Home Oral History Collection Daniel W. Jones oral history interview audio
Daniel W. Jones oral history interview
Daniel W. Jones oral history interview audio
Title Daniel W. Jones oral history interview
Subject United States. Navy
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Atlantic Ocean.
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Africa, North.
World War, 1939-1945--Solomon Islands.
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Alaska--Kiska Island.
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Japan--Okinawa Island
USS Wichita (CA-45)
USS Chicago (CA-29)
United States. Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School
Description The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Daniel Jones. Jones was at Harvard and at the end of his sophomore year in 1940, he joined the Navy under the V-7 program. After a cruise on the old battleship USS Wyoming to Guantanamo, Cuba he enterd midshipman's school in New York City. At the end of three months, he was commissioned an ensign and sent to the USS Wichita (flagship of Commander Cruiser Division 7) in January 1941. He was a communications officer and on the Admiral's staff when the message that Pearl Harbor was attacked came into the ship. The ship was operating with the British Fleet in the Atlantic prior to that. During the invasion of North Africa, Admiral Giffen and his staff were on board the battleship USS Massachusetts when they engaged the French battleship Jean Bart in the harbor at Casablanca. After sailing back to the states, the flag was shifted back to the USS Wichita and they sailed for the South Pacific, to Efate in the New Hebrides. Wichita's first operation out of Efate was toward Guadalcanal with the cruiser USS Chicago, with Chicago behind. They were attacked by Japanese bombers (Betty). Wichita was hit by a torpedo but it didn't detonate; Chicago was mortally wounded. Wichita tried to take Chicago under tow but Chicago had to abandon ship. After other operations in the Solomon Islands, the Wichita was sent up to the Aleutians where they were involved in the invasion of Kiska. The Wichita then went to Bremerton Navy Yard for refit; the admiral and his staff went to the USS Minneapolis which became the flagship of Division 6. When the Wichita came back, the flag was switched back. Jones participated in various operations in the Central Pacific and was with the Admiral's staff (Adm Giffen was replaced by C. Turner Joy) on board the USS San Francisco during the invasion of Okinawa. Jones was at the Naval War College when the war ended. He finished the course (Prep Staff) and then went back to Harvard and graduated in 1947. After he graduated from Harvard with a degree in history, Jones worked on the 'Victory at Sea' series. Jones worked for NBC in a unit called special projects. RAdm Samuel Eliot Morison got Jones interested in history; Jones knew him quite well.
Creator Jones, Daniel W.
Contributors Misenhimer, Richard
Dial, Lesle W.
Title Daniel W. Jones oral history interview audio
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