Collection Summary
Morton L. Deyo Papers
1911-1981
(bulk 1911-1954)
1911-1981
(bulk 1911-1954)
MSS60590
Deyo, Morton L. (Morton
Lyndholm), 1887-1973
3,150
items
9 containers
3.6 linear feet
English
Collection material in
English
Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress
Washington, D.C.
Naval officer.
Correspondence, subject files, speeches and writings documenting Deyo's career
in the Navy, particularly as a naval task force commander during World War II
in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Deyo, Morton L. (Morton Lyndholm), 1887-1973.
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969.
Forrestal, James, 1892-1949.
Nimitz, Chester W. (Chester William), 1885-1966.
Stark, Harold R. (Harold Raynsford), 1880-1972.
Yarnell, Harry E. (Harry Ervin), 1875-1959.
Organizations
Japan. Kaigun--History.
United States. Navy--Foreign service--China--Shanghai.
United States. Navy--Officers.
United States. Navy. Asiatic Fleet.
United States. Navy. Naval District, 1st.
Subjects
Bombardment--France--Cherbourg.
Bombardment--France--Normandy.
Cherbourg, Battle of, Cherbourg, France, 1944.
Iwo Jima, Battle of, Japan, 1945.
Kamikaze airplanes.
Navy-yards and naval stations--Massachusetts--Boston.
Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945--Naval operations, American.
World War, 1939-1945--Aerial operations, Japanese.
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Atlantic Ocean.
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy.
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Japan--Okinawa Island.
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Pacific Ocean.
World War, 1939-1945--Naval operations, American.
Places
Japan--History--Allied occupation, 1945-1952.
Occupations
Naval officers.
Provenance
The papers of Morton L. Deyo, naval officer, were deposited in the
Library of Congress by the Naval Historical Foundation in 1982 and converted to
a gift in 1998.
Processing History
The papers of Morton L. Deyo were arranged and described in 1996. The
finding aid was revised in 2008.
Transfers
Some maps have been transferred to the Library's Geography and Map
Division where they are identified as part of the Morton L. Deyo Papers.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Morton L. Deyo
is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Morton L. Deyo are open to research. Researchers are
advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many
collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these
items for research use.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the
following information: Container number, Morton L. Deyo Papers, Naval
Historical Foundation Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress,
Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1887, July 1
Born, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
1911
Graduated, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.
1911
1913
Served on Virginia (Battleship)
1913
1914
Served on Duncan (Destroyer)
1914
1915
Served on Washington (Heavy
cruiser)
1915
1916
Served on Jenkins
(Destroyer)
1916
Married Maria Ten Eyck Decatur Mayo
1916
1918
Served on Allen
(Destroyer)
Based in Queenstown, Ireland, as crew member of "Sim's
Destroyers"
1918
Trained destroyer crews, First Naval District, Boston,
Mass.
1918
1919
Served on Northern Pacific
(Transport)
Transported troops from Europe to United States
1919
Served on Pretoria (German ship
taken over as transport)
1919
1920
Commanding officer, Morris
(Destroyer), in Adriatic and Mediterranean
1920
1921
Aide to commandant, First Naval District, Boston,
Mass.
1921
1923
Aide to military governor, Santo Domingo
1923
1925
Staff of commander in chief, Battleship Fleet,
California (Flagship)
1925
1926
Staff of commander in chief, U.S. Fleet, Seattle (Flagship)
1926
1929
Instructor in seamanship and first battalion officer, United
States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.
1929
1930
Commanding officer, Sloat
(Destroyer)
1930
1931
Commanding officer, Upshur
(Destroyer)
1931
1934
Student and staff officer, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
1934
1936
Executive officer, Milwaukee
(Light cruiser)
1936
1939
Operations and war plan officer, staff of commander in chief,
United States Asiatic Fleet, Augusta
(Flagship)
1939
1940
Assistant hydrographer, Navy Department, Washington,
D.C.
1940
1941
Aide to secretary of the navy, Washington, D.C.
