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Destroyer Squadron 4 - United States NavyPrint Page Print this page

27-April-2016
27-April-2016

Photographs supplied by Peter Williams
The plaque commemorates the ships which served with Destroyer Squadron 4 (United States Navy) during World War Two. The plaque is located on a raised circular mount near the National Corvette Memorial.

Destroyer Squadron 4 in World War Two initially consisted of Porter-class flagship Selfridge and the eight Bagley-class destroyers of 1937.

The squadron was present at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on 7 December 1941. Later that month, it screened Rear-Admiral Frank F. Fletcher’s Saratoga task force with cruisers Minneoapolis, Astoria and San Francisco during the aborted relief of Wake Island. Four DesRon 4 destroyers also participated in sorties in February-March 1942. 

In June, the squadron was transferred to Australia, where it joined cruisers H.M.A.S. Australia, Canberra and Hobart and U.S.S. Chicago in forming Task Force 44 under Rear-Admiral Victor A.C. Crutchley, RN. In August, this force—as Task Force 62.2—led the landings at Guadalcanal that commenced Operation “Watchtower.”

Location

Address:Garden Island Naval Base , Garden Island, 2011
State:NSW
Area:Foreign
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -33.859202
Long: 151.230693
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Plaque
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:WW2
Approx. Event Start Date:1942
Approx. Event End Date:1943

Dedication

Front Inscription

Destroyer Squadron 4
United States Navy

"The Australian Squadron"
1942 - 1943

USS Selfridge (DD -357)    Com DesRon 4
Destroyer Division 7           Destroyer Division 8
USS Henley (DD-391)        USS Mugford (DD-389)
ComDesDiv7                      ComDesDiv8
USS Bagley (DD-386)        USS Ralph Talbot (DD-390)
USS Blue (DD-387)**         USS Patterson(DD-392)
USS Helm (DD-388)           USS Jarvis (DD-393)***

*   Lost   3/10/43
**  Lost  22/8/42
*** Lost  9/8/42

"Lest We Forget" 



 

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au