John Franklin Shafroth Jr. | |
|---|---|
 VADM John F. Shafroth Jr., USN | |
| Nickname | Big Jack |
| Born | (1887-03-31)March 31, 1887 Denver, Colorado, US |
| Died | September 1, 1967(1967-09-01) (aged 80) |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1908–1949 |
| Rank |  Vice Admiral |
| Commands | General Board of the Navy Panama Sea Frontier Seventh Naval district Southeast Pacific Area Battleship Squadron 2 Battleship Division 8 Cruiser Division 3 USSIndianapolis |
| Battles / wars | Veracruz Expedition World War I |
| Awards | Navy Cross Legion of Merit (4) |
| Relations | John F. Shafroth (senator) |
| Other work | President,Naval Historical Foundation |
John Franklin Shafroth Jr. (March 31, 1887 – September 1, 1967) was a highly decorated officer in theUnited States Navy with the rank ofVice Admiral. He distinguished himself as Commander of destroyerUSSTerry duringWorld War I and received theNavy Cross, the United States Navy second-highestdecoration awarded forvalor in combat.[1][2]
Shafroth Jr. rose to theflag rank duringWorld War II and commandedSoutheast Pacific Area or Battleship Squadron 2 duringBattle of Okinawa. He led thefirst naval bombardment of mainland Japan during the World War II, on July 14, 1945.[3][2]
Following the War, Shafroth remained in the Navy and commandedSeventh Naval district,Panama Sea Frontier andGeneral Board of the Navy. He served as President,Naval Historical Foundation from 1961 to 1967. He was the son of Senator and formerGovernor of Colorado,John F. Shafroth. Shafroth Jr. was nicknamed "Big Jack" due to his weight of 280 pounds.[2]
John F. Shafroth Jr. was born March 31, 1887, inDenver, Colorado, a son of Colorado Senator andGovernorJohn F. Shafroth and Virginia Morrison. He had four siblings, but only two reached adult age. His younger brother Morrison was a ColoradoDemocratic Candidate in1924 United States Senate elections, but lost toRepublicanRice W. Means, who later becameKu Klux Klan leader.
His youngest brother, Will, graduated from theUniversity of Michigan and theUniversity of California at Berkeley law school and became a lawyer. John Jr. did not followed his father's footsteps and after graduation from theCentral High School inWashington, D.C., he earned an appointment to theUnited States Naval Academy atAnnapolis, Maryland, in summer 1904.[2][4]
While at the Academy, Shafroth was an universal athlete, becoming champion in heavyweightboxing and heavyweightwrestling; establishinghigh hurdle record while a member of theTrack team; and also was active in the football team. He reached the rank of Cadet-Petty Officer 1st Class and was nicknamed "Shadrow" by his classmates.[5][4]
Among his classmates were several future admirals includingHarry A. Badt,John R. Beardall,Arthur S. Carpender,Jules James,James L. Kauffman,Thomas C. Kinkaid,Willis A. Lee Jr.,William R. Munroe,William R. Purnell,Francis W. Rockwell andRichmond K. Turner.[5]
He graduated withBachelor of Science degree on June 15, 1908, and served asPassed Midshipman aboard the battleshipUSSVirginia during the cruise around the world with theGreat White Fleet. While aboardVirginia, Shafroth visitedTrinidad,Rio de Janeiro,Punta Arenas,Valparaíso,Hawaii,Melbourne,Sydney,Auckland,Manila,Yokohama,Singapore,Ceylon,Suez Canal,Port Said, andGibraltar.[6][2]
Shafroth then spent next three years aboardVirginia with training, participating in the Fleet Exercise in theCaribbean. He was commissionedEnsign on June 6, 1910, after serving two years at sea required then by law. Shafroth was promoted toLieutenant (junior grade) on June 6, 1913, and served consecutively aboard destroyersUSSJouett,USSBeale,USSJenkins. While aboardJenkins, he served as ship's Executive officer under LieutenantFrederick V. McNair and took part in theAmerican occupation of Veracruz in April 1914.[6][2]
He was detached in September that year and ordered to theBureau of Steam Engineering inWashington, D.C., where he served under Rear admiralRobert Stanislaus Griffin for next three years. While in this capacity, Shafroth was promoted toLieutenant on August 29, 1916. Following theUnited States' entry into World War I in April 1917, Shafroth was promoted to the temporary rank ofLieutenant commander and assumed command of destroyerUSSTerry atCharleston Navy Yard,South Carolina.[7][8][2][9][4]
TheTerry had just undergone extensive repairs and upon completion, she began patrolling along the Atlantic coast and escorting merchantmen bound forEurope. Shafroth commandedTerry within waters then infested with enemy submarines and mines and participated in escorting and protecting of important convoys of troops and supplies through these waters. For his service in this capacity, he was decorated with theNavy Cross, the United States Navy second-highestdecoration awarded forvalor in combat.[1]
Shafroth was later transferred to command of Submarine Chaser Detachment 3 and was stationed inBerehaven,Ireland until December 1918, when he was ordered back to the United States.[2][4]
