisions. Using seawater in the boilers would cause them to operate less efficiently and thus add time to an already long and critical journey – an unacceptable outcome. The alternative, according to Chief Milligan, was to save the fresh, cool water for the boilers and supply the crew with the warm feed water from the boilers. CAPT Clark called his crew together, informed them of the situation and the CHENG’s recommendation and found them all to be overwhelmingly supportive of the idea – a true commitment to the mission!

OREGON made it to Callao, Peru on 4 April, to replenish coal and supplies. While in Peru she learned that the TEMERARIO, a Spanish torpedo boat, was in the general vicinity but her precise whereabouts and intentions were unknown. At this point, the United States and Spain were on the verge of war and CAPT Clark instructed his crew to be extra vigilant during their watches as they set out from Callao. While at sea, there was no way of knowing if war had indeed broken out, so every encounter with a foreign vessel – especially Spanish ships – needed to be treated with the utmost caution.
OREGON proceeded to her next destination of Rio de Janeiro which took her through the treacherous Straits of Magellan where, with Murphy’s Law in full effect, she encountered an incredible gale that threatened to run her aground. CAPT Clark dropped anchors until the gale passed and on 16 April began navigating the Straits. After a few days that included a brief stop in Punta Arenas, she had cleared the Straits, made it to the Atlantic, and was making best speed to her destination in Florida.

OREGON finally reached Rio de Janeiro on 30 April where CAPT Clark would have several exchanges with Washington which finally culminated with his message "Don't hamper me with instructions. I am not afraid, with this ship, of the whole Spanish fleet." To understand and appreciate CAPT Clark’s message, it’s important to understand the environment back in the States. The United States had declared war on Spain and news had just broken of Admiral Dewey’s decisive victory at Manila Bay. Needless to say, there was much excitement in the air. The press corps and American public had learned of OREGON’s mission and had started following every update with great interest. In the wake of the MAINE, OREGON had become a symbol of resilience and power to the American public. And while OREGON’s crew welcomed the news of Manila Bay, CAPT Clark needed to keep them focused on executing their mission. The messages from Washington were only causing confusion and risked leaking his location and orders to Spanish spies.

So on 4 May, OREGON weighed anchor and steamed out of Rio de Janeiro with her guns manned in the event she encountered any Spanish ships. After a brief stop in Bahia, Brazil she arrived in Bridgetown, Barbados for a final resupply of coal. While in Bridgetown, the American Consul (unlawfully) transmitted a cable to Washington informing HQ that OREGON had arrived. This transmission (a major OPSEC breakdown) turned out to be a significant issue as Barbados was a neutral country and was thus required by law to permit the Spanish Consul to transmit a similar message of their own. As you can expect, CAPT Clark was greatly concerned, as he anticipated the Spanish Consul would certainly inform their government of his presence in port. OREGON got underway that evening and left port on a course fully illuminated to make her direction apparent to anyone watching. As she approached the horizon, CAPT Clark ordered her lights extinguished and abruptly changed course under the cover of darkness.

On 24 May 1898, CAPT Clark and the crew of USS OREGON steamed into Jupiter Inlet, Florida and completed the final leg of one of the most challenging voyages ever undertaken by a warship. She had completed the 14,000+ mile journey in just 66 days – a remarkable feat! For the entire journey, the “black gang” below decks worked non-stop around the clock feeding her voracious boilers with ten tons of coal per hour, with the only tools they had – two hands and a shovel!

Furthermore, throughout the entire journey, CAPT Clark, on the advice of his experienced and well-trained CHENG, had preserved his best coal, Welsh anthracite, for use in battle. OREGON arrived on station, with all engines steaming, completely combat ready. She had certainly earned her nickname “McKinley’s Bulldog” and set standards for professional competence, engineering excellence and dedication to duty that we follow today.

In July, we’ll take a look at the Battle of Santiago during which OREGON delivered the decisive blow to Admiral Cervera’s fleet.

All the best, JCHjr

RIP Chief Bob Feller

Team,
The posts below are a tribute to Chief Bob Feller - A Navy veteran who understood what it was all about.
All the best, JCHjr

