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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

Name Service Branchsort descending
F 1c John Koval USN
CEM Edward Warrick USN
F 2c Harold Sutton USN
WT 1c Harold Waldrop USN
SM 2c Robert Dollar USN
Bkr 1c Stephen Fischer USN
CGM Albert Flynn USN
F 2c Jack Frazier USN
SF 2c George Evans USN
SK 2c Dolphus Hart USN
RM 3c John Jones USN
EM 2c Walter Anderson USN
Y 1c William Kreth USN
StM 2c Thomas Mass USN
F 1c Robert Mcnair USN
SM 2c Edward Mclaughlin USN
CM 1c Earl Caldwell USN
Matt 3c Nicanor Bucayon USN
CMM James Brockway USN
Sea 1c Henry Birkdale USN

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