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Navy Memorial Honoring the Men & Women of the Sea Services

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Atlanta

Ship Designation: 
CL-51
Date Lost: 
Friday, November 13, 1942
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
While operating off Guadalcanal, Japanese dispatched 25 aircraft to destroy the US forces and disrupt the invasion. Atlanta was credited with shooting down two of the aircraft, but as the air attack ended. A Japanese surface action group was detected entering the area. During the early morning hours the Japanese surface force comprised of 2 battleships and twelve other ships was detected steaming into the area. Atlanta, the lead ship in a column of 13 ships was initially illuminated by Japanese searchlights and within 10 minutes of engagement commencement, she had taken two surface launched torpedo hits and 50 major caliber hits from the battleships and cruisers. As a result of battle damage Atlanta lost all ship's power other than auxiliary power. Before drifting out of the fight in the urgency of battle, darkness and confused intermingling of friend and foe, San Francisco mistook Atlanta for an enemy cruiser and took 2 additional hits from eight inch projectiles. ... Shipboard damage control parties valiantly set to work repairing battle damage, shoring up holes and jettisoning topside weight to improve stability. Remaining powerless, other than auxiliary power Atlanta drifted perilously close to enemy held island east of Cape Esperance and was forced to anchor rather than going aground. ... A total of 172 men died and another 79 were seriously wounded during the battle.

Lost At Sea Log

Number of sailors in this log: 168

Namesort descending Service Branch
Sea 1c Clark Davis USN
M 1c Wayne Dean USN
SM 3c Stayton Debord USN
SF 3c Wallace Devane USN
CTC Lawrence Dittoe USN
Sea 2c Michael Domeloicz USN
QM 3c Talmadge Elswick USN
GM 3c William Engel USN
SM 2c Carl Erickson USN
MM 1c Elmer Farris USN
BM 2c Kenneth Fischer USN
MM 2c Paul Fugate USN
Sea 1c Peter Fuzer USN
GM 3c Frederick Gehrig USN
FC 2c Edward Gilson USN
F 3c Joseph Gramc USN
GM 3c Marion Greenhill USN
CCS Clifford Grimsley USN
EM 2c Geoffrey Groves USN
SK 2c Billy Hall USN

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Prepared by CAPT R.O. Strange USN (Ret.)