USS Vincennes (CA-44)

USS Vincennes (CA-44): Lost in the Darkness at Savo

Commissioned on 24 February 1937, USS Vincennes was the final New Orleans-class heavy cruiser built, and she shares with Quincy and Astoria the grim distinction of being lost in a single night action that remains the worst defeat ever suffered by the United States Navy. On 9 August 1942, in the waters off Savo Island north of Guadalcanal, Vincennes and two of her sisters went to the bottom in less than an hour.

Vincennes had an active prewar career, participating in fleet exercises and representing American naval power in international waters. When war came, she entered the Pacific fight alongside the rest of the cruiser force, participating in the early raids on Japanese-held islands and carrier escort duties through the opening months of 1942.

The Guadalcanal campaign placed her at the center of the critical contest for the South Pacific. The Marines had landed on 7 August 1942, and Allied cruisers were screening the transports as they unloaded supplies and equipment. Vincennes was part of the northern screening group along with Quincy and Astoria, patrolling the waters north of Guadalcanal.

In the early hours of 9 August, Vice Admiral Mikawa's cruiser column swept through Savo Sound at 26 knots, using superior night optics and tactics that the Allies were simply unprepared for. Vincennes was caught at slow speed, not at battle stations, and overwhelmed by the coordinated attack of the Japanese force. She took multiple large-caliber hits that set her ablaze and knocked out her fire control. Japanese torpedoes compounded the damage. At 0250, USS Vincennes sank, taking 332 of her crew with her, the largest single-ship loss of the Guadalcanal campaign among American cruisers.

Two battle stars. The second was earned in the moment of her dying, at Savo Island, where her crew fought even as their ship was being overwhelmed. What Vincennes and the other ships lost at Savo accomplished was buying time: the Japanese, despite sinking four Allied cruisers, withdrew without attacking the transport convoy, allowing the critical supplies to continue landing and keeping the Guadalcanal operation alive.

Tactically Acquired's USS Vincennes (CA-44) collection honors the 332 men lost and every sailor who served aboard her. Their sacrifice kept the Guadalcanal campaign alive long enough for America to win.