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The United States Navy Memorial

Navy Memorial Honoring the Men & Women of the Sea Services

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Neosho

Ship Designation: 
AO-23
Date Lost: 
Thursday, May 7, 1942
Battle of the Coral Sea
As the American and Japanese fleets maneuvered in preparation for the Battle of the Coral Sea, Neosho fueled Yorktown (CV-5) and Astoria (CA-34), then retired from the carrier force with a lone escort, Sims (DD-409). ... The following day 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 .... Neosho suffered 177 fatal casualties in the attack. ... 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. ... On 11 May, Henley (DD-391) arrived to rescue the 123 survivors and to sink by gunfire, Neosho that had been so valiantly kept alive against impossible odds.

Lost At Sea Log

Number of sailors in this log: 174

Name Service Branchsort descending
Sea 2c Vernon Zeddies USN
Sea 2c Ernest Beech USN
Sea 1c Mitchell Andrews USN
Sea 2c Beverly Annis USN
Sea 2c Bruce Annis USN
Sea 2c Floyd Bailey USN
Sea 1c Carl Baird USN
Sea 2c Frank Baker USN
Sea 2c Frank Balzer USN
Bkr 1c William Bannen USN
F 3c Stuart Battenfield USN
Lt(jg) Robert Allsopp USN
Sea 1c Louis Blackburn USN
Y 3c Richard Blood USN
F 3c Edward Blue USN
Sea 1c Harry Bradshaw USN
CM 2c Leon Brooks USN
Sea 1c Voris Brownfield USN
Sea 2c Arthur Bunch USN
GM 2c George Bundy USN

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