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 Author  Topic: 'Van' destroyers at the Battle of Tassafaronga
Randy Finfrock

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Randy Finfrock   Send Email To Randy Finfrock Posted on: Aug 4, 2012 - 12:49pm
Got a dumb question. I've been reading about the Battle of Tassafaronga, 30 Nov - 1 Dec 1942 where Tulagi PT's of Ron 3 & 2 went out the next morning to pick up survivors from the cruisers. There were many references to 'van' destroyers. A couple of examples:

"The cruisers steamed in column, 1,000 yards apart, while the destroyers in the 'van' bore 300° T., 4,000 yards from the Minneapolis." "As the 'van' destroyers rounded Savo, they noticed several splashes astern and the wakes of several torpedoes."

The question: What are 'van' destroyers?

Also, I've found so far: PT-37 picked up 86 survivors; PT-48 p/u 3 men; PT-59 p/u 2 from Savo Is.; PT-109 p/u 94; and PT-43 only returned with 3 Japanese survivors. Not sure if other PT's may have been involved and contributed to the rescue that morning.

Does anyone know of stories or details of the PT's and their crews that picked up sailors from the USS Northampton (CL-26) that sunk early that morning?

Randy Finfrock

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TED WALTHER

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Aug 4, 2012 - 1:18pm
Randy;
The battle is recounted on Gene Kirklands website:
http://pt-king.gdinc.com and there is a nice photo of the 94 Northampton survivors onboard Rollin Westholm's and Bryant Larson's PT 109.
Take care,
TED


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alross2

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of alross2   Send Email To alross2 Posted on: Aug 4, 2012 - 1:36pm
Quote:


The question: What are 'van' destroyers?

Randy Finfrock



Generally, the term is used to identify the ships at the head of a battle formation, the "tip of the spear" so to speak.

Al Ross


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Randy Finfrock

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Randy Finfrock   Send Email To Randy Finfrock Posted on: Aug 4, 2012 - 3:03pm
Thanks guys, I appreciate it!

Randy Finfrock

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Drew Cook

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Drew Cook  Posted on: Aug 4, 2012 - 7:35pm
To further expound on Dr. Ross's post, Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary lists "van" as short for "vanguard," which is itself defined as "the forefront of an action or movement."


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