Worcester (CL 144) - Naval Cruise Book

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, ,,.,,, .V.,,,,. ., CAPTAIN A. L. REED United States Navy Chief of Stay? Commander Cruiser Division Four V,myfQ,-e,:2e1:m:'z:-cv.:414- ,:Q:.p:,Qr.:-1.9mmcs,e1..4'ifV.Q-i.,:,:-:,:-:u:,:-.fx1-isp: 4-rw: - f.1'.q':,3521.1-'-v+'-sf::ww ' -M - -V pu- Q fl 11::Qf.,-gggfim:-z:'f:Qw,..,. wf:e:.+.-z.,wx-1,g:v.f-v,:gg .1 .mg mv. .f41f.?1,:1--.1-3,1 - M: .Q1.1f.:-g:,14:,w.-Q:fm ff1,1f'.,:':ffff:,':-.:,.f , 1-W,L.,-V.-.f1.,.,,,f.: ,, 1. :2 fsjfmsq-,i:i:ia.x?:sQ?,3:2'y4:,:Q.,'35-g.g-1.5:-gg 3,1'5gg.,pfs,.:':v:j:Qgggi. 415-3sg.ff,1:.3:,'g'f 23?L251:v,'552?5-Z5Y3?fIf7Y21E??':'i'M9?21F : 1:-'-,-mx for-1 ff.-'III'-E 7-E'5'f1.15I1'1f1iI41'5'5-32-'1'1fIEr'J 1'27'1 2-: E E 2:1151-2':55:.i,1E': -lf'-I1'.i'5z':x'S5-5' T5 154-if T 1 15 2::'Eff':-5'ff?-'?5ff5-i'2'1,fI1-4- ,,-Q..-f,:4,:::A:.:,:-A Q142.5,.5v,:kqg:.f,z,4f.,., somg.1ggi:fag,-:,,':Qqife.,'::x', eggs'-: :,:-:gr:,:':.:-r.-z.,fg,g::::-qQ,g': ff., A-11414512 ggv-wpg-1.2 Z .t ft-,55:3:,35.. -,,. , ., .,,.- f, 4113, .,.,.,. A .4v.,: .-f.- f,-f V f 'E7375H553i32E'ffQ5j1 1lQ1'4f ff3:'7? ' 'YQ'-1T'I'ff':Q555,251 1':1. ''i : ''fjii'-'-fiffrjez ElhfIf- ':1,'3.531 ljLij5-Vg'-'TIE- .-11,32'LjQ-E.f,fQ:f',y2LfiI'.','-fi xiii 5i',1,'ff ,j.Vf',i fx' fgf.

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, Sv I E is 1 5 A134131 2? i limi! EAR ADMIRAL THoMAs EIURRAY STOKES, USN, Commander Cruiser Division Four, was born 2 February 1899 in Fulton, Alabama. At a very early age his family moved to Meridian, Mississippi where he attended the Meridian public school. He enlisted in the Navy in 1917, in IfVorld Mfar I, and went through training at Yerba Buena Island, San Francisco. In 1918 he received a Special Order discharge from enlisted service to enter the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. After graduation from the Naval Academy in june 1922, he reported to duty aboard the U.S.S. CONNECTICUT, and thereafter, until early 1941, followed the usual rotation of duty assignments in various types of ships and at shore establishments, which is normal practice in the Navy for training young officers. In February 1941 he commissioned and took com- mand of one of our, then new, destroyers, the U.S.S. GRAYSON QDD-4355, named for Rear Admiral Grayson, Medical Corps, USN. The GRAYSON was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet during the period of tension preceding Worlcl W'ar II, and was in Iceland on December 7, 1941. In early 1942 the GRAYSON was transferred to the Pacific and was T. Navy lf. if a part of the Task Force which took General Doo- little and his fliers close to the shores of Japan and launched them on the Tokyo Raid in April 1942. After this operation he was transferred from the GRAYSON to the U.S.S. CUSHING QDD-3761 as Commander of Destroyer Division TEN. The CUSHING was lost in combat, sunk by gunfire in the Battle of Guadalcanal, November 13, 1942. On 27 November 1942 Commander Stokes was assigned as Executive Officer of the U.S.S. HELENA operat- ing in the South Pacific, thence to the U.S.S. MAS- SACHUSETTS as Chief of Staff to Commander Battleship Division EIGHTg and in February 1944 was assigned duty to commission and command an attack transport, the U.S.S. BARNSTABLE QAPA- 98 . ln August 1944 Captain Stokes was assigned duty as Head of the Department of Marine Engineering, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. Fol- lowing this shore assignment, he commanded the U.S.S. IOWA QBB-615 and has recently completed a tour of duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations prior to duty with Cruiser Division FOUR. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in August 1948 while on duty in the Navy Department, Wasliington, D. C. Division Four

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X s HNKS wif W APTAIN VVILSONAS naval background and experience since his graduation from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1924, has been wide and colorful. He has served in various ships, sta- tions and staffs, during his naval career. He is a graduate of the Submarine school, New London, Conn., and is qualified to command submarines and prior to 1939 served in the U.S.S. R-12 and U.S.S. Narwhal. During the IJZISI ten years, he has served with the following naval activities and units: February to September 1939, as assistant engineer officer on board the U.S.S. VVichita. September 1939 to June 1940, as Commanding Officer ol the Destroyer U.S.S. Upshur, and also as the division com- mander of destroyer Division 61 during the period March to June 1940. llune 1940 to January 1942, in the Electrical Section of the Bureau of Ships, Navy Department, IfVashington, D. C. January 1942 to January 1943, as Commanding Officer of the destroyer U. S. S. Buchanan. January 1943 to June 1943, as Naval Liaison Officer on the Staff of the Commanding General, Guadalcanal QU. S. Armyy. August 1943 to April 1944, as Assistant Operations Olhcer on the Staff of Commander South Pacific. April 1944 to November 1945, as Operations Officer on the Staff of Commander THIRD Fleet. January 1946 to September 1946, as Chief ol the Welfare Division of The Bureau of Naval Personnel, Navy Depart- ment, VVashington, D. C. September 1946 to August 1948, as Senior Naval Oflicer on the staff of Army-Navy Petroleum Board and Chief of the Tanker Section, office of the Chief of Naval Operations. August 1948 to Qlune 1949, attended the National Hlar Col- lege, VVashington, D. C. During Wforld Vllar II, Captain IfVilson, as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. Buchanan, participated in the capture and consolidation of Guadalcanal and Tulagi Islands: the occupation of the Ellice Islands, and the naval action in the battle of Cape Esperance. Wlhile attached to the Staff of the Commanding General, Guadalcanal, he participated in the hnal action on Guadalcanal. As Assistant Operations Officer on the Stall? of Commander South Pacific, he participated in the combined action against the Solomon Islands. As Op- erations Oflicer on the Staff of Commander THIRD Fleet. he participated in the seizure and occupation of the Palau Islands, the seizure olf Leyte Gulf and Manila in the Philip- pine lslandsg the second battle of the Philippine Sea: all raids and operations made by the THIRD Fleet against the Ryukas, Formosa, South China Sea and Japan, until the final surrender ol' the Japanese in September 1945. He was present on board the U.S.S. lXlissouri at the time of the formal .lapa- nese surrender. f, , ,. ,IQ .