After the 1st Marine Division landed on Guadalcanal, the Japanese struck back with a vengeance. This fear caused the U.S. high command to withdraw our carrier task force away from the island and into the open sea where they were better protected. The day after they left, the Japanese showed up with a strong fleet of seven cruisers and one destroyer. Left to protect the Marines was a small U.S. force of eight cruisers and 15 destroyers. Unfortunately, they were divided into three smaller groups, each protecting different approaches to Guadalcanal.
One of the groups contained the cruisers USS Vincennes, USS Astoria and the USS Quincy. Earlier in the campaign, the Vincennes had downed seven Japanese “Betty” bombers while dodging enemy torpedoes and bombs. Suddenly, in the dark of night on August 9, 1942, the three US cruisers were illuminated by enemy searchlights at 0150. Within twenty minutes the Vincennes was already out of action and ablaze as she began listing to port. A young Pensacolian, George Vincent Lockwood was aboard the Vincennes that night as the enemy ships steamed past her at top speed heading straight for the other two hapless cruisers. George and his fellow firemen were doing everything possible to save their ship, but it was too late and the damage too severe. At 0230 the Vincennes was abandoned as the crew over the side and into the warm waters of Savo Sound.
Having survived the 57 shells that ripped into her during the Battle of Savo Island, George turned back from a position of safety and swam back to his ship to help a struggling sailor. He approached the listing ship just as two torpedoes slammed into her and exploded on impact. The force of the explosion killed the 18-year old Pensacolian instantly. He and his doomed ship disappeared under the surface forever at 0250. The former Golden Gloves boxer was honored by his family two years later with the dedication of a white marble bench. It was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Gene Trader and placed in the Veteran’s Parkway at the corner of Gregory and Palafox Street. In later years, it was moved to the Lockwood family plot in the Holy Cross Cemetery but now rests at the Veteran’s Memorial Park adjacent to the Gulf Power Building on South 9th Avenue. The Astoria took 65 hits and sank despite a valiant effort to remain afloat. The Quincy was absolutely shot to pieces killing her captain and her command staff before she sank at 0236.
Along with those ships perished almost a thousand US sailors of which George Lockwood was only one. Fortunately, the enemy commander for whatever reason ordered a withdrawal, satisfied he had inflicted a tremendous blow on the American fleet. Had he but known that just a few miles away lay all the supporting troop and supply ships anchored just offshore of the Marines on their embattled island. With the American cruisers at the bottom of Savo Sound and the carriers steaming away from the area as fast as they could the support ships were totally unprotected and now lay at the enemy’s mercy.
The battle for Guadalcanal could just as easily have ended right then and there barring this tremendous stroke of luck! This horrific naval battle was observed by Marine Private Leo Carvalis and the other Pensacolians on the island as the next morning they began to see the American bodies and wreckage washing ashore.
USN Seaman George Vincent Lockwood, Battle of Savo Island, 1942
George V. Lockwood, Navy Boot Camp, Norfolk, VA 1942
Pensacola News Journal Death Article August 1942
George V. Lockwood Pensacola News Journal Death Article 1942
This plaque is located on the marble bench mentioned in the article. However, he was not Pensacola's first casualty, only their youngest. That distinction goes to US Navy James Durant Mattox, who was killed on the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941.