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Contact Info
Home Town St Paul, MN
Last Address Bellows Falls, VT
Date of Passing Dec 04, 1988
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
James Clair Shaw, a retired rear admiral and naval historian, died Sunday at his home in Bellows Falls, Vt. He was 74 years old and before a recent illness had been New England director of the Humane Society of the United States.
Admiral Shaw, who fought in 16 Pacific campaigns in World War II, graduated from the United StatesNavalAcademy in 1936. He wrote a naval history in association with Samuel Eliot Morison, the Harvard historian, and was technical adviser for the film ''The Caine Mutiny.'' He had been affiliated with the Humane Society since leaving the Navy 25 years ago.
Other Comments:
Silver Star
Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant
Division: U.S.S. Atlanta (CL-51)
Citation: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant James Clair Shaw, United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Gunnery Officer aboard the U.S.S. ATLANTA (CL-51), during the engagement with Japanese naval forces in the Solomon Islands area on 13 November 1942. Lieutenant Shaw suffered a broken hand after the action commenced. Despite this condition, he took an active part in removing those badly wounded from his ship, which was severely damaged, into the rescue boats alongside. He requested to be permitted to remain aboard but was ordered to leave with the wounded. His courageous conduct was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Bismarck Archipelago Operation
From Month/Year
June / 1943
To Month/Year
May / 1944
Description Rabaul was the strategic key to the Bismarcks. The Japanese recognized the value of the port, and seized it with forces staged from Truk early in the Pacific War. Air attacks began on 4 January 1942 and elements of the South Seas Detachment began their landings on 23 January, rapidly driving back the 1390 men of the defending Australian 22 Battalion ("Lark Force") and taking the town and airfields. With Rabaul secured, the Japanese occupied the remainder of the Bismarcks more or less at their leisure. Kavieng was taken the same day as Rabaul, Bougainville was occuped on 30-31 March, and the Admiralties were occupied on 8 April 1942.
Allied strategy in the Southwest Pacific was initially focused on recapturing Rabaul. MacArthur envisioned a two-pronged counteroffensive (CARTWHEEL) with one prong coming up the Solomons and the other across the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits from New Guinea to New Britain. These operations began with the operations to secure Guadalcanal in the Solomons (7 August 1942) and to clear the northeast coast of New Guinea around Buna (19 November 1942.) Both tasks proved far more difficult than anticipated, becoming battles of attrition that lasted for months. The Buna area was not secured until 22 January 1943 and Guadalcanal was not secured until 9 February 1943.
At at the Pacific Military Conference of March 1943 in Washington, D.C., MacArthur's representative, Richard Sutherland, presented a revised plan for taking Rabaul (ELKTON III). This envisioned the capture of the Huon Peninsula in New Guinea and Munda on New Georgia, followed by the seizure of points in western New Britain and Bougainville. The Allies could then take Kavieng, if necessary, before the final assault on Rabaul. Japanese forces in the area were estimated at around 85,000 men and 383 aircraft, with another 11,000 men, 250 aircraft, and the main strength of Combined Fleet available for immediate reinforcement. In the longer term, the Japanese could dispatch another 615 aircraft and 10 to 15 divisions to the area if shipping could be found. (Japanese records show that this estimate was quite good, and that shipping available was about 300,000 tons to which perhaps another 100,000 tons could be added.) MacArthur demanded another five divisions and a tripling of the air strength in the theater in order to carry out his plan.
The Washington planners rejected any reinforcements beyond two or three divisions and a small number of aircraft, and the plan was scaled back accordingly. The final directive, issued 28 March 1943, called for Allied forces to advance as far as the Huon peninsula, western New Britain, and Bougainville by the end of 1943. Overall command would be given to MacArthur, with whom Halsey in the South Pacific would be expected to cooperate. Fortunately, there was enough mutual respect between the two men to make the plan work.