Moore, Samuel Nobre, CAPT

On August 9, 1942, USS Quincy (CA-39), along with sister ships USS Astoria (CA-34) and USS Vincennes (CA-44), had seen aircraft flares dropped over other ships in the task force, and had just sounded general quarters and was coming alert when the searchlights from the Japanese column came on.

Quincy's captain, Samuel N. Moore, gave the order to commence firing, but the gun crews were not ready. Within a few minutes, Quincy was caught in a crossfire between Aoba, Furutaka, and Tenryū, and was hit heavily and set afire.

Quincy's captain ordered his cruiser to charge towards the eastern Japanese column, but as she turned to do so, Quincy was hit by two torpedoes from Tenryū, causing severe damage. Quincy managed to fire a few main gun salvos, one of which hit Chokai's chart room 6 meters (20 ft) from Admiral Mikawa and killed or wounded 36 men, although Mikawa was not injured.

At 02:10, incoming shells killed or wounded almost all of Quincy's bridge crew, including the captain. At 02:16, the cruiser was hit by a torpedo from Aoba, and the ship's remaining guns were silenced. Quincy sustained many direct hits, which left 370 men dead and 167 wounded. She sank, bow first, at 02:38, being the first ship sunk in the area which was later known as Ironbottom Sound.
 
CAPT Moore was killed in action. He was originally buried overseas (location unknown). In 1948, his remains were returned to his family for burial in the US.

USS Samuel N. Moore (DD-747), an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Captain Samuel N. Moore.