1941
Commanding officer, Destroyer Squadron II in Atlantic and
Iceland
Commanded first American escort of an Allied convoy to
Iceland
1942
Commanding officer, Monticello
(Auxiliary transport)
Commanding officer, Indianapolis
(Heavy cruiser), operated in the Aleutians, bombarded Kiska, and
participated in covering operations for the Adak occupation force
1942
1943
Commanding officer, destroyers, Atlantic Fleet
1944
Commanding officer Ranger Task Group Atlantic
Commanded bombardment forces in invasion of Normandy and
southern France
Commanded Cruiser Division Thirteen and task groups with the
Third and Fifth Fleets Pacific
1945
Commanded Task Force Fifty-four, Okinawa campaign
Commanded Task Forces Fifty-five and Fifty-six, surrender
and occupation of Japan
1946
1949
Commandant, First Naval District, Boston, Mass.
1949
Retired from navy as vice admiral
1973, Nov. 10
Died, Portsmouth, N.H.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Morton Lyndholm Deyo (1887-1973) span the years
1911-1981 and relate to his career as a naval officer. The bulk of the
collection dates from 1911 to 1954, corresponding to Deyo's career in the navy
and his post-retirement speeches and writings on his experiences and naval
topics. Deyo's papers are arranged in three series:
[
Correspondence
](corr),
[
Subject
File
](subj), and
[
Speeches and
Writings File
](spw).
The
[
Correspondence
](corr) series (1925-1972), contains letters sent
and received. Although largely unofficial in nature, the correspondence relates
mainly to Deyo's career and other naval topics. The largest section dates from
1944 to 1945 when he was in command of task forces during World War II. Topics
include the D-Day invasion of Normandy and the loss of personnel due to attacks
by Japanese kamikaze planes on ships under his command near Okinawa, Japan.
Military and political figures represented include Dwight D. Eisenhower, James
Forrestal, Chester W. Nimitz, Harold R. Stark, and H. E. Yarnell.
A substantial portion of the Deyo Papers is arranged according to
subject. This
[
Subject
File
](subj) series contains biographical information, including orders to duty,
files on specific duty locations and battle campaigns, reports and memoranda on
military policy and naval tactics, and material on political and national
security issues. The largest section relates to Deyo's activities in World War
II in both the Atlantic and the Pacific theaters. Files on the Normandy
invasion cover his commands of the naval bombardment of Utah beach and
Cherbourg, France. Documents on the Pacific relate to his command of a
bombardment group supporting the marines on Iwo Jima, command of a task force
supporting the Okinawa campaign, and his direction of the landing of occupation
troops and oversight of the demilitarization of Japanese naval vessels in parts
of Japan following the Japanese surrender. Other files relate to the Asiatic
Fleet and cover his service as operations officer on the staff of the commander
in chief, based in Shanghai, China, during the Sino-Japanese conflict in 1937.
In the files is a holograph poem written to Deyo in 1965 by Ogden Nash
regarding the conflict. Nash sent the poem in response to Deyo's forwarding him
a 1938 clipping regarding Nash's poem on the subject.
The final series is a file of Deyo's
[
speeches and
writings
](spw). Radio addresses and some of the speeches were given while he
served as commandant of the First Naval District. Much of the writing dates
from after his retirement, including narratives and stories about the Normandy
invasion and kamikaze attacks during World War II. Original records from the
events and accounts of other participants are included among the background
material in these files.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged in three series:
-
[
Correspondence,
1925-1972
](corr)
-
[
Subject File,
1911-1981
](subj)
-
[
Speeches and
Writings File, 1917-1970
](spw)
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm83060590]
Container List
Container
Contents
1
Correspondence,
1925-1972
1925-1972
Personal and official correspondence.
Arranged chronologically.
1
1925-1926, 1932-1933, 1939-1972
1925-1926, 1932-1933, 1939-1972
(6
folders)
1-8
Subject File,
1911-1981
1911-1981
Reports, memoranda, correspondence, military records, notes,
clippings, and other printed matter.
Arranged alphabetically by name of person, organization, topic, or
type of material and chronologically therein.