RIP Chief Bob Feller
The Naval History & Heritage Command joins a greatful nation in mourning the passing of our shipmate Chief Bob Feller, the Ace of the Greatest Generation. When asked once what was his most important victory, he replied, “World War II.”
Dr. Ed Furgol of the National Museum of the U.S. Navy has prepared a short vignette about Chief Feller’s naval service which originally appeared on Naval History Blog on 9 December 2010 – the 69th anniversary of his enlistment in the U.S. Navy. It is reprinted below:
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on 7 December 1941, Major League Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis wrote to President Franklin Roosevelt, asking him, “What do you want [baseball] to do? . . .We await your order.” The President replied, “I honestly feel it would be best for the country to keep baseball going.” With this recommendation, the league began a massive effort to support the war. However, some players chose a more patriotic path. Waiving his draft deferment as the sole provider for his family, pitcher Robert Feller enlisted in the Navy on 9 December 1941, becoming the first Major League player to join the service.
Already a national star, Feller was first assigned as a physical training instructor. However, his desire to go into combat led him to volunteer for gunners’ school in 1942. Chief Petty Officer Feller was placed in command of a 40mm antiaircraft mount aboard USS Alabama (BB 60) , and served through the campaigns in the North Atlantic and throughout the Pacific theater. In March 1945 he reported to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Illinois, where he managed the baseball team. In August he returned to the Cleveland Indians and resumed his Major League career.
Feller got his nickname, “The Heater from Van Meter,” due to his lightning fastball and his hometown, Van Meter, Iowa. Some baseball experts have credited him as being the hardest throwing pitcher in history. An 8-time All-Star and a World Series champion, Feller’s number 19 was retired by the Cleveland Indians, for whom he played his entire 18-year career. He retired from baseball in 1956, and in 1962 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Bob Feller also holds two other great distinctions: he never played a game in the minors after being signed by the Cleveland Indians, and he is the only pitcher in Major League history to throw a no-hitter on opening day.
Chief, you stand relieved. We have the watch.
Posted by NHHC
http://www.navalhistory.org/2010/12/16/rip-chief-bob-feller/

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Answering the Call
"I'm Still a Navy Man at Heart"
By Bob Feller

Ace of the Greatest Generation
From the days of the Minutemen, America has always had its citizen-soldiers. Over the years, their contribution to the nation's armed forces has been enormous. Invariably, their time in uniform also has had a lasting impact on their lives.
With this issue, we inaugurate a new feature, Answering the Call, in which men and women who served a few years in the military, then went back home to notable civilian careers, talk about their days in uniform and how their experiences affected their lives.
Our first guest columnist is Bob Feller, the legendary pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, who interrupted a stunning career in the Major Leagues to enlist in the Navy at the start of World War II. As Navy Chief Petty Officer Robert Feller, he participated in some of the best-known sea battles in the Pacific. When the war was over, he returned to the mound and resumed a straight shot to station—the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Here's his account of his military service and what it has meant to him.

I never have to strain my memory to recall the day I decided to join the Navy. It was 7 December 1941. I was driving from my home in Van Meter, Iowa, to Chicago to discuss my next contract with the Cleveland Indians, and I heard over the car radio that the Japanese had just bombed Pearl Harbor. I was angry as hell.
I'd spent almost six full seasons in the major leagues by then, with a record of 107 victories and 54 losses, and I had a family-related draft exemption, but I knew right then that I had to answer the call. I arrived in Chicago late that afternoon to meet Cy Slapnicka, the Indians' general manager, who had come there to talk about my contract for 1942, and told him about my decision. I then phoned Gene Tunney, the former world heavyweight boxing champion and an old friend. A commander, Gene was in charge of the Navy's physical training program. He flew out from Washington and swore me in on Tuesday, 9 December.
After my basic training, the Navy made me a chief petty officer and assigned me as a physical training instructor. It was valuable in its way, but I wanted to go into combat. I'd had a lot of experience with guns as a kid, so I applied for gunnery school and sea duty. After four months of naval gunnery school in Newport, Rhode Island, I was assigned to a battleship, the USS Alabama (BB-60), as a gun-captain on a 40-mm antiaircraft mount that had a crew of 24.

Action in the North Atlantic—and the Pacific
I got what I wanted. The Alabama spent six months escorting convoys in the North Atlantic, and then—in August 1943—went through the Panama Canal and headed for the central Pacific. Over the next two years, we saw action off Tarawa, and in the Marshalls, the Carolines, and the Philippines. We bombarded beaches to support amphibious assaults, served as escorts for aircraft carriers, and fended off kamikaze attacks. Two enemy bombs hit the ship during the Marianas Turkey Shoot, and we survived a typhoon that pummeled us with 80-knot gusts off the Philippine coast. The Alabama never lost a man to enemy action. The people we had on the gun crews were very good shots.
In March 1945, I was sent to Great Lakes Naval Training Center and managed the baseball team there. In the third week of August, just 15 days after the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, I went on inactive duty. It was back to baseball after that. I rejoined the Indians on 23 August and pitched eight games. I won five and lost three.
Serving in the military is almost always a defining moment for any young man or woman. You're young and impressionable. You meet a lot of new people, and you travel to new places. You learn to be on time, how to follow and, eventually, how to lead.

