If you knew or served with this Sailor and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
Casualty Info
Home Town Pueblo, CO
Last Address USS Sims in the Pacific.
Remembered at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial - Philippines
Casualty Date May 07, 1942
Cause KIA-Body Not Recovered
Reason Other Explosive Device
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Buried at Sea - N/A, Pacific Ocean
Wall/Plot Coordinates Lost at Sea with the USS Sims in the Pacific.
Military Service Number 58 619
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
On the morning of 7 May 1942, a search plane from the Japanese striking force sighted the oiler and destroyer and reported them to Admiral Takagi as a carrier and a cruiser. Takagi ordered an all-out attack. At 0930, 15 high level bombers attacked the two ships but did no damage. At 1038, 10 attacked the destroyer, but skillful maneuvering evaded the nine bombs that were dropped. A third attack against the two ships by 36 Val dive bombers was devastating. Neosho was soon a blazing wreck as the result of seven direct hits and one plane that dived into her.
USS Sims (DD-409) was attacked from all directions. The destroyer defended herself as best she could. Three 250 kg (551 lb) bombs hit the destroyer. Two exploded in the engine room, and within minutes, the ship buckled amidships and began to sink, stern first. As Sims slid beneath the waves, there was a tremendous explosion that raised what was left of the ship almost 15 feet out of the water.
LCDR Hyman, the commanding officer of the Sims, was among the men listed as missing in action and later declared dead.
Comments/Citation:
USS Hyman (DD-732), was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer named in honor of LtCmdr Hyman.
Navy Cross Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
Division: U.S.S. Sims (DD-409)
General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 313 (April 1943)
Citation:
"The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Willford Milton Hyman (NSN: 0-58619), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the Destroyer U.S.S. SIMS (DD-409), during operations in the Coral Sea on 7 May 1942.
...
Lieutenant Hyman skillfully warded off the first raid of a hostile aircraft attack on his vessel and the ship which it was escorting, and, in the second raid, when the Sims lay dead and crippled in the water, he kept her guns blazing away until the last Japanese plane had disappeared. Then he coolly directed salvage and repair operations until the bridge of the sinking vessel was completely awash and he went down into the sea.
...
The conduct of Lieutenant Hyman throughout this action reflects great credit upon himself, and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country."
Quincy (CA-39) was laid down by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, Mass., 15 November 1933; launched 19 June 1935; sponsored by Mrs. Henry S. Morgan,. and commissioned at Boston 9 June 1936, Capt. William Faulkner Amsden in command.
Soon after being assigned to Cruiser Division 8 Atlantic Fleet, Quincy was ordered to Mediterranean waters 20 July 1936 to protect American interests in Spain during the height of the Spanish Civil War. Quincy passed through the Straits of Gibraltar 26 July and arrived at Malaga, Spain, 27 July to assume her duties. While in Spanish waters she operated with an international rescue fleet that included the German pocket-battleships Deutschland, Admiral Graf Spec and Admiral Scheer. Quincy evacuated 490 refugees to Marseilles and Villefranche, France, before being relieved by Raleigh 27 September.
Quincy returned to the Boston Navy Yard 5 October for refit preparatory to final acceptance trials which were held 15-18 March 1937. She got underway for the Pacific 12 April to join Cruiser Division 7, transited the Panama Canal 23-27 April and arrived at Pearl Harbor 10 May.
Quincy sortied with Cruiser Divisions Pacific Fleet 20 May on a tactical exercise which was the first of many such maneuvers that she participated in during 1937 and 1938. From 15 March-28 April, she engaged in important battle practice off Hawaii with the Pacific Fleet in Fleet Problem XIX. After an overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard, Quincy resumed tactical operations with her division off San Clemente, Calif. until her redeployment to the Atlantic 4 January 1939.
Quincy transited the Panama Canal 13 January bound for Guantanamo Bay where she engaged in gunnery practice and amphibious exercises. She also took part in Fleet Problem XX with the Atlantic Fleet 13-26 February. Quincy later made a South American good will tour 10 April-12 June, and upon returning to Norfolk, embarked reservists for three training cruises 9 July-24 August. She spent the remainder of 1939 on patrol in the North Atlantic due to the outbreak of World War II.
After overhaul at Norfolk until 4 May 1940, Quincy again visited Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, returning to Norfolk 22 September. She completed three more reserve training cruises 1 October-20 December.
Quincy was occupied in Atlantic Fleet maneuvers and landing force exercises off Culebra Island, P.R. 3 February-1 April 1941. With the growth of hostilities in Europe, she was ordered to Task Group 2 and operated with Wasp in the mid-Atlantic preserving U.S. neutrality 26 April-6 June. Later she operated with Yorktown and Task Group 28 until sailing for home 14 July.
On 28 July 1941 Quincy sailed with Task Group 16 for Iceland on neutrality duty which included a patrol in the Denmark Straits 21-24 September. She returned to Newfoundland with a convoy 31 October. Quincy then proceeded to Capetown, South Africa, via Trinidad, where she met a convoy which she escorted back to Trinidad 29 December 1941.
Quincy returned 2.5 January 1942 to Icelandic waters on convoy duty with Task Force 15 and made a patrol in the Denmark Straits 8-11 March. She departed 14 March for the U.S. and an overhaul at the New York Navy Yard that lasted until the end of May.
Quincy sailed for San Diego 5 June via the Panama Canal and arrived 19 June. She was then assigned to Task Force 18 as the flagship of Rear Admiral Norman R. Scott, Commander Cruisers.
Quincy got underway for the South Pacific in July with other vessels assembling for the invasion of Guadalcanal.
Prior to the Marine assault on Guadalcanal 7 August, Quincy destroyed several Japanese installations and an oil depot during her bombardment of Lunga Point. She later provided close fire support for the Marines during the landing.
While on patrol in the channel between Florida Island and Savo Island, in the early hours of 9 August 1942 Quincy was attacked by a large Japanese naval force and sank after sustaining many direct hits with all guns out of action. Quincy earned one battle star during World War II.
