Replies

Reilly states that the first bomb caused no damage other than the breaking of gage glasses in the forward fireroom. All lights went out immediately and by the time Reilly was able to light a battle lantern to look at the steam pressure on the boilers it had already dropped to 200 pounds per square inch and was falling rapidly. On feeling a second shock, which was probably the second bomb hit, he secured the boilers, closed the master oil valve and all of the crew left the fireroom. No steam or feed lines in the fireroom carried away as a result of these two explosions.

In the after fireroom no extensive damage resulted from the first hit. The after bulkhead of the fireroom appeared to hold and no water entered the space. The fireroom gratings were knocked out of place, lights went out, and the steam pressure dropped to zero. Apparently, Canole and Vessia left the fireroom after the first bomb hit, because the latter states that on coming up onto deck he met the Chief Engineer who ordered him to go back down to insure that the boilers had been secured. (One other survivor states that immediately following the first hit he saw the Chief Engineer, Lieut. W. Silverstein, USN, who was in charge of the Repair Party stationed in the machine shop, lying on deck unconscious. He apparently recovered quickly and directed damage control work in a commendable manner, as will be brought out later in this report). Vessia went down again into the fireroom and secured the boiler.

While he was doing this work, the second explosion occurred. The blast from this bomb split the deck open overhead and forced the after fireroom bulkhead forward almost to the boiler casing. The fuel oil heater, which was mounted on the bulkhead, dropped down into the bilges. There was no immediate flooding, nor was any steam or feed water released, because Vessia states that he was directly under the lines and would most certainly have been burned had this been the case. Other survivors state that the lathe in the machine shop was knocked loose and was hanging suspended down through the hole in the main deck, and that a small fire, which was easily extinguished, was burning in the machine shop. It is believed that all hands were killed at their battle stations in the engine rooms.

Only one man stationed in the after section of the ship during the attack was rescued. This man, E.F. Munch, MM2c, was stationed in the steering engine room. He states that the two other men at this station with him survived the explosions but were probably lost in the water later. When the first bomb hit the ship, Munch states that all power was lost and all communication except with the I.C. Room was severed. Power was restored when the diesel generator started and was maintained for about two minutes. In the berthing compartment immediately forward of the steering engine room all bunks dropped onto the deck and some water entered. Flooding did not appear to progress, however. After the second hit, Munch and the other men stationed in the steering engine room went up to the main deck. What became of the other two men is not known, but Dicken states that Munch remained on the fantail as the ship was sinking and secured a loose depth charge which was rolling about. Munch was later picked up out of the water by Dicken after the Sims had sunk.

An accurate description of the damage to the after end of the ship cannot be pieced together. It appears that the first bomb hit the after torpedo mount and exploded in the engine room below. The torpedo mount was blown overboard and some of the warheads, which must have been sheared off, were seen on deck. The forward torpedo mount was canted upward and the spoons were driven into the stack. The second bomb hit apparently wrecked the after upper deck house, setting it on fire, and probably exploded in the after engine room. Six of the eight life rafts aboard the ship were in the vicinity of these explosions and they were blown to bits. Number Four Gun had apparently received a direct hit, because every one in the gun crew had been killed and the gun was wrecked. A gaping hole was blown in the main deck above the engine rooms. Dicken states that the deck was ruptured from starboard to port. He further states that, from the bridge, the damage did not appear as extensive as it really was, and that the Commanding Officer had every intention of saving the ship and directed his every effort to do so until the last.

After the attack was over the Commanding Officer ordered everyone off the bridge except himself and the Chief Quartermaster. He ordered all hands to assist the repair party in charge of the Chief Engineer in jettisoning topside weights. All loose material was thrown overboard; Lieutenant Silverstein, with several machinist's mates, attempted to free the forward torpedo mount to permit firing the torpedoes. The port boat was lowered over the side and it sank immediately. The two remaining life rafts, located at about frame 76, were launched and the starboard motor whaleboat was lowered. Although this boat had been holed by a large splinter, it was kept afloat by stuffing life jackets in the hole and by continuous bailing; the motor operated satisfactorily. Gober, Cannole, Chmielewski, Scott, Reilly, and Vessia manned this boat.

The Commanding Officer then ordered Dicken to take charge of the boat and to go aft in it to put out the fire in the after upper deck house and to flood the after magazines. Dicken had to swim out to the boat from the ship and he noted that there was no oil on the water at this time. On taking charge of the boat Dicken proceeded around the bow to the lee side of the ship aft. As the motor whaleboat approached, the ship seemed to break amidships and start to sink slowly. The stern went under first and appeared to draw the bow aft, pulling it down stern first. All hands began abandoning ship in life jackets, swimming for the rafts. Just as the water level reached the top of the stack and began running down into it, a terrific explosion occurred. What remained of the ship was lifted ten to fifteen feet out of the water, and the surface of the water around the ship was covered with oil.

This great explosion was followed by another smaller one, which survivors definitely identified as a depth charge explosion. The remaining forward section then settled slowly, sinking in about five minutes. One man who couldn't swim was seen hanging onto the anchor until the stem disappeared into the water. Survivors estimate that the ship sank in about fifteen to twenty minutes after receiving the first direct hit. Under conditions of stress such as existed at the time, minutes would seem like hours and it is quite possible that the ship sank much more rapidly than these men estimate.

The survivors are of the opinion that the terrific explosion was a boiler explosion. This seems hardly plausible, though, because both fireroom survivors state that the steam pressure had dropped to zero. A depth charge or warhead explosion appears to be more likely. No survivor knows definitely whether or not the depth charges were set on "SAFE", but Dicken states that the usual practice on the Sims was to keep them set on "SAFE" until a submarine contact was made.

Following this explosion, Dicken, in the whaleboat, proceeded to pick up all men in the water whom he could find, and who appeared to be still alive. He succeeded in saving a total of fifteen men, including himself, and then began looking for the life rafts in order to take them in tow. His search was fruitless, so he headed toward the U.S.S. Neosho, which was dead in the water, listed about 25° and burning. He approached to within 250 yards and awaited instructions. After about thirty minutes he was called alongside and several of the Neosho wounded were put in the boat.

During the night of May 7th Dicken and the survivors of the Sims, along with the several Neosho men, stayed in the boat, keeping in the vicinity of the Neosho. On May 8th they again went alongside and transferred the wounded back aboard, where mattresses had been laid out on deck. The Sims crew attempted to patch the hole in their boat and succeeded in stopping it somewhat, but continuous bailing was still necessary. They tried to repair the engine, which had stopped, but could not start it again. On the evening of May 8th the captain of the Neosho gave all hands the choice of remaining aboard through the night or taking to the boats. Dicken and his men (one had died during the night), along with ten from the Neosho, spent the night of May 8th in the boat.

The sea was quite rough that night and the Sims whaleboat drifted about three miles away from the Neosho. Dicken realized that the best course was to stay near the Neosho, but without a motor he had no way of getting back. He ingeniously rigged a sail, using blankets and boat staffs, and sailed back to the tanker on May 9th. Meanwhile, the men who had stayed aboard the Neosho had succeeded in launching a 40-foot motor launch and had rigged hoisting gear by which they were able to lift the Sims whaleboat clear of the water to permit patching of the hole. The punctured buoyancy tanks were replaced with 5-gallon cans, a sail rigged, and the boat was stocked with provisions and water. However, since it appeared that the Neosho hulk would remain afloat, all hands remained aboard until they were rescued by the U.S.S. Henley (DD-391) on May 11th.

Additional Sources:

www.history.navy.mil
www.geocities.com/usssimsdd409
www.hazegray.org

USS Sims (DD-409), 1939-1942

The first Sims (DD-409) was laid down on 15 July 1937 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine, launched on 8 April 1939- sponsored by Mrs. William S. Sims and commissioned on 1 August 1939, Lt. Comdr. W. A. Griswold in command.

After shakedown training in the Caribbean and post shakedown availability in the Boston Navy Yard Sims joined the Atlantic Squadron at Norfolk on 2 August 1940. The destroyer operated with the Neutrality Patrol in Caribbean and South Atlantic waters. In November and December 1940, Sims patrolled off Martinque. On 28 May 1941, the ship arrived at Newport, R.I., and began operating from there. She sailed for Iceland on 28 July with an American task force. In August, the destroyer patrolled the approaches to Iceland. In September and October, the ship made two lengthy North Atlantic patrols. Sims had been attached to Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 2 since she began making Neutrality Patrols.

With the outbreak of war on 7 December DesRon 2 became part of a task force ( Task Force 17) formed around Yorktown (CV-5). The task force sortied from Norfolk on 16 December 1941 for San Diego. From there, it sailed as part of a convoy taking marines to Samoa, arriving on 23 January 1942.

At the time, it was believed that the Japanese would attack Samoa to sever Allied communications with Australia. To thwart such a move, a carrier raid against Japanese bases in the Marshall Islands was planned. The Yorktown task force was to strike the islands of Mili, Jaluit, and Makin, while another force centered around Enterprise (CV-6) was to hit Kwajalein, Wotje, and Maloelap.

Task Force 17 departed Samoa on 25 January with Sims in the screen. At 1105 on the 28th, she sighted an enemy bomber. At 1114, a stick of four bombs fell approximately 1,500 yards astern, straddling the wake of the destroyer. The next day, the two carrier forces and a bombardment group attacked the islands and with drew.

Sims, with TF 17, sailed from Pearl Harbor on 16 February to attack Wake Island. Shortly after departing, their sailing orders were changed; and they proceeded to the Canton Island area. Canton is a small island on the Honolulu-New Caledonia air route, and it was thought to be endangered by the Japanese.

Three waves of Japanese fighters and bombers attacked Sims on May 7, 1942 as she escorted the Fleet Oiler USS Neosho (AO-23) to a safe refueling point in the Coral Sea. Sims, hit by three 500-pound bombs, slid beneath the waves at 12:30 PM, taking all but 13 of her crew with her.

For years, historians have glossed over the pivotal role played by Sims and Neosho, during the Battle of the Coral Sea. When a Japanese scout mistakenly identified the destroyer and oil tanker as an aircraft carrier and a cruiser, the Japanese fleet launched the bulk of its airpower against the two hapless ships. Sims put up a blistering barrage of fire to protect Neosho against impossible odds. In the end, she accomplished her mission, shooting down four Jap planes and enabling Neosho to stay afloat long enough so that her survivors could be rescued four days later. But she did so at great cost, losing 235 men.

Sims received two battle stars for World War II service.

USS Neosho (AO 23)

Sims Class Destroyers

A quite successful design when compared to other pre-WWII destroyers. Making use of the good points of the preceeding Mahan and Gridley classes and fixing some of the problems found in the earlier designs made these very fine ships.

Specifications

Sims Class Destroyers

Name Builder LD LCH COM STATUS

DD.409 Sims Bath Iron Works, Bath Me Jul.15/37 Apr.8/39 Aug.1/39 sunk May.7/42 at Battle Of Coral Sea

DD.410 Hughes Bath Iron Works, Bath Me Sep.15/37 Jun.17/39 Sep.21/39 used at Bikini A-Bomb tests Jul./46 DECOM Aug.28/46 stricken Nov.26/48 sunk as target Oct.16/48

DD.411 Anderson Federal Shipbuilding Nov.15/37 Feb.4/39 May.19/39 sunk Jul.1/46 at Bikini Atoll A-Bomb tests

DD.412 Hammann Federal Shipbuilding Jan.17/38 Feb.4/39 Aug.11/39 sunk Jun.6/42 at Midway by Japanese sub I-168 while escorting CV-5 Yorktown

DD.413 Mustin Newport News Shipbuilding Dec.20/37 Dec.8/38 Sep.15/39 used at Bikini A-Bomb tests Jul./46 DECOM Aug.29/46 scuttled Apr.18/48 off Kwajalein stricken Apr.30/48

DD.414 Russell Newport News Shipbuilding Dec.20/37 Dec.8/38 Nov.3/39 DECOM Nov.15/45 stricken Nov.28/45 scrapped ./47

DD.415 O'Brien Boston Navy Yard May.31/38 Oct.20/39 Mar.2/40 torpedoed Sep.15/42 by IJN sub I-15 sank Oct.19/43 due to damage

DD.416 Walke Boston Navy Yard May.31/38 Oct.20/39 Apr.27/40 sunk Nov.15/42 at Second Battle Of Guadalcanal

DD.417 Morris Norfolk Navy Yard Jun.7/38 Jun.1/39 Mar.5/40 DECOM Nov.9/45 stricken Nov.28/45 scrapped ./47

DD.418 Roe Charleston Navy Yard Apr.23/38 Jun.21/39 Jan.5/40 DECOM Oct.30/45 stricken Nov.16/45 scrapped ./47

DD.419 Wainwright Norfolk Navy Yard Jun.7/38 Jun.1/39 Apr.15/40 used at Bikini A-Bomb tests Jul./46 DECOM Aug.28/46 sunk as target Jul.5/48 stricken Jul.13/48

