"The big alarm came at noon on 10 December--we'd pulled up alongside a mine sweeper for water when word came that a large flight of Jap planes was headed toward the Manila area, coming from the direction of Formosa. We pulled away from the tender, out into open water, and fifteen minutes later we saw them--several formations--I counted about twenty-seven to twenty-nine planes in each--two-motor bombers--lovely, tight, parade-ground formations, coming over at about 25,000 feet. But, I thought, when our fighters get up there and start rumpling their hair, those formations won't look so pretty. Only where were our fighters?
"The Japs passed on put of sight over the mountains, and then we began hearing the rumble of bombs--only first we felt the vibrations on our feet, even out there in the water, and we knew something was catching hell. But what? Manila? Maybe Nichols Field? Or even Cavite, our own base? We couldn't know."
"I did," said Bulkeley laconically. "I was there, at Cavite. The Admiral sent us a two-hour warning that they were coming--from Formosa, and headed on down in our direction across Northern Luzon.
"So we hauled our boats out into the bay. They kept beautiful formations, all right. The first big V and fifty-four planes in it, and they came in at about 20,000, with their fighters on up above to protect them from ours--only ours didn't show! We couldn't figure it. First they swung over Manila and began to paste the harbor shipping. It was a beautiful clear day, and I remember the sun made rainbows on the waterspouts of their bombs. They were from a hundred and fifty to two hundred feet high, and it made a mist screen so dense you could hardly tell what was happening to the ships. It turned out nothing much was--they only hit a few.
"But then that big beautiful V pivoted slowly and moved over Cavite--began circling it like a flock of well-disciplined buzzards.
"They were too high to see the bomb bay doors open, but we could see the stuff drop slowly, picking up speed; only as we watched we found we had trouble of our own. Because five little dive bombers peeled off that formation, one by one, and started straight down for us. When they were down to about fifteen hundred feet, they leveled off and began unloading. Of course we gave our boats full throttle and began circling and twisting, both to dodge the bombs and to get a shot at them. Our gunners loved it--it was their first crack at the Japs. I remember Chalker's face; he's a machinist's mate from Texarkana--a shootin' Texas boy. He was pouring 50-caliber slugs up at them, cooler than a pail of cracked ice, but that long, straight, pointed jaw of his was set. Houlihan, who was firing the other pair of 50's was the same. They'd picked out one plane and were pouring it up into the sky, when we saw the plane wobble, and pretty soon she took off down the bay, weaving unsteadily, smoking, and all at once, two of three miles away, she just wobbled down into the drink with a big splash. So we knew the 35 boat got one. Meanwhile the 31 boat had shot down two more. After thet the planes didn't bother strafing the MTB's. Guess the Jap pilots back at their Formosa base passed the word around.
"It certainly surprised our Navy too, which had never guessed a torpedo boat could bring down an airplane. Later on I got a kidding message from Captain Ray, chief of staff:
Dear Buck: I really think your gang is getting too tough. The latest report is that "three dive
bombers were seen being chased over Mariveles Mountain by an MTB." Don't you think this is
carrying the war a bit too far?
"About 03:30 the Japs left, so we went on back in to Cavite to see what had happened. They'd flattened it--there ins't any other word. Here was the only American naval base in the Orient beyond Pearl Harbor pounded into bloody rubbish. We didn't have time then to think about where our American planes could have been, because the place was a shambles, and we began loading in the wounded to take them to Canacao hospital. The first boatload was all white Americans except one Negro--from a merchant marine boat--with a compound fracture--his shoulder bone was sticking out and it looked brick-red against his black skin. We put a tourniquet on him and never once did he whimper--a very brave guy. There was half an inch of blood on the landing platform at Canacao--we could hardly keep on our feet, for blood is as slippery as crude oil--and the aprons of the hospital attendants were so blood-splattered they looked like butchers.
"We went back to Cavite and offered to carry more wounded. The big base was one sheet of flame except for the ammunition depot. Only a piece of the dock was left, and through the shimmering flames you could see only jagged walls. Then we saw Admiral Rockwell--he was directing the fire apparatus which was trying to save the depot. He is a tall man, a fine figure of a sailor, but his head was down that day. In a dead voice he told us we'd better get out--that the magazine was liable to go up any minute. We offered to take him with us to Mariveles, but he said no, his job was here, to do what he could to save the magazines.
