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 Eighty years ago, a U.S. Navy captain chose to go down with the ship.Moderators: Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page] | |
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| Master and Commander Posts: 1890 Location: Patterson, New York | Subject: Eighty years ago, a U.S. Navy captain chose to go down with the ship. The Man Who Kept the Secrets Eighty years ago, a U.S. Navy captain chose to go down with the ship. The son of a Medal of Honor recipient always suspected that something was wrong with the official story about his father’s service in World War II. And the son was right to be suspicious. His father’s sacrifice 80 years ago was even more significant than initially reported. The Medal of Honor that U.S. Navy Capt. John Cromwell posthumously received in the 1940s carried a citation that certainly described remarkable courage and dedication: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commander of a submarine coordinated attack group with flag in the U.S.S. Sculpin, during the 9th war patrol of that vessel in enemy-controlled waters off Truk Island, 19 November 1943. Undertaking this patrol prior to the launching of our first large-scale offensive in the Pacific, Capt. Cromwell, alone of the entire Task Group, possessed secret intelligence information of our submarine strategy and tactics, scheduled Fleet movements, and specific attack plans. Constantly vigilant and precise in carrying out his secret orders, he moved his undersea flotilla inexorably forward despite savage opposition and established a line of submarines to southeastward of the main Japanese stronghold at Truk. Cool and undaunted as the submarine, rocked and battered by Japanese depth charges, sustained terrific battle damage and sank to an excessive depth, he authorized the Sculpin to surface and engage the enemy in a gunfight, thereby providing an opportunity for the crew to abandon ship. Determined to sacrifice himself rather than risk capture and subsequent danger of revealing plans under Japanese torture or use of drugs, he stoically remained aboard the mortally wounded vessel as she plunged to her death. Cromwell allowed his crew to escape and then accepted a death sentence—and surely it was no pleasant death—rather than risk the chance that he might surrender useful intelligence to the enemy. Anyone who has raised children may get a chuckle at the idea that even such a reported parental example was somehow found wanting by Cromwell’s offspring. But the son wasn’t being disrespectful—his own distinguished service in the Navy informed his skepticism. And the kid was on to something, even if it took much of his life to learn the truth. In 2011 the Navy named the new headquarters of its Submarine Learning Center in Groton, Conn., after Cromwell. Noting the event, McClatchy’s Jennifer McDermott reported on his son: Growing up, John P. Cromwell Jr. knew his father was considered a hero in the submarine service for sacrificing his own life to avoid being captured during World War II... The family was told that Cromwell knew details of the impending operation in the Gilbert Islands, the son said, and he didn’t want to reveal anything if the Japanese tortured him. “I never could buy that original story,” he said. “Once I got on active duty, and I saw how things went, it didn’t seem like that was that big of a deal that he would have had to give up his life for it.” The younger Cromwell would also go on to serve as a captain during his own 30-year career in the Navy. But it would be decades before he learned the rest of the story of his father’s sacrifice. Ms. McDermott added: The son would later learn that by late 1941 Navy cryptologists had deciphered the Japanese naval code, and senior officers were reading decrypted enemy messages. As a division commander, Cromwell was privy to this highly classified intelligence, code-named ULTRA, his son said. He also happened to be close friends with one of the people who helped crack the code. If the Japanese knew the code was compromised, they would have changed it and made it more difficult for the U.S. Navy to track their vessels. When information about ULTRA eventually came to light, the son said that it “all came together.” It was this secret that his father died to protect. “It was probably the biggest secret of the war,” he said. “And even when the citation was written up, it was still top secret. So in his citation, they waffled and didn’t give the true facts or the reason he went down. He knew the code was broken.” On this Memorial Day weekend, it’s essentially impossible to adequately honor the sacrifices of those like Captain John Cromwell who have given their lives for our freedom. But let’s try. ********** As for the kid in this story, Capt. John P. Cromwell Jr. passed away five years after that McClatchy report at the ripe old age of 88. He was survived by his wife of 63 years as well as numerous children and grandchildren. A death notice in the Capital Gazette recounted: He is remembered by his family and friends for being a true gentleman, having a warm smile and a quick wit. He was always glad to see old friends, drink martinis, and watch Navy football, win or lose. As a father and grandfather, he provided guidance and wisdom on countless occasions, and he will be genuinely missed by all who knew him. Reading this passage, even those of us who never knew him are missing him. Rest in peace, Captains Cromwell. Source: WSJ https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-man-who-kept-the-secrets-f4b6ec9a | ||
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