Admiral Jerauld Wright, USN, (1898-1995) served as the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Command (CINCLANT) and the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT), and became the second Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), from April 1, 1954 to March 1, 1960, serving longer in these three positions than anyone else in history.
Following World War I, Wright served as a naval aide for Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover. A recognized authority on naval gunnery, Wright served in the European and Pacific theaters during World War II, developing expertise in amphibious warfare and coalition warfare planning.
After the war, Wright was involved in the evolution of the military structure of NATO as well as overseeing the modernization and readiness of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet during the Cold War.
Upon his retirement from the U.S. Navy, Wright subsequently served on the Central Intelligence Agency's National Board of Estimates (NBE) and as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Early years
A descendant of George Mason, Jerauld Wright was born on June 4, 1898, in Amherst, Massachusetts, the second son of Major General William M. Wright, United States Army, (1863 - 1943) and the former Marjorie R. Jerauld (1867 - 1954), who also had another son, William Mason Wright, Jr. (1893 - 1977), and a daughter, Marjorie Wright (1900 - 1985).[2]
Life for young Jerry Wright was a succession of U.S. Army posts, such as Fort Porter, Fort Omaha, the Presidio, and the Jefferson Barracks, as well as overseas tours of duty in Cuba and the Philippines.[3] Keeping the family together while his father pursued an active military career was his mother, nicknamed "The Field Marshal" by her husband. Jerry remembered his mother fondly: "She was a tiger with her young."[4]
Jerry's father was a veteran of the Spanish-American War, the Boxer Rebellion, and World War I, during which he commanded the 89th Division in the St. Mihiel offensive and the Third Corps. He was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal.[5] Following the war, General Wright commanded the Ninth Corps at the Presidio and the Department of the Philippines.[6]
While his father was assigned to the newly-created U.S. Army General Staff before World War I, Jerry meet William Howard Taft.[7] Later, Jerry accompanied his father on inspection tours of U.S. military installations in the Philippines. During this tour, he was deeply impressed the naval squadron visiting Manila.[8] His growing interest in a naval career was further encouraged by this father, giving his son a very practical perspective:
- Take a good look at the Navy. Soldiers have to tramp miles, sleep in the mud, eat cold rations, and live for days in wet clothes. Sailors have warm bunks, eat hot meals, and wear dry socks every day.[9]
Prior to going to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Jerry Wright attended the Franciscan Coligio de La Salle in Malate, California, and Shadman's School at Scott's Circle in Washington, DC.[10]
United States Naval Academy
Jerauld Wright received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy from Congressman Edward W. Townsend of the Tenth Congressional District from the State of New Jersey.[11] Wright entered the academy on July 31, 1914, the youngest midshipman to enter the academy since the American Civil War.[12] Wright graduated on 26 June 1917 as part of the Class of 1918, ranked 92nd out of 193, the youngest member in his class.[13]
Naval career
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World War I
In July 1917, Lt. Jerauld Wright joined the gunboat USS Castine, which set sail for Gibraltar on 5 August 1917 for anti-submarine patrol and convoy duty, operating as a unit of the Patrol Force through 21 December 1918.,[14]
Inter-War service
Sea duty
Destroyer duty
Lt. Wright served on USS Dyer, a Wickes-class destroyer, as a watch and division officer from December 1918 to July 1920. Dyer showed the flag in port visits to Gibraltar, La Spezia, Venice, Trieste, Spoleto, Corfu, and Constantinople during a nine-month cruise of the Mediterranean following the signing of the Armistice ending World War I. Following Dyer's return August 1919, Wright supervised her overhaul at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.[15] Lt. Wright also briefly commanded the Paul Jones, a Clemson-class destroyer, which escorted the presidential yacht Mayflower, with President Warren G. Harding on board, from Gardiner's Bay, New York, to the Capes.[16]
