Elliott B. Strauss
Encyclopedia
Elliott Bowman Strauss was a Rear Admiral
of the United States Navy
, who served during World War II
.
and Mary Sweitzer Strauss, and the grandson of Brigadier General Nelson Bowman Sweitzer. He was born in Washington, D.C.
, and attended the The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut
.
Strauss entered the United States Naval Academy
in June 1919, and graduated in June 1923 with the rank of ensign
. Most of his service until the mid-1930s was at sea, but from November 1935 to September 1937 he served as Assistant Naval attaché
at the American Embassy in London.
From October 1939 to December 1940 Strauss commanded the destroyer . He then served as navigator of the light cruiser
, taking part in the occupation of Iceland
in July 1941.
Strauss returned to London in December 1941 to serve on the staff of Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten
, the Chief of Combined Operations where he participated in the planning of the Dieppe Raid
in August 1942.
On May 1, 1943, he was promoted to the rank of captain
and served until August 1944 on the staff of Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay
, the Allied Naval Commander in Chief, working on the planning for the Invasion of Normandy, on June 6, 1944.
He was later awarded the Bronze Star Medal
with Combat "V"
, the citation reading:
In October 1944 Strauss took command of the attack transport
. In January 1945 he was assigned to the Pacific Fleet
and voyaged to Guadalcanal
, Manus
and Bougainville
carrying men and supplies. On April 1, 1945, he took part in the landings on Okinawa
. Strauss returned to the United States in August 1945 to serve in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations
in Washington D.C.
From November 1946 to December 1947 Strauss commanded the light cruiser , before returning to England to spend most of 1948 as a student at the Imperial Defence College
in London. Strauss later commanded Destroyer Flotilla Six. In March 1952 he became Head of the Long Range Plans Branch in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
Strauss retired on July 1, 1953, and was advanced to the rank of Rear Admiral.
After retiring from the Navy, Admiral Strauss served in foreign assistance and security assignments in the Agency for International Development and Foreign Service Corps
for another eight years, including duty in Paris
, Tunisia
and the Malagasy Republic. He was a director of the school of engineering at Bucknell University
.
Strauss was a longtime director of the Naval Historical Foundation
(NHF), serving for a time as its chairman. The NHF was founded in 1926 to address a concern for the preservation of naval history and traditions. At the time of his death, he was chairman emeritus of the Board of Directors.
Strauss was married twice, to Lydia Archbold (whom he divorced) and Beatrice Phillips Strauss. He had three children with his first wife and one with his second.
He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
.
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
of the United States Navy
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...
, who served during 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
Strauss was the son of Admiral Joseph StraussJoseph Strauss (admiral)
Admiral Joseph Strauss was an officer of the United States Navy, who served in World War I, and later commanded the Asiatic Fleet.-Biography:...
and Mary Sweitzer Strauss, and the grandson of Brigadier General Nelson Bowman Sweitzer. He was born in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and attended the The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
Strauss entered 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...
in June 1919, and graduated in June 1923 with the rank of ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
. Most of his service until the mid-1930s was at sea, but from November 1935 to September 1937 he served as Assistant Naval attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
at the American Embassy in London.
From October 1939 to December 1940 Strauss commanded the destroyer . He then served as navigator of the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
, taking part in the occupation of Iceland
Invasion of Iceland
The invasion of Iceland, codenamed Operation Fork, was a British military operation conducted by the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines and a small Canadian task force during World War II....
in July 1941.
Strauss returned to London in December 1941 to serve on the staff of Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, the Chief of Combined Operations where he participated in the planning of the Dieppe Raid
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
in August 1942.
On May 1, 1943, he was promoted to the rank of captain
and served until August 1944 on the staff of Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay
Bertram Ramsay
Admiral Sir Bertram Home Ramsay KCB, KBE, MVO was a British admiral during World War II. He was an important contributor in the field of amphibious warfare.-Early life:...
, the Allied Naval Commander in Chief, working on the planning for the Invasion of Normandy, on June 6, 1944.
He was later awarded the Bronze Star Medal
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
with Combat "V"
Valor device
The Valor device is an award of the United States military which is a bronze attachment to certain medals to indicate that it was received for valor...
, the citation reading:
- "For meritorious achievement as the United States Naval Representative on the Staff of the Chief of Combined Operations in the Dieppe Raid, and while serving on the Staff of the Allied Naval Commander in Chief during the Invasion of Normandy. Embarked as an observer in a British destroyer which rendered close fire support during the Allied raid on Dieppe on August 19, 1942, Captain (then Commander) Strauss obtained information of great value to the United States and Great Britain in the planning and execution of subsequent operations. Ordered to the Normandy beaches on D-Day+2, he applied his comprehensive knowledge of the build-up procedure in solving far shore shipping problems which threatened to delay the operations. Serving with distinction, skill and courage despite enemy air and ground attack throughout these missions to halt German aggression, Captain Strauss upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."
In October 1944 Strauss took command of the attack transport
Attack transport
Attack Transport is a United States Navy ship classification.-History:In the early 1940s, as the United States Navy expanded in response to the threat of involvement in World War II, a number of civilian passenger ships and some freighters were acquired, converted to transports and given hull...
. In January 1945 he was assigned to the Pacific Fleet
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
and voyaged to Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, Manus
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
and Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
carrying men and supplies. On April 1, 1945, he took part in the landings on Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
. Strauss returned to the United States in August 1945 to serve in the office 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...
in Washington D.C.
From November 1946 to December 1947 Strauss commanded the light cruiser , before returning to England to spend most of 1948 as a student at the Imperial Defence College
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
in London. Strauss later commanded Destroyer Flotilla Six. In March 1952 he became Head of the Long Range Plans Branch in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
Strauss retired on July 1, 1953, and was advanced to the rank of Rear Admiral.
After retiring from the Navy, Admiral Strauss served in foreign assistance and security assignments in the Agency for International Development and Foreign Service Corps
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
for another eight years, including duty in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
and the Malagasy Republic. He was a director of the school of engineering at Bucknell University
Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
.
Strauss was a longtime director of the Naval Historical Foundation
Naval Historical Foundation
The Naval Historical Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1926, has a broad mission to preserve and promote the naval history of the United States by supporting official Sea Services programs and institutions, meeting the needs of the public for naval history, and collecting historical...
(NHF), serving for a time as its chairman. The NHF was founded in 1926 to address a concern for the preservation of naval history and traditions. At the time of his death, he was chairman emeritus of the Board of Directors.
Strauss was married twice, to Lydia Archbold (whom he divorced) and Beatrice Phillips Strauss. He had three children with his first wife and one with his second.
He is buried in 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...
.