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Size | Image Description | Contributed By And/Or Copyright |
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38k | Richard Salisbury Bull, Jr., was born in Wilkinsburg, Pa., on 06 January 1913. In 1930, he graduated from Wilkinsburg High School where he was in the National Honor
Society and played left tackle on the varsity football team. Attending the U.S. Naval Academy beginning in 1932, he graduated and was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Navy on
04 June 1936. In July of 1936 Ensign Bull reported aboard USS Indianapolis (CA 35), remaining on board until July 1939 when he reported to NAS Pensacola for flight training.
Upon completion of flight training and promotion to Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Bull was assigned to Scouting Squadron (VS) 41 aboard USS Ranger (CV 4). He later served as a
naval observer assigned to the American Embassy in London, England. Reporting for duty as a fighter pilot on board USS Lexington (CV 2) on 27 December 1941, he joined Fighting Squadron Two (VF-2). He participated in aircraft carrier operations against the Japanese in February and March 1942. In the Battle of the Coral Sea on 07 to 08 May, Richard was lost when his aircraft was shot down on 08 May. He was the 5th Division Leader of Fighting Squadron (VF) 2 and was "escorting the group commander" when he was lost. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, and also was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in 1943. USS Richard S. Bull (DE 402) (1944-1946) was the first ship to be named in his honor. (Photo from the U.S. Naval Academy Yearbook; The Lucky Bag, Class of 1936.) |
Bill Gonyo Downey, Cal. Assoc. Researcher Navsource | ||
301k | 14 February 1944 (Monday): Houston, Tex. - Stern view of USS Richard S. Bull (DE 402) about 135⁰ off centerline.
Taken at the Brown Shipbuilding Company in Houston. (U.S. Naval Historical Center photo #NH 89100 from the Naval History and Heritage Command) |
Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Archive Manager DE / FF / LCS Archive Navsource | ||
65k | undated wartime image | - | ||
212k | 26 October 1944: Starboard bow view of USS Richard S. Bull (DE 402) as seen from USS Suwannee (CVE 27). Both ships are involved in the
Battle of Leyte Gulf starting the previous day, as a part of “Taffy One”. Suwannee was hit by Japanese kamikazes on both the 25th and 26th and was severely damaged
losing sailors overboard in the action. Richard S. Bull rescued 24 survivors and in this photo is approaching Suwannee to transfer them back. Notice
the railings on Bull which once held life-rafts. (U.S. Navy Photo #80-G-295037 from the United States National Archives) |
Mike Green Port Angeles, Wash. | ||
100k | 31 October 1944: Kossel Roads, Palau Islands, the South Pacific - USS Richard S. Bull approaches USS Bountiful (AH 9) to transfer 138 survivors of USS Eversole (DE 404), torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on the evening of 26 October. | Tim Smith Greeneville, Tenn. | ||
92k | 30 May 1945: off Okinawa - Lt. McNinch of VC-83 is returned to USS Sargent Bay (CVE 83) after being rescued from the sea. | Jerry Wintermute |
Richard S. Bull History |
View the USS Richard S. Bull (DE 402) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site. |
View the official War History of USS Richard S. Bull as submitted by the ship at war's end. |
Richard S. Bull's Commanding Officers Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves |
Dates of Command | Commanding Officers |
---|---|
1.) 26 Feb. 1944 - 20 Nov. 1944 | Lcdr. Alfred Wiltz Gardes, USN (Comm. CO) (Dayton, Oh.) |
2.) 20 Nov. 1944 - 07 Nov. 1945 | Lcdr. Frederick S. Moseley, Jr., USNR |
3.) 07 Nov. 1945 - .. Apr. 1946 | Lcdr. James Reed Gattmann, USNR |
4.) .. Apr. 1946 - 02 Jul. 1946 | Lt.(jg) D. A. Forsythe, USNR |
5.) 02 Jul. 1946 - 10 Jan. 1947 | Lcdr. L. M. Griffen, USNR (Decomm. CO) |
Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has been
made to list the newest contact. However, our entry
is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list only
a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists, rosters, or deck logs
available. Please see the
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