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|Ship image=[[File:USS Little (DD-79), running trials in icy waters, March 4, 1918.jpg|300px|USS ''Little'' (DD-79), running trials in icy waters, 4 March 1918.]] |
|Ship image=[[File:USS Little (DD-79), running trials in icy waters, March 4, 1918.jpg|300px|USS ''Little'' (DD-79), running trials in icy waters, 4 March 1918.]] |
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|Ship caption=USS ''Little'' (DD-79), running trials in icy waters, 4 March 1918. |
|Ship caption=USS ''Little'' (DD-79), running trials in icy waters, 4 March 1918. |
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|Ship country=US |
|Ship country=US |
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|Ship flag={{USN flag|1942}} |
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1942}} |
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− | |Ship name= |
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|Ship namesake=[[George Little (naval officer)|George Little]] |
|Ship namesake=[[George Little (naval officer)|George Little]] |
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|Ship laid down=18 June 1917 |
|Ship laid down=18 June 1917 |
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|Ship launched=11 November 1917 |
|Ship launched=11 November 1917 |
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|Ship commissioned=6 April 1918 |
|Ship commissioned=6 April 1918 |
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|Ship decommissioned=5 July 1922 |
|Ship decommissioned=5 July 1922 |
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|Ship reclassified=Fast transport (APD-4) 2 August 1940 |
|Ship reclassified=Fast transport (APD-4) 2 August 1940 |
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|Ship recommissioned=4 November 1940 |
|Ship recommissioned=4 November 1940 |
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|Ship fate=Sunk 5 September 1942 |
|Ship fate=Sunk 5 September 1942 |
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− | |Ship notes= |
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'''USS ''Little'' (DD-79/APD-4)''', a [[Wickes class destroyer|''Wickes''-class]] [[destroyer]] in the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War I]] and [[World War II]]. She was the first Navy ship named for [[George Little (naval officer)|George Little]] (1754–1809). |
'''USS ''Little'' (DD-79/APD-4)''', a [[Wickes class destroyer|''Wickes''-class]] [[destroyer]] in the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War I]] and [[World War II]]. She was the first Navy ship named for [[George Little (naval officer)|George Little]] (1754–1809). |
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− | ''Little'' was laid down by |
+ | ''Little'' was laid down by Fore River Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, Massachusetts, 18 June 1917, launched 11 November 1917, sponsored by Mrs. Samuel W. Wakeman, and commissioned 6 April 1918, [[Commander]] [[Joseph Taussig|Joseph K. Taussig]] in command. |
==Service history== |
==Service history== |
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− | ''Little'' departed |
+ | ''Little'' departed Norfolk 5 May 1918 for convoy escort duty with Patrol Force, Coast of France, and operated from Brest until she sailed for home 26 December. During this period she escorted President [[Woodrow Wilson]]’s party to the Continent to attend the [[Paris Peace Conference, 1919|Paris Peace Conference]]. |
− | The ship arrived |
+ | The ship arrived Boston 18 January 1919 for drydock and operations with Destroyer Force, Atlantic. She escorted the President’s party back into New York 6 to 8 July, and then engaged in tactical exercises, she was transferred to Reserve Status with ComDesRon 3 at Philadelphia 17 November where she remained until 4 January 1921. The ship then operated along the $3 coast until she returned to Philadelphia and decommissioned 5 July 1922. |
− | Converted to a high-speed transport by having two boilers removed and converted to troop quarters,<ref name="p.61, Lane">p.61, Lane</ref> ''Little'' was redesignated '''APD-4''', 2 August 1940, and recommissioned 4 November 1940, [[Lieutenant Commander]]. [[K. Earl]] in command. She sailed for the |
+ | Converted to a high-speed transport by having two boilers removed and converted to troop quarters,<ref name="p.61, Lane">p.61, Lane</ref> ''Little'' was redesignated '''APD-4''', 2 August 1940, and recommissioned 4 November 1940, [[Lieutenant Commander]]. [[K. Earl]] in command. She sailed for the Caribbean in February 1941 for maneuvers with the [[U.S. Atlantic Fleet]], and then steamed to San Diego where she arrived 9 March for amphibious training. The ship returned to the east coast in late summer, and arrived at Norfolk 1 December for drydocking. |
− | As [[flagship]] for TransDiv 12 she departed for San Diego 14 February 1942 for repairs and alterations. Upon completion of amphibious landing exercises in April, she steamed for [[Pearl Harbor]]. A short cruise to |
