Charles H. Hammann was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on 16 March 1892. He was appointed an ensign in the Naval Reserve Flying Corps during World War I. On 21 August 1918, while piloting a Navy seaplane near Pola, he landed on the Adriatic Sea to rescue Ensign George H. Ludlow, whose aircraft had been shot down by Austro-Hungarian forces. Though Hammann's plane was not designed for two persons, and despite the risk of enemy attack, he successfully completed the rescue and returned to the base at Porto Corsini, Italy. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for this exploit.
Hammann lost his life while serving on active duty at Langley Field, Virginia, on 14 June 1919. USS Hammann (DD-412) and USS Hammann (DE-131) were named in his honor.
[From USN Website]
Hammann is buried in Oak Lawn Cemetery, Baltimore, MD
ReplyDeleteI have photos of his gravesite if anyone is interested.
Stephen Miller
f134kilmil@comcast.net
A much better name for a USN warship than Lyndon B. Johnson.
ReplyDeleteUSS Hammann (DD412) was torpedoed while trying to save the USS Yorktown at the Battle of Midway
ReplyDelete