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Rear Admiral Francis Thomas Spellman, USN Defenders of the American Constitution Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM)
Date of birth: February 23, 1895
Date of death: October 28, 1972
Place of Birth: Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Home of record: Boston, Massachusetts
Francis Spellman graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Class of 1917. Advanced directly to the temporary rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade (act of May 22, 1917). He retired as a U.S. Navy Rear Admiral.
Awards and Citations
Silver Star
Awarded for actions during World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain Francis Thomas Spellman (NSN: 0-10845), United States Navy, for distinguished service in the line of his profession while in command of a Cruiser during the action for the occupation of the Gilbert Islands, 18 to 26 November 1943. The cruiser under his command effectively bombarded enemy shore installations at Bititu Island in the face of fire from shore batteries and retired without damage. The Task Group of which his ship was a part maintained its position within easy bombing range of enemy bases for a period of eight days during which time the Task Group was twice under heavy torpedo attack by enemy planes. One of these attacks was pressed home to close quarters in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire from our ships, but only one of our vessels was damaged. His courageous and intelligent leadership not only brought his own ship through safely, but materially contributed to the defense of the entire Task Group and the success of its mission. His actions were in accordance with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
General Orders: Commander in Chief Pacific: Serial 01891 (May 14, 1944) Action Date: November 18 - 26, 1943 Service: Navy Rank: Captain Company: Commanding Officer Division: United States Cruiser
Legion of Merit with Combat "V"
Awarded for actions during World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit with Combat "V" to Captain Francis Thomas Spellman (NSN: 0-10845), United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States in the removal of a burning ship from a congested harbor area. During a raid by enemy bombing planes on the Harbor of Oran, Algeria, on 19 May 1943, the SS SAMUEL GRIFFIN loaded with a cargo of gasoline was on fire from a bomb hit and in danger of exploding and thereby doing enormous damage to shipping and harbor facilities. This possible major catastrophe was averted by the initiative and courage of Captain Spellman, who without thought of his own personal safety and with an expert display of seamanship, boarded the ship and took charge of the operations of towing her from the harbor. The outstanding leadership, resourcefulness, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Spellman were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. (Captain Spellman is authorized to wear the Combat "V".)
General Orders: Commander U.S. Naval Forces Northwest African Waters: Serial 0271 (August 3, 1943) Action Date: May 19, 1943 Service: Navy Rank: Captain
Legion of Merit with Combat "V"
Awarded for actions during World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Legion of Merit with Combat "V" to Captain Francis Thomas Spellman (NSN: 0-10845), United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. CHESTER (CA-27) during combat operations against the enemy from 1 January to 16 July 1944. During this period he participated in the Marshall Islands Campaign, 23 January to 17 March 1944, several bombardments of Wotje Island during January and February 1944, the bombardment of Matsuwa, Kurile Islands on 13 June 1944, and the bombardment of Kurabu Zaki, Paramushiru, Kurile Islands, on 26 June 1944. He also served as the Commander of a Task Unit on independent duty during a portion of the above period. At all times he handled his ship with courageous skill and his disregard for personal safety and steadfast devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. (Captain Spellman is authorized to wear the Combat "V".)
General Orders: Commander in Chief Pacific: Serial 04898 (September 25, 1944) Action Date: January 1 - July 16, 1944 Service: Navy Rank: Captain Company: Commanding Officer Division: U.S.S. Chester (CA-27)
Other Comments:
Central Pacific Campaign (1941-43)/Battle of the Coral Sea
From Month/Year
May / 1942
To Month/Year
May / 1942
Description The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought during 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first action in which aircraft carriers engaged each other, as well as the first in which neither side's ships sighted or fired directly upon the other.
In an attempt to strengthen their defensive positioning for their empire in the South Pacific, Japanese forces decided to invade and occupy Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi in the southeastern Solomon Islands. The plan to accomplish this, called Operation MO, involved several major units of Japan's Combined Fleet, including two fleet carriers and a light carrier to provide air cover for the invasion fleets, under the overall command of Japanese Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue. The US learned of the Japanese plan through signals intelligence and sent two United States Navy carrier task forces and a joint Australian-American cruiser force, under the overall command of American Admiral Frank J. Fletcher, to oppose the Japanese offensive.
On 3–4 May, Japanese forces successfully invaded and occupied Tulagi, although several of their supporting warships were surprised and sunk or damaged by aircraft from the US fleet carrier Yorktown. Now aware of the presence of US carriers in the area, the Japanese fleet carriers entered the Coral Sea with the intention of finding and destroying the Allied naval forces.
Beginning on 7 May, the carrier forces from the two sides exchanged airstrikes over two consecutive days. The first day, the US sank the Japanese light carrier Shoho, while the Japanese sank a US destroyer and heavily damaged a fleet oiler (which was later scuttled). The next day, the Japanese fleet carrier Shokaku was heavily damaged, the US fleet carrier Lexington was critically damaged (and was scuttled as a result), and the Yorktown was damaged. With both sides having suffered heavy losses in aircraft and carriers damaged or sunk, the two fleets disengaged and retired from the battle area. Because of the loss of carrier air cover, Inoue recalled the Port Moresby invasion fleet, intending to try again later.
Although a tactical victory for the Japanese in terms of ships sunk, the battle would prove to be a strategic victory for the Allies for several reasons. The battle marked the first time since the start of the war that a major Japanese advance had been checked by the Allies. More importantly, the Japanese fleet carriers Sokaku and Zuikaku – one damaged and the other with a depleted aircraft complement – were unable to participate in the Battle of Midway, which took place the following month, ensuring a rough parity in aircraft between the two adversaries and contributing significantly to the US victory in that battle. The severe losses in carriers at Midway prevented the Japanese from reattempting to invade Port Moresby from the ocean. Two months later, the Allies took advantage of Japan's resulting strategic vulnerability in the South Pacific and launched the Guadalcanal Campaign that, along with the New Guinea Campaign, eventually broke Japanese defenses in the South Pacific and was a significant contributing factor to Japan's ultimate defeat in World War II.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
May / 1942
To Month/Year
May / 1942
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories Chester was based at Pearl Harbor beginning in early 1941 and escorted two U.S. Army transports to the Philippines in October and November of that year. She was at sea when Japan began the Pacific War with their 7 December 1941 suprise attack on Pearl Harbor and operated in the Hawaiian area during the weeks that followed that raid. In January 1942, the cruiser took part in the reinforcement of Allied positions in the southern Pacific. On 1 February, she was damaged by a Japanese bomb during a raid on enemy facilities in the Marshall Islands. After repairs, Chester went back to the south Pacific, where in early May she participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea.
Overhauled on the west coast during the Summer of 1942, Chester was next assigned to take part in the Guadalcanal campaign, but had only spent about a month in the area when she was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on 20 October and had to return to the U.S. for extensive repairs. She was back in the Pacific war zone in September 1943 and during the next six months participated in the invasions of the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. Sent to the North Pacific in late May 1944, Chester bombarded Japanese-held islands in the Kuriles during June. Moving to the central Pacific, she shelled Wake and Marcus Islands in September and October, then steamed west to participate in the Leyte operation and the resulting Battle of Leyte Gulf.