In October 1920, Lt. Wright took command of the USS Reid, Clemson-class destroyer anchored in reserve at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, for transfer to Charleston, South Carolina. The local destroyer squadron commander, Captain Harry E. Yarnell, gave Wright a 3.5 to 4.0 in his fitness report, noting that "Lieutenant Wright is an excellent officer with a remarkably high sense of duty."[17] Later, in February 1922, Lt. Wright joined the USS Breese, a Wickes-class destroyer slated for decommissioning at the Mare Island Navy Yard, serving as its executive officer.[18]
In June 1922, Lt. Wright joined the USS John D. Ford, a Clemson-class destroyer, as its executive officer, with additional duties as fire control officer and navigator. John D. Ford set sail from the Philadelphia Navy Yard with its sister ships of Squadron 15, Division 3, for the U.S. Asiatic Fleet. The John D. Ford operated throughout the Far East, including the China Sea, the Sea of Japan, and the Philippines, showing the flag and training with other destroyers in the fleet.[19] The commanding officer of the John D. Ford, Lieutenant Commander C.A. Pownall, noted Wright's performance as follows:
- The performance of duty of Lieutenant Jerauld Wright... has been of such high merit throughout as to entitle him to the mark of "superior" throughout. The commanding officer is reluctant to give such high marks and does so only because the officer deserves it.[20]
USS Maryland (BB-46)
In July 1926, Lt. Wright joined the USS Maryland, a Colorado-class battleship as the principal assistant of the ship's Gunnery Division. In November 1928, the Maryland took President-elect Herbert Hoover on the outbound leg of his goodwill tour of Latin America. Wright also further his hands-on education of gunnery and ordnance while serving as a instructor at the Gunnery School on the battleship Colorado.[21] In this last assignment, Wright earned the praise of the school's commanding officer, Captain W. C. Watts, who noted:
- Lieutenant Wright did splendid work with the school in instructing antiaircraft students. He is thoroughly grounded in this subject, has an analytical turn of mind, and an exceptional ability as an instructor.[22]
USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)
Commander Wright joined the USS Salt Lake City, a Pensacola-class cruiser attached to the Scouting Force, as its first lieutenant in August 1931 and later became the ship's gunnery officer from June 1932 to June 1934. The Salt Lake City participated in naval exercises in the Atlantic and Pacific, underwent a major overhaul and participated in the 1934 Naval Review.[23]
USS Blue (DD-387)
Wright's first sea command was the USS Blue, a Bagley-class destroyer, with Wright serving as its first commanding officer from July 1937 to May 1939. The Blue completed its shakedown cruise, transitted the Panama Canal, and joined the Destroyer Division 7 (DesRon 7) as its flagship, becoming a unit of the Battle Force based at the San Diego Naval Base, California. The Blue participated in Fleet Problem XX exercises staged in the Caribbean Sea.[24] Commander W. D. Delaney, ComDesRon 7, praised Wright in his fitness report:
- An outstanding officer... an excellent hip handler... a tireless worker whose judgment can be depended on... cooperative and loyal under all circumstances... shows initiative... calm under stress... recommended for promotion.[25]
USS Mississippi (BB-41)
Wright's final pre-war sea assignment was as the executive officer of the USS Mississippi, a New Mexico-class battleship based at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base in the Territory of Hawaii, from March 1941 to May 1942. The Mississippi became a unit of Battleship Division 3 (BatDiv 3) with sister ships New Mexico and Idaho.[26]
Following the Bismarck incident and the growing U-boat threat, Battleship Division 3 was secretly shifted to the newly-reconstituted U.S. Atlantic Fleet, under the command of Admiral Ernest J. King, entering the Norfolk Naval Base in June 1941.[27]
Mississippi was present at the Atlantic Conference at Argentia, participated in the Neutrality Patrol, and joined the Idaho and the British battleship HMS King George V to form an Iceland-based fleet in being to deter the German battleship Tirpitz from deploying into the north Atlantic to threaten Allied convoys.[28]
After months of operations in the North Atlantic, Mississippi was en route to Norfolk for long overdue repairs two days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.[29]
Shore duty
Naval aide
Lt. Wright served as a naval aide for two Presidents of the United States:
