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Casualty Info
Home Town Washington D.C.
Last Address 3107 Circle Hill Rd Alexandria, VA
Casualty Date Aug 09, 1942
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Artillery, Rocket, Mortar
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
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.
Comments/Citation:
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.
Samuel Nobre Moore (7 September 1891 to 9 August 1942) was an officer in the United States Navy during World War II.
Biography
Born in Washington, D.C., Moore entered the United States Naval Academy in 1909 and was commissioned Ensign in 1913.
From April 1914 to February 1915, he served on board USS Hopkins (DD-6) and participated in the occupation of Veracruz. He served in USS Nicholson (DD-52) from May 1915 to January 1917, and in USS Michigan (BB-27) while the United States participated in World War I.
During the interwar period, he held numerous naval posts ashore and at sea with the Atlantic, Pacific, and Asiatic Fleets. In command of Destroyer Division 21 from September 1937 into 1939, Moore organized the New England section of the Neutrality Patrol in late 1939. He took command of USS Quincy (CA-39) on 20 May 1942 and died on the night of 8-9 August 1942 when that cruiser was sunk while fighting in the Battle of Savo Island.
Namesake
In 1944, the destroyer USS Samuel N. Moore (DD-747) was named for him, sponsored by Mrs. Samuel N. Moore