September 26, 1942 - Saturday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS O'Brien: 

O'Brien arrived at Noumea (code name WHITE POPPY) on the 23rd, and went alongside repair ship Argonne for further and more permanent repairs.  All work on O'Brien would be done on October 10th.  Below is described the transit to Noumea and some of the modifications done to the ship:

Upon departure from BUTTON, course was laid for WHITE POPPY, 600 miles distant, and O'BRIEN arrived on 23 September. Engine speed during the passage was for 12.5 knots but speed over the ground was only 11.5 knots. Again wind and sea never exceeded moderate intensity. O'BRIEN remained at WHITE POPPY until 10 October. During this period further repairs were accomplished by ARGONNE and ship's force.

 

During the two passages described above, O'BRIEN rode easily. Working of the forward and aft portions of the vessel with respect to each other was not observed although careful inspections and observations were frequently made. Repairs to the bottom at BUTTON by CURTISS were very effective in reducing leakage in the forward engine room. Only one fire and bilge pump was required to control leakage from BUTTON to WHITE POPPY whereas the main circulator, operating at near capacity, was required to control leakage prior to arrival at BUTTON.

 

At WHITE POPPY, ARGONNE executed further temporary structural repairs. At the stem a partial new bow section, extending down from the forecastle deck to half way to the waterline, was installed to protect against the force of seas when pitching.

U. S. Navy Task Forces:

• Task Force 16 (Enterprise) was at Pearl Harbor, for repairs to Enterprise (sailed October 16th).
  
• Saratoga was at Pearl Harbor for repairs (sailed November 10th).
  
• Combined Task Force 61 remained on patrol in the Coral Sea near Guadalcanal.
  
• Task Force 17 (Hornet) -> TF 61

 As only Hornet was currently available, it would fall to the cruisers and destroyers to protect the Marines on Guadalcanal to try to block Japanese forces coming down the Slot to bombard the Marines and/or to deliver troops and supplies.  Given the bad performance in the early night battles, especially Savo Island, intense drills and practice for night battles was done all through late September.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 254-256.
  
•  The First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign,  John B. Lundstrom, pp 233-243.
• The Struggle for Guadalcanal, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 138-139.
• Neptune's Inferno, The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal, James D. Hornfischer, pp. 132-144.
  

 

NEXT POST: SEPTEMBER 30TH