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805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
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Online Library of Selected Images -- Picture Data

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

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10 December 2001