Charles E. Tolman—born on 25 June 1903 at Concord,
Massachusetts—entered the United States Naval Academy in the summer of 1921 and
was graduated on 4 June 1925. After serving in battleship
Utah (BB 31), he was
transferred to
Worden (DD 288) in
1926. Tolman then completed training courses at the Naval Torpedo Station,
Newport, Rhode Island and at the Submarine Base, New London, Conn. He served in
submarines
O-4 in 1928 and
S-22 from 1929 to 1932 when he returned
to the Naval Academy for two years. Tolman served in submarine
S-46 in 1934 and commanded
S-30 from April 1935 to May 1937. He was
attached to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations for 17 months before
assuming command of
Spearfish (SS 190)
on 7 October 1939. In January 1941, Tolman joined the staff of Commander,
Submarines, Atlantic Fleet.
Comdr. Tolman became the commanding officer of De Haven (DD 469) upon her commissioning
on 21 September 1942. The destroyer steamed to the South Pacific in November
1942 and supported operations in the Solomon Islands. On the afternoon of 1 February
1943, while escorting landing craft, De
Haven was attacked by six Japanese dive bombers. Fighting off the
attackers, the destroyer splashed three enemy planes before a bomb struck her
navigating bridge, stopped her, and killed Comdr. Tolman. Two more hits and a
near miss doomed De Haven, which sank
within two minutes. Comdr. Tolman was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for
his valiant leadership.
