USS Quincy (CA-39)

The third ship of our Savo Island group is the USS Quincy. Like her sister ships, the Astoria and the Vincennes, she was a New Orleans Class heavy cruiser. She was slightly smaller than her sister ships, carrying only 807 men, and slightly fewer smaller guns. Launched June 19, 1935, she spent much of her early years in the Atlantic. Protecting American interests during the Spanish Civil War, she helped to evacuate many refugees. She took part in goodwill tours up and down the South American coasts. She also took part in several Fleet Problems, large-scale naval exercises conducted between 1923 and 1940. 

When World War 2 erupted, the Quincy was used from the northern Atlantic to the tip of Africa escorting convoys until the U.S. was drawn in. Upon that, she was retro-fitted and sent to the Pacific as part of the battle group headed for Guadalcanal. Once there, prior to the Marine landing, she destroyed multiple Japanese installations, including an oil field. During the landing, she provided fire support for the 11,000 Marines going ashore.

When the Japanese fleet surprised the American forces patrolling the area on the night of August 9, 1942, the Quincy was just coming to general quarters. Spotlights lit her up and before her gun crews were ready to fire, she was hit. The Quincy was caught in a crossfire from three Japanese ships. As Captain Samuel Moore started turning the ship, she was hit by two torpedoes. The Quincy only managed to fire a couple of salvos before being hit heavily again, killing almost everyone on the bridge, including Moore. One more torpedo strike silenced her guns and left he dead in the water. At 2:38am, less than an hour after the first shots were fired, the Quincy slipped under the water into Ironbottom sound, the first ship sank that night.

370 men died from the USS Quincy and another 167 were wounded. Let us never forget the way these men served and paid such an incredibly heavy price. They were called to fight and they answered the call. This was the first action by almost all of them. The Quincy took part in only this one, tragically, short-lived battle. Thank you to the men who served aboard this ship. As a nation, we should be forever indebted to them and all of the others who fought for our freedoms.

USS Quincy (CA-39)