Myers, Ellis Clark, S2c

At 01:48hrs (1:48am) on November 13, 1942 the order to open fire was precluded when the Japanese ship Akatsuki lit its searchlights onto the cruiser USS Atlanta causing both sides to immediately open fire on each other and starting the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

Now fully enveloped by Japanese battle lines, USS Barton and USS Monssen steaming astern, broke to the Northwest into the main group of Japanese ships while firing at point blank range on nearby Japanese destroyers and making violent maneuvers to avoid collisions with both friendly and enemy ships in the melee. Barton had just fired a full spread of torpedoes at the battleship Hiei when the light cruiser USS Helena appeared suddenly out of the darkness and cut directly across the bow of Barton. Making an emergency stop to avoid colliding with Helena, Barton found herself at a dead stop as her engineering crew tried to get her engines back into gear to get her moving again. However, before she could get underway two 'Long Lance' torpedoes fired by the Amatsukaze slammed into the midsection of Barton; one in her boiler room and one in her engine room. The massive explosions broke the Barton in two and both sections sank only minutes after the first torpedo struck, carrying with her 164 men: 13 officers and 151 of her crew.

S2c Myers was listed as missing in action and later declared dead.

Service number: 6502329

The information contained in this profile was compiled from various internet sources.