The U.S.S. Juneau (CL52) was an Atlanta-class light cruiser. She was laid down in Kearney, New Jersey on May 27, 1940 and launched on October 25, 1941, sponsored by Mrs. Harry I. Lucas, wife of the Mayor of Juneau, Alaska. She was commissioned on February 14, 1942 with Captain Lyman K. Swenson in Command, two months following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The U.S.S. Juneau was 541 feet 6 inches in length with a beam of 52 feet 2 inches. She carried a compliment of 700 officers and enlisted personnel. Her primary armament was 16-5 inch guns, seventeen smaller deck guns, and six depth charge projectors and two depth charge tracks. Her speed was rated at 32+ knots.Following her transit to the Pacific Ocean her first major action occurred at the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands. The carrier Hornet and Enterprise joined task forces to position itself north of the Santa Cruz Islands to intercept enemy units that might attempt to reinforce Guadalcanal. Early morning of October 26, 1942, U.S. carrier aircraft uncovered the enemy force and immediately attacked it, damaging two carriers, a battleship and three cruisers. However, the American ships were also engaged when some 27 enemy aircraft attacked the U.S. carrier U.S.S. Hornet. The Juneau and other screen vessels threw up an effective screen and shot down about twenty of the Japanese aircraft, however the carrier Hornet was badly damaged and sank the following day. The U.S.S. Juneau detached from the Hornet task force and headed for the carrier U.S.S. Enterprise task force several miles away. With the assistance of the U.S.S. Juneau, the attack on the carrier Enterprise was repulsed and the shooting down of eighteen enemy aircraft. The Battle of Santa Cruz Islands kept the Japanese from reinforcing Guadalcanal.
On November 8, 1942 the U.S.S. Juneau departed New Caledonia to escort reinforcements to Guadalcanal. The task force arrived there early in the morning on November 12, 1942. Unloading of the transports and cargo vessels proceeded unmolested until 1405 when 30 Japanese planes attacked. The fire power of the screening vessels was effective with the U.S.S. Juneau being credited for downing six torpedo aircraft. The remaining attackers were attacked by U.S. aircraft with only one Japanese bomber escaping. Later in day the task force was messaged that a large enemy surface force was headed for the island. At 0148 on November 13, 1942 the relatively small Landing Support Group engaged the Japanese force consisting of two battleships, one light cruiser and nine destroyers.
Due to bad weather and garbled communications, the battle occurred at almost point blank range in the dark as the ships of the two sides intermingled with each other. During the fire fight, the U.S.S. Juneau took a torpedo to her port side, causing a severe list and dead in the water. The shock wave from the explosion buckled her decks, shattered the fire control computers, and knocked out all power. The U.S.S. Juneau restored power and limped away from the battle, down by the bow twelve feet and struggling to maintain 18 knots. She joined the surviving American warships at dawn on November 13th and commenced a zig-zag course in the company of two other cruisers and three destroyers. Just prior to noon,the task force was intercepted by a Japanese submarine (I-26). At 1101,the submarine fired three torpedo's at the cruiser U.S.S. San Francisco. None of these shots hit the cruiser, but one passed beyond and struck the U.S.S. Juneau on the port side, very near the previous hit. The ensuing magazine explosion blew the light cruiser in half, killing most of the crew. The U.S.S. Juneau (CL-52) slipped beneath the waves in less than a minute. The loss of the U.S.S. Juneau was just one day short of nine months from the time she was commissioned. The U.S.S. Helena messaged a nearby B-17 search and rescue aircraft, that the U.S.S. Juneau was lost at a latitude 10 degrees South and longitude 161 degrees East and that survivors were in the water. The sinking location was later modified to 10 degrees South and 161 Degrees East.
Concerned that enemy submarines remained in the area and the rapid sinking of the ship the crippled task force did not remain in the area. The message from the U.S.S. Helena reporting the survivors in the water unfortunately did not reach the rescue center, rescue operations did not begin for several days. It was later revealed that approximately 115 men survived the second torpedo attack and went into the water. Exposure, exhaustion, and shark attacks took their toll, there were only 10 men that survived the sinking of the U.S.S. Juneau (CL-52), they were rescued eight days following the sinking of their ship.
On November 8, 1942 the U.S.S. Juneau departed New Caledonia to escort reinforcements to Guadalcanal. The task force arrived there early in the morning on November 12, 1942. Unloading of the transports and cargo vessels proceeded unmolested until 1405 when 30 Japanese planes attacked. The fire power of the screening vessels was effective with the U.S.S. Juneau being credited for downing six torpedo aircraft. The remaining attackers were attacked by U.S. aircraft with only one Japanese bomber escaping. Later in day the task force was messaged that a large enemy surface force was headed for the island. At 0148 on November 13, 1942 the relatively small Landing Support Group engaged the Japanese force consisting of two battleships, one light cruiser and nine destroyers.
