GALLANT SHIP

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 295, 14 December 1942, Page 3

GALLANT SHIP

U.S. SAN FRANCISCO Seamanship And Courage Win Congressional Medal N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 1. SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 13. Aboard the battered cruiser San Francisco, which was warmly welcomed home after her gallant exploit in the Solomons, Admiral E. J. King, former Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet, pinned the Congressional Medal on the breast of Commander Bruce McCandless, who, as lieutenantcommander, took over the ship's direction in the thick of battle, and, in the words of President Roosevelt's citation, "through his brilliant seamanship and great courage brought his ship to port and saved her to fight again." » The San Francisco whipped a Japanese battleship on November 13 in the opening phase of the Solomons naval battle. Earlier, President Roosevelt announced the award of the Congressional Medal to Admiral D. J. Callaghan, who was killed on the San Francisco at the height of the Solomons battle.

The cruiser San Francisco, under the command of Admiral D J. Callaghan, was the leading ship in the action aid sailed right into the enemy with her guns blazing. She engaged three enemy ships and sank one. She engaged at point-blank range an enemy battleship, greatly superior in size and fire-power, silenced her guns and so disabled her that she was sunk later by torpedo. Admiral Callaghan and many of his gallant officers and men lost their lives, but the actingcommander brought the vessel safely out of the battle.