USS Astoria attempts pre-war reconnaissance
On this day the USS Astoria arrives in Japan under the command of Richmond Kelly Turner in an attempt to photograph the Japanese battleships Yamato and Musashi.U.S.Navy Rear Admiral Turner whose motto was If you dont have losses youre not doing enough saw the cruiser Astoria through many assignments from assessing Japanese naval strength before U.S.entry in the war to returning the ashes of a Japanese ambassador to Japan to the amphibious assault at Guadalcanal.
The Astoria was unfortunately sunk along with the Quincy and the Vincennes during Operation Watchtower the landing of 16000 troops on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in August 1942.
