A Little U. S. Navy Hodgepodge Quiz

Answer: PE-57: patrol craft do not have names

My father-in-law and I both served in the Navy, he during World War II and I from the latter end of the Vietnam era to just past the Iran hostage crisis. His first ship was the "Pickle Boat", which was originally called "USS Eagle Boat No. 57" but later just PE-57. Like PT-109, a more famous and different type of patrol craft, PE-57 had no name, just a hull number.

Answer: USS Arizona, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Rear Admiral Kidd was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions aboard his flagship, the USS Arizona, on December 7, 1941. Rear Admiral Kidd died on the bridge of the Arizona and, like the rest of the men who died onboard, his remains were not recovered.

His son, Admiral Isaac Campbell Kidd, Jr., is buried at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis.

Answer: Ford Motor Company

Within five months of being awarded the contract to build the Eagle class, Henry Ford had the assembly plant ready to open, and the keel for the first of these craft was laid less than a year after the decision was made to build the class. Ford adapted the mass production techniques that had enabled him to build the Model T so inexpensively, and completed all 59 ships in just over one year.

Answer: USS Bailey (DD-492)

Major Kenneth D. Bailey won his Medal of Honor in World War II, long after the USS Bailey (DD-492) had been named. DD-492 and, before it, DD-269 were both named USS Bailey in honor of Rear Admiral Theodorus Bailey, a hero of both the Mexican War and the Civil War. DE-552 was never completed.

Answer: U.S.S. Coral Sea

Two carriers have had the proud name of the old Coral Maru, which was my last ship. CV-42, the second of the Midway class carriers, was originally named Coral Sea, but was renamed USS Franklin D. Roosevelt prior to launching in honor of the then recently deceased president. USS Coral Sea, CV-43, was the third Midway class carrier, and served proudly for some 50 years before being scrapped.

Answer: USS Tennessee (BB-43)

All four battleships were at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. West Virginia and California were raised and repaired, and were finally decommissioned in 1947. Oklahoma was raised but was considered beyond repair, and sank under tow to be scrapped approximately 540 miles northeast of Pearl Harbor on May 17, 1947. Tennessee was pinned to the pier by Arizona and West Virginia.

Although damaged, she remained afloat and three days after the attack she left Pearl Harbor under her own power and steamed to Bremerton, Washington for repairs.

Answer: First In Defense, the ship's motto.

Although Forrestal did have frequent fires, was a very powerful fighting machine, and did, at least when I was on her, hold general quarters drills during meal times quite frequently (or so it seemed to hungry sailors), her nickname "FID" is for that proud ship's motto, "First In Defense".

Answer: USS Shark (SS-174)

Tne Shark was lost approximately February 11, 1942, and was presumed sunk near the Celebes Islands wirh all hands lost. The Skipjack was sunk as a target off the coast of California on August 11, 1948. The Spearfish was scrapped in 1947, and the Plunger was scrapped in 1957.

Answer: USS Newark (CL-100)

During World War II, a number of ships that were laid down as light cruisers were converted into light aircraft carriers. Among them was the Newark, which saw service as the USS San Jacinto (CVL-30). The Des Moines predates World War II, having been scrapped in 1930.

The Helena was sunk at the Battle of Kula Gulf on July 6, 1943. The Astoria was scrapped in 1969, and the San Jacinto was scrapped in 1970.

Answer: USS Penguin (AM-33) - Sunk after hitting an iceberg near Adak, Alaska.

The Swallow's unfortunate meeting with Kanaga Island happened on February 19, 1938. The Tanager was sunk on May 4, 1942. The crew of the Finch abandoned her while she was sinking on April 10, 1942, but the Japanese salvaged her and she was sunk by the U. S. Navy while under the Japanese flag on January 12, 1945.

The Penguin was scuttled by her own crew in Agana Harbor, Guam on December 8, 1941 to prevent her from being captured by the Japanese.