John Cassin, USN-- Part 1

Earlier this week I wrote about the Battle of Newport News Point and mentioned the commander of the Norfolk Navy Yard, John Cassin.  I have a great interest on Pearl Harbor and remembered the famous photo of the destroyers Cassin and Downes wrecked in the drydock with the USS Pennsylvania after the attack.  Was this USS Cassins named after John Cassin..

It turns out it wasn't, it was named after his son, Stephen.

--Brock-Perry

John Cassin-- Part 3: Pearl Harbor's USS Cassin

At the end on June, I was writing about John Cassin, commandant of the Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia back in June 1813, when the British made an attempt to capture Norfolk and the Navy Yard.

I'd never heard of him before and there wasn't a lot of information available on Yahoo. I had heard of a destroyer named the Cassins at Pearl Harbor so wondered if theer was a connection.

I did find out that the Cassin destroyer at Pearl Harbor was not named for John Cassin, it was named the USS Stephen Cassin AND was named for John Cassin's son. Stephen Cassin (1783-1853), commanded the USS Ticonderoga at the Battle of Lake Champlain during the War of 1812.

An earlier destroyer than the Pearl Harbor one had also been named for him.

Small World. --Brock-Perry