You Never Forget Combat
But it makes a difference when you go through a war, no matter which branch of the service you're in. Combat is an experience that you never forget. A war teaches you that baseball is only a game, after all—a minor thing, compared to the sovereignty and security of the United States. I once told a newspaper reporter that the bombing attack we lived through on the Alabama had been the most exciting 13 hours of my life. After that, I said, the pinstriped perils of Yankee Stadium seemed trivial. That's still true today.
You and your comrades never lose touch. I've gone to my share of Alabama reunions, and all of us treat each other as shipmates no matter what else we've done or accomplished—or haven't—over the years. I still remember with pain the sailor who stopped by my compartment to talk baseball during one of our North Atlantic convoy runs. A few minutes later, he was missing. Apparently he'd fallen overboard into rough seas—an accident of war.
Like anyone who has been under fire, I'm certainly not a war-booster. But I still believe, as I did that grim Sunday afternoon in December 1941, in a strong and well-equipped military and in the values that being in the service instills in the young men and women who don the uniform. I'm well aware of the hardships that our servicemembers are enduring right now.

Serving Your Country
For myself, I wouldn't be unhappy if they re-imposed a draft—not just because we need more troops to meet our needs, but because going through military training is such a character-builder for young people. Everyone ought to serve his or her country for a couple of years or more, even in times of peace.
I was at Great Lakes Naval Training Center a few months ago, where I'd been invited to speak to the graduates of the Navy's basic school, and someone asked whether I'd urge my grandson to sign up, as I had done. My answer was a resounding yes.
I'm still a Navy man at heart. And I'm proud to have served.
http://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2008-06/answering-call

Posts and photos courtesy of the Naval Heritage and History Command and U.S. Naval Institute

Sixty-six Years Ago Today - The Battle of Leyte Gulf

Sixty-six years ago this week, one of the greatest naval battles in recorded history was fought in the waters off the Philippine Islands near Leyte, Samar, Luzon.  The battle was joined when on 20 October 1944, United States troops invaded the island of Leyte as part of a strategy aimed at isolating Japan from the countries it occupied in South East Asia and in particular, depriving Japanese forces and industry of vital oil supplies.

The invasion of the Philippines marked the joining together of General MacArthur’s forces, driving up from Australia since 1942 and Admiral Nimitz’s fleets, advancing across the Central Pacific in an offensive which began after the successful  repulse of the Japanese Navy at Midway in June 1942.

The Japanese knew they had to hold the Philippines to have any hope of concluding the war on terms remotely favorable to them.  Accordingly they prepared the SHO-GO 1 plan in which all that remained of the Japanese Navy would be thrown into an all-or-nothing fight to defeat the US invasion forces on Leyte and hold the Philippines as an unsinkable “aircraft carrier” for Japanese airpower.  The Japanese were in a desperate situation, and this plan reflected that desperation.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Leyte_Gulf)

In the words of Japanese Combined Fleet Chief Soemu Toyoda, “Should we lose in the Philippine operations, even though the Fleet should be left, the shipping lanes to the south would be completely cut off so that the Fleet, if it should come back to Japanese waters, could not obtain its fuel supply.  If it should remain in southern waters, it could not receive supplies of ammunitions and arms.  There would be no sense in saving the fleet at the expense of the loss of the Philippines.”

The Japanese plan, SHO-GO 1, called for Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa’s ships, the Northern Force, to lure the main US covering forces away from Leyte.  The Northern Force would be built around the several remaining Japanese aircraft carriers, but these ships would have very few aircraft or trained aircrew.  The US Navy’s central Pacific campaign had decimated Japanese naval aviation; those huge losses of aircraft and experienced pilots in 1943-1944 were never replaced.

The Japanese carriers would serve as the bait.  As the US Navy’s covering forces (led by Admiral Bull Halsey and his 3^rd Fleet) were lured away, two other surface forces would advance on the Leyte landing areas from the west.  The Southern Force under Vice Admiral Shōji Nishimura would strike at the Leyte landing area via the Surigao Strait.  The Center Force under Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita, the most powerful of the attacking forces, would pass through the San Bernardino Strait into the Philippine Sea, turn south and also attack the Leyte landing areas.  While Japanese losses were sure to be heavy, there was no other choice –everything depended on defeating the Leyte landings.

The American landings, conducted by Vice Admiral Thomas Kinkaid’s 7^th Fleet under General MacArthur’s command, took place on 20 October.  The Japanese launched their plan and Admiral Halsey, operating under Admiral Nimitz’s command, took the bait and charged north to finish the job on the Japanese carriers.  Halsey’s forces had earlier struck Vice Admiral Kurita’s Center Force a severe blow that Halsey believed, erroneously, had forced Kurita to turn back.  The day before, the Center Force had also been hit by US submarines DARTER and DACE, lying in ambush in the Palawan passage; two Japanese heavy cruisers were sunk, another severely damaged.

