This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Shaun Thomas (Underdog), OSC
to remember
Crommelin, Henry (Silver Star), VADM USN(Ret).
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Contact Info
Home Town Montgomery
Last Address Montgomery
Date of Passing Mar 02, 1971
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain [then Commander] Henry Crommelin (NSN: 0-59421), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action prior to the landings at Tarawa on 20 - 23 November 1943. In his Division Leader with one other ship of his Division, he entered Tarawa Lagoon under heavy fire from shore batteries in advance of the assault landing craft. His ships succeeded in silencing several enemy batteries and effectively carried out all assigned and requested fire support tasks from inside the lagoon. Just before entering the lagoon, his Division Leader was hit three times by five-inch shells. The uncharted waters of the lagoon contained many coral heads and reefs. His skillful and resolute leadership contributed materially to the capture of Bititu and the occupation of Tarawa, Gilbert Islands. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
General Orders: Commander in Chief Pacific: Serial 01891 (May 14, 1944)
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Northern Solomon Islands Campaign (1943-44)
From Month/Year
February / 1943
To Month/Year
November / 1944
Description The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942. The Japanese occupied these locations and began the construction of several naval and air bases with the goals of protecting the flank of the Japanese offensive in New Guinea, establishing a security barrier for the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain, and providing bases for interdicting supply lines between the Allied powers of the United States and Australia and New Zealand.
The Allies, in order to defend their communication and supply lines in the South Pacific, supported a counteroffensive in New Guinea, isolated the Japanese base at Rabaul, and counterattacked the Japanese in the Solomons with landings on Guadalcanal (see Guadalcanal Campaign) and small neighboring islands on 7 August 1942. These landings initiated a series of combined-arms battles between the two adversaries, beginning with the Guadalcanal landing and continuing with several battles in the central and northern Solomons, on and around New Georgia Island, and Bougainville Island.
In a campaign of attrition fought on land, on sea, and in the air, the Allies wore the Japanese down, inflicting irreplaceable losses on Japanese military assets. The Allies retook some of the Solomon Islands (although resistance continued until the end of the war), and they also isolated and neutralized some Japanese positions, which were then bypassed. The Solomon Islands campaign then converged with the New Guinea campaign.
