Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 015, folder 33: John Leslie Hall, Jr.

WASH, D.C. Comm Assault Force HALL, John Lesslie, Jr. Va 12

Box 15, #33

OMAHA USS ANCON

Admiral John Lesslie Hall, Jr.

HIS CONCERN ON WAY OVER The crossing to me was perhaps not so momentous as to those who were participating for the first time. Our chief concern had been minefields. Could my ships conform to swept channels, Could the gunfire support [crossed out]velle[end crossed out] vessels gain effective support positions in waters where thorough sweeping was impossible? Could they, if hit, beach themselves so their batteries could bear?

I recall telling the Underwater Demolition Teams...that they would be covered by the strongest air defense in history, as well as by nval gunfire and smoke. Theirs was a tough assigment: They had to clear two 50 yd. lanes through each of 7 battalion beaches.

ADMIRAL RAMSAY STORY Sometime before D- Day, Admiral Ramsay held a conference of flag officers at his hdqtrs. near Portsmouth with its principal object the recommendation for the time of H-Hour. I wanted to attack on a half- falling tide in order to give my demolition teams time to clear the ob- stacles. The British attack forces were more concerned about greater depth of water in the approaches to enable DD tanks to clear certain shoals. When the decision seemed to be going against me, I asked that the H Hours be staggered to permit the attack force comdr. to select his time for my beaches were the only ones strongly defended with beach and underwater obstacles with a 29' rise and fall of tide. The job was gigantic. I was sure there would be fewer casualties and equally certain the task could be more effectively accomplished if I could attack on a receeding tide.

Ramsay ruled, however, that Montgomery would not agree to a staggered attack. I had to accept. It was a serious moment, and all hands were quite tense. As the conference ended, I produced from a pocket a clip- ping I had cut from a London paper I had bought before leaving Plymouth by air early that morning. It's glaring front page headlines read: "Birth Rate Increases in England" "Ramsay Active Again."

Adm. Ramsay had been recalled from the retired list, had brilliantly commanded the Dover patrols in the evacuation from Dkunkirk and then had gone to the Mediterranean to command the British Attack F orces in Sicily and now had been restored to the activelist with the rank of full admiral.

The humorous arrangement of the headlines in the early edition of the paper had been changed in later editions, so that my copy proved a curio. It did much to relieve the strain of our differences.

CHIEF PETTY OFFICER Eye witness accounts of the conduct of a naval chief petty officer, m member of an underwater demolition team, the only survivor of his team. His gallant performance won him the Navy Cross. I have always regretted I did not use my utmost effort to get him the Medal of Honor.

GENERAL BRADLEY STORY The visit of General Bradley and Admiral Kirk to the Omaha Beaches on D plus (?) found Bradley gravely concerned as to a reported shortage of ammunition and was therefore critical of naval support. I assured him if he had planned enough ammunition, it was there on the ammo dumps. I did [crossed out]n[end crossed out] not find out until later that his difficulties were with the bookkeeping. His shipping officers had been sending their invoices to the British beach on our left.

NOTE I*d like Mr. R yan to know the view of Gen. Huebner Landing Force Comdr. and his staff about the naval support, since some Army histories indicate confusion at Omaha beach

Alexandria, Virginia N-TE For Cornelius Ryan At [illegible] benevolent Admiral Book about D-Day UA 12 LL

THOUSANDS OF MEN, ON LAND AND SEA AND IN THE AIR , PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF NORMANDY BETWEEN MIDNIGHT JUNE 5, 1944 AND MIDNIGHT JUNE 6, 1944. IF YOU WERE ONE OF THEM, PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

\What is your full name? John Leslie Hall, Jr. What was your unit and division? Commander Assault Force O. Commander 11th Amphibious Force

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time ? early morning of June 6, 1944 off "Omaha" beaches, Vierville- Coleville Sector, Bay of the Seine What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy What was your age on June 6, 1944? 53. Were you married at that time? yes

What is your wife's name? Beall Daingerfield Hall Did you have any children at that time? No

What do you do now? Retired. Recently served two years as National Campaign Chairman for United Service Organizations (U.S.O.)