But Admiral Kurita had not turned back.  Although his forces were diminished by Halsey’s earlier air strikes and the US submarine attacks, they continued toward the Leyte landing areas while Halsey steamed north at flank speed, anxious to get the Japanese carriers.  While he had developed a plan to block the San Bernardino Strait with his battleships, Task Force 34, Halsey had not executed it.  Task Force 34 steamed north with the rest of the 3^rd Fleet leaving San Bernardino Strait wide open to the advancing Japanese forces.  Vice Admiral Kurita steamed through the unguarded waters at 0300, 25 October and steamed southward along the coast of Samar.  In the path of Kurita’s battleships, cruisers and destroyers were the 7^th Fleet’s three escort carrier (CVEs) units – call signs Taffy 1, 2, and 3; a total of 16 small, slow and unarmored escort carriers protected by a small screen of destroyers and destroyer escorts.

With the success of the landings at stake, and the assembled transports and support ships facing certain destruction at the hands of the powerful Japanese force, the USS JOHNSTON, USS HOEL, USS HEERMANN, and USS SAMUEL B ROBERTS unhesitatingly attacked the 4 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, and 11 destroyers of Admiral Kurita’s Center Force.

This destroyer attack, conducted at first light on 25 October 1944 against overwhelming odds, sixty-six years ago today, was one of the finest moments in our Navy’s history.  The story of JOHNSTON’s and SAMUEL B. ROBERTS’ attacks have become the stuff of legends.  The CO of USS JOHNSTON, LCDR Ernest E. Evans was awarded the Medal of Honor for continuing to attack Japanese battleships despite his grievous wounds and the catastrophic damage to his ship.  In SAMUEL B. ROBERTS, GM3 Paul Carr was awarded the Medal of Honor for continuing to man his 5” gun mount and direct fire into the Japanese cruiser CHIKUMA despite the loss of all electrical and hydraulic power to the gun mount and suffering mortal wounds.  Both LCDR Evans and GM3 Carr died that morning; their ships were sunk.  But the ferocity of the US destroyer attacks and the strikes from the Avengers and Wildcats of Taffy 3 convinced Vice Admiral Kurita he had engaged major United States fleet units, and he broke off his attack to regroup.  He eventually withdrew his force back through the San Bernardino Strait – the landing area was saved, but at a very heavy cost.

Over 1000 Sailors and aircrew were killed that morning.  Escort carriers GAMBIER BAY and ST LO, destroyers JOHNSTON and HOEL, and destroyer escort SAMUEL B. ROBERTS were sunk.

There is much more to the story of the Battle of Leyte Gulf; far too much to tell here (you can read the CTF-77 after action report here).  Let us simply focus on the actions of our Sailors on 25 October, 1944 in the battle off Samar, where US destroyers fought like battleships.

As a direct result of their action, the Japanese Navy failed to defeat the Allied invasion of the Philippines, suffered very heavy losses, and never sailed again into battle with a comparable force.  Taffy 3’s historic last stand off Samar Island showed the world the courage, strength and tenacity of our Sailors when facing overwhelming odds.  They are the same traits in our Sailors today, as demonstrated by the crew of the SAMUEL B. ROBERTS in April 1988 when a mine explosion broke the keel of their ship in the Persian Gulf and they fought fire and flooding for five hours to save their ship.  Or on COLE in October 2000, when a terrorist attack created a 40 x 60 foot breach in the hull, opening the ship up to the sea.  Surviving the first 72 hours following the attack and saving their ship took every ounce of courage, toughness and strength COLE’s Sailors possessed.  In each case, our Sailors prevailed against overwhelming odds and defined what is meant by the phrase “upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

We must never forget those who went before us, who wore the uniform of the United States Navy, and what they’ve done to show us the way today.

“Honor, courage, commitment” are not just words to be hurriedly said at a ceremony and then quickly forgotten.  These words - honor, courage, commitment - define the very essence of our Navy.  What we’ve been, what we are, and what we must always be.

As Herman Wouk wrote in War and Remembrance, “The vision of Sprague’s three destroyers – the JOHNSTON, the HOEL, and the HEERMANN – charging out of the smoke and the rain straight toward the main batteries of Kurita’s battleships and cruisers, can endure as a picture of the way Americans fight when they don’t have superiority.  Our schoolchildren should know about that incident, and our enemies should ponder it.”

Sixty-six years ago today, the Sailors of Taffy 3 showed us what honor, courage, and commitment really meant.  Just as the Sailors of SAMUEL B. ROBERTS did in 1988 and the COLE Sailors did in 2000.  Now it’s our turn.  All the best, JCHjr.