 The first commanding officer was James H. Flatley fresh from the Battle of the Coral Sea.The "Grim Reapers" deployed with to the Southern Pacific in October 1942 where they participated in the Battle of Guadalcanal.As part of that campaign, the "Grim Reapers" played a pivotal role in defending the "Enterprise" and its task force during the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands from 25-27 October 1942.