Memorial marker and he is also among the Tablets of the missing at the Manila American Cemetery.
~
USS Brownson (DD-518) was the first ship of the U.S. Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Willard H. Brownson (1846–1935). She was also the first of the Fletcher class to be built with a "square-bridge" configuration, which allowed greater all-around visibility than the earlier ships of the class, which had a "round bridge" or "high bridge" configuration. USS Brownson was launched on 24 September 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, N.Y., commissioned on 3 February 1943.
At approximately 14:42, 26 December 1943, Brownson was hit by two bombs from a Japanese dive bomber while screening the landings on Cape Gloucester, New Britain. The bombs struck to starboard of the centerline, near number two stack. A tremendous explosion followed, and the entire structure above the main deck as well as the deck plating, was gone. The ship listed 10 to 15 degrees to starboard, and settled rapidly amidships with the bow and stern canted upward. The wounded were placed in rafts and at 14:50, the order to abandon ship was given. The amidships section was entirely underwater at that time. There was a single ripple like a depth charge explosion and the ship sank at 14:59. Brownson suffered the loss of 108 of her crew. The remainder were rescued by USS Daly and USS Lamson.
Service # 6365339
Unit United States Naval Reserve
Rank Seaman First Class U.S. Navy
Entered Service From Georgia
Date of Death December 27 1944
Status Missing In Action
★ Purple Heart
SULLIVAN, Hugh D, SEA1, 6365339, USNR, from Georgia, USS Brownson, location New Britain Island, missing, date of loss December 26, 1943.
Remembered by Buffalo (50696055)
Memorial marker and he is also among the Tablets of the missing at the Manila American Cemetery.
~
USS Brownson (DD-518) was the first ship of the U.S. Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Willard H. Brownson (1846–1935). She was also the first of the Fletcher class to be built with a "square-bridge" configuration, which allowed greater all-around visibility than the earlier ships of the class, which had a "round bridge" or "high bridge" configuration. USS Brownson was launched on 24 September 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, N.Y., commissioned on 3 February 1943.
At approximately 14:42, 26 December 1943, Brownson was hit by two bombs from a Japanese dive bomber while screening the landings on Cape Gloucester, New Britain. The bombs struck to starboard of the centerline, near number two stack. A tremendous explosion followed, and the entire structure above the main deck as well as the deck plating, was gone. The ship listed 10 to 15 degrees to starboard, and settled rapidly amidships with the bow and stern canted upward. The wounded were placed in rafts and at 14:50, the order to abandon ship was given. The amidships section was entirely underwater at that time. There was a single ripple like a depth charge explosion and the ship sank at 14:59. Brownson suffered the loss of 108 of her crew. The remainder were rescued by USS Daly and USS Lamson.
Service # 6365339
Unit United States Naval Reserve
Rank Seaman First Class U.S. Navy
Entered Service From Georgia
Date of Death December 27 1944
Status Missing In Action
★ Purple Heart
SULLIVAN, Hugh D, SEA1, 6365339, USNR, from Georgia, USS Brownson, location New Britain Island, missing, date of loss December 26, 1943.
Remembered by Buffalo (50696055)
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