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Donald Losey (Fallhiker), MM1
to remember
Wallace, Daniel James, Jr., LCDR.
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Contact Info
Home Town Hoboken, NJ
Date of Passing Mar 05, 1945
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
A graduate of the US Naval Academy at AnnapolisMaryland, class of 1939, where he was the pitcher on the Academy's baseball team in his senior year.
Lt. Cmd. Wallace served with Fighter Squadron 10 aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6), was the Assistant Air Officer aboard an escort carrier (CVE), and was the executive Officer of Fighter Squadron 14 aboard the USS Wasp (CV-18)
On June 29, 1944 Lt. Cmd. Wallace was ordered to take command of Air Group 31 aboard the USS Cabot, relieving Lt. Cmd Winston. Lt. Cmd Wallace would be the 3rd commanding officer of Air Group 31. He flew on missions with Fighter Squadron 31.
He, along with the full air group were relieved from active duty on October 4, 1944 when they were rotated out of action. Lt. Cmd Wallace remained with Fighter Squadron 31 during their stationing at Alameda NAS (Naval Air Station) Oakland, California, and at Hollister California. On March 5, 1945 while Fighter Squadron 31 was stationed at Hollister California Lt. Commander Daniel J. Wallace Jr. died when his F6F Hellcat crashed during a night fighter exercise over Monterey bay.
From the Official Naval Accident report:
"Lt Comdr. Wallace was conducting a routine night fighter direction flight in company with three other planes in the vicinity of MontereyBay. He was leading his division on a vector of 270 mag at an altitude of 4,000 feet. While on this vector they encountered extremely bad weather and were ordered by the flight director to reverse course 180°. Wallace started an easy right turn of 15° bank. As the turn progressed he began losing altitude, gaining speed, and increasing his rate of bank. At 3,000 feet his second section could no longer follow him. His wingman sensing that something was wrong called Wallace and told him to level his wings. Wallace did not answer. At 1,800 feet the wingman was no longer able to follow due to the side power spiral of Wallace's plane. He broke off and that was the last that was seen of the lost plane."
The City of Hoboken New Jersey renamed a public school in honor of the three Wallace men who lost their lives during the war. The WallacePrimary school still bears their name today.
Other Comments:
Distinguished Flying Cross
Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Battalion: Fighting Squadron 14 (VF-14)
Division: U.S.S. Wasp (CV-18)
General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 366 (August 1947)
Citation: Synopsis: Lieutenant Commander Daniel J. Wallace, Jr., United States Navy, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a Pilot and Division Leader in Fighting Squadron FOURTEEN (VF-14), embarked in U.S.S. WASP (CV-18), in the First Battle of the Philippine Sea on 20 June 1944.
Guadalcanal Campaign (1942-43)/Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
From Month/Year
October / 1942
To Month/Year
October / 1942
Description The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or in Japanese sources as the Battle of the South Pacific, was the fourth carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the lengthy and strategically important Guadalcanal campaign. In similar fashion to the battles of Coral Sea, Midway, and the Eastern Solomons, the ships of the two adversaries were rarely in direct visual range of each other. Instead, almost all attacks by both sides were mounted by carrier or land-based aircraft.
In an attempt to drive Allied forces from Guadalcanal and nearby islands and end the stalemate that had existed since September 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army planned a major ground offensive on Guadalcanal for 20–25 October 1942. In support of this offensive, and with the hope of engaging Allied naval forces, Japanese carriers and other large warships moved into a position near the southern Solomon Islands. From this location, the Japanese naval forces hoped to engage and decisively defeat any Allied (primarily U.S.) naval forces, especially carrier forces, that responded to the ground offensive. Allied naval forces also hoped to meet the Japanese naval forces in battle, with the same objectives of breaking the stalemate and decisively defeating their adversary.
The Japanese ground offensive on Guadalcanal was under way in the Battle for Henderson Field while the naval warships and aircraft from the two adversaries confronted each other on the morning of 26 October 1942, just north of the Santa Cruz Islands. After an exchange of carrier air attacks, Allied surface ships were forced to retreat from the battle area with one carrier sunk and another heavily damaged. The participating Japanese carrier forces, however, also retired because of high aircraft and aircrew losses plus significant damage to two carriers. Although a tactical victory for the Japanese in terms of ships sunk and damaged, the loss of many irreplaceable, veteran aircrews would prove to be a long term strategic advantage for the Allies, whose aircrew losses in the battle were relatively low and could be quickly replaced. The high cost of the battle for the Japanese prevented their carrier forces from further significant involvement in the Guadalcanal campaign.
