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Contact Info
Home Town Utica, NY
Last Address Honolulu, HI
Date of Passing Feb 06, 1956
Location of Interment U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery and Columbarium (VLM) - Annapolis, Maryland
Wall/Plot Coordinates 01-0131 A
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
William Garrett Greenman was born on August 26, 1888, in Utica, New York. He entered the navy in June 1909, just short of his twenty-first birthday, having been appointed a midshipman from his home state on June 26, 1908. He graduated from the Naval Academy with the class of 1912. His first assignment was to the battleship North Dakota and the commissioning of the gunboat Sacramento (PG-19).
World War I found Greenman raising to the rank of lieutenant commander as he spent time aboard the battleships Nevada and Florida. By the late 1920's Greenman was given his own ship, assuming command of the destroyer Preston DD-327 followed by the Brooks DD-232. In April 1934, the same month that the Astoria was commissioned, Greenman was made a commander.
The outbreak of World War II in Europe found Greenman, with the rank of captain, in command of a destroyer squadron. The ships were part of what was known as the Atlantic Squadron operating off America's East Coast. The destroyers became part of the Neutrality Patrol, whose purpose was to show the world that the United States Navy was ready and able to deend the Western Hemisphere. Greenman later became chief of staff to Commander Destroyers, Atlantic Fleet. During his tenure he assisted in the transfer of fifty old destroyers to the British. On May 16, 1942, he received orders to report to the Pacific as the new commanding officer of the Astoria.
Having a new commanding officer come aboard can cause a level of uneasiness among a ship's crew. No one for sure knows what to expect. By the time the Guadalcanal operation had begun, word spread around the Astoria that the new captain had a sense of humor. It was a boost to moral to know that Greenman was a so-called regular.
The USS Astoria CA-34 was sunk at the battle of Savo Island on August 9, 1942. Captain Greenman received the Legion of Merit for his gallant attempts to save the sinking ship. A second LM was awarded to Captain William G. Greenman, Head of the Advanced Base Planning Section. He was responsible for the general planning and coordination of the establishment of all advanced bases in the Central Pacific Area (CincPac and CincPoa)during 1943 until January 1944.
In 1945, Wm. G. Greenman was Director, Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves. He retired with the rank of Commodore.
Guadalcanal Campaign (1942-43)/Battle of Savo Island
From Month/Year
August / 1942
To Month/Year
August / 1942
Description On 7 Aug 1942, the United States committed to its first land based counterattack. The Marines landed at both Tulagi and Guadalcanal, on both sides of Savo Sound. The installation at Guadalcanal was mostly construction workers and was an easy landing. The more established base at Tulagi involved heavy fighting, but was captured in two days. The Japanese responded immediately with air attacks from their bomber bases in New Britain (Rabaul) from the north and fighter strips in the northern Solomons (Bougainville). US carrier planes operating near the invasion fleet in Savo Sound defended. Thirty-three enemy were shot down for a loss of 12 US planes, one destroyer crippled, and a transport, George F. Elliot (AP-13), set afire and lost. The IJN also sent the Eighth Fleet from Rabaul to attack the US beachhead. This fleet (VAdm Mikawa) consisted of five heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and a destroyer.
The western approaches to Savo Sound were guarded by a screening force of six heavy cruisers and six destroyers (the battle fleet had been destroyed at Pearl Harbor) in two groups covering both passages. Radar pickets were the destroyers Blue (DD-387) and Ralph Talbot (DD-390) deployed west of Savo Island. The south passage was defended by HMAS Australia (flagship of RAdm Crutchley, RN), HMAS Canberra, USS Chicago (CA-29), Bagley (DD-386) and Patterson (DD-392). The northern group was made up of Vincennes (CA-44), Quincy (CA-39), Astoria (CA-34) and destroyers Helm (DD-391) and Wilson (DD-408). The eastern approaches also had a screening force, made up of light cruisers San Juan (CL-54 flag), HMAS Hobart, and destroyers Monssen (DD-436) and Buchanan (DD-484).
The IJN 8th fleet of fast cruisers arrived the second night and meet the US screening force for the Battle of Savo Island. At the same time, the three US carriers and their escorts, including North Carolina (BB-55), six cruisers, and 16 destroyers, were withdrawing to get out of sight of land-based bombers from Rabaul.
The enemy force of fast cruisers sent out scout floatplanes that reported the American forces. Both radar picket ships (radar range about 10 miles) were at the extreme ends of their patrols sailing away from the Japanese fleet which passed undetected about 500 yards from Blue. The enemy was lost in the visual and radar shadow of nearby Savo Island. Allied ships were faintly silhouetted by a freighter burning far over the horizon. The enemy discovered the southern force and fired torpedoes before they were detected. Simultaneously with the explosions, the scout plane dropped flares illuminating the allied fleet. Canberra was stuck by two torpedoes and heavy shelling. The US ships fired star shells and opened fire. Chicago of the southern force was torpedoed. The Jap force turned north in two columns. The northern defense force had not gotten the word, there was a rain squall in the area, and they assumed the southern force was shooting at aircraft. The two Jap columns passed on each side of the US force and opened fire on Astoria, Quincy, and Vincennes. The American captains ordered "cease fire" assuming they were Americans firing on their own ships. Vincennes caught a torpedo. Robert Talbot came charging south and was attacked first by friendly fire and then raked by the enemy escaping to the north. Quincy and Vincennes went down. During rescue operations for Canberra, Patterson was fired on by Chicago. Canberra was sunk the next morning to prevent capture as the US fleet left the waters that was hereafter called Iron Bottom Sound. Astoria sank about noon while under tow. Chicago had to undergo repair until Jan'43.
In just 32 minutes the enemy had inflicted massive damage. Four heavy cruisers were sunk and a heavy cruiser and destroyer badly damaged. 1,270 men were killed and 708 injured. The enemy had comparative scratches on three cruisers.