- Calvin Coolidge from September 1924 to June 1926, with additional duties as a watch and division officer onboard the presidential yacht Mayflower.[30]
- Herbert Hoover during his pre-inaugural goodwill tour of Latin America in November 1928.[31]
Wright also served as aide to Assistant Secretary of the Navy Henry L. Roosevelt from June 1935 to March 1936. Wright subsequently served onboard Sequoia during its commissioning and fitting-out period.[32]
Bureau of Ordnance
Wright developed an interest in gunnery and ordnance after he was turned down for naval aviation because he had exophoria.[33] His first tour of duty at the Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) was as a fire control section assistant, specializing in anti-aircraft equipment, from August 1929 to August 1931.[34] The fitness report by Bureau chief Rear Admiral William D. Leahy observed:
- Lieutenant Wright has a very thorough knowledge of the theory and practice of antiaircraft fire control. He has been energetic in the acquisition of this knowledge and in its application to problems confronting the Bureau. I consider him a very valuable young officer.[34]
Wright's second BuOrd assignment was with its supply and allowance division, involving ammunition distribution to the fleet, from June 1936 to July 1937.[35] Bureau chief Rear Admiral Harold R. Stark rated Wright highly, twice recommending promotion, while adding:
- Lieutenant Commander Wright has done a good job in this Bureau. The more I have seen of him, the higher has become my regard for his ability and efficiency. He is of high personal and military character. Fitted for promotion when due.[36]
United States Naval Academy
Commander Wright served two tours at the United States Naval Academy as the Battalion Commander for the First Battalion, from June 1934 to June 1935, and the Battalion Commander for the Second Battalion, from June 1939 to March 1941.[37] Wright earned two nicknames at the Naval Academy:
- Old Iron Heels because he wore steel wedges on his shoes to alert midshipmen of his approach.[38]
- Old Stoneface because of his ability to elicit confessions from offending midshipmen regarding disciplinary infractions without uttering a word.[39]
The commandant of midshipmen, Captain W. F. Draemel, gave Wright high marks for his second tour: "I believe this officer will produce results in any billet to which assigned."[25]
Wright also served as the staff aide to the Commander Atlantic Squadron during the Midshipman's Practice Cruise in June-August 1940.[40] Admiral Hayne Ellis noted:
- ... an officer of outstanding professional ability... possesses exceptional talent for organization and administration... qualified in all respects for promotion to the grade of Captain and recommend him for such promotion.[41]
World War II
Pearl Harbor aftermath, COMINCH, and London
The USS Mississippi completed its overhaul in three weeks and transited the Panama Canal to re-join the U.S. Pacific Fleet, visiting San Francisco, California to re-assure its citizens in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor.[42]
In March 1942, Captain Jerauld Wright was detached from the Mississippi for temporary duty on the staff of Admiral Ernest J. King, the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Fleet (COMINCH), before being assigned to Admiral Harold R. Stark's staff in London, effective 3 June 1942.[42]
Captain Wright was subsequently assigned to the planning staff of Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who would lead the British-American invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch). Wright's role would be to coordinate with his British counterparts regarding the Mediterranean landings in Algiers.[43]
One growing concern for Eisenhower and his planners was the likely reaction of local French political and military leaders toward an Allied invasion of North Africa. Strong French resistance could cause more casualties for the landing force. One issue coloring French attitudes was their deep-seated resentment toward the British for the Attack on Mers-el-Kébir in which the Royal Navy shelled the anchored French fleet in June 1940. Another issue was working with officials connected to the Vichy government which could cause serious political and security complications.[44]
Diplomat Robert D. Murphy, the U.S. consul general in Algiers, spearheaded efforts to gather pre-invasion intelligence and cultivate diplomatic contacts in French North Africa, and Wright would find himself intimately involved in his pre-invasion activities.
North Africa, Sicily, and Italy
Operation Flagpole
On 16 October 1942, Captain Jerauld Wright was summoned to Operation Torch's staff headquarters at Horfolk House in London for important meeting with General Eisenhower. Also present were:
- Major General Mark Clark, United States Army, the recently-appointed deputy commander for Operation Torch
- Brigadier General Lyman L. Lemnitzer, U.S. Army, head of the allied force planning section for Operation Torch
- Colonel Archelaus L. Hamblen, U.S. Army, the staff expert on shipping and supply
- Colonel Julius C. Holmes, U.S. Army, head of civil affairs branch for Operation Torch
- Rear Admiral Bernard H. Bieri, U.S. Navy, senior U.S. naval representative and Wright's immediate superior
Eisenhower informed the group that the War Department had forwarded an urgent cable from U.S. diplomat Robert D. Murphy requesting the immediate dispatch of a top-secret high-level group to meet with Général Charles E. Mast, the military commander of Algiers and the leader of a group of pro-Allied officials in French North Africa.
The objective of this secret mission, code-named Operation Flagpole, was to reach an agreement through Mast and his colleagues to have Général Henri Giraud, a key pro-Allied French army officer, step forward, take command of French military forces in North Africa, and then arrange a ceasefire with the Allied invasion force. Other alternatives, like Jean Darlan and Charles de Gaulle, had been rejected by the British and American governments for a variety of political reasons. Clark would be Eisenhower's personal representative, with Lemnitzer as the top invasion planner, Hamblen as the invasion's logistics expert, and Holmes serving as translator. Wright would serve as the liaison with the French Navy, with the specific objective of convincing the French to have their fleet anchored in Toulon join the Allied cause.[45]
The group flew in two Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses bombers to Gibraltar, and on 19 October, they boarded the British submarine HMS Seraph, Lieutenant Norman Limbury Auchinleck "Bill" Jewell, RN, commanding.
Seraph transported Clark's party to the small fishing village of Cherchell, located 82 mils (132 kilometers) west of Algiers. After midnight on the evening of 21 October, the Seraph surfaced and set Clark's mission ashore, where they met with Mast and Murphy. Wright met with Capitaine de vaisseau Jean Barjot and learned that the French Navy was opposed to U.S. entry into North Africa, although the army and air force supported it.
On 24 October, Clark's mission returned to the Seraph and later met a seaplane that flew them back to Gibraltar, arriving back in London on 25 October where Wright briefed Admiral Stark.[46] Both Eisenhower and Clark recommended Jerauld Wright for a Distinguished Service Medal in recognition for his role in Operation Flagpole.[47] Wright's DSM was personally pinned by Admiral Ernest J. King, the Chief of Naval Operations, during the Casablanca Conference.[48]
Operation Kingpin
With the preliminaries concluded during Operation Flagpole, the next task was to free Général Giraud (code-named Kingpin) whom the Vichy government had under house arrest for his anti-Nazi leanings at Toulon in southern France.
On 26 October 1942, Captain Jerauld Wright was directed to take part in the mission to extract Giraud, code-named Operation Kingpin. Because of intense anti-British sentiment among French officers, the mission would present an American face. However, because there were no American submarines operating in the Mediterranean Sea, a novel solution was conceived with Wright taking command of the British submarine Seraph. As Captain G. B. H. Fawkes, RN, the commander of 8th Submarine Flotilla in the Mediterranean, noted:
- It was, I think, unique in the history of the two nations that a United States Naval officer should be placed in nominal command of a British submarine thereby making her the only warship on active duty to be commanded by two captains.
The Seraph got underway on 27 October and arrived off Toulon on 30 October. After several delays, Giraud and his party were brought on board, and a PBY Catalina flying boat subsequently flew Wright, Giraud, and the others back to Gibraltar, the new Operation Torch headquarters, to confer with generals Eisenhower and Clark.[49][50]
Captain Jerauld Wright was awarded his first Legion of Merit in recognition of his participation in Operation Kingpin.[51]
Operation Torch
D-Day for Operation Torch, 8 November 1942, saw over 73,000 American and British troops landed at Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers. However, the most significant development was on the diplomatic and political front when U.S. consul general Robert D. Murphy alerted the Allied high command about unexpected presence of Amdiral de la flotte Jean Darlan, the head of the Vichy French military, who was visiting his ill son in Algiers.
Darlan's presence complicated the pre-invasion arrangements with Général Henri Giraud. Darlan pointed out to Murphy that he out-ranked Giraud whom Darlan maintained had little influence within the French military.