Upon his return, Shafroth served consecutively aboard destroyersUpshur,Waters, andPhilip and participated in sea patrols off theAzores and in theAtlantic until March 1920, when he returned to theBureau of Steam Engineering as Officer-in-Charge of the Fuel Division. In April 1922, he was appointed Aide and Flag Secretary on the staff of Commander,Special Service Squadron, which was then operating in theCaribbean under Rear admiralWilliam C. Cole.[10][11][2][4]
In June 1923, Shafroth was transferred to the staff of theUnited States Fleet and served as Aide and Flag Secretary to its Commander-in-Chief, AdmiralRobert Coontz. He was ordered to theNaval War College inNewport, Rhode Island, in June 1925. He completed the senior course there in May of the following year. While at the college, Shafroth was promoted toCommander on November 16, 1925.[12][13][2]
He was subsequently ordered for instruction to theArmy War College inWashington, D.C., and upon graduation in June 1927, Shafroth served as a member of the faculty until June 1928. Shafroth was then ordered to the battleshipUSSArkansas and served until May 1930 as ship's Navigator under CaptainHayne Ellis whilst the ship was patrolling thePanama Canal Zone and theCaribbean.[14][6][2]
Shafroth was subsequently ordered toWashington, D.C., where he was assigned to theBureau of Navigation (predecessor of theBureau of Naval Personnel) and served there for next three years under Rear admiralFrank B. Upham. He was ordered for another tour of sea duty in June 1933, when he was appointed Executive officer aboard the battleshipUSSWest Virginia under future Chief of Naval Operations, CaptainHarold R. Stark.[15][2][16]
When he finally got his own "sea command" in June 1935, Shafroth was ordered to theNaval Academy at Annapolis, where he was appointed commanding officer ofUSSReina Mercedes, a formerSpanish Navy unprotected cruiser captured in 1898 duringSpanish–American War, a vessel now used as areceiving ship. While in this capacity, he was promoted toCaptain on July 1, 1936.[17][2]
In August 1938, Shafroth was given orders to assume command of the heavy cruiserIndianapolis, which was commissioned into service back in July 1931. He led his ship on various patrols in the Pacific until August 1940, when he was ordered back to theBureau of Navigation in Washington, D.C., for duty as Director of the Naval Reserve Division. He reported to the Director of the Bureau, then-Rear admiralChester Nimitz, and became his deputy in June 1941. While in this capacity, Shafroth befriended Nimitz and his family, which influenced Shafroth's later career.[18][19][20][6][2][21][22][23]
Following the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Shafroth was promoted to the temporary rank ofRear admiral and assumed temporary command of Cruiser Division 3 as substitute for his classmate,Abel T. Bidwell. His command consisted of the old cruisersRichmond andTrenton, and was originally designated as a Task Force for reinforcing of the garrison onSamoa. Before Shafroth could embark and lead his command to the South Pacific, he was replaced with the experienced Rear AdmiralFrank J. Fletcher in early January 1942.[24][2]
Shafroth was then appointed Commander,Southeast Pacific Area with headquarters inBalboa,Panama Canal Zone. The old cruisersRichmond andTrenton were meanwhile replaced with newer ships from their original mission and transferred to Shafroth's command. Shafroth also received a third cruiser,Concord, and several additional destroyers and auxiliary vessels. His area of responsibility extended from theMexico-Guatemala border to the mid-Pacific nearClipperton Island and then southward to theSouth Pole.[25][3][24][20][2][26]
Although his area of responsibility was huge and the force assigned to his command tiny, given the geographical area covered, it proved to be more than sufficient, due to a lack of Japanese activity. Shafroth focused on the escorting of convoys and helped transport 4,500 men toBora Bora inFrench Polynesia and another 20,000 troops toNew Caledonia as well asKanton Island.[24][2]
In December 1942, Shafroth was ordered toHawaii and was attached to the headquarters of thePacific Fleet under his old superior, now four-star AdmiralChester Nimitz, who appointed Shafroth to the role of Deputy Commander,South Pacific Area under Vice admiralWilliam F. Halsey. While in this capacity, he was co-responsible for the administration of several subordinated commands, including South Pacific Amphibious Force; South Pacific Naval Forces; South Pacific Island Bases; South Pacific Aircraft command and South Pacific Service Squadron.[20][2]
Shafroth remained in this capacity until March 1944, when he was appointed Inspector General,Pacific Fleet andPacific Ocean areas under Nimitz. The posting was essentially non-combat duty and lasted until December 1944. While in this role, he served as a President of theNaval Board of Inquiry for theWest Loch disaster in May 1944. For his service withSoutheast Pacific Force;South Pacific Area and as Inspector General, Pacific Fleet, he was decorated withLegion of Merit.[1][3][2][27]
