Battle of Cape Esperance

Monument Re-Dedication Speech read by Bob Swanson, USS Farenholt DD491, on June 17, 2000

The monument dedicated to DD491 shipmates.

During the first 10 months of the war in the Pacific, our Navy had been on the defensive since the bombing of Pearl Harbor had struck the Pacific Fleet a serious blow.

The Japanese were on the offensive. One by one our territories were conquered. It wasn’t until after the Battle of Midway, when the enemy was threatening Australia, that our leaders decided to go on the offensive. This occurred when it was discovered that the enemy was building a airstrip on a island in a strange part of the world. Most of us had never heard of Guadalcanal.

The Allies put together a large fleet of battleships, cruisers, destroyers, tankers, supply vessels, and troop ships. This operation took some time to organize and we finally landed on Guadalcanal on 7^th August with no resistance, except for some daylight enemy air raids. However that night, US forces faced one of their worst losses in history as cruisers Vincennes, Quincy, Astoria, and Canberra were lost off Guadalcanal in battle with the Japanese Fleet.

After this defeat our forces only supplied and reinforced the Marines only during the day so as not to have to face the aggressive Japanese fleet, which was adept to night fighting. With fighter cover from Henderson field, US forces held their own.

The Japanese replenished their forces on Guadalcanal by using fast vessels such as cruisers or destroyers earning this supply like the name, “Tokyo Express”. ComSoPac instructed Admiral Scott to greet the Tokyo Express with his force of cruisers --San Francisco, Boise, Helena and Salt Lake City. Backing the cruiser force was DesRon 12 (Farenholt, McCalla, Duncan, Laffey, and Buchanan).

The force of Japanese vessels consisted of three heavy cruisers and two destroyers. They were on a mission to bombard Henderson Field. We were there to meet them and the Battle of Cape Experience occurred about midnight October 1lth.

The cruiser Helena opened fire at 2346 October, 11th 1942 and all other US vessels followed suit. Confusion commonly results during a night surface engagement, and we had to depend on our night vision, which was wiped out by the gun flashes. Our two light cruisers had surface radar and were firing at any target that appeared to be an enemy whereas the Duncan and Farenholt were hit by friendly fire. The battle ended at 0245 October 12.

Our losses were the Duncan sunk with the Salt Lake City, Boise and the Farenholt having been damaged and were required to go back to the Navy Yards for repairs. The Farenholt and Salt Lake City went to Pearl Harbor

while the Boise went to Philadelphia for repairs. Our task force lost a total of 163 killed and 125 wounded.

The Japanese losses were: the cruiser Furutaka, and the destroyer Fubuki sunk with the cruiser Aoba requiring extensive repairs. The Japanese casualties were 454 killed, 3 taken prisoner and unspecified number of wounded.

While the battle seemed to be a draw, we did succeed in sending their vessels away from Guadalcanal. This battle was the beginning of many more vicious encounters between our forces, resulting in over fifty warships being sunk off the shores of Guadalcanal. The area between Guadalcanal and Salvo Island is called "Iron Bottom Sound."

It has been nearly fifty-eight years since we experienced our first taste of battle. We were young men, then, and more engagements were ahead of us. I was 21 years old, a Signalman, newly rated second class. Now, we are old, most of us in our seventies or eighties. Today, we look back on our experiences and remember our shipmates. We are gathered here today to give them tribute. The monument erected here serves as a way to let others know that they too, passed through life and gave their all. So, let us remember these three Farenholt shipmates who helped give the American people a period of prosperity .

Now, we remember these three shipmates and honor them for letting us be part of their life.

Others knew these men and have memories which they have shared with me. Others never had the opportunity to know them as they were only remembered as someone who passed on years ago leaving old pictures, letters and stories and memories.

Buchanan, Mack BM2/c USN KILLED IN ACTION

We remember Mack Buchanan when he was with us as a good sailor on the deck force who came aboard the Farenholt with the commissioning crew as a newly rated Bm3/c, called a “Coxswain." He did his job well and was just promoted to Bm2/c shortly before the battle. I remember talking with him and found that he was concerned about his family, back in West Virginia, and sent them a good part of his pay to help. He never mentioned a girl friend, or wife, so never left anyone except his parent and family.

Mack was a "pointer” on the 1.1 “ anti-aircraft gun located close to the secondary control, where the Executive Officer, phone talker and a quartermaster were stationed. He was killed by shrapnel just after we commenced firing. (This exploding shell was responsible for most of the deaths and wounded) . I am sorry that I have no more information about Mack.

SERAFINI, ROBERT SN, USNR KILLED IN ACTION

ROBERT was a seaman on the deck force, and was at his battle station on the bridge. Shrapnel killed him instantly. I did not know him well. Others knew him, but information is scarce. He enlisted in New York. Came aboard for the commissioning as a SA, fresh out of boot camp.

NAPIER, ARBA CTM USN KILLED IN ACTION

Chief Napier was well liked by all of us that had the privilege to serve with him. As Chief Torpedoman it was his responsibility to keep his part of the Farenholt's offensive weapons ready for battle. Many of us, found him to be a good leader, even though we were much younger, as he was born in 1909! He joined the Navy in 1927 and was a Chief, when he came aboard.

His great niece, Carolyn Bryant who is here, with her family, today, represents him. She has inherited Chief Napier's service records and has much information she shared about him.

The following information is quoted from Mrs. Bryant’s letter to us. It gives us a good background of his life and Navy career

"UNCLE BABE"

Arba Napier was the youngest of eleven children. Six of his brothers and sisters died at young ages. Arba's nickname among family members was "Babe" because he was eleven years younger than his youngest sibling. So we know him as "Uncle Babe."

Arba was born in Schuyler, Nebraska on Nov. 14, 1909. While still a child, he moved to Scotts Bluff, Nebraska.

He first enlisted on Feb. 14, 1927 in Denver, Colorado. He gave his age 18 (he was 17). He was following in the footsteps of his brother, Lloyd, who had served in the Navy during World War I. By 1932, he was a Torpedoman 2/c, and he re-enlisted in San Diego. By 1939 he was a Torpedoman l/c and he re-enlisted aboard the USS Yorktown in Bremerton, Washington.

Arba was assigned to the commissioning crew of the USS Farenholt in 1942. The men in "0" division looked up to him because he was older and an experienced Navy man. By this time he also had a fiancée waiting for him in San Diego. He served aboard the following ships:

USS Marcus (WW1 four stack DD), USS Talbot (WW1 four stack DD), USS Tarbell (WW1 four stack DD), USS Greer (WW1 four stack DD), USS Whitney (Destroyer Tender), USS Pensacola (Heavy Cruiser), USS Yorktown (Aircraft Carrier), and USS FARENHOLT, where he was KIA

Shipmates that attended the ceremony:

--Carolyn Bryant, her husband, two children and cousin Jennifer Hartranft (Grand Niece of Alba Napier)

--Capt Arthur Fisher

--Thomas Fuller and wife Erika

--Gal Garcia, wife Rose, and daughter Margo

--Bob Garwitz and wife Elly

--Don Hallam

--E. Stanley Hawkins and wife Marcia

--E. Kenneth McShane and daughter Barbara Lindsay

--Ford Richardson

--Bob Swanson, son Eric, and granddaughter Dianne Shultz

Related Information
Cape Esperance Dedication ceremony photo.

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