After a ceasefire was reached in Algiers, General Eisenhower sent a delegation to resolve the situation and broker a ceasefire with all French North African forces. Captain Jerauld Wright accompanied General Clark who concluded that Darlan could, with certain conditions, deliver the general ceasefire and oversee the post-invasion occupation, and that Giraud lacked the political ability to accomplish these goals. Eisenhower endorsed Clark's recommendation, which caused a political firestorm within the Allied governments because of Darlan's connection to Vichy.[52] About Giraud and Darlan, Wright observed:
- Unfortunately, his stubbornness prevented him [Giraud] from being any help on D-day toward negotiating a ceasefire throughout French territory. Because of an extraordinary coincidence [Darlan], his cooperation might not have made a difference anyway.[53]
Admiral Harold R. Stark noted in Wright's December 1942 fitness report that:
- An officer of great ability, whose calm, assured habit of command inspires confidence alike in seniors and subordinates. Excellent personal and military character. Has performed two outstanding dangerous and secret missions.... Qualified for Flag rank.[54]
About Jerauld Wright, General Dwight D. Eisenhower noted: prophetically that "I would especially desire to have him under my command at any time."[54]
Wright reciprocated this high regard, praising Eisenhower for his leadership in directing a coalition military operation:
- I don't think Ike had a nationalistic thought in his mind when he ran the TORCH operation. I believe he might have acceded to British desires for supreme command if he had not been such strong backing from Roosevelt and Marshall. He was most accommodating to British suggestions and sensitive to their wishes.[55]
At the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and the Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) made the following decisions regarding future operations in the European-Mediterranean theater following the conclusion of the Tunisia campaign:
- Operation Sledgehammer, a limited-objective cross-channel invasion of Europe in response to a German or Soviet collapse in 1942, was indefinitely shelved in light of the aftermath of the Dieppe raid.
- Future military operations would be in Sicily (Operation Husky) and Italy (Operation Avalanche).
Finally, Admiral Darlan was assassinated on 24 December 1942, and Charles de Gaulle would ultimately out-maneuver and marginalize Henri Giraud to become the sole leader of the Free French movement.
Operation Husky
Captain Jerauld Wright joined the staff of Vice Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, USN, the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Northwest Africa Waters (COMNAVNAW), as its assistant chief of staff.
Hewett would command the Western Naval Task Force, which would land U.S. Seventh Army under Lieutenant General George S. Patton in the Gulf of Gela near Palermo for Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily.
Vice-Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, RN, would command the Eastern Naval Task Force, which would land the British Eighth Army under General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery near Syracuse.
Admiral Sir Andrew B. Cunningham, RN, would command all Allied naval forces for Operation Husky, and General Dwight D. Eisenhower, United States Army, would be in overall command of the Sicily invasion.
The Western Naval Task Force consisted of three subordinated forces:
- Task Force 80 (code name JOSS) under the command of Rear Admiral Richard L. Conolly to land the 3rd Infantry Division, Major General Lucian Truscott commanding, on beaches near Licata.
- Task Force 82 (code name DIME) under Rear Admiral John L. Hall [disambiguation needed] land to 1st Infantry Division, Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen commanding, on beaches near Gela.
- Task Force 85 (code name CENT) under the command of Rear Admiral Alan Kirk to land the 45th Infantry Division, Major General Troy Middleton commanding, on beaches near Scoglitti.
Wright worked closely with his U.S. Army counterparts, and he considered Patton "a great fellow" who grew to appreciate the effectiveness of naval gun support for his landing force.[56] However, Wright was critical of Lieutenant General Carl A. Spaatz, USAAF, and Air Vice-Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham, RAF, regarding the lack of cooperation on close air support from the Allied air forces.[57] Wright did praise Air Vice-Marshal Sir Hugh Pugh Lloyd, RAF, for providing air support from Malta.[58]
The loading of ships and landing craft of the Western Naval Task Force was completed on 8 July 1943, with Vice Admiral Hewitt and his staff embarking on the USS Monrovia, the invasion force's flagship. D-Day was 10 July, and Patton's troops stormed ashore and began their history-making drive for Messina.[59]
Operation Avalanche
Operation Avalanche was the Allied invasion of the Italian mainland with amphibious landings at Salerno, with additional landing at Calabria (Operation Baytown} and Taranto (Operation Slapstick).
