menu-header-menu

Follow Us

Follow us   

The United States Navy Memorial

Navy Memorial Honoring the Men & Women of the Sea Services

Donate

Cooper

Ship Designation: 
DD-695
Date Lost: 
Sunday, December 3, 1944
Torpedo Attack near Ormoc Bay
Operating in company with USS Allen M. Sumner (DD 692) and USS Moale (DD 693) through Surigao Straits COOPER encountered a Japanese force of transports and escorting destroyers landing troops at Ormoc Bay, Leyte Philippines. The three US destroyers during the melee damaged or sank one destroyer, five transport freighters and 10 aircraft. At 0013 a Japanese torpedo found COOPER; she suffered a high order explosion on her starboard side, breaking the ship in two and sinking within a minute of the torpedo hit. 191 of her crew went down with the ship ... The proximity of Japanese forces precluded the immediate rescue of survivors by friendly surface forces, however the valiant efforts of “Black Cat” seaplanes enabled 168 survivors to later be rescued from the waters of Ormoc Bay

Lost At Sea Log

Number of sailors in this log: 190

Namesort descending Service Branch
Lt(jg) Richard Lewitt USN
SF 1c Oliver Limpert USN
MM 2c Charles Little USN
F 1c Fred Marinelli USN
Sea 1c Frances Marko USN
Sea 2c Peter May USN
F 1c Harvey Mcginnis USN
WT 1c James Moak USN
MM 2c Forrest Moreau USN
BM 2c Paul Moreno USN
WT 2c John Murdock USN
GM 3c Leeland Nickerson USN
Sea 1c Crit Nolen USN
EM 3c LeRoy Ocker USN
Sea 1c Bernard Palek USN
F 1c Louis Pallak USN
Sea 1c Carl Parker USN
Sea 1c Joseph Pearce USN
Lt(jg) Harrison Perkins USN
EM 1c Melvin Peterson USN

Pages

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