Cromwell, John Philip

The most senior naval officer to win the Congressional Medal of Honor was Captain John Cromwell. Born on Sept. 11 th 1901 in Henry, Illinois he rose to the rank of Captain in the U.S. Navy. He was Commander of a Submarine Coordinated Attack Group, commonly called a wolf-pack, and had his flag aboard the USS Sculpin (SS-191). As a group Commander Capt. Cromwell was privy to the use of ULTRA and its importance in decoding the Japanese Naval Codes and how the use of these codes was defining the strategy of the Pacific War. In addition, he was in possession of some of the details of the impending invasion of Saipan. Sculpin, on patrol north of Truk, was to combine her efforts with those of Searaven and Apagon to deliver a coordinated attack on the Japanese forces in and around the Gilberts.
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