Friends of Padre Steve’s World,
Another older post about Pearl Harbor. his one about the USS Ward and her crew. Sometimes war comes at a people unexpectedly and sometimes a relatively Junior Officer figures things out before more senior commanders. Had the word been passed and ships in Pearl Harbor gone to General Quarters and interceptor aircraft been launched the Japanese assault might have taken a different turn.
Peace
Padre Steve+
LT William Outerbridge was new to command. The Lieutenant and veteran of 14 years of service had taken command of the elderly destroyer USS Ward (DD 139) less than 24 hours before she began her weekend Anti-Submarine patrol of the entrance to Pearl Harbor. In the inter-war years promotion was slow and opportunities for advancement slim. Outerbridge had been commissioned following graduation from the Naval Academy in 1927. He was the only Regular Navy Officer on the ship.
The Ward was old but had very few miles on her. A Wickes class destroyer of 1250 tons and armed with four 4” 50 caliber and two 3” guns she was launched and commissioned in 1918 and was decommissioned and placed in reserve in 1921. Recommissioned in January 1941 she was assigned to Destroyer Division 80 at Pearl Harbor. This squadron of elderly ships consisting of Ward along with USS Schley, USS…
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