Richard L. Conolly
Encyclopedia
Richard Lansing Conolly (26 April 1892–1 March 1962) was a United States Navy
Admiral
, who served during World War I
and World War II
.
, attended Lake Forest Academy
and was appointed to the United States Naval Academy
, Annapolis, graduating in 1914. He was assigned to the battleship and served in Mexican waters. Between May–November 1915 he received training aboard , and in March 1916 he was assigned to as Torpedo Officer.
Transferred in May 1916 to the destroyer , he was aboard her when the United States entered World War I
in April 1917. Smith performed escort duty in European waters out of Brest, France
.
Conolly was awarded the Navy Cross
for his actions in connection with the salvaging of the transport ship , which was hit by two torpedoes launched by the German submarine in August 1918. Conolly, with a party of eight others remained on board the badly damaged ship for five days, steering by hand and handling the lines from the tugs, while the ship was towed 400 nautical miles (740.8 km) to port.
at Annapolis and Columbia University
, New York, receiving a Master of Science
degree in June 1922. He then served aboard , transferring to in March 1924 to serve as assistant Engineer Officer until September 1925. He then returned to Annapolis, this time as an instructor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Physics.
In June 1927 he returned to sea as Engineer Officer of . In August 1929 he assumed command of the destroyer . He completed the junior course at the Naval War College
, Newport, Rhode Island
in May 1931, and remained on the staff for two years.
In May 1933 he reported as Aide and Flag Secretary on the staff of Commander Cruisers, Scouting Force, and from April 1935 until June 1936 he served as Navigator aboard the battleship .
He returned to the Naval Academy in May 1939, as an instructor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Physics, and later in the Department of Seamanship and Navigation.
Conolly assumed command of Destroyer Division 7 in May 1939, transferring to Destroyer Squadron 6 on 30 January 1941. He was at sea, in command of DESRON
6 at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
on 7 December 1941.
on 1 February 1942, as part of the force under the command of Admiral William Halsey, Jr.
, and in April his destroyers served as escort for the aircraft carrier from which Lieutenant General J. H. Doolittle
's aircraft took off for the first bombing raid on Tokyo
. He also participated in a shore bombardment of Wake Island
in command of the destroyers in Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance
's Task Group.
Promoted to rear admiral in July 1942, he served on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations
(CNO) and Commander-in-Chief Fleet Admiral Ernest King
.
Between March and October 1943 he served with the Amphibious Force Atlantic Fleet, taking part in the invasions of Sicily and Italy
. Transferred to the Pacific, he was with amphibious forces in the Pacific and participated in the landings on Kwajalein
, Wake
and Marcus Islands
.
He commanded Group 3, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet during 1944 and 1945, and led the landings on Guam in July 1944, and the Lingayen Gulf
in January 1945.
He gained the nickname "Close-In Conolly" from his insistence that fire support
ships should be extremely close to the beach during amphibious assaults. Conolly believed that strong fortifications could be neutralized only by direct hits, which could only be achieved from the shortest possible range.
. He commanded the United States Twelfth Fleet
from September 1946 until January 1947, then US Naval Forces eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean from 1947 until 1950.
His last assignment was as president of the US Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island between 1950 and 1953. Conolly retired with the rank of full Admiral in November 1953, and was then the president of Long Island University
until 1962.
On 1 March 1962 Admiral Conolly and his wife, Helen B. Conolly, were passengers aboard American Airlines Flight 1
, which crashed into Jamaica Bay
soon after take-off from Idlewild Airport
, New York City
, killing all 95 passengers and crew aboard.
Conolly is buried at Arlington National Cemetery
.
The ship , a , was named for Admiral Richard Lansing Conolly.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Admiral
Admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
, who served during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Biography
Conolly was born in Waukegan, IllinoisWaukegan, Illinois
Waukegan is a city and county seat of Lake County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 87,901. The 2010 population was 89,078. It is the ninth-largest city in Illinois by population...
, attended Lake Forest Academy
Lake Forest Academy
Lake Forest Academy is a college preparatory boarding and day school for grades 9 through 12 located on the North Shore in Lake Forest, Illinois, United States. As of the 2008-2009 school year, students at Lake Forest Academy come from 20 states and 28 countries. The current Head of School is Dr....
and was appointed to the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, Annapolis, graduating in 1914. He was assigned to the battleship and served in Mexican waters. Between May–November 1915 he received training aboard , and in March 1916 he was assigned to as Torpedo Officer.
World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in April 1917. Smith performed escort duty in European waters out of Brest, France
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
.
Conolly was awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for his actions in connection with the salvaging of the transport ship , which was hit by two torpedoes launched by the German submarine in August 1918. Conolly, with a party of eight others remained on board the badly damaged ship for five days, steering by hand and handling the lines from the tugs, while the ship was towed 400 nautical miles (740.8 km) to port.
Inter-war period
He returned to the United States in November 1918, fitting out, and serving as Executive Officer of the destroyers , and in turn. From August 1920 he studied electrical engineeringElectrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
at Annapolis and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, New York, receiving a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree in June 1922. He then served aboard , transferring to in March 1924 to serve as assistant Engineer Officer until September 1925. He then returned to Annapolis, this time as an instructor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Physics.
In June 1927 he returned to sea as Engineer Officer of . In August 1929 he assumed command of the destroyer . He completed the junior course at the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
, Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
in May 1931, and remained on the staff for two years.
In May 1933 he reported as Aide and Flag Secretary on the staff of Commander Cruisers, Scouting Force, and from April 1935 until June 1936 he served as Navigator aboard the battleship .
He returned to the Naval Academy in May 1939, as an instructor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Physics, and later in the Department of Seamanship and Navigation.
Conolly assumed command of Destroyer Division 7 in May 1939, transferring to Destroyer Squadron 6 on 30 January 1941. He was at sea, in command of DESRON
DESRON
A destroyer squadron is a naval squadron or flotilla usually consisting of destroyers rather than other types of vessel. In some navies other vessels, such as frigates, may be included. In English the word "squadron" tends to be used for larger and "flotilla" for smaller vessels, both may be used...
6 at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
on 7 December 1941.
World War II
He participated in the initial attack on the Gilbert and Marshall IslandsMarshalls-Gilberts raids
The Marshalls–Gilberts raids were tactical airstrikes and naval artillery attacks by United States Navy aircraft carrier and other warship forces against Imperial Japanese Navy garrisons in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands on 1 February 1942. The Japanese garrisons were under the overall command...
on 1 February 1942, as part of the force under the command of Admiral William Halsey, Jr.
William Halsey, Jr.
Fleet Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr., United States Navy, , was a U.S. Naval officer. He commanded the South Pacific Area during the early stages of the Pacific War against Japan...
, and in April his destroyers served as escort for the aircraft carrier from which Lieutenant General J. H. Doolittle
Jimmy Doolittle
General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War...
's aircraft took off for the first bombing raid on Tokyo
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
. He also participated in a shore bombardment of Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
in command of the destroyers in Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance
Raymond A. Spruance
Raymond Ames Spruance was a United States Navy admiral in World War II.Spruance commanded US naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles in the Pacific theater, the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea...
's Task Group.
Promoted to rear admiral in July 1942, he served on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
(CNO) and Commander-in-Chief Fleet Admiral Ernest King
Ernest King
Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King was Commander in Chief, United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations during World War II. As COMINCH, he directed the United States Navy's operations, planning, and administration and was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was the U.S...
.
Between March and October 1943 he served with the Amphibious Force Atlantic Fleet, taking part in the invasions of Sicily and Italy
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
. Transferred to the Pacific, he was with amphibious forces in the Pacific and participated in the landings on Kwajalein
Battle of Kwajalein
The Battle of Kwajalein was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought from 31 January-3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a successful twin assault on the main islands of...
, Wake
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
and Marcus Islands
Minami Torishima
or Marcus Island is an isolated Japanese coral atoll in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, located some SE of Tokyo and east of the closest Japanese island, South Iwo Jima of the Ogasawara Islands, and nearly on a straight line between Tokyo and Wake Island, which is east southeast...
.
He commanded Group 3, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet during 1944 and 1945, and led the landings on Guam in July 1944, and the Lingayen Gulf
Invasion of Lingayen Gulf
The Liberation of Lingayen Gulf was an Allied amphibious operation in the Philippines during World War II. In the early morning of 9 January 1945, an Allied force commanded by Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf began approaching the shores of Lingayen. U.S...
in January 1945.
He gained the nickname "Close-In Conolly" from his insistence that fire support
Fire support
Fire support is long-range firepower provided to a front-line military unit. Typically, fire support is provided by artillery or close air support , and is used to shape the battlefield or, more optimistically, define the battle...
ships should be extremely close to the beach during amphibious assaults. Conolly believed that strong fortifications could be neutralized only by direct hits, which could only be achieved from the shortest possible range.
Post-war
Conolly was naval representative to the 1946 Paris Peace ConferenceParis Peace Treaties, 1947
The Paris Peace Conference resulted in the Paris Peace Treaties signed on February 10, 1947. The victorious wartime Allied powers negotiated the details of treaties with Italy, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Finland .The...
. He commanded the United States Twelfth Fleet
United States Twelfth Fleet
The Twelfth Fleet was a unit of the United States Navy and was operational from October 1st, 1943. The fleet began demoblization in late 1945 was disestablished in 1946....
from September 1946 until January 1947, then US Naval Forces eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean from 1947 until 1950.
His last assignment was as president of the US Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island between 1950 and 1953. Conolly retired with the rank of full Admiral in November 1953, and was then the president of Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
until 1962.
On 1 March 1962 Admiral Conolly and his wife, Helen B. Conolly, were passengers aboard American Airlines Flight 1
American Airlines Flight 1
American Airlines Flight 1 was a domestic, scheduled passenger flight from New York International Airport , New York to Los Angeles International Airport, California that crashed shortly after take-off on 1 March 1962. All 87 passengers and eight crew died in the crash...
, which crashed into Jamaica Bay
Jamaica Bay
Jamaica Bay is located on the southwestern tip of Long Island in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, and the town of Hempstead, New York/hamlet of Inwood...
soon after take-off from Idlewild Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, killing all 95 passengers and crew aboard.
Conolly is buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
The ship , a , was named for Admiral Richard Lansing Conolly.