For the Salerno landing, Captain Jerauld Wright faced two major challenges in his capacity as the assistant chief of staff for U.S. Naval Forces, Northwest Africa Waters (NAVNAW):
- Shortage of U.S. escort vessels
- Shortage of landing craft
While Wright was able to secure additional British escorts, landing craft would remain a persistent problem given the competing demands from Operation Overlord and the Pacific Theater of Operations, with Wright noting: "LST's don't grow on trees."[60]
On the other hand, two developments were welcomed by Wright and his fellow invasion planners:
- U.S. escort aircraft carriers (CVE) would provide much needed off-shore close air support for the landing force.
- Major General E. J. House would oversee tactical air support for the ground forces using aircraft from of the Northwest African Air Force.
However, Wright felt that the Army's decision to forgo pre-invasion naval gun bombardment was ill-considered, even for the sake of maintaining the element of surprise.[61]
The invasion force got underway, with Vice Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, Wright, and the NAVNAW staff embarked on the USS Ancon, Hewitt's flagship for Operation Avalanche.[62]
While en route, Wright heard the announcement about the Armistice with Italy by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme allied commander, on 9 September. While this removed the Italian military from the battlefield, German Army forces in Italy under Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring were not bound by this agreement. The immediate objective for Operation Avalanche was to secure the Gulf of Salerno and capture Naples.[63]
9 September 1943 was D-Day for Operation Avalanche as the 36th Infantry Division, under the command of Major General Fred L. Walker USA, stormed ashore at Salerno under heavy fire from German tanks, artillery, and machine guns. During the landings, on the morning of 11 September, Wright witnessed a radio-controlled flying bomb severely damaged the USS Savannah, a Brooklyn-class light cruiser.[64]
A powerful German counter-attack on 13 September threatened to drive a wedge into the Salerno bridgehead, but it was beaten back by a powerful Allied air-land-sea assault, forcing a German retreat. With the Fifth U.S. Army under Lieutenant General Mark Clark driving for Naples, Admiral Hewitt and Wright returned to Malta to give a full report on Operation Avalanche to General Eisenhower.[65]
Captain Jerauld Wright was awarded a second Legion of Merit for his contributions on Operation Husky and Operation Avalanche.[51]
Central Pacific
USS Santa Fe (CL-60)
In October 1943, Captain Jerauld Wright was detached from U.S. Naval Forces, Northwest Africa Waters (NAVNAW) to take command of the USS Santa Fe (CL-60), a Cleveland-class light cruiser, nicknamed the "Lucky Lady." Wright relieved Captain Russell Berkey on 15 December 1943. Santa Fe was the flagship of Cruiser Division 13, Rear Admiral Laurance T. DuBose commanding, which also included USS Birmingham (CL-62), USS Mobile (CL-63), and USS Reno (CL-96).[66] During December 1943, Santa Fe underwent amphibious training off San Pedro, California.[67]
On 13 January 1944, Santa Fe set sail from California for the Marshall Islands, as part of the invasion force for Operation Flintlock. Santa Fe served as an escort for the Northern Attack Force (Task Force 53), Rear Admiral Richard L. Conolly commanding, which was tasked to capture Roi-Namur and the northern half of the Kwajalein atoll.[68] Santa Fe joined the bombardment force (Task Group 53.5), Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf commanding, that provided naval gunfire support for U.S. Marine landing forces at Kwajalein which was secured on 4 February.[69]
Following a lay-over at Majuro, Santa Fe participated in air raids against Truk and Saipan as part of Task Force 58 during February 1944. Captain Wright received a Letter of Commendation for his actions as the commanding officer of the Santa Fe during this engagement.[70]
From 15 March through 1 May 1944, Santa Fe was part of Task Group 58.2, Rear Admiral Joseph J. Clark commanding, which provided air support for amphibious landings at Emirau Island and Hollandia while also participating in air raids against Japanese garrisons on Palau, Yap, Wakde, Woleai, Sawar, Satawan, and Ponape,as well as major air strike against the Japanese naval base at Truk. Santa Fe also participated in the shore bombardment of Wakde and Sawar.[71]
On 15 June 1944, Santa Fe participated in landings on Saipan, Guam, and Tinian (Operation Forager) as a part of the U.S. Fifth Fleet under the overall command of Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. On 19 June, Japanese carrier aircraft began attacking the Fifth Fleet which remained close to the beachhead on orders from Spruance. Wright concurred that this controversial decision was the correct one given the importance of protecting the landing force.[72]
During the ensuing Battle of the Philippine Sea, Santa Fe's anti-aircraft guns helped to protect the fleet during these enemy air attacks while American naval aviators counter-attacked the Japanese fleet.[73] Later, on 20 June, Santa Fe ignored possible Japanese submarine activity when she turned on her lights to help guide returning American aircraft back to their carriers during highly hazardous night landings. After air strikes on Pagan Island, Santa Fe returned to Eniwetok for reprovisioning.[74]
In August, Santa Fe joined Task Group 38.3, Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman commanding, for the invasion of Peleliu and Angaur (Operation Stalemate II) as part of the U.S. Third Fleet under the overall command of Admiral William F. Halsey, and carrier air attacks to neutralize Japanese air bases on Babelthuap and Koro in preparation for the upcoming Philippines campaign led by General Douglas MacArthur.[75]
During air raids on Formosa in October, the heavy cruiser Canberra and light cruiser Houston were seriously damaged by aerial torpedoes. Santa Fe was part of a covering force (Task Force 30.3), nicknamed "CripDiv 1," formed to protect the damaged cruisers as they were being towed back for Uliti for repairs. The final engagements that Wright participated in as the commanding officer of the USS Santa Fe were the invasion of Leyte and the Battle of Leyte Gulf.[76]
Captain Jerauld Wright received the Silver Star in recognition of his participation in the towing of the Canberra and Houston back to Uliti.[51]
Amphibious Group Five
In November 1944, Rear Admiral Jerauld Wright took command of Amphibious Group Five, a newly-created unit of the Amphibious Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner. Wright's group would be involved in the invasion of the Ryukyu Islands (Operation Iceberg), the island of Okinawa being the key objective. Once taken, U.S. forces would use Okinawa as a staging area for the eventual invasion of Japan, and a base for the B-29 Superfortress bombers of the U.S. Seventh Air Force to attack the Japanese home islands.[77]
Amphibious Group Five would transport the 2nd Marine Division, Major General Thomas E. Watson, USMC, commanding, with Wright flying his flag from the USS Ancon (AGC-4).[78]
For Operation Iceberg, Wright's force was designated Demonstration Group Charlie (Task Group 51.2), whose mission was to serve as a decoy force working in conjunction with the Southern Attack Force (Task Force 55) commanded by Rear Admiral John L. Hall while the Western Islands Group (Task Group 51.1) under Rear Admiral Ingolf N. Kiland and the 77th Infantry Division secured Kerama Retto and other offshore islands before landing at Ie Shima. Task Group 51.2 would subsequently serve as a floating reserve for the U.S. Tenth Army (Task Force 56), commanded by Lieutenant General Simon B. Buckner, USA, before returning to Saipan.[79]
Wright was ordered to Pearl Harbor to begin planning the invasion of the Japanese home islands, which would begin with Operation Olympic, the invasion of the southern island of Kyūshū. Wright's Amphibious Group Five would be part of the 5th Amphibious Force, commanded by Vice Admiral Harry W. Hill, which would land the V Amphibious Corps (VAC) on the west coast in the Kaminokawa - Kushikino area. Amphibious Group Five would consist of four old battleships, ten cruisers, fourteen destroyers, and seventy-four support craft.[80]
However, Operation Olympic and the follow-up invasion of Honshū (Operation Coronet) were cancelled following the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Rear Admiral Jerauld Wright was awarded a Bronze Star, with a combat "V" devise, for his leadership as the commander of Task Group 51.2 during Operation Iceberg.[51]
Cruiser Division Six
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Rear Admiral Jerauld Wright took command of Cruiser Division Six (CruDiv 6), with the USS San Francisco (CA-38), a New Orleans-class heavy cruiser, serving as his flagship.
