Vice Admiral James Albert Hirshfield (July 30, 1902 – May 16, 1993) was the sixth Assistant Commandant (now called
Vice Commandant) of the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
he was the
commanding officer
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
of the
USCGC Campbell (WPG-32) during a battle with
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
U-boat
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...
s, earning the
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...
.
Early life
James Albert Hirshfield was born in
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, on 30 July 1902, the son of Eli Albert Hirshfield and Katherine Devine Hirshfield. He received his early education in
San Antonio, Texas
("Cradle of Freedom")
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, subdivision_name = United States
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and graduated from Main Avenue High School. During 1921 and 1922 he attended the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
.
[ ]
Early career
He was appointed a cadet in the
U. S. Coast Guard Academy in July 1922, graduating on 17 October 1924 as an Ensign. Out of the Academy, he served nearly nine years of sea duty before being assigned to a shore station. With the Destroyer Force of
New London
New London may refer to:
Places United States
*New London, Alabama
*New London, Connecticut
*New London, Indiana
*New London, Iowa
* New London, Maryland
*New London, Minnesota
*New London, Missouri
*New London, New Hampshire, a New England town
* ...
, he served on the ''Cummings'', ''Henley'', ''Wilkes'', ''Downes'', ''Fanning'', and ''Cassin''. From 1930-31 he served on the cutter ''Tallapoosa'' and as executive officer on the Destroyer ''George E. Badger''. In 1932, upon her commissioning, he assumed command of ''Hermes'' on Atlantic Patrol Duty. He went to the Academy in 1934 as an instructor. While there until 1937, he began attending law classes during summer breaks. Upon transfer to Headquarters at
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, he attended
George Washington University Law School
The George Washington University Law School (GW Law) is the law school of George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. Established in 1865, GW Law is the oldest top law school in the national capital. GW Law offers the largest range of cou ...
. He received a Bachelor of Law Degree in 1939 and was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar in 1940. LCDR Hirshfield served as commanding officer of the
USCGC Onondaga (WPG-79) at
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is a port city and the seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state and was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the northwest corne ...
, the Maritime Training Ship ''City of Chattanooga'', and then the
USCGC Campbell (WPG-32).
Sinking of ''U-606''
The , a Type VIIC U-boat, under the command of Oberleutenant
Hans-Heinrich Döhler, departed
Brest, France
Brest (; ) is a port city in the Finistère department, Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of the peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French mi ...
on 4 January 1943 for a patrol in the North Atlantic. On 22 February 1943, she
torpedo
A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...
ed three merchant ships from the westbound
Convoy ON 166
Convoy ON 166 was the 166th of the numbered ON series of merchant ship convoys Outbound from the British Isles to North America. Sixty-three ships departed Liverpool 11 February 1943 and were met the following day by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Gr ...
, sinking one and damaging the other two. The convoy was under the protection of Escort Group A-3, which consisted of a number of Coast Guard cutters, including
USCGC Spencer (WPG-36) and the ''Campbell''. Also among the escorts was the Polish destroyer , commanded by Kapitan Marynarki (LCDR) F. Pitulko, which reinforced the escort group during the voyage across the Atlantic. In the running battle that took shape in and around convoy ON-166, ''Campbell'' engaged numerous U-boats, forcing them to submerge and damaging at least two. Her crew then rescued 50 survivors from a torpedoed
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
*Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
*Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including the ...
tanker. As the cutter returned to the convoy she detected a contact on radar. ''Campbell'' raced toward it and soon made visual contact. It was the surfaced ''U-606'', earlier disabled by
depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...
s from the ''Burza''. ''Campbell'' closed to ram while the cutter's gunners opened fire. ''Campbell'' rammed the U-boat with a glancing blow and one of the submarine's hydroplanes sliced open ''Campbell's'' hull, flooding the engine room. The crew dropped two depth charges as the submarine slid past, and the explosions lifted the U-boat nearly five feet. Hirshfield later noted, "I felt sure he was ours."
The USCGC ''Campbell'' illuminated the U-boat with a spotlight and the gunners continued to fire into the submarine's conning tower and hull. The two vessels were so close, one crewman said that, "You just couldn't miss." Hirshfield was hit by shell fragments but remained at his station. When he realized the Germans had given up, he ordered his men to cease firing. The crew then rescued five of the U-606's crew. The U-606 was finished, but so was Campbell for the immediate future. The cutter was dead in the water with a flooded engine room. Hirshfield directed the repairs while the Burza, and later a corvette, screened it from an attack by a U-boat. The British Tug Tenacity arrived nearly four days later and towed the crippled cutter 800 miles to St. John's Newfoundland. She was later repaired and returned to service. CDR Hirshfield had remained in command throughout the engagement and subsequent operations. He was awarded the
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...
for "Extraordinary Heroism and Distinguished Service" as commanding officer of USCGC ''Campbell''.
![Hirshfield-Campbell](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Hirshfield-Campbell.png)
Citation:
Hirshfield also received the
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...
for injuries sustained in the sinking of ''U-606''.
Subsequent career
Detached from Campbell in May 1943, he served at Headquarters and subsequently commander, 9th Coast Guard District. In 1951 he was appointed Rear Admiral and designated Chief, Office of Personnel. In 1952 he became Flag Officer in Charge of Reserve Affairs. On 1 June 1954 Rear Admiral Hirshfield was sworn in as Assistant Commandant of the U. S. Coast Guard. In 1958 he was appointed Vice Admiral and confirmed in a second 4-year term as Assistant Commandant. In addition to the Navy Cross and Purple Heart, he earned the following World War II campaign and service medals: American Defense; American Area; European-African-Middle Eastern area (l star); World War II Victory. Vice Admiral Hirshfield retired on 1 February 1962, bringing to a close a shining career of nearly 39 years. He was presented the
Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation.
Examples include:
*Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action
* Distinguishe ...
in recognition of "Exceptionally Meritorious Service" as Chief of Staff and as Assistant Commandant of the Coast Guard.
Dates of rank
:
Retirement
After his retirement in 1962, Vice Admiral Hirshfield moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and then to Rancho Santa Fe, California, in 1970.
Vice Admiral Hirshfield died on 16 May 1993 and is buried with his wife Marjorie (1913–2011) in Arlington National Cemetery.
Burial Detail: Hirshfield, Marjorie Prentis
– ANC Explorer
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hirshfield, James
1902 births
1993 deaths
United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II
United States Coast Guard Academy alumni
Vice Commandants of the United States Coast Guard
Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States)
United States Coast Guard admirals
Military personnel from Cincinnati
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery