USS Vincennes (CA-44)

The second USS "Vincennes" (CA-44) was a United States Navy "New Orleans"-class heavy cruiser sunk at the Battle of Savo Island in 1942.

Construction and commissioning

She was laid down on 2 January 1934 at Quincy, Massachusetts, by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Company's Fore River plant, launched on 21 May 1936, sponsored by Miss Harriet Virginia Kimmell (daughter of Joseph Kimmell, mayor of Vincennes, Indiana), and commissioned on 24 February 1937, Captain Burton H. Green in command.

History

Pre-war service

The new cruiser departed from Boston on 19 April 1937 for her shakedown cruise which took her to Stockholm, Sweden; Helsingfors (Helsinki), Finland; Le Havre, France; and Portsmouth, England.

Early in January 1938, "Vincennes" was assigned to Cruiser Division 7, Scouting Force, and steamed through the Panama Canal to San Diego, California. In March, the ship participated in Fleet Problem XIX in the Hawaiian area before returning to San Pedro, California for operations off the west coast for the remainder of the year.

Following an overhaul at the Mare Island Navy Yard which lasted through April 1939, the cruiser returned east, transited the Panama Canal on 6 June in company with USS|Quincy|CA-39|2, USS|Tuscaloosa|CA-37|2, and USS|San Francisco|CA-38|2 and anchored in Hampton Roads on the 13th. For the next two months, she operated out of Norfolk in the vicinity of the Chesapeake lightship and the southern drill grounds. On 1 September 1939—the day on which Hitler's legions marched into Poland and commenced hostilities in Europe—"Vincennes" lay at anchor off Tompkinsville, New York. She then began conducting Neutrality Patrols off the east coast, ranging into the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Yucatan, and continued these duties through the spring of 1940.

Late in May, as German troops were smashing Allied defenses in France, "Vincennes" steamed to the Azores and visited Ponta Delgada from 4 June to 6 June 1940 before she proceeded on for French Morocco to load a shipment of gold for transport to the United States. While at anchor at Casablanca, the ship received word of Italy's declaration of war upon France—the "stab in the back" condemned by President Roosevelt soon thereafter. "Vincennes"' commanding officer, Capt. J. R. Beardall (later to become Naval Aide to the President) noted subsequently in his official report of the cruise that "it was apparent that the French bitterly resented this [the declaration of war] and despised Italy for her actions." After departing North African waters on 10 June, the cruiser returned to the United States to offload her precious metallic cargo and return to the drudgery of Neutrality Patrols.

1941

Overhauling at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, into the first week of January 1941, "Vincennes" departed Hampton Roads on 7 January—in company with USS|Wichita|CA-45|2, USS|New York|BB-34|2, and USS|Texas|BB-35|2—bound for Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Operating once again in the Caribbean, the heavy cruiser fired battle practice and gunnery exercises in company with "Wichita" through 18 January, when the two cruisers proceeded for Portland Bight, Jamaica. Conducting Neutrality Patrols from this port, "Vincennes" patrolled in company with other ships safeguarding neutral waters and America's recently acquired Caribbean bases.

"Vincennes" joined other Fleet units for landing exercises at Culebra, Puerto Rico, on 4 February 1941 and sent her 50-foot boats to assist in unloading and troop debarkation drills. She assisted transports USS|McCawley|AP-10|2 and USS|Wharton|AP-7|2 in landing men and material before taking station with Fire Support Group II. The cruiser then fired simulated gunfire support operations with her main and secondary batteries in exercises which foreshadowed her future combat role in the South Pacific.

For the remainder of February, the ship continued her landing support operations with Transport Divisions 2 and 7, anchoring on occasion at Mayagüez or Guayanilla, Puerto Rico. Conducting operations out of Puerto Rican waters, "Vincennes" called at Pernambuco, Brazil, on 17 March and got underway for Cape Town, South Africa, on the 20th. Arriving to a warm welcome nine days later, the ship took on a large shipment of gold bullion to pay for arms purchased in the United States by the United Kingdom and then headed home on the 30th. En route to New York, she conducted exercises. After a brief post-voyage period of repairs, the heavy cruiser sailed for the Virginia Capes, where she rendezvoused with USS|Ranger|CV-4|2 and USS|Sampson|DD-394|2; proceeded on to Bermuda; and dropped anchor in Grassy Bay on 30 April. She patrolled in the Caribbean and off the Atlantic coast of the United States through June.

After continuing her duties with the Neutrality Patrol into the autumn as American naval forces in the North Atlantic found themselves engaged in a de facto war with Germany, "Vincennes" undertook another mission to South African waters. She left the east coast late in November with Convoy WS-12, American transports carrying British troops. On 7 December 1941, the cruiser fought its way through heavy seas. Walls of water mercilessly pounded the ships of the convoy; and waves battered "Vincennes", smashing a motor whaleboat to pieces and ripping a Curtiss SOC Seagull floatplane from its "moorings" on the storm-lashed well-deck amidships. The plane was battered against the catapult silos and into the hangar doors before it was swept over the ship's side. By that evening, however, the ship learned that she was not only at war with the elements but with Japan as well. Japanese naval air forces had struck Pearl Harbor and plunged the United States into war.

Early 1942

After having safely convoyed her charges to Cape Town, where she arrived on 9 December, "Vincennes" departed South African waters on the 16th, bound, via Trinidad, for Hampton Roads. Following her arrival at Norfolk on 4 January 1942, she shifted to New York four days later to be outfitted for war. Late in the month, she joined USS|Hornet|CV-8|2 as the carrier conducted her shakedown training off the east coast of the United States.

"Vincennes" sailed from New York on 4 March, bound for the Pacific. She transited the Panama Canal on 11 March and proceeded via San Diego to San Francisco.

The heavy cruiser—now a part of Task Force 18, built around "Hornet"—departed San Francisco on 2 April. The carrier bore a strange deck cargo, 16 Army B-25 medium bombers slated to strike at Japan's heart. "Vincennes" rendezvoused with TF 16, built around USS|Enterprise|CV-6|2 and, with the combined might of the two task forces, struck out westward across the Pacific, headed toward Japanese home waters.

On the morning of 18 April, when the American warships were still some 150 miles from the planned launch point, an unexpected hitch developed. Japanese trawlers sighted and reported the task force. Vice Admiral William Halsey decided to fly off the bombers immediately. Accordingly, all 16 of the heavily loaded B-25s—laden with bombs and extra fuel—rose from "Hornet"'s spray-slicked flight deck and climbed unsteadily into the leaden gray skies. Although the raid inflicted only minimal materiel damage upon the Japanese homeland, it nevertheless packed a powerful morale building "punch". When queried as to the base from whence the bombers had come, President Roosevelt said "from Shangri-La".

The combined "Enterprise" and "Hornet" task force retired eastward and made Pearl Harbor on 25 April. Departing again five days later, the ships, still screened by "Vincennes", bent on speed toward the Coral Sea. However, they were too late to take part in the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Battle of Midway

"Vincennes"' task force returned to Pearl Harbor on 26 May but got underway again on the 29th, bound for waters off Midway Island, which—according to American intelligence reports—a Japanese invasion force was approaching. By 4 June, the heavy cruiser and her sister ship USS|Astoria|CA-34|2, were steaming north of Midway.

At 16:40, after American air attacks had crippled three of the four Japanese carriers, a group of torpedo planes—"Kates"—from Japanese carrier "Hiryū" approached from the north. TF 17's radar soon picked them up when 15 miles out, and "Yorktown" launched planes to intercept as her screen deployed to bring an optimum concentration of antiaircraft fire to bear upon the approaching enemy. Three minutes after the first plane was spotted, combat air patrol F4F Wildcats from the carrier hit a Kate. The Japanese torpedo plane spiraled from the sky trailing a long streamer of smoke before crashing into the sea.

"Vincennes" opened fire at 16:44 with her 5 inch (127 mm), 20 mm, and 1.1 inch (28 mm) antiaircraft batteries on the Kates approaching from the port side. Increasing her speed to 25 knots and slowly turning to starboard, "Vincennes" kept her port guns trained on the enemy. While combing torpedo tracks, "Vincennes" hit a Kate and it went into the sea 150 yards (150 m) off her port bow.

The sharp, bitter action ended as quickly as it had begun. The Japanese had been driven off, but at a high cost for the Americans. "Yorktown", mortally hit and listing to port, slowed to a halt, with smoke billowing from her wounded vitals. "Vincennes" altered course to follow "Astoria's" movements around the carrier, screening the stricken warship from further air attacks. However, on 6 June, Japanese submarine "I-168" slipped through a screen of six destroyers and torpedoed "Yorktown" and destroyer USS|Hammann|DD-412|2, sinking the latter. The carrier went down early on the 7th.

Returning to Pearl Harbor, "Vincennes" entered the navy yard for repairs and alterations which lasted until early July. She then conducted tactical exercises off the island of Hawaii with other ships of TF 11 before departing Hawaiian waters on 14 July to rendezvous with TF 16, TF 18, and TF 62.

Guadalcanal campaign

Screening for transport squadron "X-ray", slated to participate in the Guadalcanal landings, "Vincennes", in company with USS|San Juan|CL-54|2 and "Quincy", joined TF 62 on 26 July. On the 27th, the cruiser conducted approach exercises for landing practice and simulated bombardment drills off Koro Island in the Fiji group. As flagship for Task Group 62.3, "Vincennes" remained on station in the covering force in the transport area before undertaking further approach and landing exercise support drills.

Following refueling and revictualing, the heavy cruiser formed up with the American armada making its way to the Solomons. "Vincennes", screening transport division "Yoke", arrived off Guadalcanal on 7 August. At daybreak, beneath overcast skies, the ship catapulted her spotting planes and then unlimbered her main and secondary batteries to commence shore bombardment. While the thunder of the supporting ships' gunfire reverberated across the waters, marines disembarked from their landing craft and stormed ashore to meet initially light resistance on the island.

Shortly after 13:20, Japanese planes launched a counterstrike. To sunward of the transports, "Vincennes" found herself in a favorable position to combat the attack and tracked the opposing planes—being among the first ships to open fire on the attackers. Forced to jettison their deadly loads prematurely, the Japanese retired without doing any damage, but not before "Vincennes" had bagged two of them. After sunset, "Vincennes", "Quincy", and "Astoria"—in company with USS|Helm|DD-388|2 and USS|Jarvis|DD-393|2—retired to conduct screening patrols.

Returning to her covering duties at daylight, "Vincennes" arrived at transport area "X-ray", off Guadalcanal by daybreak. Two minutes before noon, Japanese bombers, intent on avenging their losses of the day before and disrupting the American landing, swooped down from Rabaul. Twenty-seven Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers swept in, in a low-level torpedo attack and ran a gauntlet of gunfire from the transports and their escorting cruisers and destroyers. Three thousand yards (3 km) from the transports, "Vincennes", as in the previous day's action, was again in favorable firing position and opened up with every gun in her battery, from 8 inch (203 mm) to 20 mm, that could bear on the attackers.

During the ensuing melee, the cruiser used her main-battery, 8 inch (203 mm) guns effectively, helping to down at least seven "Betties" which flew at an altitude of only 25 to 50 feet (7 to 15 m). The shell splashes from the main battery caused Japanese pilots to fly into walls of water or forced them to drastically alter their approaches. "Vincennes" dodged one torpedo which passed beneath her stern and evaded a bomb which fell off her port quarter. Unluckily, "Jarvis", adjacent to the cruiser, took one torpedo hit which ultimately proved fatal to the ship.

Later, during the afternoon hours, aerial reconnaissance reported a Japanese surface force coming down from the base at Rabaul. These flights noted what was thought to be three Japanese cruisers, three destroyers and two gunboats or seaplane tenders steaming south. While "Jarvis" limped away from Lunga Point, "Vincennes" and her sisters "Quincy" and "Astoria" steamed, as the northern escort force, to a position off Savo Island to screen the vulnerable transports which were still unloading off the invasion beaches. Captain Frederick Lois Riefkohl of "Vincennes" assumed that the enemy ships reportedly en route from Rabaul were going to launch and support another air attack early the following morning. He accordingly shaped night orders to be especially vigilant during the midwatch and fully expected an air attack at daybreak.

Loss at the Battle of Savo Island

At about midnight on 8 August, Riefkohl retired to his sea cabin, adjacent to the pilothouse, after having been on the bridge continuously since 0445 that morning. Turning in at 00:50 on 9 August, he left his ship in the hands of the executive officer, Comdr. W.E.A. Mullan.

Nearly an hour later, at about 01:45, lookouts spotted flares and star shell to the southward, accompanied by the low rumble of gunfire. The sound of the general quarters alarm soon rang throughout the ship and stirred her to action. "Vincennes"' lookouts were seeing the elimination of the southern escort group, based around Australian heavy cruiser "Canberra" and USS|Chicago|CA-29|2. Unbeknownst to the men manning the ships to the northward, a powerful enemy force was heading in their direction. Six cruisers and one destroyer under the command of Japanese Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa had turned north and were steaming directly towards "Vincennes" and her two sisters.

The first Japanese searchlight beams picked out "Vincennes"' splotchy camouflage shortly after 01:55, and the American cruiser opened fire with her main battery turrets to shoot out the troublesome light. Within a minute, however, Japanese shells bracketed the ship and "Vincennes" shuddered under the impact of the hail of steel screaming in from the ebony sky. Bridge, carpenter shop, "battle II", and radio antenna trunks all were hit in the first salvo.

Altering course to port, Riefkohl — who had leapt to the bridge at the alarm — rang down for increased speed; but, in the deafening din of battle, and with his ship and internal communications disrupted, it is doubtful that the order was received. Still moving at 19.5 knots, the heavy cruiser reeled under the impact of another group of direct hits.

Some of the shells in this group set afire the volatile planes in "Vincennes"' hangar space, and the resultant flames defied all attempts to put them out. A direct hit knocked the after antiaircraft director overboard. At 02:00, "Vincennes" heeled to starboard in an attempt to evade the accurate enemy fire, but the probing Japanese gunners were not about to let the already sorely wounded ship escape. One or two "Long Lance" torpedoes then ripped into the ship's number 1 fireroom and put it out of action.

Losing steering control five minutes later, "Vincennes" was dead in the water within minutes. Rapidly hitting shells quickly reduced the ship's gunpower to a fraction of its original strength and before long, snuffed it out entirely. Like a pummeled and reeling challenger in the boxing ring, "Vincennes" wallowed to a halt. Hit at least 57 times by 8- and 5 inch shells, the ship gradually assumed a more alarming list.

As if mercifully, at 02:10, the Japanese ceased fire and retired, leaving Savo Island and the burning hulks of the three American cruisers of the northern force in their wakes. As "Vincennes"' list increased to port, Riefkohl circulated the command to abandon ship at 02:30. Serviceable life jackets and rafts were broken out, and the crew began abandoning ship. At 02:40, the captain went down to the main deck and joined the last men to leave the sinking cruiser and jumped into the tepid waters of what would come to be known as Ironbottom Sound.

Riefkohl subsequently wrote a fitting epitaph: "The magnificent "Vincennes", which we were all so proud of, and which I had the honor to command since 23 April 1941, rolled over and then sank at about 02:50, 9 August 1942, about 2½ miles east of Savo Island ... Solomons Group, in some 500 fathoms [910 m] of water."

Awards

The Battle of Midway and the invasion of Guadalcanal.

See also

*See USS "Vincennes" for other Navy ships of the same name.
* See List of U.S. Navy losses in World War II for other Navy ships lost in World War II.

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-v/ca44.htm Navy photographs of "Vincennes" (CA-44)]

Notes

References

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