Photographic History of the United States Navy
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NavSource Naval History Photographic History of the United States Navy |
DESTROYER ARCHIVE |
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Size | Image Description | Contributed By |
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| 87k | Guy Wilkinson Stuart Castle was born in Portage, Wisc. on February 8 1879 and was appointed a naval cadet on May 20 1897. Castle's promotion to ensign occurred on 5 February 1904 (to rank from 7 June of the previous year), the same day that Japan and Russia broke off diplomatic relations. Soon thereafter, on 8 February, the Japanese declared war upon Russia; that day, a fleet (Rear Adm. Uriu Sotokichi) arrived off Chemulpo, then landed troops. The following morning, the Japanese issued a challenge to the two Russian warships in port, the steel protected cruiser Variag and the gunboat Koretz (both vessels ignorant of war's being declared), that the Japanese would attack the Russians where they lay unless they stood out by noon to do battle. The Russian ships began clearing for action at 9:00 a.m., then gamely stood out, to the cheers of the neutrals, the Japanese opening fire at about 11:50 a.m. Within a half hour, Variag and Koretz retired toward Chemulpo, the Japanese ceasing fire at 12:40 to avoid endangering neutral shipping. Variag, badly damaged and afire, had suffered heavy casualties; British, French, and Italian warships sent boats with medical people to "lend medical assistance." Vicksburg sent a whaleboat to do likewise. Castle's participation in that endeavor of mercy prompted Variag's commanding officer to present his personal sword to the young ensign in gratitude. Detached from the Naval Academy on 7 June 1913, he arrived on board Utah (Battleship No.31) four days later to take up his duties as her ordnance officer. Less than a year later, as tensions flared between the United States and Mexico, Castle commanded Utah's bluejacket landing battalion (17 officers and 367 men strong), who landed at Veracruz on 21 April 1914 as part of the First Seaman Regiment. During the fighting that day, and the next, Castle's conduct proved exemplary as he "exhibited courage and skill" in leading his men, "in seizing the Customs House [one of the principal objects of the landing] he encountered for many hours the heaviest and most pernicious concealed fire of the entire day [21 April 1914], but his courage and coolness under trying circumstances was marked...." For his "distinguished conduct in battle," he received the Medal of Honor. He died aboard the Martha Washington (Id.No. 3019) which was bound from New York to Brest, France on August 10 1919. | Bill Gonyo | |
| 15k | Under construction at Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock. | Ron Reeves | |
| 147k | View of the Castle at Federal Shipbuilding in Kearny, NJ December 12 1945, this is the day after the contract for her construction was cancelled. She was 60.3% complete at the time. | Ed Zajkowski | |
| 266k | As above. | Ed Zajkowski | |
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