"So we picked up from the gutters and streets a lot of cans of food we knew we would need--they were from the bombed warehouses--stacked them in the boat, and set out."
"The weirdest thing I saw there," said Ensign Akers, "was a native woman--every stitch of clothing blown off by a bomb, running around screaming, completely berserk. But you could see she wasn't wounded, and so everybody was too busy to catch her and calm her down. How she got there no one knew or even asked."
"I was back there a couple of days later after the fires were out," said Ensign Cox, a goodlooking yellow-haired youngster from upstate New York. "They were burying the dead--which consisted of collecting heads and arms and legs and putting them into the nearest bomb crater and shoveling debris over it. The spell was terrible. The Filipino yard workers didn't have much stomach for the job, but it had to be done and done quickly because of disease. To make them work, they filled the Filipinos up with grain alcohol. The weirdest thing of all was that week before I'd bought a bike, and the night before the raid I'd left it locked against a wall. Just for curiosity, I went over to where it had been and there it still was--beside the wall, which was only a jagged ruin, and yet its paint wasn't even scratched. I unlocked it and rode all over the yard, watching those staggering Filipinos, maybe dragging a trunk toward a crater, pulling it by its one remaining leg, or else maybe rolling a head along like over a putting green. The Japs must have killed at least a thousand. Mostly dock workers--they caught them right at dinner hour."
"That raid gave me myy first big shock of the war," said Lieutenant Kelly, "but it wasn't the damage they did. From over in Mariveles I couldn't see what was happening after the Jap bombers disappeared over the mountain. I got my shock after they had unloaded and flew over us on their way home--the same beautiful tight formations--not a straggler. Where was our air force? What could it mean? Didn't we have about one hundred and fifty planes--most of them fighters? Were our guys yellow? Or had somebody gone nuts and told them not to take off--let the Japs get away with this? It made you sick to think about it.
"From over towards Cavite we could now see that huge column of smoke rising into the sky as the Japs left the scene.
"But it wasn't until Lieutenant DeLong dropped in at four o'clock in the 41 boat that I knew how bad off we were. He said the Cavite base was a roaring blast furnace--the yard littered with those mangled and scorched bodies--and furthermore that all our spare parts for the MTB's--engines and everything--had been blasted to bits. Machine shops completely gone. Not so much as a gasket left to see us through this war, with the factory halfway around the world.
"Also he said Cavite radio had been hit. That still left the shortwave voice stuff to talk with Manila or Bataan or the Rock, but of course this couldn't be secret from the Japs, so they would be depending on our six boats for courier duty to relay all confidential stuff."
"So I wasn't surprised," said Bulkeley, "when early the next morning I got a hurry call to report to the Admiral in Manila. As our 34 boat cleared the mine field around Bataan, looking over toward Manila I saw something very queer--shipping of all descriptions was pouring out of that Manila breakwater into the open harbor--destroyers, mine sweepers, Yangtze River gunboats, tramp steamers, all going hell for breakfast. And then I saw them--a big formation of about twenty-seven bombers. By then I was beginning to learn that if we saw planes in the air, they would be Japs, not ours. Then came another formation of twenty-nine, and still another of twenty-six.
"If they were after shipping, we shouldn't get too close to the other boats, so I changed course. They wheeled majestically around the bay's perimeter, and each time they passed Manila a load would go whistling down and present huge columns of black and white smoke began rising--we could even see some fires, although we were still eleven miles away.
" 'Where in the hell is our air force?' our crew kept asking me. "Why in Christ's name don't they do something?'
"But the thing that really got me was that these big Jap formations, circling the bay like it was a parade maneuver, each time would sail impudently right over Corregidor! Didn't they know we had anti-aircraft guns?
"They knew all right, but it turned out they knew something that I didn't. For presently all twenty of Corregidor's 3-inchers opened fire, and it made me sick to see every one of their shells was bursting from 5,000 to 10,000 feet below the Jap formation. Those pilots were as safe as though they'd been home in bed. Later I found out what the Jap's apparently already knew--that the Rock's anti-aircraft guns didn't have the range. And only then did it begin to dawn on me how completely impotent we were.
