Laurance T. DuBose
Laurance Toombs DuBose | |
---|---|
Battles/wars | Veracruz Expedition World War I World War II |
Awards | Navy Commendation Medal (2) |
Laurance Toombs DuBose (May 21, 1893 – July 11, 1967) was a highly decorated officer in the
DuBose remained in the Navy following the War and held several other important assignments including commander,
Early career
Laurance T. DuBose was born on May 21, 1893, in
Among his classmates were several future flag officers including four-star admirals William H. P. Blandy and John L. Hall Jr.; Vice admirals Glenn B. Davis, Paul Hendren, Arthur G. Robinson, Leo H. Thebaud; and Rear admirals Frederick G. Crisp, Norman C. Gillette and Paulus P. Powell.[4]
DuBose graduated with
Upon return to the United States one month later, DuBose was transferred to battleship USS Texas and took part in the training operations along the New England coast and off the Virginia Capes and winter fleet tactical and gunnery drills in the West Indies. He was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade) on June 7, 1916.[5]
Following the declaration of the War on Germany on April 6, 1917, DuBose was transferred to battleship
He served in this capacity until March 1918, when he was transferred to Bureau of Navigation in Washington, D.C., where he served under Rear Admiral Leigh C. Palmer until December 1919. While in Washington, DuBose was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant commander on November 5, 1918.[3]
Interwar period
DuBose was subsequently transferred to New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey, where he conducted duty in connection with fitting out of destroyer USS Kane. The Kane was commissioned in June 1920 and DuBose assumed duty as her executive officer. He then participated in her shakedown cruise to Gibraltar, Brest, Copenhagen, Gdańsk, and the Gulf of Riga.[7][8]
After relief works in Turkish waters near Constantinople, DuBose was ordered back to the United States and assumed command of destroyer USS Lansdale in August 1921. His vessel served with the Mine Force, Atlantic Fleet and practiced laying mines off the New England and Virginia coasts until late October that year. DuBose then conducted same kind of operations off Culebra, Puerto Rico, before he was appointed aide on the staff of Mine Squadron One under Captain William D. Leahy in April 1922.
DuBose spent following months aboard Leahy's flagship USS Shawmut, operating along the East Coast of the United States and later also in the Caribbean. He was ordered back to Washington, D.C., in July 1923 and assigned to the Administrative Division of the Bureau of Aeronautics under Rear Admiral William A. Moffett.[9]
In July 1926, DuBose assumed duty as a Navigator of light cruiser USS Richmond under Captain Alfred Wilkinson Johnson. The Richmond served as flagship of commander, light cruiser division, Rear Admiral Thomas P. Magruder and DuBose participated in the exercises in Hawaiian waters and then in the patrolling near Shanghai, China.[10][11]
DuBose was ordered back to the Naval Academy at Annapolis in May 1929 and served as an instructor in the Department of Seamanship and Flight Tactics until June 1932, when he assumed command of destroyer
In July 1937, DuBose was ordered to the
DuBose was ordered to the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, in July 1939 and completed the Senior course one year later. He was promoted to captain on July 1, 1940, and remained on the staff of the college under Rear Admiral Edward C. Kalbfus.[13][14][3]
World War II
Guadalcanal
Following the United States entry into World War II, DuBose still served on the staff of the Naval War College, but requested combat assignment, which was ultimately granted and he immediately embarked for South Pacific. On May 16, 1942, he arrived to Tongatapu, Tonga and assumed command of heavy cruiser USS Portland, which was stationed there for repairs following the Battle of the Coral Sea.[15]
The Portland then embarked as the part of admiral
DuBose then sailed for
He took part in the
In early November 1942, Japanese tried to retake Guadalcanal and sent there a troop and supply convoys escorted by aircraft carrier, two battleships, ten cruisers, and sixteen destroyers. The U.S. forces launched aircraft and warship attacks to prevent the Japanese to ground troops on Guadalcanal. DuBose and his Portland were attached to the Cruiser Division 3 under Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan and steamed to Guadalcanal.[3]
During the following battle, Portland was damaged by enemy torpedo causing heavy damage to her stern and subsequent blast disrupted her steering column, forcing her to steer in a circle. DuBose skillfully handled Portland, assisted in sinking of enemy destroyer Akatsuki and sunk another destroyer Yūdachi. After the steering problem was solved and Portland was able to withdraw on her own power to Tulagi. She was then towed to Sydney, Australia and escorted for preliminary repairs prior to overhaul in the United States. For his service on Guadalcanal, DuBose received his second Navy Cross and also Navy Unit Commendation.[1][3]
Flag assignments
DuBose was promoted to
The CruDiv 13 was subsequently transferred to the Pacific theater and reorganized, now comprising cruisers
During July and August 1944, DuBose and his division provided air cover for Fast Carrier Task Force during the strikes on Iwo Jima, where participated in destroying of Japanese airfield and intercepting of supply convoy north of Bonin Islands. Despite heavy fire from enemy shore batteries, DuBose and his cruisers bombarded the harbor and shipping at Chichijima and later directed the fleet planes attached to his cruisers in rescuing downed pilots and aircrewmen from carrier planes. He was decorated with third Legion of Merit for his service.[1][18][3]
DuBose assumed additional duty as commander, Task Force 30.3.1 and his cruisers supported aircraft carriers during the air strikes against Formosa between October 12–14, 1944. He fought his group so skillfully that practically all the attacking airplanes were destroyed. DuBose then escorted the crippled cruisers USS Houston and USS Canberra out of the danger zone following the raids and for his service during that battle, he received his third Navy Cross.[1][19]
He finished his service as commander, Cruiser Division 13 during the