+ | As [[flagship]] for TransDiv 12 she departed for San Diego 14 February 1942 for repairs and alterations. Upon completion of amphibious landing exercises in April, she steamed for [[Pearl Harbor]]. A short cruise to Midway Island in late June preceded her departure to New Caledonia 7 July for the Solomons campaign. |
Supplies for American troops on [[Guadalcanal]] had been badly disrupted by the [[Battle of Savo Island]] 9 August 1942. High-speed destroyer-transports were called upon to remedy this shortage. As she discharged stores and [[Marine Raiders]]<ref name="p.61, Lane"/> on the Guadalcanal beaches 30 August, ''Little'' witnessed the destruction of {{USS|Colhoun|DD-85|2}} by enemy aircraft. |
Supplies for American troops on [[Guadalcanal]] had been badly disrupted by the [[Battle of Savo Island]] 9 August 1942. High-speed destroyer-transports were called upon to remedy this shortage. As she discharged stores and [[Marine Raiders]]<ref name="p.61, Lane"/> on the Guadalcanal beaches 30 August, ''Little'' witnessed the destruction of {{USS|Colhoun|DD-85|2}} by enemy aircraft. |
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− | The three remaining APDs, ''Little'', {{USS|Gregory|DD-82|2}}, and {{USS|McKean|DD-90|2}}, continued to support and help supply the [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]]. On 4 September, ''Little'' and ''Gregory'' brought a detachment of marine raiders to |
+ | The three remaining APDs, ''Little'', {{USS|Gregory|DD-82|2}}, and {{USS|McKean|DD-90|2}}, continued to support and help supply the [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]]. On 4 September, ''Little'' and ''Gregory'' brought a detachment of marine raiders to Savo Island on an unfounded rumor that enemy forces had occupied it. The troops were returned to [[Lunga Point]], Guadalcanal. That night was unusually dark, so Division Commander [[Hugh W. Hadley]] decided to patrol off Lunga Point rather than attempt to negotiate [[Tulagi Harbor]] with no visible landmarks. |
− | About 0100 September 5, ''Little'' observed gun flashes to the east and believed this to be an enemy submarine. Moments later a Navy [[PBY Catalina]] flying over |
+ | About 0100 September 5, ''Little'' observed gun flashes to the east and believed this to be an enemy submarine. Moments later a Navy [[PBY Catalina]] flying over Savo Sound released a string of five flares to illuminate what he also thought was a submarine. The flares illuminated the APDs instead. A surprised Japanese surface destroyer force, engaged in shelling [[Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)|Henderson Field]] after delivering a "[[Tokyo Express]]" shipment of troops and supplies to Guadalcanal and the source of the flashes presumed to have come from a submarine, shifted their guns toward the APDs, and searchlights stabbed through the darkness. Though outgunned, ''Little'' opened fire on enemy destroyers, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Yudachi||2}}, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Hatsuyuki||2}} and {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Murakumo||2}}, but took direct hits from salvos which left her helpless and ablaze by 0115. ''Gregory'' had suffered the same fate. The Japanese, to assure their kill, steamed between the two stricken ships firing shells and strafing survivors. ''Gregory'' sank stern first about 0140. ''Little'' went down on an even keel about 2 hours later. [[Fleet Admiral]] [[Chester W. Nimitz]] paid sincere tribute to these gallant ships: "With little means, the ships performed duties vital to the success of the campaign." |
==Awards== |
==Awards== |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Little (Dd-79)}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Little (Dd-79)}} |
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[[Category:Ships built in Massachusetts]] |
[[Category:Ships built in Massachusetts]] |
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[[Category:1917 ships]] |
[[Category:1917 ships]] |
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Latest revision as of 06:47, 6 November 2019
USS Little (DD-79) | |
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USS Little (DD-79), running trials in icy waters, 4 March 1918. | |
Career (US) | |
Namesake: | George Little |
Builder: | Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts |
Laid down: | 18 June 1917 |
Launched: | 11 November 1917 |
Commissioned: | 6 April 1918 |
Decommissioned: | 5 July 1922 |
Reclassified: | Fast transport (APD-4) 2 August 1940 |
Recommissioned: | 4 November 1940 |
Fate: | Sunk 5 September 1942 |
General characteristics | |
Class & type: | Wickes class destroyer |
Displacement: | 1,191 tons |
Length: | 314 ft 5 in (95.83 m) |
Beam: | 30 ft 11 in (9.42 m) |
Draft: | 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) |
Speed: | 35 knots (65 km/h) |
Complement: | 133 officers and enlisted |
Armament: | 4 x 4"/50 (102 mm), 2 x 1-pdr, 4 x 3 21" (533 mm) torpedo tubes. |
USS Little (DD-79/APD-4), a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II. She was the first Navy ship named for George Little (1754–1809).
