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GUADALCANAL HISTORY - VIDEO - PHOTOS -
Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the South Pacific of World War II.
Reconnaissance mission spotted construction of a Japanese airfield at Lunga Point on the north coast of Guadalcanal, the situation became critical. The initial landings of US Marines on August 7, 1942 secured the airfield without too much difficulty, but holding the airfield for the next six months was one of the most hotly contested campaigns in the entire war for the control of ground, sea and skies. Guadalcanal became a major turning point in the war as it stopped Japanese expansion. After six months of fighting the Japanese ceased contesting the control of the island. They finally evacuated the island at Cape Esperance on the north west coast in February 1943.
Seattle Spirit
American Steam merchant
| Name | Seattle Spirit | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5,627 tons | ||
| Completed | 1919 - J.F. Duthie & Co, Seattle WA | ||
| Owner | Seas Shipping Co Inc, New York | ||
| Homeport | Seattle | ||
| Date of attack | 18 Jun 1942 | Nationality: American | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-124 (Johann Mohr) | ||
| Position | 50.24N, 42.37W - Grid BC 3157 | ||
| Complement | 55 (4 dead and 51 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | ONS-102 | ||
| Route | Murmansk - Reykjavik (29 May) - New York | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | Built for the US Maritime Commission, Washington DC and later placed in the reserve fleet. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 06.21 and 06.22 hours on 18 Jun, 1942, U-124 fired two spreads of two torpedoes at three ships in convoy ONS-102 in rough seas and observed two hits on the first ship and heard further detonations. Mohr claimed two ships sunk and another damaged, however the only ship hit was Seattle Spirit in station #112. One torpedo struck the Seattle Spirit (Master Edward W. Myers) on the port side amidships in the engine room and quickly flooded the ship, causing a boiler explosion and killing one officer and two crewmen on watch below. The most of the nine officers, 28 crewmen, eleven armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, four .50cal and four .30 cal guns) and seven passengers (Canadians) on board abandoned ship in three lifeboats. One sailor died of shock and exposure after jumping into the water. The master Edward W. Myers already experienced another sinking when his previous ship, the Robin Moor had been sunk by U-69 (Metzler) on 21 May, 1941. | ||
USS Menifee (APA-202) was a Haskell-class attack transport that saw service with the US Navy in World War II and the Korean War.
Menifee was laid down as MCV Hull No. 670 by Kaiser Shipbuilding of Vancouver, Washington on 21 July 1944; launched 15 October 1944, and commissioned 4 November 1944, Comdr. Paul P. Spaulding, USNR, in command.
| Name: | USS Menifee (APA-202) |
| Namesake: | Menifee County, Kentucky |
| Builder: | Kaiser Shipbuilding |
| Yard number: | MCV No. 670 |
| Laid down: | 21 July 1944 |
| Launched: | 15 October 1944 |
| Sponsored by: | Mrs Lucien Garon |
| Acquired: | 4 November 1944 |
| Commissioned: | 4 November 1944 |
| Recommissioned: | 2 December 1950 |
| Decommissioned: | 29 June 1955 |
| Struck: | 1 October 1955 |
| Honours and awards: | One battle star for World War II service and two battle stars for Korea service |
| Fate: | Unknown |
| General characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Class and type: | Haskell-class attack transport |
| Tonnage: | 150,000 cu. ft, 2,900 tons |
| Displacement: | 6,873 t.(lt) 14,837 t (fl) |
| Length: | 455 ft |
| Beam: | 62 ft |
| Draft: | 24 ft |
| Propulsion: | 1 x Allis-Chalmers geared turbine, 2 x Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, 1 x propeller, designed shaft horsepower 8,500 |
| Speed: | 18 knots |
| Boats and landing craft carried: | 2 x LCM, 12 x LCVP, 3 x LCPU |
| Capacity: | 86 Officers 1,475 Enlisted |
| Crew: | 56 Officers, 480 enlisted |
| Armament: | 1 x 5"/38 caliber dual-purpose gun mount, 1 x quad 40mm gun mounts, 4 x twin 40mm gun mounts, 10 x single 20mm gun mounts |
| Notes: | MARCOM hull type VC2-S-AP5 |
