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Contact Info
Home Town Milwaukee, WI
Last Address Maryland
Date of Passing Aug 04, 1958
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Donald Wood Loomis was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 15 July 1895, son of Fred W. and Mrs. Jane O. (Goss) Loomis. He attended West Division High School in Milwaukee, and in 1914 entered the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, on appointment from his native state. He was graduated with the class of 1918 on 20 June 1917 (course accelerated due to national emergency) and was commissioned Ensign from that date. Through subsequent advancement he attained the rank of Captain to rank from 14 June 1942, and served in the temporary rank of Commodore from 20 October 1944 until 16 September 1945. On 30 June 1949, he was transferred to the Retired List of the US Navy and advanced to the rank of Rear Admiral, on the basis of combat awards.
In addition to the Legion of Merit with four Gold Stars in lieu of additional similar awards, each with Combat 'V,' and the Bronze Star Medal with Combat 'V,' Rear Admiral Loomis had the Victory Medal, Escort Clasp (World War One); the Yangzte Service Medal; American Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clasp; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with operation stars; World War II Victory Medal; and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon.
Mariana and Palau Islands Campaign (1944)/Battle of Angaur
From Month/Year
September / 1944
To Month/Year
October / 1944
Description The Battle of Angaur was a battle of the Pacific campaign in World War II, fought on the island of Angaur in the Palau Islands from 17 September—22 October 1944. This battle was part of a larger offensive campaign known as Operation Forager which ran from June 1944 to November 1944 in the Pacific Theater of Operations, and Operation Stalemate II in particular.
Bombardment of Angaur by the battleship Tennessee, four cruisers, and forty Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers from the aircraft carrier Wasp began on 11 September 1944. Six days later on 17 September, the U.S. 81st Infantry Division—commanded by Major General Paul J. Mueller—landed on the northeast and southeast coasts. Both RCTs were counterattacked during the night. Both RCTs linked up the next day. By the end of the third day, 19 Sept., the main area of Japanese resistance was to the northeast around Romauldo Hill, so the 323rd RCT was sent to Ulithi.
Resistance stiffened as the Americans advanced on "the Bowl", a hill near Lake Salome in the northwest of the island where the Japanese planned to make their last stand, after the rest of Angaur and Saipan town were taken. There was another small position where the Japanese had about 400 soldiers in a defense at the southeast corner of the island, around Beach Green, that was neutralized on September 20 after 2 days of harsh fighting and about 300 U.S. casualties.
From 20 September, the 322nd Infantry Regiment repeatedly attacked the Bowl, but the 750 defenders repulsed them with artillery, mortars, grenades and machine guns. Gradually, hunger, thirst, and American shellfire and bombing took their toll on the Japanese, and by 25 September the Americans had penetrated the Bowl. Rather than fight for possession of the caves, they used bulldozers to seal the entrances. By 30 September, the island was said to be secure although the Japanese still had about 300 more soldiers in the Bowl and surrounding areas that held out for almost four more weeks. Toward the end of the first week of October, 1944, the protracted conflict had degenerated into minor patrol action with sniping, ambushing, and extensive booby-trapping employed by both sides.
The island's defense commander, Major Goto was killed on 19 October fighting to keep possession of a cave.[1]:70–71 The last day of fighting was October 22 with a total of 36 days of fighting and blasting the Japanese resistance from their caves with explosives, tanks, artillery and flamethrowers. The 81 Infantry Division had finally taken the whole of Angaur, albeit suffering more casualties than they had inflicted.