Little was laid down by Fore River Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, Massachusetts, 18 June 1917, launched 11 November 1917, sponsored by Mrs. Samuel W. Wakeman, and commissioned 6 April 1918, Commander Joseph K. Taussig in command.
Service history
Little departed Norfolk 5 May 1918 for convoy escort duty with Patrol Force, Coast of France, and operated from Brest until she sailed for home 26 December. During this period she escorted President Woodrow Wilson’s party to the Continent to attend the Paris Peace Conference.
The ship arrived Boston 18 January 1919 for drydock and operations with Destroyer Force, Atlantic. She escorted the President’s party back into New York 6 to 8 July, and then engaged in tactical exercises, she was transferred to Reserve Status with ComDesRon 3 at Philadelphia 17 November where she remained until 4 January 1921. The ship then operated along the $3 coast until she returned to Philadelphia and decommissioned 5 July 1922.
Converted to a high-speed transport by having two boilers removed and converted to troop quarters,[1] Little was redesignated APD-4, 2 August 1940, and recommissioned 4 November 1940, Lieutenant Commander. K. Earl in command. She sailed for the Caribbean in February 1941 for maneuvers with the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and then steamed to San Diego where she arrived 9 March for amphibious training. The ship returned to the east coast in late summer, and arrived at Norfolk 1 December for drydocking.
As flagship for TransDiv 12 she departed for San Diego 14 February 1942 for repairs and alterations. Upon completion of amphibious landing exercises in April, she steamed for Pearl Harbor. A short cruise to Midway Island in late June preceded her departure to New Caledonia 7 July for the Solomons campaign.
Supplies for American troops on Guadalcanal had been badly disrupted by the Battle of Savo Island 9 August 1942. High-speed destroyer-transports were called upon to remedy this shortage. As she discharged stores and Marine Raiders[1] on the Guadalcanal beaches 30 August, Little witnessed the destruction of Colhoun by enemy aircraft.
The three remaining APDs, Little, Gregory, and McKean, continued to support and help supply the Marines. On 4 September, Little and Gregory brought a detachment of marine raiders to Savo Island on an unfounded rumor that enemy forces had occupied it. The troops were returned to Lunga Point, Guadalcanal. That night was unusually dark, so Division Commander Hugh W. Hadley decided to patrol off Lunga Point rather than attempt to negotiate Tulagi Harbor with no visible landmarks.
About 0100 September 5, Little observed gun flashes to the east and believed this to be an enemy submarine. Moments later a Navy PBY Catalina flying over Savo Sound released a string of five flares to illuminate what he also thought was a submarine. The flares illuminated the APDs instead. A surprised Japanese surface destroyer force, engaged in shelling Henderson Field after delivering a "Tokyo Express" shipment of troops and supplies to Guadalcanal and the source of the flashes presumed to have come from a submarine, shifted their guns toward the APDs, and searchlights stabbed through the darkness. Though outgunned, Little opened fire on enemy destroyers, Yudachi, Hatsuyuki and Murakumo, but took direct hits from salvos which left her helpless and ablaze by 0115. Gregory had suffered the same fate. The Japanese, to assure their kill, steamed between the two stricken ships firing shells and strafing survivors. Gregory sank stern first about 0140. Little went down on an even keel about 2 hours later. Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz paid sincere tribute to these gallant ships: "With little means, the ships performed duties vital to the success of the campaign."
Awards
Little received two battle stars for World War II service.
Citations and notes
References
- Lane, Kerry, Guadalcanal Marine, University Press of Mississippi, 2004
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
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The original article can be found at USS Little (DD-79) and the edit history here.