"When the Japs cleared out," continued Bulkeley, "Kelly and I headed for Manila and docked about three o'clock. When we reported, Commander Slocum told me the Admiral was considering sending our three boats on a raid off Lingayen, and were we ready? We said we were rarin' to go. So he said to stick around a couple of hours, and meanwhile to load the boats with files, records, and so forth, because they were moving headquarters. It had escaped so far, but right here on the waterfront it was too vulnerable--sure to get smacked. Through the open door we could see the Admiral conferring with his chief of staff and half a dozen other high officers. On the wall was a chart of the waters off Luzon, and on it were black pins which represented Jap boats.
"But just then,"said Kelly, "Commander Slocum looked down at my arm, which was in a sling, frowned, and said I should get over to see the fleet doctor. THe doctor took off the bandage and began to talk tough. Said he couldn't do anything, and that I was to get that arm to a hospital as fast as I could.
"I was dead set on that raid, but I decided it wouldn't be tactful to bring that up, so I said "Aye, aye, sir," and skipped it. We loaded the boats with records, and then went back to head quarters, where we were told that the Jap convoy off Lingayen included eight transports and at least two battleships . . . but that we weren't going to be sent. They were saving us for 'bigger things.'
" 'My God!' my junior said later, "I didn't know they came any bigger! What do they think we are?'
"Anyway the Admiral patted Bulkeley on the shoulder and said, 'We know you boys want to get in there and fight, but there's no sense sending you on suicidal missions--just now.'
"So that was that, and we went on out across the bay, to our thatched village." *
--W. L. White
From: The United States Navy in World War II
Compiled and edited by S. E. Smith
Part I: Chapter 5
The Philippine Expendables
*Sisiman Bay, a little cove east of Mariveles Harbor
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John D. Bulkeley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| John D. Bulkeley | |
|---|---|
 
Vice Admiral John D. Bulkeley
| |
| Nickname | "Sea Wolf"[1] |
| Born | August 19, 1911 New York City, New York |
| Died | April 6, 1996 (aged 84) Silver Spring, Maryland |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1933–1988 |
| Rank |  Vice Admiral |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Navy Cross Distinguished Service Cross (2) Navy Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit (2) Purple Heart (2) Combat Action Ribbon (3) Croix de Guerre (France) Distinguished Conduct Star (Phil.) |
John Duncan Bulkeley (August 19, 1911 – April 6, 1996) was a Vice Admiralin United States Navy and was one of the most decorated naval officers. Bulkeley received the Medal of Honor for actions in the Pacific Theater duringWorld War II. He was also the PT boat skipper who evacuated GeneralDouglas MacArthur from Corregidor in the Philippines and commanded at theBattle of La Ciotat. The Navy named an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer after him: USS Bulkeley (DDG-84), commissioned in 2001.
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[hide]Early life and career[edit]
Bulkeley was born in New York City and grew up on a farm in Hackettstown, New Jerseywhere he graduated from Hackettstown High School.[2] Unable to gain an appointment toAnnapolis from his home state of New Jersey, he gained an appointment from the state ofTexas.[3] Due to budget constraints, only the upper half of the 1933 Academy class received a commission upon graduation. John Bulkeley, noted early on for his intense interest in engineering, joined the Army Air Corps. Like the flying machines of the day, he landed hard more than once. After a year, and because the President and Congress permitted additional commissions in the Navy (as a government plan for additional jobs), Bulkeley gave up flying for the deck of a cruiser, the USS Indianapolis (CA-35), as a commissioned officer in the Navy.
Bulkeley charted an interesting course in his early years and was recognized early on by the Navy's leadership. As a new ensign in the mid-1930s, he took the initiative to remove the Japanese ambassador's briefcase from a stateroom aboard a Washington-bound steamer, delivering it to Naval Intelligence a short swim later. This bold feat, the first of many in his life, did not earn him any medals, but it did get him a swift one-way ticket out of the country and a new assignment as Chief Engineer of a coal-burning gunboat, the USS Sacramento (PG-19), also known in those parts as "The Galloping Ghost of the China Coast". There he met Alice Wood, a young, attractive English girl, at a dinner party aboard HMS Diana (H49). In China, they witnessed the invasion of Swatow and Shanghai by Japanese troops and the bombing of USS Panay (PR-5), the first US Navy ship sunk in World War II.
World War II[edit]
At the dawn of World War II, Bulkeley was a lieutenant in command of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three, a Philippine-based detachment of six motor torpedo boats. He hit his stride as a daring, resourceful and courageous leader. He picked up General Douglas MacArthur, his family, and his immediate staff, who had been ordered to flee the Philippines, and took them aboard PT 41 and other 77-foot (23 m) motor torpedo boats through over 600 nautical miles (1,000 km) of open ocean. On arriving at Mindanao, MacArthur said, "You have taken me out of the jaws of death. I shall never forget it." Bulkeley earned many of his array of decorations while in command of that squadron and a subsequent one.
In 1944, he took part in the Normandy invasion. Bulkeley led torpedo boats and minesweepers in clearing the lanes to Utah Beach,[4] keeping German E-boats from attacking the landing ships along the Mason Line, and picking up wounded sailors from the sinking minesweeperUSS Tide (AM-125), destroyer escort USS Rich (DE-695), and destroyer USS Corry (DD-463). As invasion operations wound down, he received command of his first large ship, the destroyerUSS Endicott (DD-495). One month after D-Day, he came to the aid of two British gunboats under attack by two German corvettes. Charging in with only one gun working, he engaged both enemy vessels at point-blank range, sinking both. When asked, he explained, "What else could I do? You engage, you fight, you win. That is the reputation of our Navy, then and in the future."
Robert Kelly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Robert Bolling Kelly | |
|---|---|
(L-R) Cdr. W.R. Specht, Admiral E.C. "Mike" Moran, and LCdr. R.B. Kelly at Rendova, May 1944
| |
| Born | June 9, 1913 New York City |
| Died | January 23, 1989 (aged 75) Columbia, Maryland |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/branch |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1935–1961 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Commands held |
|
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | |
Captain Robert Bolling Kelly (June 9, 1913 - January 23, 1989) was anofficer of the United States Navy who served during World War II.
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[hide]Biography[edit]
World War II[edit]
In 1941-42 Lieutenant Kelly served as both Executive Officer of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3 under Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley, and as commander of Motor Torpedo Boat PT-34, based in the Philippines.[2]
Kelly took part in the operation to evacuate General Douglas MacArthur and his staff from Corregidor to Mindanao, on the night of March 12/13, 1942[3]and was subsequently awarded the Silver Star.[2]
On the night of April 8/9, 1942 Bulkeley in PT-41 and Kelly in PT-34 engaged the Japanese cruiser Kuma off Cebu Island, firing several torpedoes, only one of which hit, but failed to explode. The next morning PT-34 was attacked by Japanese aircraft, forced to beach and then destroyed.[3] Kelly, who was wounded in the action, was awarded the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Service Cross for "distinguished conduct and extraordinary courage in combat."[2]
Kelly commanded Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 9 in 1943-44, and earned another Silver Star for his actions during the New Georgia andBougainville Campaigns.[1]
With the rank of Commander, Kelly commanded the destroyer Irwin (DD-794) from June 1945 until her decommissioning on May 31, 1946,[4] seeing action during the battle of Okinawa,[2] and being awarded the Legion of Merit.[1]
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NAVY CROSS
SILVER STAR
Herbert J. Ray
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Herbert James Ray | |
|---|---|
Captain Herbert J. Ray
| |
| Born | 1 February 1893 Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Died | 3 December 1970 (aged 77) Beale Air Force Base, California |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1914–1949 |
| Rank |  Rear Admiral |
| Service number | 0-8639 |
| Commands held | USS Maryland USS Farenholt |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) Silver Star (2) Bronze Star |
Rear Admiral Herbert James Ray (1 February 1893 – 3 December 1970) was an officer in the United States Navy who served in World War I and World War II. A 1914 graduate of the Naval Academy, he served on the submarinesUSS H-2 and N-3 during World War I. In March 1942, as Chief of Staff and Aide to the Commandant of the Sixteenth Naval District, Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell, he participated in General Douglas MacArthur's escape from the Philippines. In Australia, he served with MacArthur's General Headquarters,Southwest Pacific Area staff. In September 1943, he became Captain of the battleship USS Maryland, which he commanded in the Battle of Tarawa,Battle of Kwajalein, Battle of Saipan and the Battle of Peleliu. In October 1944, he participated in the Battle of Surigao Strait, in which Maryland joined the other battleships in engaging the Japanese battleships Fusō andYamashiro and their escorts. Ray left Maryland in December 1944, and was appointed Deputy Director of the Naval Division of the US Control Group Council for Germany. After VE Day, he became the Junior United States Member of the Tripartite Naval Commission in Berlin. He retired from the Navy on 30 June 1949, and received a tombstone promotion to rear admiral due to his combat decorations.
