Topeka (CL 67) - Naval Cruise Book

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marine Service. After intensive training at New London, he was graduated from Submarine School and in July 1926 the then Lieutenant Wattles reported to the U.S.S. R-3, in Pearl Harbor for underseas duty. From June 1928 to June 1929 he served as Commanding Officer of the R-3. Our Skipper then took up duties as the Detachment Gunnery and the Torpedo Overhaul Officer at the Sub Base in Pearl. Sent' to Newport, he was ordered to take the year long junior officers course at the Naval War College. Following June 1935, he served as personal Aide to Rear Admiral John Downes, Commandant of the Ninth Naval District. On July 1, 1936 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. The Captain commanded the destroyer Dahlgren operating in Pacific waters for over a year. Through 1938 and 1939 he was the navigator of the U.S.S. Texas. Ninteeen years after his graduation, the Skipper returned to Annapolis as a bat- talion officer in the Executive Department, and in the first few months of 1911-2 was the Executive Officer of Bancroft Hall. Again at sea, he served as Commander Destroyer Squadron Sixteen, having been appointed a Captain on September 11, 1942. From October 1943 to December 19441 he was the Pre-Commissioning Training Officer and subsequently acting Chief of Staff and Assistant Chief of Staff to Commander Fleet Operational Training Command, U. S. Atlantic Fleet. Captain Wattles participated in the invasion of Morocco in November 1942 and in the eventful invasion of Sicily in July 1943. He was awarded the Legion of Merit for his excellent work in the Sicilian campaign. The Captain married Annette McPherson Ashford of Washington, D. C., on No- vember 3, 1923. They have two daughters, Ann Wattles Strangman, the wife of Lieutenant Clive A. Strangman. U.S.N., and Mary Joan Wfattles. 7

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BAPTMN THUMAS I.. WATTLES, U.5.N. Commanding Ojficer fa ' s 5 if sf . ,N-xg' J' , kd e, yx ,. 'si , 'X ,. I. 54? ,.,.77Sy V , ,. we . 1,4 :Q F 145- . ZH 1 PFFZQM. , 5 .a,., -, Q , XX 5' I ' ee ,, ,s,w?!e:2Se:g'gs.f,', f z3'v'55'5, . X rf -1,,w'z,er5:, 11551-:. , gi' - A' 'f 21 . K- QS ' - 5 :y wffmqafaagf , 'isfi5SL'c2s:-T. . fs 1 - . . . fwfr . f, -as 2 ' , .1 ,wp - f- ,- ,f --I1 , . . ,,,,,'- , A ' ga 1 I gf .,c, ,, 5ss .36 if if-Q. 1 J '.- -f 1 Y.: gy fi, X1 ff V 'sf JI U-ir if .way . . .W ML ' Nsriff Q-'H 1 -W ft .... 4. 1,115 1 f. Arg: jx ,pax ,rffgtrf fax- 434. 5 gf. ,li if X my I s X, 5 , r B . 3 , K , f X X, .4 .,f ,viv- Y K f MF, f fwffff f..'fV1 r, wnifr 1 1 4 Msasyyvyg, gsm mesa, tw,--,, ,-rs-s,gf.sg ,wc Q X .pq f , wiht 7 f 33' Qi ' gyiwsvffv f sat x , :SKsf21si f -2 K nf y ew J, nj , 7 Q. F' 5 'fn JW 'N 'S X 1 ' f 'Q YR .SAL 7' VW' 29' f.i:4 ., vi rw- f- 44:51 , S as r QSM 554425 -Qs 'SY-' 1 fe- ' Q f X ,figs H ?'W if ix R71 fl ,vf 1 1' X ' i 'X lsfifffgz J' f jury, im '1 me -mu, APTAIN Thomas Lippitt Yvattles, the Topeka's skipper, was horn July 15, 1900 at Elmington, Clarke County, Virginia, the son of Charles William Wattles of Alexandria, and Mary Alexander Lippitt of 'LElmington . With War raging in Europe, and our own country taking up arms in the confiict, the Captain won an appointment to Annapolis, which he entered in June 1917. He served as Midshipman on the U.S.S. Wisconsin during the summer of 1918. In June, 1920 he was graduated from the Naval Academy in the class of 1921 and was commissioned an Ensign. His first ship was the' U.S.S. Oklahoma. Wihen detached from his duty he at- tended and graduated from the Destroyer Engineering School' Afloat, serving under instruction on various destroyers in the Atlantic Fleet. In October 1921 he reported aboard his first cruiser, the U.S.S. Denver, Special Service Squadron, which was operating in Central and South American waters. In contrast to the present, our skipperliserved on that cruiser as an Ensign. His promotion to Lieutenant came in June of 1923 while he was attached to the light cruiser Richmond. You will note on the Skipperis uniform gold Dolphins, proud insignia of the Navyis Sub- 1 K 1 i A 4 6 ,,.i

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The U. S. S l CL