Photo #: 80-G-220760 Destroyer Squadron Twelve Five DesRon12 destroyers make formation "S-turns" in Iron Bottom Sound, off Guadalcanal. Savo Island is in the distance. They were returning from one of their raids on Rabaul in February 1944, and executed the high-speed turns as a salute to the three ships of the squadron that had been sunk in the vicinity of Iron Bottom Sound. This had become a custom whenever DesRon12 ships passed Savo Island after a successful raid against the Japanese. Commanded by Captain Rodger W. Simpson, the squadron raided Rabaul on 17-18 and 23-25 February 1944. His flagship was USS Farenholt (DD-491). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 74KB; 740 x 510 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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10 December 2001