DD.420 Buck Philadelphia Navy Yard Apr.6/38 May.22/39 May.15/40 sunk Oct.9/43 Off Salerno by German U-616

Dimensions

Length(O/A) 347'
Length(W/L) 341'
Beam 35'
Draft 10'

Displacement

Full Load 1,900 tons
Standard 1,570 tons

Propulsion

Boilers 4 Bureau Express
Turbines 2 Parsons geared
Horsepower 44,000
Shafts 2
Range N/A
Max Speed 34+ knts

Armament

Main Gun 4 x 5"/38 cal in 4 single turrets
2 forward 2 aft
AAW 5-10 x 20mm Oerlikons added /41-42
4-10 x .50 cal HMG
Torpedoes 4-8 x 21" tubes

Complement

Design 180-220

DD 412 Hammann sinks after being torpedoed by IJN sub I-168

DD 415 O'Brien being hit by a torpedo September 14,1942

DD 419 Wainwright refueling from HMS Norfolk in the Arctic

DD 409 - Launch - April 8, 1939

AO-48 USS Neosho
Kennebec class Fleet Oiler:
Displacement: 21,077 tons
Length: 502'
Beam: 58'
Draft: 31'
Speed: 17 knots (max); 13 knots (econ)
Armament: 1 5"/38 DP, 4 3"/50 DP, 4x2 40mm, 4x2 20mm
Complement: 243
Capacity: 134,000 barrels
Geared turbine engines, single screw, 12,000 hp
Maritime Commission T2 (MC-SO) type
Built at Bethlehem, Sparrows Pt. and commissioned 16 Sep 1942

The second Neosho (AO-48) was laid down under Maritime Commission contract by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Kearny, N.J., 22 June 1938, launched 29 April 1939; sponsored by Mrs. Emory S. Land, wife of Rear Adm. Emory S. Land (Ret.), Chairman of the Maritime Commission, and commissioned 7 August 1939, Comdr. W. E..A. Mullan in command.

Conversion at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard completed 7 July 1941, Neosho immediately began the vital task of ferrying aviation fuel from west coast ports to Pearl Harbor. On such a mission she arrived in Pearl Harbor 6 December, discharged a full cargo to the Naval Air Station on Ford Island, and prepared for the return passage. Next morning, the Japanese surprise attack found Neosho alert to danger, her captain, Comdr. John S. Phillips, got her underway and maneuvered safely through the Japanese fire, concentrated on the battleships moored at Ford Island, to a safer area of the harbor. Her guns fired throughout the attack, splashing one enemy plane and driving off others. Three of her men were wounded by a strafing attacker.

For the next five months, Neosho sailed with the carriers or independently, since hard-pressed escort ships could not always be spared to guard even so precious a ship and cargo. Late in April, as the Japanese threatened a southward move against Australia and New Zealand by attempting to advance their bases in the southwest Pacific, Neosho joined TF 17. At all costs the sealanes to the dominions must be kept open, and they must be protected against attack and possible invasion. Neosho was to be part of the cost.

As the American and Japanese fleets sought each other out in the opening maneuvers of the climactic Battle of the Coral Sea on 6 May, Neosho fueled Yorktown (CV-5) and Astoria (CA-34), then retired from the carrier force with a lone escort, Sims (DD-409). Next day at 1000, Japanese aircraft spotted the two ships, and believing them to be a carrier and her escort, launched the first of two attacks which sank Sims and left Neosho, victim of 7 direct hits and a suicide dive by one of the bombers, ablaze aft and in danger of breaking in two. She had shot down at least 3 of the attackers.

Superb seamanship and skilled damage control work kept Neosho afloat for the next four days. The sorely stricken ship was first located by an RAAF aircraft, then an American PBY. At 1300, 11 May, Henley (DD-391) arrived to rescue the 123 survivors and to sink by gunfire, the ship they had so valiantly kept alive against impossible odds. With Henley came word that the American fleet had succeeded in turning the Japanese back, marking the end of their southward expansion in World War II.

Neosho received 2 battle stars for World War II service.

Chief Water Tender Oscar Verner Peterson, USN

Photographed circa the later 1930s.
He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in attempting to save USS Neosho (AO-23) after she was bombed during the Battle of Coral Sea, 7 May 1942.
USS Peterson (DE-152) was named in his honor.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives.