This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Michael Kohan (Mikey), ATCS
to remember
Scott, Norman Nicholas, RADM.
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Casualty Info
Home Town Indianapolis
Last Address USS Atlanta (CL-51) CENOTAPH- Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Manila, Philippines; name is listed on the Tablets of the Missing.
Casualty Date Nov 13, 1942
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Other Explosive Device
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Buried at Sea, Pacific Ocean
Wall/Plot Coordinates Buried at Sea in the Pacific off Guadalcanal.
Military Service Number 7 749
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
While aboard the light cruiser USS Atlanta off the coast of Guadalcanal, Admiral Scott directed his ships to intercept a Japanese bombardment force comprising two battleships, a light cruiser, and six destroyers steaming toward Guadalcanal to shell Henderson Field.
As two Japanese destroyers crossed Atlanta's line of fire, an enemy torpedo punched into Atlanta's forward engine room, causing an interruption of her gunfire. Shortly thereafter, the Atlanta reeled under the impact of a flurry of nineteen 8-inch hits from the American heavy cruiser San Francisco.
Due to the urgency of battle, darkness, and confused intermingling of friendly and enemy warships, the San Francisco had accidentally fired into her. Fragments from the impact of these projectiles killed many men, including Rear Admiral Scott. Because of his extraordinary heroism during this action, Admiral Scott was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor
Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
Division: U.S.S. Atlanta (CL-51)
Citation: The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Rear Admiral Norman Scott (NSN: 0-7749), United States Navy-
"For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty during action against enemy Japanese forces off Savo Island on the night of 11 - 12 October and again on the night of 12 - 13 November 1942.
...
In the earlier action, intercepting a Japanese Task Force intent upon storming our island positions and landing reinforcements at Guadalcanal, Rear Admiral Scott, with courageous skill and superb coordination of the units under his command, destroyed eight hostile vessels and put the others to flight.
...
Again challenged, a month later, by the return of a stubborn and persistent foe, he led his force into a desperate battle against tremendous odds, directing close-range operations against the invading enemy until he himself was killed in the furious bombardment by their superior firepower.
...
On each of these occasions, his dauntless initiative, inspiring leadership and judicious foresight in a crisis of grave responsibility contributed decisively to the rout of a powerful invasion fleet and to the consequent frustration of a formidable Japanese offensive. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country."
USS Norman Scott (DD-690) was a United States Navy Fletcher-class destroyer named for Norman Scott (1889?1942), an admiral of the US Navy who was killed in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, and awarded the Medal of Honor.
Norman Scott was laid down 26 April 1943 by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched 28 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Norman Scott; and commissioned 5 November 1943, Commander Seymour D. Owens in command.
On 14 January 1944, Norman Scott left Boston, escorting Canberra (CA-70) to Pearl Harbor, arriving 1 February. Immediately, she served in the Marshall Islands Operations, accompanying Gambier Bay (CVE-73) to newly-won Majuro. She returned to Pearl Harbor to prepare for the Mariana Islands Operations, during which she escorted heavy bombardment ships as well as conducting fire support missions of her own, during the invasions of Saipan, 15 June, and of Tinian. While firing on the latter 24 July, she was hit by counterfire and lost her captain, Seymour Owens, and 22 others, with an additional 57 wounded. Temporary repairs were made at Saipan. On the 28th she sailed for Pearl Harbor and Mare Island Naval Shipyard, where permanent repairs were completed on 21 October.The USS Norman Scott was the star of a World War II RKO-Pathe film entitled This is America-Navy Yard in October of 1944. It was about her repair after being hit at Tinian by Japanese shore batteries on July 24, 1944.
Norman Scott trained her new crew in Hawaiian waters, then sailed for Manus, from which she escorted transports to the Philippines until 9 February 1945. She then joined the fast carrier task forces of the 5th and 3rd Fleets, ranging the western Pacific for strikes which supported the assaults on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Later in the war, she closed the Japanese home shores as battleships bombarded them. On July 15, 1945, the Norman Scott joined the battleships Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa and the destroyers Remey and McGowan in attacking the sea port city of Muroran. These were the first surface ships to bomb the Japanese homeland. The USS Norman Scott was part of the famed squadron DesRon 54 that opened the battle at Surigao Strait. The Norman Scott was leaving Mare Island on October 21, 1944 after her repair to join her sister ships of Desron 54.
After supporting the occupation of the Japanese naval base at Yokosuka, Norman Scott returned briefly to Okinawa, then proceeded to the west coast, arriving for Navy Day (27 October) celebrations at Tacoma, Wash. After operating out of San Francisco, she decommissioned 30 April 1946 and was berthed in reserve at San Diego, moving in 1947 to Mare Island. Norman Scott was stricken 15 April 1973. She was sold for scrap on 3 December 1973.
Norman Scott received 7 battle stars for World War II service.