1
Adriatic and Mediterranean tour,
Morris (Destroyer),
1919-1920, 1937, undated
1919-1920, 1937, undated
1
Aleutians, Indianapolis (Cruiser),
1942, undated
1942, undated
1
Asiatic fleet
1
Augusta
(Flagship),
1937-1938, undated
1937-1938, undated
(2
folders)
2
Augusta
(Flagship),
1937-1938, undated
1937-1938, undated
(6
folders)
2
Miscellany,
1931, 1937-1940, 1948, undated
1931, 1937-1940, 1948, undated
2
Biographical
information
2
Awards and citations,
1931-1950
1931-1950
2
General,
1928, 1939-1956, 1964, undated
1928, 1939-1956, 1964, undated
2
Orders to duty,
1911-1950
1911-1950
(3 folders)
3
Communism,
1948-1959, undated
1948-1959, undated
(2
folders)
3
Culture and ideology,
1948-1955, undated
1948-1955, undated
3
Dominican occupation, Santo
Domingo,
1922, undated
1922, undated
3
Facts and statistics,
1943-1965, undated
1943-1965, undated
3
Iceland, Destroyer Squadron
Eleven,
1941, undated
1941, undated
3
Lists,
1943, 1949, undated
1943, 1949, undated
3
Military strength and national
security,
1946-1965, undated
1946-1965, undated
3
Miscellany,
1945-1970, 1981, undated
1945-1970, 1981, undated
3
Nash, Ogden,
1938, 1965
1938, 1965
4
Personnel
4
Miscellany,
1947-1949, undated
1947-1949, undated
4
Training, strategic and
tactical,
1937, 1943-1949, undated
1937, 1943-1949, undated
(2
folders)
4
Political and military policy,
1940-1971, undated
1940-1971, undated
(7 folders)
5
Ships
5
Decatur (Destroyer), commissioning, Boston, Mass.,
1956, undated
1956, undated
5
Various,
1943-1948, 1968, undated
1943-1948, 1968, undated
5
Tactical memoranda and reports,
1925-1926, 1932-1947, undated
1925-1926, 1932-1947, undated
5
World War II
5
Atlantic
5
Normandy invasion,
France
5
Anniversary commemorations,
1954, 1962-1964
1954, 1962-1964
5
Cherbourg bombardment,
1944, undated
1944, undated
(7
folders)
6
Command organization,
1944, 1968, undated
1944, 1968, undated
6
Correspondence,
1952-1954, 1962
1952-1954, 1962
6
Gunnery observation,
1944, undated
1944, undated
6
Intelligence and planning,
undated
undated
6
Miscellany,
1944-1948, 1962-1969, undated
1944-1948, 1962-1969, undated
6
Naval gunfire support plan,
1944, undated
1944, undated
6
Reports
6
1944
1944
(6
folders)
7
1951-1954, undated
1951-1954, undated
7
Statistics,
undated
undated
7
Southern France, assault and
invasion,
1944, undated
1944, undated
(2
folders)
7
Pacific
7
Iwo Jima, Japan,
1945, 1953, undated
1945, 1953, undated
7
Miscellany,
1945
1945
7
Notes,
circa 1945, undated
circa 1945, undated
7
Occupation of Japan,
1945, undated
1945, undated
(4
folders)
7
Okinawa, Japan,
1945, undated
1945, undated
(2 folders)
8
Recommendations and awards,
1944-1945
1944-1945
8-9
Speeches and Writings
File,
1917-1970
1917-1970
Speeches, radio addresses, articles, essays, narratives, notes and
other writings, background material, and related correspondence.
Arranged alphabetically by type of writing and chronologically
therein.
8
Lecture notes
8
Berlin air lift, Berlin,
Germany,
1948
1948
8
Normandy invasion, France,
1944-1946, 1964, undated
1944-1946, 1964, undated
(2
folders)
8
Radio addresses,
1947-1949, undated
1947-1949, undated
8
Speeches,
1946-1964, undated
1946-1964, undated
(4
folders)
8
Writings
8
Essays and articles,
1951-1954, undated
1951-1954, undated
8
Ideas for articles,
1931-1937, 1945-1954, 1962, 1968-1970,
undated
1931-1937, 1945-1954, 1962, 1968-1970,
undated
9
Kamikaze stories,
1945, 1956-1960, undated
1945, 1956-1960, undated
(3
folders)
9
Miscellany,
1932-1940, 1946-1950, 1958, undated
1932-1940, 1946-1950, 1958, undated
(2
folders)
9
"Naval Guns at Normandy,"
1944, 1953-1956, undated
1944, 1953-1956, undated
(2
folders)
9
Notebooks,
1917, undated
1917, undated