Richard N. Antrim’s Navy Cross citation

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the NAVY CROSS to

RICHARD NOTT ANTRIM

COMMANDER [THEN LIEUTENANT], U.S. NAVY

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of this profession as Executive Officer of the Destroyer U.S.S. POPE (DD-225), in combat with the enemy in the Java Sea on 1 March 1942, when his ship engaged an overwhelming number of Japanese surface and aircraft. An experienced destroyer officer, tried in two previous battles, Commander Antrim for a period of over five hours, under intense hostile fire and bombings, coolly, calmly, efficiently, with contempt for danger and with remarkable judgment carried out his vital battle tasks of navigation, fire direction, and damage control with a preciseness that left nothing to be desired, and in such a manner as to be highly instrumental in causing the enemy extensive damage. He was exact and sound in his advising his Commanding Officer regarding maneuvering, target selection, and the use of smoke. Finally, with his ship sinking as a result of enemy bombing, although bruised and shaken and painfully injured by an explosion within the ship, he continued with extraordinary heroism and perseverance in his immediate task of supervising the abandoning of the ship. Courageously exposing himself to low-flying enemy bombers, he directed the men over the side in such a manner that group targets would not be offered the enemy from the air, at the same time supervising the removal of the wounded from the ship and the launching of the one available boat. Later events indicated the soundness of his judgment and showed him to be a prime factor in the ultimate survival of not only the wounded men in the boat but also the entire ship’s compliment still alive after the actual sinking. No deaths resulted from repeated enemy strafing attacks o the crew in the water. The boat, directed by Commander Antrim, after his being picked from the water, rounded up three life rafts and one hundred and fifty-one survivors into a controllable group, and for a period of almost three days until their capture by a Japanese destroyer, this boat served to supply personnel in the sea with the necessary minimum life-sustaining requirements of water, food, and rest. There was no loss of life in the water. Commander Antrim’s performance of duty in battle contributed immeasurably to the damage inflicted on the Japanese force and to his sound judgment are owed the lives of many who might otherwise have perished. His meritorious performance of duty and heroic conduct were at all times in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.