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'' PAC IFIC PARTNERS '' Au stnlta Unit.d State s \ J Co ral Sea Celeb ratton I 960 HEADQUARTERS OF THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF THE BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA U. S. PACIFIC FLEET Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Recorded in the annals of naval history as one of the most unusual naval engagements of World War II, the Battle of the As Commander in Chief I Coral was fought in May, 1942. extend to you a personal greet- Sea ing and "welcome aboard" this Pacific Fleet ship. It is a great Prior to this date a confident Japanese Navy was moving honor to be invited to Australia into the South Pacific. Its goal was to cut Australia's lifeline-- as your guest during this 18th then isolate the continent for eventual invasion. Coral Sea Celebration, and I hope that your visit aboard will, in a When a task force of Australian and American ships small way, help to repay the hos- intercepted the enemy in the Coral Sea on May 4, this strategic pitality extended to me by the plan was doomed. Australian people. The five-day battle that followed was unusual inasmuch The partnership of Austra- as was the first major battle in which opposing vessels did ADMTRAL HopwooD it lia and the United States in the not see, or even fire a single shot at one another. The battle preservation of peace and freedom, with honor, in the Pacific was one of naval air power. is illustrated each year by this meaningful commemoration. The battle, although a costly one, contained the elements We not only celebrate an important victory in the Battle of a great naval victory. As a result of the battle the effec- of the Coral Sea, but we underscore our mutual belief that tiveness of the Japanese Navy was significantly impaired. constant vigilance over the Pacific sea lanes is imperative, if This, coupled with stalwart island fighting by units of the we are to protect our free way of life. Australian Army, removed the immediate threat of a Japa- nese advance into the South Pacific. In this way a Pacific Partnership, conceived in war, has peace flowered in as an example to the world of how two coun- As a result of this Coral Sea victory, the allies went on to tries--widely separated geographically--can be close in their defeat completely the enemy on Sept. 2,1945. programs for a better world. On behalf of all the American people I extend best wishes for a successful Coral Sea celebrat.ion. HERBERT G. HOPWOOD Admiral, United States Navy fJ. S. PACIF'IC F'LEET SHIPS PARTICIPATII{G USS HELENA THE U. S. PACIFIC FLEET GUIDED MISSILE HEAVY CRUISER HEAVY CRUISER Under the command of Admiral Herbert G. Hopwood, USN, the U. S. Pacific Fleet with headquarters at Pearl Har- bor, Hawaii, is responsible for the security of our sea lanes in the more than 80 million square miles of ocean in the Pacific il FLEET OILER AMPHIBIOUS FORCE FLAGSIIIP Command. rl -f GUIDED MISSILE, NUCLEAR POWERED SUBMARINE Ready for offensive and defensive action, it also is charged with establishing and maintaining control of all essential lines SHIPS' ITINERARIES of communications, keeping control of the sea and denying its SYDN:: use to the enemy. April 28-May B ................... uss ELDoRADo May 1-7 -..-... USS HALIBUT About 425 ships, 250,000 officers, sailors and Marines May 2-7 .. USS CANBERRA comprise the U. S. Pacific Fleet. Major units of the fleet in- May 11-16 ........ USS HELENA clude attack carriers, antisubmarine carriers, cruisers, de- NEWCASTLE stroyers and submarines. May 2-9 - May 2-9 _ ____ __ __ ___ _-l::'f"Hil; BRISBANE As a striking force, the U. S. Pacific Fleet is prepared: May 5-11 USS ELDORADO -To act as a visible and ever present deterrent to aggres- MELBOURNE sion. May 4-9 USS HELENA May 9-14 ... USS CANBERRA -In the event of a limited war, to react immediately to May 9-14 USS HALIBUT May 11-17 .. -.. USS JENKINS halt aggression, or contain enemy action within controllable rt May 11-17 USS TAYLOR limits. rl ,fl ADnLATDE -In the event of a general war, to retaliate immediately if May 1l-16 . ... .. ..... USS HASSAYAMPA May 11-16 ... USS O'BANNON with every means available to destroy the enemy's ability and willingness to wage war, and to maintain control of the sea for HOBART May 13-17 USS WALKER use by the free world. PERTH May 2-7 USS HASSAYAMPA NIay 2-7 USS O'BANNON May 2-7 USS WALKER I These Nine Ships FLAG OFFICERS WHERE THEY CAME FROM Admiral Herbert G. Hopwood, Commander in Chief of the U. S. Pacific Fleet, is this year's Coral Sea guest of honor and The nine ships now visiting Australia to commemorate the representative from the United States. In addition to Admiral 18th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea are presently if Hopwood there are three other U. S. Navy flag officers in the assigned to the U. S. Seventh Fleet which is continuously de- area for the Coral Sea celebration. They are: ployed in the Western Pacific. Rear Admiral John McN. Taylor, Commander Cruiser Upon completion of their visit, seven of the ships will re- Division SIX and Commander Cruiser Atlantic, embarked in turn to their homeports in the United States. One will continue the USS CANBERRA. to operate with the U. S. Seventh Fleet, while another will go i on to complete a'round-the-world cruise. Rear Admiral Frederick J. Becton, Commander Cruiser Division FIVE, embarked in the USS HELENA. Scheduled to return to the United States afber visiting Australia are the amphibious command ship ELDORADO, the oiler HASSAYAMPA, the heavy cruiser IIELENA and the Rear Admiral Charles O. Triebel, Commander Amphibious destroyers WALKER, JENKINS, O'BANNON and TAYLOR. Group ONE, embarked in the USS ELDORADO. As they sail for their homeports in the United States, other ships will have iaken their place in the Western Pacific. DIVISION COMMANDERS AND COMMANDING OFFICERS Captain D.J. Carrison Commander Destroyer Division 253 Joining the U. S. Seventh Fleet for duty after visiting (embarked in USS JENI(INS) Australia will be the nuclear-powered, guided missile-launching Captain W.H. Baumbergrer ...-.... Commanding Officer USS CANBERRA submarine HALIBUT and the guided missile cruiser CAN- BERRA. Captain D.L. Kauffman .... Commanding Officer USS HELENA Captain B.D. Wood, Jr. ............ Commanding Officer USS ELDORADCI period The CANBERRA, after operating for a of time Captain J.tr'. Morse Commanding Officer USS HASSAYAMPA with the U. S. Seventh Fleet, will continue on a 'round-the- W.R. Kurtz Commanding Officer USS JENKINS world cruise which will take her through the Suez Canal to Commander temporary duty with the U. S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterran- Commander J.R. MacKie Commanding Officer USS TAYLOR ean. She began her global tour last March on her departure Commander J.P. Gutting Commanding Officer USS WALKER from Norfolk, Virginia. She is scheduled to complete the tour Commander B.D. Slaymaker .... Commanding Officer USS O'BANNON in November. LCDR W. Dedrick Commanding Officer USS HALIBUT 9 T U. S. I\AVY IN LAST CELEBRATION Heavy cruiser BREMERTON adds touch of gaiety to Sydney harbor dur- Citizenn anrl thc press u'elcome destroyer WILTSIE to Melbourne. ing visit. At Melbourne U. S. sailors ex- Miss from Melbourne A Newcastle lad peers through TON makes friend with a kan- change social notes with Aus- U. S. Navy sword. periscope of submarine BLACK- garoo at the Brisbane Zoo. tralian ladies. FIN as skipper looks on. l0 11 and geuce Fre",4oe tor Pacific U.S.S. Hmul (AD-20).