After brief leave with family, DuBose reported in the
In April 1945, DuBose was ordered to
Postwar service
DuBose remained in that assignment until May 1948, when he was ordered to Hawaii for duty as commander, Battleships-Cruiser, Pacific Fleet. While in this capacity, he was responsible for all battleship divisions and destroyer squadrons within the Pacific Fleet; for the training of their crews and maintenance of that vessels, but was transferred to command of United States First Fleet in August that year. He operated his fleet in the western Pacific Ocean as the part of Pacific Fleet until March 1951, when he was transferred to Washington, D.C., for duty as Chief of Naval Personnel.[2][20][21][22][3]
For his new assignment, DuBose was promoted to the rank of vice admiral on March 30, 1951. While in this capacity, he was subordinated directly to the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral William Fechteler and thus assumed additional duty as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Personnel.[2][23][3]
He was ordered for his final assignment in February 1953, when he assumed duty as commander,
Retirement
DuBose retired from active duty on June 1, 1955, after 42 years of service and was advanced to the rank of admiral on the retired list for having been specially commended in combat.[28]
Admiral Laurance T. DuBose died on July 11, 1967, aged 74, in Charleston, South Carolina, and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. His wife, Gertrude Thompson DuBose, is buried with him.[29]
Awards and decorations
Here is the ribbon bar of Admiral DuBose:[1]
1st Row |
Navy Cross with two 5⁄16" Gold Stars | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2nd Row |
Combat "V"
|
Combat "V"
|
Navy Unit Commendation | |||||||||||
3rd Row |
Mexican Service Medal | Haitian Campaign Medal | World War I Victory Medal with Fleet Clasp | |||||||||||
4th Row |
Yangtze Service Medal | American Defense Service Medal | American Campaign Medal | |||||||||||
5th Row |
European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one bronze 3/16 inch service star |
Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal with one three silver 3/16 inch service stars |
World War II Victory Medal
| |||||||||||
6th Row |
National Defense Service Medal | Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Grand Officer |
Philippine Liberation Medal with one star |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Valor awards for Laurance T. DuBose". valor.militarytimes.com. Militarytimes Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g "The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia – Laurance T. DuBose". pwencycl.kgbudge.com. The Pacific War Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Eastern Sea Frontier's New Head Decides '13' Is His Lucky Number; The New York Times, March 22, 1953, page 88". timesmachine.nytimes.com. New York Times Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ a b "Lucky Bag – USNA Class of 1913". United States Naval Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1 July 1916. p. 72. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016.
- ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1 July 1917. p. 70. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016.
- ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1 July 1920. pp. 50–51. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016.
- ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1 July 1921. pp. 50–51. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016.
- ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1 July 1925. p. 56. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016.
- ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1 July 1926. p. 56. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016.
- ^ "Naval Orders – San Pedro News Pilot, Volume 2, Number 7". cdnc.ucr.edu. 13 March 1929. p. 11. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
- ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1 July 1936. p. 42. Archived from the original on 2 August 2016.
- ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1 July 1939. p. 34. Archived from the original on 2 August 2016.
- ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1 July 1940. p. 36. Archived from the original on 2 August 2016.
- ^ "Full Admiralty for Snyder; The New York Times, May 11, 1943, page 8". timesmachine.nytimes.com. New York Times Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ "All Hands – The Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin" (PDF). navy.mil. United States Navy Websites. January 1946. p. 57. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- ^ "All Hands – The Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin" (PDF). navy.mil. United States Navy Websites. February 1945. p. 57. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- ^ "Admiral DeLany To Take New Post – San Pedro News Pilot, Volume 21, Number 19". cdnc.ucr.edu. 27 March 1948. p. 1. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
- ^ "New Fleet Commander – Santa Cruz Sentinel, Volume 94, Number 7". cdnc.ucr.edu. 9 January 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
- ^ "BRIG. GEN. MICHAELIS CONFIRMED BY SENATE; The New York Times,March 23, 1951, page 2". timesmachine.nytimes.com. New York Times Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ "Giant Air-Sea Fails to Turn Up Plane – San Bernardino Sun, Volume 61, Number 54". cdnc.ucr.edu. 2 November 1954. p. 1. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
- ^ "DuBose Taking Command Of Eastern Sea Frontier; The New York Times, February 9, 1953, page 49". timesmachine.nytimes.com. New York Times Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ "Admiral DeLany, Retiring, Gets Official Send-Off; The New York Times, January 31, 1953, page 32". timesmachine.nytimes.com. New York Times Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ Laws Authorizing Issuance of Medals and Commemorative Coins. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1 July 1921. p. 154.
- ^ "Sea Frontier Chief Here Retiring; The New York Times, June 1, 1955, page 42". timesmachine.nytimes.com. New York Times Websites. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ "Burial Detail: DuBose, Laurance T". ANC Explorer. Retrieved May 23, 2023.