Captain R. H. ENGLISH Letter

DECLASSIFIED                       U.S.S. HELENA

							            December 11, 1941.



To the Officers and Crew of the U.S.S. HELENA

	

	I want to take advantage of a little lull after the

treacherous attack of Sunday morning to express my gratitude

to all my shipmates for the magnificent manner in which each

of you, to the last man, upheld the traditions of the Navy on

that historical occasion.



	The Japanese, while hiding behind a peace mission in

Washington, cowardly sneaked the first blow by striking us with

bomb and torpedo before the battle was on. But this was their 

last blow at the HELENA. Our guns were in action so quickly and

so furiously they didn't any longer have the guts to face the

music. Many subsequent attacks occurred over a three hour period,

but, when confronted with the concentrated barrage of the HELENA,

the pilots were observed to turn away or fly so high their bombing

was inaccurate. This prompt and decisive action on your part pre-

vented the destructioin of your own ship, and also assisted to the

maximum degree in the preservation of other ships and objectives.



	Every man did the right job at the right time. The machinery

clicked throught the engagement, and subsequent analyses fail to 

reveal a single mistake made. Every man stood unflinchingly by his 

station.Our engineers kept us in power for our guns; our damage 

control kept our ship machinery intact; our lookouts and bridge 

details kept the Japanese planes spotted; and, our gunners stood

by their guns as veterans. In spite of early serious material 

casualties and the loss of many shipmates, our fire was continous 

and decisive.



	Instances of personal courage are too great to enumerate

here. Let it suffice that the HELENA has definitely won her

place in history as a fighting ship which can give it always, and

take it too when this must be done. I am proud to be your Captain

and shipmate and we are all proud of the good old fighting HELENA.

Let us look to the future with a grim determination that our

shipmates who were lost shall not have died in vain.



				



					          R.H. ENGLISH,

			           		  Captain, U.S. Navy,

					          Commanding

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