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[hide]Early life[edit]
Herbert James Ray was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 1 February 1893,[1]the son of James Herbert Ray and his wife Mary née Rosseler. He was educated at Rhea County High School. In 1910, he was appointed to theUnited States Naval Academy at Annapolis, from which he graduated on 6 June 1914.[2]
On graduation, he was commissioned as an ensign, and joined the crew of thebattleship USS Minnesota. In July 1915, he became an instructor for enlisted ratings in Norfolk, Virginia. He then became part of the crew that was assembled for the new battleship USS Nevada in January 1916, and served on it when it was commissioned in March 1916. After the United States declared war on Germany, he underwent submariner training on board thesubmarine tender USS Fulton from June to November 1917. During the war he served on the submarines USS H-2 and N-3.[2]
Between the wars[edit]
After the war, Ray was posted to the battleship USS Pennsylvania in March 1919, the submarine tender USS Savannah in July 1919, and the destroyer USS Meyer February 1920. He then became the Executive Officer of the destroyer USS Walker. In November 1920, he helped fit out the destroyer USS Young, and served on it until April 1921, when he was transferred to the crew of another new destroyer, the USS Macdonough. He helped fit it out, and then served with it until September 1921.[2]
Ray returned to Annapolis as an instructor with the Electrical Engineering and Physics Department from September 1921 to June 1923. He then served on the transport USS Argonne until December 1924, when he became the Executive Officer of the destroyerUSS Wood.[2] In 1926, he assumed command of the destroyer USS Farenholt.[1] In July, he became Officer in Charge of the Branch Hydrographic Office in Honolulu. He was Aide and Flag Secretary to the Commander Light Cruiser 2 from May 1928 to June 1930; Light Cruiser Divisions, Scouting Fleet from June to September 1930; and Light Cruiser 3 from September 1930 to July 1931. Ray married Helen Louise Jacobs from La Plata, Maryland in 1930. They had two daughters and two sons.[2]
Ray was the Navy Representative on the Joint Army-Navy Selective Services Committee at the War Department in Washington, D.C., from July 1931 to September 1933. He then helped fit out the new cruiser USS New Orleans, and became first he First Lieutenant and Damage Control Officer, and then, in February 1935, he Executive Officer. Following the usual pattern of alternating duty afloat and ashore, he returned to Annapolis in July 1936 for a second two-year tour as an instructor, this time in the Department of English and History.[2] In June 1938 he entered the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island. After graduating in June 1939, he became the Executive Officer of the USS Quincy.[1]
World War II[edit]
Southwest Pacific[edit]
In March 1941, Raybecame Chief of Staff and Aide to the Commandant of the Sixteenth Naval District, Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell,[1][3] at Cavite, where he was promoted to captain on 1 July 1941. He was serving in this capacity when the Pacific Warbegan. He was awarded the Legion of Merit for his part in the fighting.[2] His citation read:
For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Chief of Staff in the Sixteenth Naval District at the outbreak of World War II. Captain Ray continuously performed duties of great responsibility during and after the bombing and destruction of Cavite Navy Yard on 10 December 1941. In the direction of fire fighting at Cavite, in the evacuation of personnel and material to Corregidor, and in the administration of Naval Facilities at Mariveles on Bataan Peninsula, he displayed courage and marked leadership. His close personal contact with the personnel of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three and constant concern with their problems was an outstanding example of leadership and exceptional efficiency in his profession. During this entire period of great stress, he performed exceptionally meritorious service to the government in duties of great responsibility. Captain Ray was sent to Mariveles on 14 December to supervise the work there and Commander Grandfield temporarily assumed the duties of Chief of Staff. On completion of a reorganization at Mariveles, Captain Ray was ordered to Queen Tunnel Corregidor and resumed his duties as Chief of Staff.[4]
In March 1942, he participated in General Douglas MacArthur's escape from the Philippines, for which Ray was awarded the Silver Star.[2] His citation read:
For extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession while serving on the Staff of Rear Admiral Francis Rockwell, Commandant, Sixteenth Naval District, during the period 11 to 13 March 1942, in the Philippine Islands during a extraordinary action a retrograde maneuver involving General Douglas MacArthur. Captain Ray made detailed plans involving exacting preparations for a movement of major strategic importance and of the most hazardous nature, then executed the mission with marked skill and coolness in the face of greatly superior enemy forces.[5]
In Australia, Ray served with MacArthur's General Headquarters, Southwest Pacific Area. One of his sons, Lieutenant James H. Ray, was on the destroyer USS Jarvis when it was lost with all hands on 9 August 1942. When Ray was ordered back to the United States in January 1943, MacArthur awarded him the Army Distinguished Service Medal.[2] His citation read:
For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility in the Southwest Pacific Area during the period from 18 April 1942 to 26 April 1943. Captain Ray was assigned to General Headquarters, Southwest Pacific Area, upon its establishment, 18 April 1942, serving as Naval Advisor to the Operations and Intelligence sections of the General Staff from 18 April 1942 to 9 January 1943. Upon the establishment of the Planning Section of G-3, 9 January 1943, he was assigned as Chief of that section. The accomplishment of the service for which this award is recommended has been completed. This officer has been transferred to another assignment. The entire service of Captain Ray has, since the rendering by him of the service upon which this recommendation is based, been honorable.[6]
USS Maryland[edit]
Ray served in the office of the Commander in Chief United States Fleet, Admiral Ernest J. King from April to September 1943. He then became Captain of the battleship USS Maryland. The ship had been damaged in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 but returned to service.[2] Maryland participated in the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943 as the flagship of Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill's V Amphibious Force and Southern Attack Force, and her guns participated in the shore bombardment. In February 1944, she joined in the Battle of Kwajalein, firing at pillboxes and blockhouses on Roi Island. Maryland's guns supported the Battle of Saipan, silencing a pair of coastal guns. On 22 June, she was torpedoed by a Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bomber, but was repaired in time to join Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf’s Western Fire Support Group in the Battle of Peleliu. Still with Oldendorff's group, but now part of the Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid's Seventh Fleet, Maryland participated in the Battle of Leyte in October. In the Battle of Surigao Strait, it joined the other battleships in engaging the Japanese battleships Fusō and Yamashiro and their escorts.[7] Ray was awarded a second Silver Star. His citation read:
for gallantry and intrepidity in action as Commanding Officer of the USS Maryland (BB-46), which contributed materially to the annihilation of enemy surface forces, including two battleships, on 25 October 1944, in Surigao Straits, Philippine Islands. Captain Ray, by his capable direction, caused his ship to deliver prolonged and effective gunfire against the enemy's ships.[8]
On 29 November, Maryland was attacked and severely damaged by kamikaze aircraft, and forced to return to Pearl Harbor for repairs.[7] For his services as captain, he was awarded the Bronze Star.[2]
Germany[edit]
Ray left Maryland in December 1944. He was appointed Deputy Director of the Naval Division of the US Control Group Council for Germany. After VE Day, he became the Junior United States Member of the Tripartite Naval Commission in Berlin. He was promoted to the wartime rank of commodore on 26 June 1945. He returned to the United States in April 1946.[2] For his services in Europe, he was awarded a second Legion of Merit. His citation read:
For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States in Germany from 1 March 1945 to 20 December 1945. Commodore Ray distinguished himself by unusually meritorious accomplishments as Deputy Director of the Naval Division, U.S. Group Control Council for Germany, and later, as Deputy Naval Advisor to the Office of Military Government for Germany (U.S.), and as junior member of the Tri-Partite Naval Commission meeting in Berlin from 15 August 1945 until 8 December 1945. In this duty, he contributed in a high degree to the successful conclusion to the Tri-Partite Naval Commission. He was instrumental in coordinating the Naval work of the U.S. Group Control Council, and other divisions of the U.S. Group Control Council, and in coordinating the efforts of the four powers represented on the Naval Directorate of the Group Control Council for Germany.
