USS ''Duncan'' (DD-485), a , was the second ship of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

to be named after

Silas Duncan Silas M. Duncan (178814 September 1834) was an officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. Born in Rockaway Township, New Jersey, Duncan was appointed midshipman 15 November 1809. While third lieutenant of ''Saratoga'' during the ...

, who was severely wounded by enemy fire which caused the loss of his right arm during the Battle of Lake Champlain on 11 September 1814.

Construction and commissioning

''Duncan'' was launched on 20 February 1942 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.,

Kearny, New Jersey Kearny ( ) is a town in the western part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and a suburb of Newark. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 41,999, an increase of 1,315 (+3.2%) from the 2010 census cou ...

; sponsored by Mrs. D. C. Thayer. The ship was commissioned on 16 April 1942, Lieutenant Commander Edmund B. Taylor in command.

Service history

''Duncan'' sailed from New York on 20 June 1942 for the South Pacific, arrived at

Espiritu Santo Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census. Geography The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region ...

on 14 September to join TFs 17 and 18, and with them departed the same day to cover

transport Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...

s carrying the 7th Marine Regiment to reinforce

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...

. ''Duncan'' was in the screen of the

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...

next day when the task force was attacked by two Japanese

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

s. ''Wasp'' was torpedoed, and so severely damaged that she had to be sunk by United States ships. ''Duncan'' picked up survivors from the carrier, transferring 701 officers and men to other ships, and 18 wounded and two bodies to the base hospital at Espiritu Santo upon her arrival 16 September. ''Duncan'' continued to operate from Espiritu Santo to the Solomons, screening transports and ships of the covering forces. On 11 October 1942, she was in the screen of Task Force 64 (TF 64) which was assigned to protect a vital transport

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

carrying reinforcements to Guadalcanal. Contact was made with a large enemy surface force just as the American ships were executing a course change as part of their battle plan. ''Duncan'', having a clear

radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...

contact and seeing her

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

apparently steady upon a course which would close the target, believed the destroyers were closing to attack, and found herself charging alone toward the enemy force. In the resulting

Battle of Cape Esperance The Battle of Cape Esperance, also known as the Second Battle of Savo Island and in Japanese sources as the , took place on 11–12 October 1942, in the Pacific War, Pacific campaign of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and United ...

, ''Duncan'' hit a

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...

with several salvos, then shifted fire to a destroyer, at the same time maneuvering radically to avoid enemy fire and that from her own forces, who were now joining in the attack. She got off two torpedoes toward her first target, , and kept firing until hits she had received put her out of action. The commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Edmund B. Taylor who was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions in this battle ordered the bridge, isolated by fire, abandoned, and the wounded lowered into life rafts. The men on board attempted to beach the ship on

Savo Island Savo Island is an island in Solomon Islands in the South Pacific ocean. Administratively, Savo Island is a part of the Central Province of Solomon Islands. It is about from the national capital of Honiara. The principal village is Alialia, i ...

, but then, believing she might yet be saved, continued to fight the fires until power failed, when they abandoned ship. Destroyer rescued 195 men from the shark-infested waters and made an attempt to salvage ''Duncan'', but she sank on 12 October 1942, about north of

Awards

''Duncan'' received one

battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or service period. T ...

for World War II service.

References

External links

USS ''Duncan'' website
a
Destroyer History Foundation
*

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan (Dd-485) World War II destroyers of the United States Ships built in Kearny, New Jersey Shipwrecks in Ironbottom Sound 1942 ships Gleaves-class destroyers of the United States Navy Maritime incidents in October 1942