On the morning of December 7, 1941, the USS Tucker (DD-372)had beem at Pearl harbor, where it shot down at least two, possibly 3 enemy aircraft. For the next five months it escorted convoys.
Just after midnight on August 3, 1942, the USS Gamble, USS Tracy and USS Breese laid 171 mines at the three entrances to Espiritu Santo. They were Mark VI mines, each containing 1600 pounds of TNT.
On August 3, at 2145, the Tucker was leading the SS Nira Luckenbach, a freighter, into one of the three entrances, the Segond Channel. they had no idea that the new mines had been laid.
The Tucker hit a mine and was almost lifted out of the water. The ship buckled. The freighter refused to assist for fear of other mines. Around midnight, the YP-346 entered the channel.
--GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
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