The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Chief Boatswain’s Mate Horace L. Hamm, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service as Commanding Officer of the Armed Guard of steamship S.S. NAVAJO. In an engagement with an enemy submarine which lasted 35 minutes, the submarine fired 40 shots, one of which struck the NAVAJO. The NAVAJO fired 27 shots. The twenty-sixth shot was seen to hit the submarine just forward of the forward gun and a cloud of flame and dark gray smoke burst from the hatches. Almost immediately, the submarine sank bow first, the stem lifting high out of the water so that the propellers could be seen revolving.