On December 26, 1944, Shafroth was appointed Commander, Battleship Division 8 (BatDiv 8), built around the fast battleshipsMassachusetts andAlabama. His battleships then operated with the aircraft carriers of theFast Carrier Task Force under Vice admiralMarc Mitscher, which made a series of raids onFormosa andOkinawa, to support theinvasion of Lingayen Gulf in the northernPhilippines.[3][6][2][28]
Shafroth's Division was reorganized at the end of January 1945 and expanded to become the battleshipsIndiana,Massachusetts andSouth Dakota (hisflagship). During the next four months, BatDiv 8 engaged in operations in support of amphibious operations atIwo Jima in February that year; and conducted bombardment of the southeastern coast ofOkinawa on March 24, 1945, the latter done in order to provide cover for minesweeping operations preparatory to thelanding on Okinawa.[2]
BatDiv 8 then provided cover for fast carrier operations againstTokyo,Kyushu, and in theInland Sea area and destroyed 54 enemy planes by use of its anti-aircraft batteries. For his leadership of BatDiv 8 at Lingayen Gulf, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Shafroth received his secondLegion of Merit.[1][2][29]
Shafroth was appointed Commander of Task Unit 34.8.1 of theThird Fleet under AdmiralWilliam F. Halsey on July 14, 1945. His command consisted of the battleshipsUSS South Dakota,Indiana andMassachusetts, theheavy cruisersUSS Quincy andChicago, along with ninedestroyers. He was tasked to attack the ironworks atKamaishi in northern Honshu. At the time the city had a population of 40,000 and the ironworks was among the largest in Japan. However, due to shortages ofcoking coal and other raw materials, the ironworks was running at less than half its capacity. It was thefirst naval bombardment of mainland Japan during World War II.[6][2][30]
A few nights later Shafroth led his command during another bombardment, this time on the city ofHamamatsu. Industrial and railroad targets were destroyed, inflicting heavy damage on the enemy, without any casualties to the U.S. and British warships present. For his leadership of the Task Unit during these bombardments of Japan, Shafroth received his third and fourthLegion of Merit.[1][3][20][2]
Upon theSurrender of Japan, Shafroth participated in thesurrender ceremony aboard battleshipMissouri inTokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, and returned to the United States in December that year. He was subsequently ordered toMiami,Florida, where he assumed duty asSeventh Naval district with additional duty as Commander,Gulf Sea Frontier.[20][2]
Shafroth served in this capacity until the beginning of July 1946, when he was transferred toBalboa,Panama Canal Zone, where he had served in 1942 and assumed duty as Commandant,Fifteenth Naval district with additional duty as Commander,Panama Sea Frontier. For his wartime and postwar service in Panama, Shafroth was decorated by the governments ofColombia,Ecuador,Panama, andPeru.[2]
In April 1948, Shafroth returned to the United States and assumed duty as Chairman of theGeneral Board of the Navy at theNavy Department. He remained in this assignment until his transfer to the Retired list of the Navy on April 1, 1949, after 40 years of service. Shafroth was advanced to the rank ofVice Admiral on the retired list for having been specially commended in combat.[6][2][4][31]
Following his retirement from the Navy, Shafroth resided inWashington, D.C., and was active in theNaval Historical Foundation. He was elected President of the Foundation in 1961 and remained in that assignment until his death from astroke on September 1, 1967, aged 80. Vice admiral John F. Shafroth Jr. was buried with full military honors atArlington National Cemetery,Virginia, together with his wife, Helena Marshall Fischer (1882–1975).[32] They had one daughter.[2][4][33][34]
Here is the ribbon bar of Vice Admiral Shafroth:[1][4]
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_-_ribbon_bar.png) |  |  | |
| 1st Row | Navy Cross | Legion of Merit with three5⁄16" Gold Stars | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Row | Mexican Service Medal | World War I Victory Medal with Destroyer Clasp | American Defense Service Medal | ||||||||||||
| 3rd Row | American Campaign Medal | Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal with four3/16 inch service stars | World War II Victory Medal | ||||||||||||
| 4th Row | Philippine Liberation Medal with one star | Grand Officer of Order of the Sun of Peru | Grand Officer of the Military Order of Ayacucho (Peru) | ||||||||||||
| 5th Row | Order of Abdon Calderón, 1st Class (Ecuador) | Grand Cross of the Order of Boyaca (Colombia) | Grand Cross of the Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa (Panama) | ||||||||||||
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)[clarification needed]| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commandant,Fifteenth Naval district July 1, 1946 – April 27, 1948 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commandant,Seventh Naval district December 1, 1945 – July 1, 1946 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander, Battleship Division Eight December 1944 – June 1945 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander,Southeast Pacific Area January 6, 1942 – December 25, 1942 | Succeeded by |