Topeka (CL 67) - Naval Cruise Book

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HEAR ADMIHAL IIAHI. F. HIILDEN, U.5.N. Commanding Cruiser Division 18 REAR Admiral Carl F. Holden, U.S.N., was horn in Bangor, Maine. He entered the Naval Academy in 1913, and was grad- uated in 1917. During World War 1 he served in destroyers operating out of Queenstown, Ireland, and Brest, France. Until 1922 he continued duty in destroyers as engineering officer, navigator, executive officer, etc. From 1922 to 1924 Admiral Holden took post graduate Work in radio engineering, taking the final year at Harvard University, which conferred a Masters Degree in Electrical Communication Engineering. 'During the next three years he was Chief of Staff of Commander, Destroyer Scouting Force in the Atlantic. 1927 to 1930 he was a member of the U. S. Naval Mission to Brazil. He returned to sea in 1931 as Communication Ofiicer in the U.S.S. Arizona. In the latter part of 1932 he was on the Staff of Commander, Battleships Battle Force, Pacific Fleet. ln 1932 he took his first command as Commanding Officer of the Destroyer, U.S.S. Tarbell. In June of 19341 when the Tarbell visited Portland, Oregon, during the Tournament of Roses, Admiral Holden was knighted c'Knight of The Rose Cuba. 4

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DEDICATED TD Those who waited, Whose Love and Faith Kept our Homes Inviolate and whose prayers Sustained us, always. 3

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For two years until 1936 he served as DistrictfCommunication Officer in the 14th Naval District at Honolulu, Hawaii. During the neXt two years he was Navigator of the U.S.S. Idaho and Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. Ramapo. From 1938 to 1940 he was in the office of Chief of Naval Operations in charge of all radio shore activities in the Director of Naval Communications office. He was ordered to the U.S.S. Pennsylvania as Executive Officer in 1940. He was with the ship in Pearl Harbor on the eventful December 7th, 1941. Early in January 1942, he was detached from the Pennsylvania and ordered to the Staff of Admiral King as Communication Officer, U.S. Fleet in which capacity he served until 15 Sep- tember when he became Director of Naval Communications. On 15 April 1943, he was ordered as commanding officer of the new battleship U.S.S. New Jersey which was commissioned in May 1943 and which after the normal shakedown period and several months operation in the Atlantic proceeded to the Pacific combat area in January 1944. The New Jersey joined the famous Task Force 38, at its inception, and with Task Force 38, or Task Force 58, participated in the Marshall Islands campaign, the first and second raids on Truk, the first raid on the Palau Islands and in support of General MacArthur's New Guinea operation off Hollandia in the spring of 1944. During this time the New Jersey participated also in the bombardment of Mille and Ponape. After this she participated in the Marianas operation which resulted in the capture of Guam, Tinian and Saipan and in the first battle of the Philippines. In August 1944, the New Jersey became the flagship of Admiral VV. F. Halsey, Jr., U.S.N. and in this capacity participated in the capture of Peleleu in the Palau Islands, the operations against the Philippines in support of the recapture of the Philippines, the second battle of the Philippines and in the famous South China Sea operation of the Third Fleet in January 1945. During this time, Okinawa, Formosa and other Japanese islands to the northward of the Philippines were also raided by air assaults. He was detached from command of the U.S.S. New Jersey in late January 1945 following which he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral and ordered as Commander, Cruiser Division 18, a new cruiser division of the Cleveland class. Cruiser Division 18 under his command participated in the final stages of the Okinawa campaign and in the final assault on the Japanese Empire from 10 July to 15 August 1945. During this time, the division made a mid-night anti-shipping sweep of the entrance to Tokyo Bay and conducted a bombardment of Nojima Saki at the entrance of Tokyo Bay. After this, the divi- sion participated in the initial stages of the occupation of Japan. During World War II, Rear Admiral Holden has been awarded the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star. He has the pre-Pearl Harbor ribbon with one star, the Ameri- can Theater ribbon and the Asiatic-Pacific ribbon on which he is entitled to wear ten engagement stars, commencing with one for Pearl Harbor and terminating with the one for participating in the final assault on the main islands of Japan. P Rear Admiral Holden is married. His wife and daughter reside in Washington, D. C. and a son, Lt. fjgj Carl F. Holden, Jr., a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy, Class of 1944, is a naval aviator. 5