Commander Bio:Norman Scott (1889-1942) was a rear admiral of the United States Navy (1942). He took part in World War I, served on destroyers, and commanded a large number of combat ships, including the heavy cruiser Pensacola. Several times he worked in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations during both World War I and World War II.
During the summer of 1942, rear admiral Scott was sent to the Pacific Theater. He paid special attention to the preparation of his ships for night combat and their coordination as a team. In October 1942, he led a squadron of cruisers and destroyers, intercepted Japanese forces and defeated them in the night Battle of Cape Esperance. This became the first major victory of the United States Navy during the war. One month later, he went down with his flagship cruiser Atlanta in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. He was posthumously awarded with the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration in the United States of America. |