This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Tommy Burgdorf (Birddog), FC2
to remember
Stormes, Max Clifford, CDR.
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Casualty Info
Home Town Elmira, NY
Last Address USS Preston in the Pacific.
Remembered at the Manila American Cemetery - Taguig City, Philippines
Casualty Date Nov 15, 1942
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Other Explosive Device
Location Solomon Islands
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Buried at Sea - N/A, Pacific Ocean
Wall/Plot Coordinates Lost at Sea off Guadalcanal with the USS Preston.
Guadalcanal Campaign (1942-43)/Battle of Cape Esperance
From Month/Year
October / 1942
To Month/Year
October / 1942
Description Cape Esperance (Second Savo) October 11–12, 1942. The Battle of Cape Esperance, also known as the Second Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the Sea Battle of Savo Island, took place on 11–12 October 1942, and was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and United States Navy. The battle was the second of four major surface engagements during the Guadalcanal campaign and took place at the entrance to the strait between Savo Island and Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Cape Esperance (9°15′S 159°42′E) is the northernmost point on Guadalcanal, and the battle took its name from this point.
On the night of 11 October, Japanese naval forces in the Solomon Islands area—under the command of Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa—sent a major supply and reinforcement convoy to their forces on Guadalcanal. The convoy consisted of two seaplane tenders and six destroyers and was commanded by Rear Admiral Takatsugu Jojima. At the same time, but in a separate operation, three heavy cruisers and two destroyers—under the command of Rear Admiral Aritomo Goto-were to bombard the Allied airfield on Guadalcanal (called Henderson Field by the Allies) with the object of destroying Allied aircraft and the airfield's facilities.
Shortly before midnight on 11 October, a U.S force of four cruisers and five destroyers—under the command of Rear Admiral Norman Scott—intercepted Goto's force as it approached Savo Island near Guadalcanal. Taking the Japanese by surprise, Scott's warships sank one of Goto's cruisers and one of his destroyers, heavily damaged another cruiser, mortally wounded Goto, and forced the rest of Goto's warships to abandon the bombardment mission and retreat. During the exchange of gunfire, one of Scott's destroyers was sunk and one cruiser and another destroyer were heavily damaged. In the meantime, the Japanese supply convoy successfully completed unloading at Guadalcanal and began its return journey without being discovered by Scott's force. Later on the morning of 12 October, four Japanese destroyers from the supply convoy turned back to assist Goto's retreating, damaged warships. Air attacks by U.S. aircraft from Henderson Field sank two of these destroyers later that day.
As with the preceding naval engagements, around Guadalcanal, the strategic outcome was inconsequential because neither the Japanese nor United States navies secured operational control of the waters around Guadalcanal as a result of this action. However, the Battle of Cape Esperance provided a significant morale boost to the US Navy after the disaster of Savo Island.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
October / 1942
To Month/Year
October / 1942
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories Rearmed, Preston left Noumea and headed back to the Solomons and her second, and last, fight.
On the evening of 14 November, Preston, with TF 64, sailed along the western end of Guadalcanal to intercept another Japanese run down the Slot to bombard Henderson Field and land reinforcements. Swinging around Savo Island, the force, two battleships preceded by four destroyers, entered the channel between Savo and Cape Esperance. At 2300, the battleship Washington picked up the Japanese cruiser Sendai on her radar, and, at 2317, the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal began.
Sendai, accompanied by the destroyer Shikinami, had been following the Americans, but 16-inch projectiles drove them off. Soon after, however, the battle was rejoined. The Japanese force had been dispersed and within minutes of the battleship/cruiser encounter, enemy destroyers, edging along the southern shore of Savo, entered the fray. Benham and Preston followed. Gwin, which had been firing illumination shells toward the earlier gunfire exchange, came into the action in time to sight the cruiser Nagara and 4 destroyers closing in. Farther out, heavier Japanese ships were preparing to join in. The concentrated American destroyers were now central targets.
Approximately 8 minutes after the enemy was engaged, Walke was hit. Soon after, Preston, preparing her torpedoes, was struck. One salvo from Nagara had put both firerooms out and toppled the after stack. Her fires made an easier target and shells came in from both port and starboard. The fires spread. At 2336, she was ordered abandoned. Seconds later, she rolled on her side. She floated for another 10 minutes, bow in the air; then sank, taking 116 of her crew with her.