BasilY
06-23-09, 05:46 PM
USS O'Brien
Sinking
While escorting a convoy of transports en route to Guadalcanal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalcanal), joint TFs 17 and 18 were attacked by I-15 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_submarine_I-15) and Japanese submarine I-19 (2) (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japanese_submarine_I-19_%282%29&action=edit&redlink=1) on 15 September 1942. Wasp (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Wasp_%28CV-7%29) was sunk, and North Carolina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_North_Carolina_%28BB-55%29) and O達rien were damaged by torpedo attacks.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/USSOBrienDD415_torpedo.jpg/180px-USSOBrienDD415_torpedo.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USSOBrienDD415_torpedo.jpg) http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USSOBrienDD415_torpedo.jpg)
Torpedo hit on O達rien
At 1452 that afternoon O達rien sighted smoke coming from Wasp. As a member of Hornet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Hornet_%28CV-8%29)'s ASW (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisubmarine_warfare) screen, she made an emergency turn to the right. At about 1454, while accelerating and swinging right, her lookouts spotted a torpedo two points forward of the port beam 1,000 yards (915 m) away. This torpedo missed close astern, but while attention was concentrated on it another "fish" hit the port bow.
The explosion did little local damage, but set up severe structural stresses through the ship. Able to proceed under her own power, the destroyer on 16 September reached Espiritu Santo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espiritu_Santo), where Curtiss made temporary repairs. O達rien sailed on 21 September for Noumea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noumea), New Caledonia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Caledonia) for further repairs by Argonne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Argonne_%28AS-10%29), before proceeding on 10 October to San Francisco.
She made Suva (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suva) on 13 October and sailed once more on 16 October. The rate of leaking continued to increase, and on 18 October it was necessary for O達rien to proceed to the nearest anchorage. Topside weight was jettisoned and preparations were made for abandoning ship, but it was still thought that the ship could be brought intact to Pago Pago. However, at 0600 on 19 October, the bottom suddenly opened up considerably and the forward and after portions of the hull began to work independently. At 0630 all hands except a salvage crew went over the side, and half an hour later the ship was abandoned entirely. Just before 0800 she went under, after steaming almost 3,000 miles (5,500 km) since torpedoed. All the crew were saved.
Sinking
While escorting a convoy of transports en route to Guadalcanal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalcanal), joint TFs 17 and 18 were attacked by I-15 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_submarine_I-15) and Japanese submarine I-19 (2) (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japanese_submarine_I-19_%282%29&action=edit&redlink=1) on 15 September 1942. Wasp (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Wasp_%28CV-7%29) was sunk, and North Carolina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_North_Carolina_%28BB-55%29) and O達rien were damaged by torpedo attacks.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/USSOBrienDD415_torpedo.jpg/180px-USSOBrienDD415_torpedo.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USSOBrienDD415_torpedo.jpg) http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USSOBrienDD415_torpedo.jpg)
Torpedo hit on O達rien
At 1452 that afternoon O達rien sighted smoke coming from Wasp. As a member of Hornet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Hornet_%28CV-8%29)'s ASW (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisubmarine_warfare) screen, she made an emergency turn to the right. At about 1454, while accelerating and swinging right, her lookouts spotted a torpedo two points forward of the port beam 1,000 yards (915 m) away. This torpedo missed close astern, but while attention was concentrated on it another "fish" hit the port bow.
The explosion did little local damage, but set up severe structural stresses through the ship. Able to proceed under her own power, the destroyer on 16 September reached Espiritu Santo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espiritu_Santo), where Curtiss made temporary repairs. O達rien sailed on 21 September for Noumea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noumea), New Caledonia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Caledonia) for further repairs by Argonne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Argonne_%28AS-10%29), before proceeding on 10 October to San Francisco.
She made Suva (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suva) on 13 October and sailed once more on 16 October. The rate of leaking continued to increase, and on 18 October it was necessary for O達rien to proceed to the nearest anchorage. Topside weight was jettisoned and preparations were made for abandoning ship, but it was still thought that the ship could be brought intact to Pago Pago. However, at 0600 on 19 October, the bottom suddenly opened up considerably and the forward and after portions of the hull began to work independently. At 0630 all hands except a salvage crew went over the side, and half an hour later the ship was abandoned entirely. Just before 0800 she went under, after steaming almost 3,000 miles (5,500 km) since torpedoed. All the crew were saved.