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

DD-79 / APD-4 Little

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 Destroyer clasp) - American Defense Service Medal (with 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 Little was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Guadalcanal - Tulagi landings Capture and Defense of Guadalcanal

  • Final Disposition, lost to enemy action off Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, sunk by Japanese destroyers, 4 September 1942
  • Little earned two battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,154 t.
    Length 314' 5"
    Beam 31' 8"
    Draft 9' 10"
    Speed 35.2 kts.
    Complement 141
    Boats 4 LCP(L) landing craft
    Armament
    three single 4"/50 gun mounts
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    five 20mm AA gun mounts
    one depth charge rack
    four depth charge projectors
    Propulsion geared turbines, two propellers, 24,200shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Little 75k Little (APD-4) tied up to a mooring buoy, circa early 1942. Note her pattern camouflage.
    US Navy photo # NH 97784 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Little 74k Little (APD-4)in port, circa early 1942. Note depth charge racks on her stern and gravity davits amidships.
    US Navy photo # NH 97785 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Gregory 57k Little (APD-4), at right center, and 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 San Juan (CL-54).
    US Navy photo # NH 97836 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 Robert Hurst
    View the Little (APD-4)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    American APD Corporation
    Four Stack APD Veterans

    Contact: CWO3 Curt Clark Secretary/Treasurer
    Address: 3384 Grim Ave., San Diego, CA 92104
    Phone: 619-282-0971
    E-mail: apdsec@cox.net
    Reunion Schedule
    2008 Reno, Nevada. Site and date to be determined
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    "The Green Dragons" Four-stack APD destroyer-transports in World War Two
    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
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 18 January 2008