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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Lost to enemy action, 4 September 1942

USS Little (APD-4)
ex
 USS Little (DD-79) (1920 - 1940)
 USS Little (Destroyer #79) (1918 - 1920)


1931-International Radio Call Sign:
Nagative - Easy - Zed - Mike
 NEZM


1921-International Radio Call Sign:
Nan - Rush - Tare
 NRT

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - World War I Victory Medal (with bronze star in lieu of Destroyer clasp) - American Defense Service Medal (with bronze star in lieu of Fleet clasp)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
Wickes Class Destroyer:
  • Laid down, 18 June 1917, at Fore River Ship Building Co, Quincy, MA.
  • Launched, 11 November 1917
  • Commissioned USS Little (Destroyer No. 79), 6 April 1918, CDR. Joseph K. Taussig in command
  • Designated (DD-79), 17 July 1920
  • Decommissioned, 5 July 1922
  • Converted to a High-speed Transport
  • Recommissioned USS Little (APD-4), 4 November 1940, LCDR. K. Earl in command
  • During WWII USS Little (APD-4) was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater, Commander South Pacific Force and South Pacific Area:
    TransDiv Twelve, CDR. Hugh W. Hadley, USN (22) and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Guadalcanal - Tulagi landings, 7 to 9 August 1942 Capture and Defense of Guadalcanal, 4 to 5 September 1942

  • Final Disposition, lost to enemy action off Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, sunk by Japanese destroyers, 4 September 1942
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS Little earned two battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,154 t. 1,600 t.(fl)
    Length 314' 5"
    Beam 30' 6"
    Draft 9' 10"
    Speed 35.2 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 8
    Enlisted 98
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 3
    Enlisted 144
    Boats 4 LCP(L) landing craft
    Armament
    three single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    five single 20mm AA gun mounts
    one depth charge rack
    four depth charge projectors
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 2,380 Bbls
    Diesel 55 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Fore River Curtis design geared turbines
    two Yarrow boilers, 250psi Sat.
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    two turbo-drive 60Kw, 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    two propellers, 27,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Little
    NH 97784    		 75k USS Little (APD-4) moored to a buoy, circa early 1942. Note her pattern camouflage and depth charge racks on her stern and gravity davits amidships.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #NH 97784, US National Archive photo # 80-G-15998 and US National Archive photo # 80-G-15995, US Navy Bureau of Ships photos now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command #NH 97784
    Rick Davis - 100400402 and 100400405
    Little
    100400402
    80-G-15998    		 88k
    Little
    100400405
    80-G-15995    		 56k
    Little 147k USS Little (APD-4) aft deckhouse, circa 1941-42.
    US Navy photo.    		 Jim Geldert
    Little
    100400406
    80-G-231879    		 88k USS Little (APD-4) underway in the vicinity of Guadalcanal, 26 July 1942.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-231879, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.         		Rick Davis
    Gregory 57k USS Little (APD-4), at right center, and USS Gregory (APD-3),left, underway during practice landings in the Fiji Islands, 30 July 1942, shortly before the invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi. Note the light cruiser beyond them, possibly USS San Juan (CL-54).
    US Navy photo # NH 97836 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Little (DD-79 / APD-4)
    Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR Earl, Kenneth, USN (USNA 1924)4 November 1940 - 11 May 1942
    02CDR Lofberg Jr., Gustove Brynolf 'Gus', USN (USNA 1927)11 May 1942 - 5 September 1942
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    "The Green Dragons" Four-stack APD destroyer-transports in World War Two
    Location of the wreck of USS Little (APD-4) in Iron Bottom Sound
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The USS Little (DD-79) Page Back To The High-speed Transport (APD) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 16 October 2020