In early October 1945, CruDiv 6 was assigned to assist the post-surrender activities and general-purpose peace-keeping duties throughout the Yellow Sea and Gulf of Bohai region as a unit of the U.S Seventh Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid.
Wright's force showed the flag, making port visits at Taku [disambiguation needed], Tientsin, Tsingtao, Port Arthur, and Chinwangtao.
At the final port call at Inchon, Wright acted as the senior-ranking member of the committee that accepted the surrender of Japanese naval forces throughout Korea. [81]
Cold War
Operational Readiness Division
In October 1945, Rear Admiral Jerauld Wright joined the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) as the head of its Operational Readiness Division, helping to organize this newly-created organization. Other OPNAV divisions created were Plans (OP-31), Combat Intelligence (OP-32), Operations (OP-33), and Anti-submarine Warfare (OP-35) within the Chief of Naval Operations. Wright organized OP-34 into four sections:
- OP-341 – Fleet Training and Readiness
- OP-342 – Tactical Doctrine
- OP-343 – Joint Operations and Amphibious Warfare
- OP-344 – Operational Requirements
Working with his sister divisions, Wright directed the development of a host of manuals on tactical doctrine based upon experience from World War II.[82] Wright involved civilian think tanks, such as the Operation Evaluation Group (OEG), in projects undertaken by OP-34. CNO Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz appointed Wright to chair the U.S. Navy's Air Defense Committee to help improve fleet air defenses. Wright also succeeded Rear Admiral Walter DeLaney as the chairman of the Joint Army-Navy Assessment Committee (JANAC), an inter-service agency set up in 1943 to analyze and assess of Japanese naval and merchant marine shipping losses caused by U.S. and Allied forces during World War Two.[83]
Commander Amphibious Forces U.S. Atlantic Fleet
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On 24 November 1948, Rear Admiral Jerauld Wright assumed command of Amphibious Forces U.S. Atlantic Fleet (COMPHIBLANT), a position that he held through 1 November 1950.[84] Based at the Norfolk Naval Station, Wright would be responsible for the following major subordinate commands:
- Amphibious Group Two
- Amphibious Group Four
- Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base
COMPHIBLANT also included Amphibious Training, an Amphibious Air Control Group, a Naval Beach Group, a Detached Group, and a Mediterranean Group. Wright's flagship was the USS Taconic (AGC-17), an Adirondack-class amphibious force command ship.[85] The most significant accomplishment during Wright's tour of duty as COMPHIBLANT was PORTREX, a multi-service amphibious assault exercise held from 25 February to 11 March 1950. PORTREX was the largest peacetime amphibious exercise up to that time and it was staged to:
- Evaluate joint doctrine for combined operations.
- Test new equipment under simulated combat conditions.
- Provide training for the defense of the Caribbean.
Over 65,000 men and 160 ships were involved, and it was climaxed by a combined amphibious and airborne assault on Vieques Island, a first in military history. The success of PORTREX offered a prelude for future amphibious operations, including the landings at Inchon during the Korean War.[86] Jerauld Wright received his third star, effective 14 September 1950, at the conclusion of his tour of duty as COMPHIBLANT.[51]
Standing Group - North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Vice Admiral Jerauld Wright served as the deputy U.S. representative to Standing Group (SG) of the newly-formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), serving from November 1950 to February 1952.[51]
The Standing Group was the standing planning organization under NATO's Military Committee, composed of military representatives from the United States, Great Britain, and France. At the time of Wright's tour of duty, SG membership was[87]:
- United States representative – General of the Army Omar Bradley, United States Army
- British representative – Air Marshal Lord Tedder, Royal Air Force
- French representative – Lieutenant General Paul Ely, French Army
The Standing Group was charged with providing policy guidance and milita