The Short Life of a Valiant Ship: USS Meredith (DD-434) (Volume 1)

On October 15, 1942 the destroyer USS Meredith, escorting the tug USS Vireo, towing a barge loaded with fuel and ammunition desperately needed by the troops on Guadalcanal, was attacked by Japanese aircraft carrier planes. When the attack seemed imminent, the crew of the lightly armed Vireo was transferred to the destroyer. Overwhelmed by the plane s bombs and torpedoes, the Meredith sank within minutes. The men who survived the assault floated in the oil-coated ocean for four days, enduring strafing by Japanese planes, dehydration, and the pain of infected wounds and burns. They watched helplessly while their comrades died or drowned or were devoured by sharks. Only ninety-six of the 329 crewmen of both ships, survived to be rescued.