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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)/Marshall Islands Operation
From Month/Year
November / 1943
To Month/Year
December / 1943
Description In the Pacific Theater of World War II, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, from November 1943 through February 1944, were key strategic operations of the United States Pacific Fleet and Marine Corps in the Central Pacific. The purpose was to establish airfields that would allow land based air support for the upcoming operations across the Central Pacific. The campaign began with a costly three-day battle for the island of Betio at the Tarawa atoll. The campaign was preceded a year earlier by a diversionary raid on Makin Island by U.S. Marines in August, 1942.
About 4,000 kilometers southwest of the Hawaii Islands, the Marshall Islands represented part of the perimeter of the Japanese Pacific empire. The former German colony was given to Japan after the closure of WW1, and had since been an important part of both offensive and defensive plans of the Japanese Navy. By the end of 1943, Admiral Mineichi Koga of the Japanese Combined Fleet knew the Americans were eyeing the islands, but he could not figure out where they would strike. His difficulties were further complicated by the lack of carrier aircraft, as they were taken away from him in an attempt to reinforce land-based squadrons. With his hands tied, all Koga could do was to send his submarines out as forward observers and order the regional commander in Truk Admiral Masashi Kobayashi to reinforce the island garrisons that were most exposed to American attacks. Kobayashi shifted men to the outer islands of Jaluit, Mili, Wotje, and Maloelap. In total, Kobayashi had 28,000 troops available to him in the Marshall Islands. For a garrison that size ground fortifications were sub-par, but that was rather by design at this stage of the war, for that Tokyo had since decided that the Marshall Islands were to serve only as a part of a delay action campaign. The new defensive perimeter was to be established much closer to the home islands.
American intelligence decoded Japanese messages and detected movements for the outer islands, and decided to change the invasion plans. Unbeknownst to the Japanese, the Americans were now bypassing the reinforced outer islands; they were now directly attacking Kwajalein and Eniwetok.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
November / 1943
To Month/Year
December / 1943
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.
