| USS Quincy (CA-39) Photographed from USS Wasp (CV-7), at Nouméa, New Caledonia, on the eve of the invasion of Guadalcanal. She was sunk 6 days later, during the Battle of Savo Island. Note Quincy’s signal flags and Measure 12, Modified, camouflage scheme. While on patrol in the channel between Florida Island and Savo Island, in the early hours of August 9, Quincy was attacked by a large Japanese naval force during the Battle of Savo Island. Quincy, 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 (September 7, 1891 – August 9, 1942), gave the order to commence firing, but the gun crews were not ready. Within a few minutes, Quincy was caught in a crossfire between Imperial Japanese Navy cruisers Aoba, Furutaka, and Tenryū, and was hit heavily and set afire. Quincy’s Captain Moore ordered his cruiser to charge towards the eastern Japanese column, but as she turned to do so Quincy was hit by 2 torpedoes from Tenryū, causing severe damage. Quincy managed to fire a few main gun salvos, 1 of which hit Chōkai’s chart room 6 meters (20 feet) from Imperial Japanese Navy Admiral Gunichi Mikawa (August 29, 1888 – February 25, 1981) and killed or wounded 36 men, although Mikawa was not injured. At 0210 Hours, incoming shells killed or wounded almost all of Quincy’s bridge crew, including the captain. At 0216 Hours, the cruiser was hit by a torpedo from Aoba, and the ship’s remaining guns were silenced. Quincy’s assistant gunnery officer, Lieutenant Commander John D. Andrew (October 19, 1910 – September 29, 1982) sent to the bridge to ask for instructions, reported on what he found: “When I reached the bridge level, I found it a shambles of dead bodies with only three or four people still standing. In the Pilot House itself the only person standing was the signalman at the wheel who was vainly endeavoring to check the ship’s swing to starboard to bring her to port. On questioning him I found out that the Captain, who at that time was laying [sic] near the wheel, had instructed him to beach the ship and he was trying to head for Savo Island, distant some four miles (six kilometers) on the port quarter. I stepped to the port side of the Pilot House, and looked out to find the island and noted that the ship was heeling rapidly to port, sinking by the bow. At that instant the Captain straightened up and fell back, apparently dead, without having uttered any sound other than a moan.” USS Quincy sustained many direct hits which left 370 men dead and 167 wounded. She sank, bow 1st, at 0238 Hours, being the 1st ship sunk in the area which was later known as Ironbottom Sound. USS Quincy’s wreck was discovered and explored by Robert Ballard (born June 30, 1942) and his crew in July and August 1992. Quincy sits upright in roughly 2,000 feet (610 meters) of water. Her bow is missing forward of her Number 1 Turret, both forward turrets are trained to starboard, with Number 1 Turret featuring a jammed gun, and 1 of Number 2 Turret’s guns burst. Of the superstructure, the bridge is heavily damaged but intact, both funnels are missing, and the float plane hangar completely collapsed. Quincy’s stern is bent upwards aft of the Number 3 Turret, and heavily damaged by implosions. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1880.jpg |
| Image Size | 2.56 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 5913 x 4656 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | August 3, 1942 |
| Location | |
| City | Nouméa |
| State or Province | Grande Terre |
| Country | New Caledonia |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-G-K-563 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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