Remember the Stranger-U. S. Navy Seamen
Most people remember the tremendous loss of life of the marines and army to capture Guadalcanal from the Japanese but do they know of the tremendous loss of life and ships of the U. S. Navy to free Guadalcanal?
Hundreds of seamen went down with their ships in eight sea battles with the Japanese Navy for control of Guadalcanal.
The battle at Suva Bay was described by historian Morison as "probably the worst defeat ever inflicted on the United States Navy in a fair fight." In the overnight battle the U. S. Navy lost the heavy cruisers "Vincennes", "Astoria", and "Quincy" and the Australian cruiser "Canberra" was lost. Approximately 2,000 seamen went down with their ships or were wounded.
Shortly to follow was the battle off Savo Island. All navy ships involved in this battle were lost or damaged except one. Admiral Norman Scott on the bridge of the heavy cruiser "Atlanta" and Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan on the bridge of the heavy cruiser "San Francisco" were killed during this battle which lasted only twenty four minutes. It was described by Admiral King as "one of the most furious sea battles ever fought."
The U. S. Navy suffered heavy losses in six more naval battles with the Japanese Navy before Guadalcanal was free from Japanese control.
Dear Lord, grant the navy seamen grace at the moment of their awful overtaking. Thank you Lord.
"...pray , pray to the merciful Master for help...in their final agonizing moments, since for God time is infinitely malleable, and he will have heard what the poet (and the reader) asks even now, a month or a century on:
The prayer thou hearst me making
Have, at the awful overtaking,
Heard: have heard and granted
Grace that day grace was wanted...
It is all one can do. As for those precious souls...only God can be in at the end, only the Father can help there." Gerard Manley Hopkins: A Life," Paul Mariani
Most people remember the tremendous loss of life of the marines and army to capture Guadalcanal from the Japanese but do they know of the tremendous loss of life and ships of the U. S. Navy to free Guadalcanal?
Hundreds of seamen went down with their ships in eight sea battles with the Japanese Navy for control of Guadalcanal.
The battle at Suva Bay was described by historian Morison as "probably the worst defeat ever inflicted on the United States Navy in a fair fight." In the overnight battle the U. S. Navy lost the heavy cruisers "Vincennes", "Astoria", and "Quincy" and the Australian cruiser "Canberra" was lost. Approximately 2,000 seamen went down with their ships or were wounded.
Shortly to follow was the battle off Savo Island. All navy ships involved in this battle were lost or damaged except one. Admiral Norman Scott on the bridge of the heavy cruiser "Atlanta" and Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan on the bridge of the heavy cruiser "San Francisco" were killed during this battle which lasted only twenty four minutes. It was described by Admiral King as "one of the most furious sea battles ever fought."
The U. S. Navy suffered heavy losses in six more naval battles with the Japanese Navy before Guadalcanal was free from Japanese control.
Dear Lord, grant the navy seamen grace at the moment of their awful overtaking. Thank you Lord.
"...pray , pray to the merciful Master for help...in their final agonizing moments, since for God time is infinitely malleable, and he will have heard what the poet (and the reader) asks even now, a month or a century on:
The prayer thou hearst me making
Have, at the awful overtaking,
Heard: have heard and granted
Grace that day grace was wanted...
It is all one can do. As for those precious souls...only God can be in at the end, only the Father can help there." Gerard Manley Hopkins: A Life," Paul Mariani
posted by mtntop sea ministries | 10:55 AM
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