190606-N-DM308-001 A graphic illustration of the future Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Quentin Walsh (DDG 132). (U.S. Navy photo illustration by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Paul L. Archer)
MyCG has a retelling of the life of my favorite Coast Guard Hero, Quentin Walsh. Read the whole thing, but I have quoted below the section on what he and his 53 man SeaBee unit did in less than three weeks following the Normandy invasion.
German prisoners march out of surrendered Cherbourg under U.S. Army guard. U.S. Navy photo.
By Tuesday, June 27th, Walsh’s men had fought their way through to Cherbourg’s harbor. During this assault, Walsh moved his men quickly to occupy strategic parts of the port and take control the harbor. During the assault, the men in his unit experienced a twenty-five percent casualty rate. By the end of the day, Walsh’s unit had advanced to the city’s old naval arsenal, where he accepted the surrender of 400 German troops.
After capturing Cherbourg’s port facilities, Walsh learned that the Germans held American paratroopers in the city’s old citadel at Fort du Homet. In the highlight of the Cherbourg operation, and likely his career, Walsh and one of his officers put themselves in harm’s way to save the lives of the Americans. The two officers entered the fort under a flag of truce and met with the commanding officer of the German garrison. By greatly exaggerating the numeric strength of his small force of Sea Bees, Walsh convinced the commanding officer to surrender the stronghold. With the surrender of Fort du Homet, Walsh and his men disarmed another 350 German troops and liberated over fifty American prisoners.
I have added this story to my Heritage page. There is an earlier post here reporting that the Secretary of the Navy had announced the decision to name DDG-132 after Walsh while on the deck of USCGC Eagle, in Cherbourg, June 6, 2019.
USS Quentin Walsh (DDG-132), a Flight III Arleigh Burke class destroyer, is to be built by Bath Iron Works.