-When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? early December 1943 What was the trip like during the crossing of the Channel? Do you remember, for example, any conversations you had or how you passed the time? Having participated in amphibious assault landings in French Morocco as Chief of Staff to Admiral Hewitt, and in Sicily and Italy as an attack Force Commander, the crossing to me was perhaps not so momentous as to those who were participating for the first time. Our chief concern was enemy minefields. Could my ships conform to the swept channels? Could the gunfire support vessels gain effective support positions in waters where thorough sweeping was impossible? Could they , if hit, beach themselves so their batteries could bear? What were the rumors on board the boat, ship or plane in which you made the crossing? (Some people remember scuttlebut to the effect that the Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when the troops came in). I recall none

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name J.L. Hall, Jr

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No. I submitted an official Action report soon after.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Yes. Many.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? I recall telling the leaders of the Underwater Demolition Teams, who had the difficult task of attacking beach obstacles under strong enemy artillery and small arms fire and possible air attachk, that they would be covered by the strongest air defense in history, as well as by naval gunfire and smoke.

Among abstacles these teams had been trained to attack were steel structures designated "Element C", requiring [inserted]hand[end inserted] of 17 dynamite charges on each, and simultaneous explosion. Their mission was to clear 2 50 yd. lanes through each of 7 battalion beaches. It was a tough assignment.

Were you wounded? No

Do you remember what it was like--that is, do you remember whether you felt any pain or were you so surprised that you felt nothing? ------

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? [*Reason for staggered H-hrs.*] Some time before D-Day, Admiral Ramsay, Eisenhower's naval C in C, held a conference of flag officers at his Hdqtrs. near Portsmouth with its principal object the recommendation for the time of "H-Hour." I wanted to attack on a half falling tide in order to give my demolition teams time to clear the obstacles. The British attack forces were more concerned about greater depth of water in the approaches to enable "DD -tanks" to clear certain shoals. When the decision seemed to be going against me, I asked that the H-Hours be staggered to permit the attack force Comdr. to select his time, for my beaches were the only ones strongly (continues on attached sheet)

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? [*Name? More detail?*] Two incidents: (1) Eye witness accounts of the conduct of a naval chief petty officer, member of an Underwater Demolition Team, the only survivor of his team. His gallant performance won him the Navy Cross. I have always regretted I did not use my utmost effort to get him the Medal of Honor.

(2) The visit of Genal Omar Bradley and Admiral Kirk to the Omaha Beaches on D plus(?). Bradley was gravely concerned as to a reported shortage of ammunition, and was therefore critical of naval support. I assured him if he had planned enough ammunition, it was there on the ammo dumps. I did not find out until later that his difficulties were with bookkeeping. His shipping officers had been sending their invoice to the British beach on our left.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name J. L. Hall, Jr.

In times of great crisis, people generally show either great ingenuity or self-reliance; others do incredibly stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either? See above re: sending [illegible] to wrong beaches

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? Portland_Weymouth Harbor in U.S.S. ANCON, my flagship.

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? en route cross channel - U.S.S. ANCON [*(Must mean 5th here)*]

Do you know of anybody else who landed within those 24 hours (midnight June 5 to midnight June 6) as infantry, glider or airborne troops, or who took part in the air and sea operations, whom we should write to?

[*#1LL*]Victor Galiaferro Boatwright Electric Boat Co. Groton, Conn. - my staff gunnery officer.

I believe I might be more helpful to Mr. Ryan in an interview then I can by questionnaire. with some Army histories indicating confusion at OMAHA BEACH, I'd like him to know the views of General Huebner, Landing Force Comdr, his staff, about the naval support.

PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIOMAIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE BOOK. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE YOUR STORY ON SEPARATE SHEETS IF WE HAVE NOT LEFT SUFFICIENT ROOM. FULL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WILL BE GIVEN IN A CHAPTER CALLED "WHERE THEY ARE NOW; YOUR NAME AND VOCATION OR OCCUPATION WILL BE LISTED.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.

Cornelius Ryan

Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest

17 GLEN DRIVE, BELLE HAVEN ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

"Birth Rate Increases in England". "Ramsay Active Again." Admiral Ramsay had been [crossed out]retur[end crossed out]recalled from the retired list, had [inserted]brilliantly[end inserted]commanded the Dover patrols in the evacuation of the army from Dunkirk, then had gone to the Mediterranean to command the British attack forces in Sicily, and now had been restored to the action list with the rank of full Admiral.

The humorous arrangement of headlines in the early edition [crossed out]addition[end crossed out] of the paper had been changed in later editions, so that my copy proved to be a curio. It did much to relieve the strain of our [crossed out]ea[end crossed out] differences.