menu-header-menu

Follow Us

Follow us   

The United States Navy Memorial

Navy Memorial Honoring the Men & Women of the Sea Services

Donate

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 ascending Service Branch
Sea 1c Gordon Zimmer USN
Sea 1c Lee Williams USN
Sea 1c James Williams USN
CEM Edward Warrick USN
WT 1c Harold Waldrop USN
F 1c Dan Taylor USN
Sea 1c Ralph Sweezey USN
F 2c Harold Sutton USN
Sea 1c Jack Southwick USN
Sea 1c Charles Smith USN
QM 3c John Smith USN
F 2c Jack Slabaugh USN
Cox Donald Shockey USN
Sea 1c James Robinson USN
Sea 1c Carley Robertson USN
SC 2c Lewis Reid USN
SM 3c Robert Redmond USN
GM 3c Sidney Redman USN
OC 2c Harry Ramsey USN
MM 2c Bertram Ragland USN

Pages

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