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The United States Navy Memorial

Navy Memorial Honoring the Men & Women of the Sea Services

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Vireo

Ship Designation: 
AM-52
Date Lost: 
Thursday, October 15, 1942
Air Attack on USS Meredith
While pulling a barge carrying barrels of gasoline and quarter-ton bombs from Espiritu Santo to Guadalcanal Vireo in company with Meredith was spotted by Japanese aircraft on 15 October. Cautiously proceeding, the pair drove off a two-plane Japanese attack before receiving word that Japanese surface ships were in the area. At noon, Meredith ordered old, slow, and vulnerable Vireo abandoned and took off her crew. Meredith then stood off to torpedo the tug at 1215 so that she would not fall into enemy hands intact. Suddenly, a whirlwind of destruction swept down from the sky and descended upon the destroyer. Like hawks, 27 planes from the Japanese carrier Zuikaku pounced on Meredith and deluged her with bombs, torpedoes, and bullets, sinking her in an instant. Vireo and the two gasoline barges, however, drifted to leeward, untouched. The majority of Vireo's old complement were lost in the ordeal with Meredith.

Lost At Sea Log

Number of sailors in this log: 50

Namesort descending Service Branch
QM 3c John Smith USN
Sea 1c Jack Southwick USN
F 2c Harold Sutton USN
Sea 1c Ralph Sweezey USN
F 1c Dan Taylor USN
WT 1c Harold Waldrop USN
CEM Edward Warrick USN
Sea 1c Lee Williams USN
Sea 1c James Williams USN
Sea 1c Gordon Zimmer USN

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