Machinists Mate Chalker:
Joseph Charles Chalker
Date of death: Killed in ActionHome of record: Texarkana Texas
Status: KIA
AWARDS AND CITATIONS
Silver Star
See more recipients of this awardAwarded for actions during the World War II
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Army Award) (Posthumously) to Machinist's Mate Second Class Joseph Charles Chalker, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession while serving with Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron THREE (MTB-3), from 11 to 13 March 1942, in the Philippine Islands during a extraordinary action in a retrograde maneuver involving General Douglas MacArthur. With marked skill and coolness, Machinist's Mate Second Class Chalker performed this mission of major strategic importance and of a most hazardous nature in the face of greatly superior enemy forces. His conduct throughout this action reflects great credit upon himself, and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Military Forces of the United States.
General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army Forces in the Far East, General Order No. 43 (March 15, 1942) & Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 306 (September 1942)Action Date: March 11 - 13, 1942
Service: Navy
Rank: Machinist's Mate Second Class
Regiment: Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3 (MTB-3)
Francis W. Rockwell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Francis Warren Rockwell | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 2, 1886 South Woodstock, Connecticut |
| Died | January 2, 1979 (aged 92) Saint Simons Island, Glynn County,Georgia |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1908–1948 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Commands held | USS Winslow (DD-53) USS Thatcher (DD-162) USS Robert Smith (DD-324) USS Dorsey (DD-117) USS Nevada (BB-36) 16th Naval District Atlantic Fleet, Amphibious Training Command |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Navy Cross Navy Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star |
Francis Warren Rockwell (July 2, 1886 – January 2, 1979) was a Vice Admiral in the United States Navy who served from 1908 to 1948.[1]
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[hide]Early life and career[edit]
Rockwell was born in South Woodstock, Connecticut. He entered the Naval Academy in 1908. After various assignments, he directed the fitting out of the destroyer Jarvis (DD-38) in 1912-1914. In 1914 he joined the faculty of the Naval Academy as an instructor in electrical engineering and physics, serving there until 1917 when the United States entered World War I.[1]
World War I and interwar years[edit]
Rockwell served aboard the battleship New Jersey (BB-16) and aboard variousdestroyers in Queenstown, Ireland, during the war. He commandedWinslow (DD-53) in 1918 and then the new destroyer Thatcher (DD-162) in 1919. In 1920 he returned as an instructor at the Naval Academy, serving there until 1923. He was Gunnery Officer onTennessee (BB-43) from 1923-1926. He returned as an instructor at the Naval Academy from 1926-1929 before commanding Robert Smith (DD-324), Dorsey (DD-117) and Medina before becoming Executive Officer on Mississippi (BB-41). After a stint in theDepartment of the Navy in Washington, D.C., he commanded Nevada (BB-36) from 1939 to 1941.[1]
World War II[edit]
On November 5, 1941, Rockwell assumed command of the 16th Naval District, consisting of the Philippine Islands. He was present inCavite Navy Yard when it was bombed on December 10, 1941. Most of Cavite's facilities were destroyed and the submarineSealion (SS-195) was sunk. Rockwell estimated that 500 men were killed. The next day, with fires still burning, he recommended Cavite be stripped of usable fuel and equipment and abandoned.[2] He organized the withdrawal of remaining Allied naval forces and civilian ships from the Philippines and left in March 1942. Then, he planned the naval transport of the invasion force for the Battle of Attu of May 1943. He returned to the Navy Department in 1943 and commanded the Atlantic Fleet's Amphibious Training Command until the end of the war.
