Theodore S. Wilkinson

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This article is about the Navy admiral who served in World War II. For the Congressional representative, see Theodore Stark Wilkinson (politician).


Theodore Stark Wilkinson
December 22, 1888(1888-12-22) – February 21, 1946 (aged 57)
Image:Replace this image male.svg
Theodore Stark Wilkinson, Medal of Honor recipient
Nickname "Ping"
Place of birth Annapolis, Maryland
Place of death Norfolk, Virginia
Allegiance Flag of the United States United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service 1905 – 1946
Rank Vice Admiral
Battles/wars Veracruz, Mexico
World War I
World War II
Awards Medal of Honor
Navy Distinguished Service Medal (3)

Theodore Stark "Ping" Wilkinson (22 December 1888 – 21 February 1946) was a Vice-Admiral of the United States Navy during World War II. He also received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Veracruz, Mexico.

Contents

[edit] Early life and career

Wilkinson entered the United States Naval Academy in 1905 and graduated first in the class of 1909. He served the two years of sea duty then required by law prior to commissioning, in the battleships Kansas (BB-21) and South Carolina (BB-26), before he received his ensign's commission on 5 June 1911. After instruction at George Washington University, Washington, D.C., under the auspices of the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd), Wilkinson reported to the battleship Florida (BB-30) on 25 July 1913 for sea duty. During his time in that dreadnought, Ens. Wilkinson led Florida's 2d Company in action during the landings on 21 and 22 April 1914 at Veracruz, Mexico. For his skillful and courageous leadership of that unit of the battleship's landing force and his exhibition of "eminent and conspicuous" conduct, he received the Medal of Honor.

[edit] World War I and interwar years

On 4 August, he was transferred to the armored cruiser Tennessee (ACR-10) and two days later sailed eastward in her across the Atlantic. Tennessee and North Carolina (ACR-12) were ordered to European waters to evacuate Americans trapped on the continent by the outbreak of World War I. On 3 September, he became an assistant to the naval attaché at Paris and a month later left that post to join North Carolina in the Mediterranean. Subsequently, the young officer had tours of sea duty: first as aide, to Commander, 2d Division, Atlantic Fleet, and then as aide to the commander of the 7th Division.

From July 1916 to July 1919, Wilkinson served with distinction as the head of the Experimental Section, Bureau of Ordnance, where he developed ordnance materials and devices, most notable being a noxious gas filler for shells and an "exceptionally satisfactory smoke screen". Additionally, he was deemed largely responsible for the successful design of a depth charge and for the development of the firing mechanism of the Mark VI mine used in the North Sea Mine Barrage.

Following that tour ashore—for which he received a letter of commendation—Wilkinson went to sea, first serving as gunnery officer in the battleship Kansas and later as fire control officer in Pennsylvania (BB-38). In 1921 and 1922, Wilkinson commanded, in succession, the destroyers Osborne (DD-295), Goff (DD-247), and Taylor (DD-94), before he returned to BuOrd's experimental section.

After commanding the destroyer King (DD-242) from January 1925 to December 1926, Wilkinson headed the Records Section of the Bureau of Navigation (BuNav) Officer Personnel Division. In June 1930, he became fleet gunnery officer and aide to Commander, Scouting Fleet (later, Commander, Scouting Force), Rear Admiral A. L. Willard. Detached from that duty in December 1931, he soon assumed the duties of secretary to the Navy's General Board. While in that assignment, Wilkinson had additional duty during the arms limitation talks at Geneva in 1933 and in London in 1934.

From September 1934 to June 1936, Wilkinson served as executive officer of Indianapolis (CA-35). Over the next three years, he headed the Planning Division of BuNav and then returned to Indianapolis, this time in a staff capacity, as Chief of Staff to Commander, Scouting Force. In January 1941, he fleeted up to command the battleship Mississippi (BB-41).

[edit] World War II

Detached from that duty in September 1941 and promoted to flag rank, Wilkinson—as a rear admiral—became the director of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), in October, a post in which he worked for the next 10 months. This put him in a key position in the run up to Pearl Harbor, and his performance as ONI's chief has been the subject of much controversy.

It is known that Wilkinson was outmaneuverd by Richmond K. Turner:

“ The reflections of nearly 20 years that had passed since Rear Admiral Turner had dominated [the Office of] War Plans and looked down his nose at the Office Naval Intelligence, and most of its minions, had not changed the man's conviction that the 1941 division of responsibilities within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations for advising the Chief of Naval Operations (and preparing papers or despatches for dissemination) in regard to the over-all international situation which might involve the United States in war, and thus bring War Plans into effect, was properly a duty of the Director War Plans rather than the duty of the Director of Naval Intelligence. ”

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ACTC/actc-5.html [The source is Turner's biography by George Dyer].

But further, from this same source:

“ Rear Admiral Wilkinson, right up until 7 December 1941, did not think the Japanese would attack any United States Territory. On 6 December 1941 he had informed Turner that Turner was "mistaken in the belief that Japan would attack a United States objective." ”

Subsequently reporting for duty as Commander, Battleship Division 2, Pacific Fleet, in August 1942, Wilkinson eventually became Deputy Commander, South Pacific Area and South Pacific Force on 30 January 1943 and acted in that capacity until July 1944, when he assumed command of the 3d Amphibious Force, South Pacific.

In that billet, Wilkinson earned the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM), for commanding the forces that supported the assaults on New Georgia, Vella Lavella and the Treasury Islands; and established a "highly important" position on the west coast of Bougainville. Subsequently redesignated as Commander, 3d Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet, with the rank of vice admiral, on 12 August 1944, Wilkinson won a gold star in lieu of a second DSM for his leadership in the assaults that took Peleliu and then Angaur, in the Palaus; and Ulithi, in the Carolines.

Subsequently, Wilkinson earned another gold star in lieu of a third DSM, for commanding Task Force 79 (TF 79) in action in the Philippines between 1 October 1944 and 18 January 1945—operations that included the landings conducted by the Southern Attack Force on Leyte in October 1944 and at Lingayen in January 1945.

Ordered to the Navy Department in September 1945 for temporary duty, Vice Admiral Wilkinson became a member of the Joint Strategic Survey Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in January 1946. He was serving in that capacity when he lost his life on 21 February 1946 in an automobile accident at Norfolk, Virginia.

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery and his grave can be found in section 2, Lot 3645.

[edit] Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Ensign, U.S. Navy. Born: 22 December 1888, Annapolis, Md. Appointed from: Louisiana. G.O. No.: 177, 4 December 1915. Other Navy award: Distinguished Service Medal with gold stars in lieu of 2 additional DSM's.

Citation:

For distinguished conduct in battle, engagements of Vera Cruz, 21 and 22 April 1914. Ens. Wilkinson was in both days' fighting at the head of his company and was eminent and conspicuous in his conduct, leading his men with skill and courage .

[edit] Namesake

In 1952, the destroyer USS Wilkinson (DD-930) was named in his honor.

[edit] See also

United States Navy Portal

[edit] References

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.