This Site is Dedicated to Lieutenant Commander Douglas H. Fox, USN, For
Whom Our Ship Was Named, and To Those Other Tin Can Sailors Who Gave
Their Lives In The Service of Their Country, For Whose Sacrifice We Shall
Ever Be Indebted.
May 17, 1945 Off Okinawa
Askew, Jack Thomas, GM2c
Franklin, Richard H., S2c
Fay, L.D., Ensign, Asst.First Lt.
Hodges, Paul Buford, S1c
Hudson, Chester E., MM3c
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McKinley, Willard Wade, SC2c
Peed, Richard Maurice, GM2c
Pilafas, John Constantine, S1c
Strock, Stanley Fay, S1c
Thiessen, William "A", S2c
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Lieutenant Commander Douglas Harold Fox, USN
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September 29, 1947 Off Trieste
Berthold, Stanley Lowell, SM2
Charlton, Charles Ronald, SM3
Mockford, Robert Lewis, RDM3
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September 9, 1968 Off Charleston
Burkhalter, Billy, BT2
Duran, Ralph, FA
Rinaldi, Robert, BT1
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LIEUTENANT COMMANDER DOUGLAS H. FOX, USN was in command of the
USS Barton (DD 599) when it was lost off Guadalcanal in the Third
Battle of Savo Island, on November 13, 1942. The Barton was one of eight
Destroyers in Task Group 67.4 under command of Rear Admiral Daniel J.
Callaghan, which along with the Cruisers Atlanta, San Francisco, Portland,
Helena, and Juneau were protecting Admiral R. K. Turner's Amphibious Force
delivering 6,000 Army and Marine reinforcements to the island. In addition
to the Barton were the Destroyers Aaron Ward (DD-722), Monssen (DD 436),
Fletcher (DD 445), Cushing (DD 376), Laffey
(DD 459), Sterett (DD 407),
and O'Bannon (DD 450).
Steaming in total darkness in column with four Destroyers in the van,
followed by five Cruisers, and the four remaining Destroyers, with the
Barton second in this latter group. After the action with the Japanese
Force commenced, the Barton's activities could not be recorded with detail,
for when the column formation broke; it was every ship for herself, and
Barton remained in combat for only a brief seven minutes. After launching
four port torpedoes at a fast moving target she made an abrupt stop to avoid
collision. As her propellers were churning, bringing her to a halt, she was
struck by two torpedoes. The first blasted the forward fireroom, and a split
second later the second smashed into the forward engine-room. The ship went
down almost instantly, drowning 90 per cent of her crew and its Captain,
Douglas H. Fox.
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER DOUGLAS H. FOX, USN
Douglas Harold Fox was born in 1905 in Walled Lake, Michigan. In June 1926
after completing his courses at Annapolis, he was commissioned and in August
boarded the USS Seattle. By February 1939 he had progressed to full
Lieutenant and was assigned as Executive Officer on the USS Preston. In
February 1942 he was assigned to the USS Barton during its fitting out
period, and then placed in command when it went into commission on May 29,
1942. On November 14, 1942 (age 37) he was officially reported missing in
action when the Barton was torpedoed and sunk in the Third Battle of Savo
Island. He was survived by his wife Mrs. Douglas H. Fox who then resided
in San Francisco. Lt. Commander Fox received the following medals and
commendations: Yangtze Service Medal, American Defense Service Medal,
Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign medal, Purple Heart, and the Navy Cross
(citation follows).
"For extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of the USS Barton
during action against enemy Japanese forces near Santa Cruz Islands on 26
October 1942 and during arduous task of locating and rescuing survivors of
damaged aircraft near French Reef, New Caledonia, on 30 October 1942. While
under intense and prolonged aerial bombardment, Lieutenant Commander Fox,
with superior judgment and expert seamanship, maneuvered his ship to effect
the rescue of 250 survivors from the (later identified) Aircraft Carrier
Hornet. Four days later, under extreme darkness and adverse weather
conations, he brought the Barton into the vicinity of dangerous reefs and
despite imminent threat of hostile submarine attacks, picked up stranded
crews and passengers from four large patrol planes, without loss of
personnel. His brilliant leadership and courageous initiative were in
keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval
Service."
Gold Star in lieu of a second Navy Cross
"For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during action with
enemy forces on the night of 12-13 November 1942, on which occasion the force
to which he was attached engaged in close quarters and defeated a superior
enemy force. His daring and determination contributed materially to the
victory which prevented the enemy from accomplishing their purpose."
DONALD HAM, GM2c, USS BARTON. HIS STORY AS RECOUNTED IN FEB. 1997
Don, then age 74, said he remembered that day (November 13, 1942) as if it
was yesterday. As he spoke, his eyes filling with tears, he gave the
following account of the action where with the exception of 36, all of
the crew of the Barton were lost
Don's battle station was the after five-inch gun mount and they were firing
their guns to starboard, as ordered. All of the sudden, he felt the ship
jerk, roll, come out of the water, fall back in the water, and then a huge
explosion forward. He heard in his sound headset that the ship had been
hit by a torpedo which caused a massive explosion in the forward fireroom
Then heard an order for all damage control personnel to go their stations.
Since he on a damage control team he was now out of the gun mount, and on
the fantail of the Barton He remembers it was so noisy he couldn't hear
anything, but to make matters worse the ship was hit by a second torpedo
in the forward engine-room, which split it in two. From the engine-room
forward there was nothing there. The bow section had drifted from the hull
by some 50 to 100 yards.
Donald continues; I was on the life lines over the screw guards waiting for
the abandon ship command! All I could remember, is I had to hear the ABANDON
SHIP command before going over the side. Looking around him, there were
others now out of the gun mounts, when all of a sudden there was another
explosion. Donald was forced and pinned under the gun mount he had just
exited. He tried to free himself but couldn't. With debris all over the
place, and the rest of the Barton going down, Donald was still pinned under
the gun mount. As the fantail sank, he was taken under with the suction.
He held his breath as long as he could. When he could no longer hold his
breath, there was another explosion in the section in which he was pinned.
Not able to hold his breath any longer he remembers tasting salt water and
gagging for air. The explosion freed him from the fantail, and he was forced
to the surface. Next he remembers, trying to clear his body of salt water,
and getting out of the oil that was on the surface. The next he remembers,
he is on board another ship, with sailors standing all around him trying to
bring him back to life.
Donald was asked if he could see the surface as the fantail section was
sinking. He answered , "as I saw the surface disappearing before my eyes,
I begin talking with my maker". In the process of the underwater explosion
freeing him from the gun mount, his head hit what he thinks was one of the
5-inch barrels. Donald was not sure how long he was in the water but now
that its all over and after 55 years have elapsed, he thinks it was about
15 hours.
Bill Sims, Commanding Officer of the Douglas H. Fox Alumni Association who
along with "Whitey" Gieseking, BT2c (1947-50) was sitting with Don as this
story was told, wrote at that time: "Here in front of me, was an individual
that by the grace of God was here to tell me of the experience of war. On
that day 2 February 1997, I realized that the survivors of the USS Barton
(DD-599) did not have and in all likely hood would never have an
Association, I invited Donald Ham and all survivors of the USS Barton to
join their shipmates of the USS Douglas H. Fox (DD-779) Association as
Honorary Members. Since we were all at the TinCan Sailors Bash in Lakeland,
Florida, I asked the Chairman for about 10 minutes podium time. It was my
desire to tell this story to all the sailors present. Inviting Donald into
the Association was more than he could endure. The emotions that followed
were well accepted by all hands present, such that he was once again a
happy sailor. True and authentic, to the best of my knowledge, on this the
Second Day of February, 1997, Lakeland, Florida." William Sims. P.S. At
that time Bill reported that Don resided in NH and wintered in FL, and that
he was about to get married for the first time.