Awards and merits[edit]
Silver Star, Awarded for actions during World War II
| The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star (Army Award) to Rear Admiral Francis Warren Rockwell, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession while serving as Commandant, SIXTEENTH Naval District, during the period 11 to 13 March 1942, in the Philippine Islands during an extraordinary action a retrograde maneuver involving General Douglas MacArthur. Admiral Rockwell made detailed plans involving exacting preparations for a movement of major strategic importance and of the most hazardous nature, then executed the mission with marked skill and coolness in the face of greatly superior enemy forces. The conduct of Admiral Rockwell throughout this action reflects great credit upon himself, and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Military Forces of the United States. General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army Forces in the Far East, General Order No. 43 (March 15, 1942) - Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 306 (September 1942)[3] |
Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Awarded for actions during World War II
| The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Rear Admiral Francis Warren Rockwell, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility. As Commandant of the SIXTEENTH Naval District Rear Admiral Rockwell displayed outstanding qualities of efficiency, leadership and judgment under difficult, arduous and hazardous circumstances during the Japanese assaults on Cavite, Philippine Islands, in December 1941, and the subsequent defense ofBataan Peninsula and the fortified islands at the entrance of Manila Bay both by United States Military and Naval Forces. General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 304 (July 1942)[3] |
Navy Cross, Awarded for actions during World War I
| The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Commander Francis Warren Rockwell, United States Navy, for distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. WINSLOW, engaged in the important, exacting and hazardous duty of patrolling the waters infested with enemy submarines and mines, in escorting and protecting vitally important convoys of troops and supplies through these waters, and in offensive and defensive action, vigorously and unremittingly prosecuted against all forms of enemy naval activity during World War I. |
Anthony B. Akers
Home of record: Beverly Hills CaliforniaAWARDS AND CITATIONS
Silver Star
See more recipients of this awardAwarded for actions during the World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Ensign Anthony B. Akers (NSN: 95640), United States Naval Reserve, for distinguished gallantry and intrepidity in the performance of duty as Commanding Officer of Motor Torpedo Boat THIRTY-FIVE (PT-35), Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron THREE (MTB-3), on the occasion of the evacuation of President Manuel Quezon and party from Negros to Mindanao, Philippine islands. After his boat had struck a submerged life buoy and had started to sink, Ensign Akers maintained his protective patrol of the area, and in order to avoid disclosing the presence of the Squadron to the enemy destroyer known to be near the rendezvous, refrained from signaling for help until President Quezon had safely left the rendezvous. His action on this occasion is in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
General Orders: Commander in Chief: Serial 0944 (May 25, 1942)Action Date: March 11 - 13, 1942
Service: Navy
Rank: Ensign
Company: Commanding Officer
Regiment: Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3 (MTB-3)
Division: Motor Torpedo Boat 35 (PT-35)
COX, GEORGE EMERSON, JR.Synopsis:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to George Emerson Cox, Jr., Ensign, U.S. Navy (Reserve), for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron THEE (MTB-3), Motor Torpedo Boat FORTY-ONE (PT-41), in action against enemy forces on 8 and 9 April 1942, in the vicinity of Cebu, Philippine Islands. Ensign Cox's outstanding accomplishments, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States.Headquarters: South West Pacific Area, General Orders No. 3 (1942)
Born: October 16, 1914 at Niagara Falls, New York
Home Town: Watertown, New York
Personal Awards: Navy Cross (WWII), Distinguished Service Cross (WWII), 2@ Silver Stars (WWII)
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to George Emerson Cox, Jr., Ensign, U.S. Navy (Reserve), for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron THEE (MTB-3), Motor Torpedo Boat FORTY-ONE (PT-41), in action against enemy forces on 8 and 9 April 1942, in the vicinity of Cebu, Philippine Islands. Ensign Cox's outstanding accomplishments, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States.Headquarters: South West Pacific Area, General Orders No. 3 (1942)
Born: October 16, 1914 at Niagara Falls, New York
Home Town: Watertown, New York
Personal Awards: Navy Cross (WWII), Distinguished Service Cross (WWII), 2@ Silver Stars (WWII)
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