Due to bad weather and garbled communications, the battle occurred at almost point blank range in the dark as the ships of the two sides intermingled with each other. During the fire fight, the U.S.S. Juneau took a torpedo to her port side, causing a severe list and dead in the water. The shock wave from the explosion buckled her decks, shattered the fire control computers, and knocked out all power. The U.S.S. Juneau restored power and limped away from the battle, down by the bow twelve feet and struggling to maintain 18 knots. She joined the surviving American warships at dawn on November 13th and commenced a zig-zag course in the company of two other cruisers and three destroyers. Just prior to noon,the task force was intercepted by a Japanese submarine (I-26). At 1101,the submarine fired three torpedo's at the cruiser U.S.S. San Francisco. None of these shots hit the cruiser, but one passed beyond and struck the U.S.S. Juneau on the port side, very near the previous hit. The ensuing magazine explosion blew the light cruiser in half, killing most of the crew. The U.S.S. Juneau (CL-52) slipped beneath the waves in less than a minute. The loss of the U.S.S. Juneau was just one day short of nine months from the time she was commissioned. The U.S.S. Helena messaged a nearby B-17 search and rescue aircraft, that the U.S.S. Juneau was lost at a latitude 10 degrees South and longitude 161 degrees East and that survivors were in the water. The sinking location was later modified to 10 degrees South and 161 Degrees East.
Concerned that enemy submarines remained in the area and the rapid sinking of the ship the crippled task force did not remain in the area. The message from the U.S.S. Helena reporting the survivors in the water unfortunately did not reach the rescue center, rescue operations did not begin for several days. It was later revealed that approximately 115 men survived the second torpedo attack and went into the water. Exposure, exhaustion, and shark attacks took their toll, there were only 10 men that survived the sinking of the U.S.S. Juneau (CL-52), they were rescued eight days following the sinking of their ship.
THE REST OF THE STORY
From the time that I joined the Navy in 1963, I have known of this part of Navy history and have even had to invoke the policy on several occasions. However, I never knew or had forgot that it occurred aboard the U.S.S. Juneau (CL-52). The Navy has always had a policy about brothers serving together on the same ship. Even in World War II, the rule about brothers serving together was in affect but often overlooked. It was because of this incident that the military services developed the policy that a man was not eligible for the draft (when it was in effect) or enlistment into the military if they were the sole surviving son. After the sinking of the U.S.S. Juneau (CL-52) the policy of brothers serving together was also reinforced if there are no other surviving brothers at home.
Albert, Francis, George, Joseph, and Madison Sullivan were born in Waterloo, Iowa between 1914 and 1920. George and Francis enlisted in the Navy in 1937. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the three younger brothers joined the Navy in early 1942. They requested and were granted permission to serve together as the commissioning crew of the U.S.S. Juneau (CL-52) in February 1942. They remained with their ship and subsequent combat actions at the Battle of Guadalcanal. All of the Sullivan brothers were lost on the U.S.S. Juneau (CL-52) on November 13, 1942. Three of them were killed during the torpedo attacks, two of them are believed to have went into the water but not rescued. Two Navy destroyers have proudly carried the name U.S.S. Sullivan in honor of the brothers. There were several other sets of brothers on the U.S.S. Juneau (CL52) that were also lost at sea, but they had surviving brothers stationed elsewhere or at home. The movie, "Saving Private Ryan" starring Tom Hanks, even though it is an Army movie is based, loosely, on the story of the Sullivan Brothers.
Albert, Francis, George, Joseph, and Madison Sullivan were born in Waterloo, Iowa between 1914 and 1920. George and Francis enlisted in the Navy in 1937. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the three younger brothers joined the Navy in early 1942. They requested and were granted permission to serve together as the commissioning crew of the U.S.S. Juneau (CL-52) in February 1942. They remained with their ship and subsequent combat actions at the Battle of Guadalcanal. All of the Sullivan brothers were lost on the U.S.S. Juneau (CL-52) on November 13, 1942. Three of them were killed during the torpedo attacks, two of them are believed to have went into the water but not rescued. Two Navy destroyers have proudly carried the name U.S.S. Sullivan in honor of the brothers. There were several other sets of brothers on the U.S.S. Juneau (CL52) that were also lost at sea, but they had surviving brothers stationed elsewhere or at home. The movie, "Saving Private Ryan" starring Tom Hanks, even though it is an Army movie is based, loosely, on the story of the Sullivan Brothers.
"The Sullivan Brothers and the U.S.S. Juneau (CL-52)"
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