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Photo # NH 97811:  USS Monssen off the Puget Sound Navy Yard, May 1941

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Monssen (DD-436), 1941-1942

USS Monssen, a 1620-ton Gleaves class destroyer, was built at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington. She was commissioned in March 1941 and served in the Atlantic from June 1941 until March 1942. During that time, she took part in neutrality patrols and "short of war" operations between New England and Iceland, and, after the United States entered World War II in December 1941, in efforts to combat German submarines operating in that area.

After transfer to the Pacific, Monssen escorted the aircraft carrier Hornet during the April 1942 Doolittle Raid on Japan . She then steamed with her task force to the south Pacific and returned to the Hawaii area in time to participate in the Battle of Midway in early June. She went back to the south Pacific in July and from August into November was heavily involved in the campaign to seize and hold Guadalcanal. On 7-9 August, she supported the landing of U.S. Marines and was thereafter mainly employed guarding shipping against Japanese attacks.

In November 1942, Monssen escorted transports carrying reinforcements and supplies to Guadalcanal. She helped fight off a Japanese air attack on those ships while they were unloading on the 12th. That night, she was part of a cruiser-destroyer force ordered to block a Japanese attempt to bombard U.S. positions ashore. The resulting gunfire and torpedo action, the first surface phase of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, drove the enemy away, but cost the U.S. Navy one cruiser and four destroyers. Monssen was among the latter, and her crew suffered very heavy casualties. Disabled by Japanese destroyer gunfire, she was left abandoned and burning until the afternoon of 13 November, when she sank.

USS Monssen's wreck was discovered and examined in July-August 1992. She lies upright, over 2000 feet deep in Guadalcanal's Iron Bottom Sound. Her hull is intact, though damaged forward by explosions and aft by impact with the sea floor. Her five-inch guns are all trained out to starboard. The forward guns and superstructure are essentially wrecked by the effects of Japanese shells and fire, but her after guns and deckhouses are in surprisingly good condition.

USS Monssen was named in honor of Lieutenant Mons Monssen (1867-1930), who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic action on board USS Missouri (BB-11) during her 13 April 1904 turret explosion and fire.

This page features all our views of USS Monssen (DD-436).


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 97811

USS Monssen (DD-436)


Off the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, 7 May 1941.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 65KB; 740 x 600 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97812

USS Monssen (DD-436)


Off the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, 7 May 1941.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 65KB; 740 x 595 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97817

USS Monssen (DD-436)


Passing guard mail to USS Enterprise (CV-6), during operations in the south Pacific, 19 May 1942.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 100KB; 740 x 605 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97813

USS Monssen (DD-436)


View of the ship's forward superstructure, with # 2 5"/38 gun mount, the pilothouse and Mark 37 gun director. Taken at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, 16 May 1941.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 85KB; 615 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97815

USS Monssen (DD-436)


View looking aft along the port side amidships, showing the after torpedo tubes, both torpedo cranes, midships .50 caliber machine gun mounts and ready service ammunition boxes, fire hoses, cable reel, and other fittings. Taken at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, 16 May 1941.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 89KB; 740 x 570 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97814

USS Monssen (DD-436)


View of the midships superstructure, port side, showing torpedo tubes, torpedo crane, fire hoses and other fittings. Taken at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, 16 May 1941.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 91KB; 740 x 565 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97816

USS Monssen (DD-436)


View looking forward from alongside the port quarter, showing the after 5"/38 gun mounts, the after deckhouse, lifelines and other fittings. Taken at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, 16 May 1941.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 92KB; 740 x 570 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-28788

USS Kearny (DD-432)


In port at Reykjavik, Iceland, on 19 October 1941, two days after she had been torpedoed by the German submarine U-568.
USS Monssen (DD-436) is alongside.
Note the torpedo hole in Kearny's midships starboard side.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 104KB; 660 x 675 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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Page made 4 January 2002
Link added 28 April 2002