Remembering the Men of the Little Ships

americanthinker.com ^ | 5/27/2019 | Elise Cooper

[rktman]

Memorial Day is a solemn holiday in which Americans should pay homage to the individuals who sacrificed their lives to protect their fellow citizens. Clint Johnson’s book Tin Cans and Greyhounds: The Destroyers That Won Two World Wars is a reminder that those serving on ships put their life at risk daily. This interview with Johnson reflects on Americans serving who sacrificed their lives to save others.

Johnson emphasizes in his book how destroyers were nicknamed “tin cans” because they had thin metal hulls that were useful for quickly navigating the seas but not a great protection for the men serving on those ships. Their quick speeds gave them their second nickname, “greyhounds.”

Survival on a destroyer was not guaranteed. Johnson quoted Lieutenant Commander Robert Copeland as he calmly told his crew as their tiny, unarmored destroyer escort rushed toward giant, armored Japanese battleships at the Battle off Samar on October 25, 1944 that they were fighting “against overwhelming odds from which survival could not be expected.” (Unbelievably, the Navy's scratch force of destroyers and escort carriers chased off the entire Japanese battle fleet, though at great cost.)

[rktman]

Former DE and DD sailors know well what this article is about. Although, my first assignment was a DE out of Newport, it was nimble when turning but top speed was about 21 knots and when the fleet took off, we kind of got left in their wake. Also, 50 foot seas in the North Atlantic----------a little disconcerting. Thanks to those that gave all.

[A_Former_Democrat]

I know it was a cruiser and so off topic, but is anyone else watching this documentary on the USS Indianapolis? Includes both the event and the attempt to locate her

[reed13k]

Lot of advances since then all around. 20 - 30 knots back then was considered very fast.

Now 20 is a cruising speed for destoyers/frigates with gas turbines and the nuc carriers unclassified top speed is 30-35 knots with modern destroyers listed as the same.

The carriers can still leave their screens in the wake is my understanding.

[null and void]

I enjoyed Little Ship, Big War.

ISBN 0515084182

[rktman]

Thanks.

[rktman]

I’ve read some of the stories about that and it is horrific to say the least. Nature is unforgiving and it you’re put in a position such as the crew was, one better get right with God real quick.

[Afterguard]

Last Stand com The Tin Can Sailors. Great book by James D. Hornfischer.

The invasion of Leyte, Philippine Islands, October 17-25, 1945.

This is also a must read if you’re a WWII Navy junkie like me.

[OregonRancher]

One of the all time greats about the north Atlantic WWII.

HMS Ulysses by Alistair MacLean

[Afterguard]

That should read Last Stand of The Tin Can Sailors

[Politically Correct]

DD 786 USS Anderson. Spent a year aboard her. Mostly off the coast of Viet Nam.
Got sucked into a hurricane (Cyclone in that part of the world) Wondered if she would come apart in the storm. Green water at the bridge windows. One of the other destroyers with us had the storm rip off their 5” gun and almost sank.

[JoeFromSidney]

I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for the tin cans. In the summer of 1949, my two weeks active duty cruise was on the Hank, DD 702. You could still see where the battle scars had been patched up.

Went off to college that fall and tried to sign up for Navy ROTC. Couldn't pass the eye test. Air Force ROTC was in its first year on campus and didn't yet have an eye test. They took me. I graduated with a Air Force commission, and made a career of it.

[rktman]

Well, from start to finish.
USS Lester-DE 1022
USS Hyman- DD 732
USS English-DD 696
USS Waldron-DD-699

One tour 4 ships. Weird huh. Either I was so bad they all wanted to be rid of me or I was so good they all wanted me. LOL! Actually, Lester was going to care taker status when we got back from a 6 month deployment. Made rate on Hyman and got transferred. English got de-comm and I got out when on the Waldron. Did a hurricane in the gulf on the Hyman. Exciting. :-)

[meatloaf]

The Kennedy CV67 told us to proceed as best we could and left us, DDG-23. We couldn’t keep up in heavy seas.

[jmacusa]

The Last Stand Of The Tin Can Sailors. This was truly one f the US Navy finest hours. It was a real “David vs Goliath’’ fight.

[lowbuck]

If you would like to see an excellent YouTube on the defense of Taffy 3 by the small boys go here: https://youtu.be/xCWZzqHc8ow

Currently rereading Hornfischer’s “Neptune’s Inferno” about the US Navy learning how to fight at Guadalcanal.

Enjoy

[Jimmy Valentine]

It is a great book. When Halsey went glory seeking north the Destroyer saved the landings at Leyte

[jmacusa]

Thanks for the info. I’ve read many accounts of this amazing fight. Truly inspiring.

[VietVet876]

Haze gray and underway.

[Migraine]

Hornfischer rocks. I read his naval pacific trilogy, incl. Tin Can Sailors. I have communicated with Hornfischer several times, and he is always good to write back. I’m a big fan of Ernest Evans, native American skipper of the Johnston, who, despite having his arm shot off with a five-inch projectile, remained in command and ran his “Johnston” straight to the jap cruiser Kumano w/o the benefit of the ability to steer.

Evans’ tin can landed a couple of torpedoes which blew off the bow, and fired more than 200 5-inchers against its hull. All the while, the Johnston and 3 other tin cans were laying down smoke screen and drawing fire from the jap flotilla, all in an effort to preserve intact the US contingent of small carriers.

The Kumano was thus sunk by a little destroyer escort. Evans didn’t make it, but he was posthumously awarded the CMH. Evans is my hero.

Hornfisher tells me that he is presently working on a massive project to chronicle aspects of the Cold War. He also put me onto a brand new book by Dan Pederson, “Topgun”, a personal account of the guy who, with others, revolutionized the dogfight in the era when air/air missiles had supposedly rendered the practice obsolete. Great reading.

[rktman]

😹👍🏼🇺🇸