Photographic History of the United States Navy
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NavSource Naval History Photographic History of the United States Navy |
DESTROYER ARCHIVE |
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Size | Image Description | Contributed By |
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| 32k | William Bowen Ault was born in Enterprise, Oregon., on 6 October 1898 and served briefly as an enlisted man in the Navy (19 April 1917-23 April 1918) before entering the Naval Academy as a midshipman. Graduating on 2 June 1922, Ault served at sea in the battleship Arkansas (BB-33) before reporting to the Naval Air Station (NAS), Pensacola, Fla., on 23 August 1924 for flight instruction. After winning his wings, Ault served with Aircraft Squadrons, Scouting Fleet, before commencing a tour in the aviation unit of the light cruiser Cincinnati (CL-6) on 10 September 1925. Detached from that ship a little over a year later, he served at the Naval Academy as an instructor before reporting for duty with Observation Squadron (VO) 3, Aircraft Squadrons, Scouting Fleet, on 15 June 1927. Further duty at the Naval Academy, as an instructor in the Department of Ordnance and Gunnery, followed before he flew with Patrol Squadron (VP) 10-S, Scouting Fleet, based in aircraft tender Wright (A V-l). He then served on the staff of Capt. George W. Steele, Commander, Aircraft, Scouting Force, from June of 1931 to June of 1932 and alternated tours of duty afloat and ashore: in Torpedo Squadron (VT) 1-S, based on board Lexington (CV-2); at NAS, Norfolk, Va.; and in the observation unit of the battleship Mississippi (BB-41). Ault—by this time a lieutenant—next assisted in fitting-out Yorktown (CV-5), thus becoming a "plank owner" of that ship when she went into commission in the autumn of 1937. He then served in Yorktown's sister ship, Enterprise (CV-6), commanding VT-6. On 5 August 1939, less than a month before the start of World War II in Poland, Ault assumed command of the Naval Reserve Aviation Base, Kansas City, Kansas, a billet in which he served into 1941. On 22 July 1941, Lt. Comdr. Ault once more reported to Lexington, and, the following day, became her air group commander. He was serving in that capacity when the Japanese air attack on the Fleet at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 drew the United States into World War II. Ault helped to plan and execute the attacks on Japanese shipping at Lea and Salamaua, New Guinea, in March 1942. On the day before the strike, 9 March, Ault and a wingman flew to Port Moresby, where the group commander learned of the existence of a key mountain pass through the forbidding Owen Stanley's, information that, in the words of the task force commander, contributed "a great deal toward [the] success" of the attacks that ensued. On the day of the raid, 10 March, Ault, given the authority to carry out or abort the attack on the basis of whatweather he found, flew unaccompanied to the pass and orbited. Finding favorable weather, he transmitted information to that effect and directed the passage of planes from Lexington and Yorktown (CV-5) toward Lae and Salamaua. Those groups sank three transports, put a fourth transport out of action, and caused varying degrees of damage to a light cruiser, a minelayer, three destroyers and a seaplane carrier. The transmontane raid postponed the Japanese projected conquest of Tulagi and Port Moresby for a month, the time necessary to replace the vital amphibious ships lost off New Guinea and marshal carrier air support. Commander, Aircraft Battle Force, later commended Ault for his work. In the subsequent Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, which itself resulted from the successful Lae and Salamaua raid, Ault led Lexington's group into combat, both in the attacks on the Japanese light carrier Shoho on 7 May and in those on the fleet carrier Shokaku on the 8th. During the latter action, both Ault and his radio-gunner, Aviation Radioman 1st Class William T. Butler, apparently suffered wounds when "Zero" fighters attacked the group commander's plane. Ault tried in vain to return to a friendly deck, not knowing that Lexington had taken mortal damage in his absence. Unaware of Lexington's distress he radioed the ship at 1449, to tell her that he had only enough gasoline for 20 minutes. Yorktown, which had taken over communications for "Lady Lex," heard Ault's broadcast but failed to pick him up on her radar. Sadly informed that he was on his own but wished "Good luck," Lexington's air group commander asked that word be relayed to the ship that We got a 1,000 pound bomb hit on a flat top." Ault changed course to the north, in a last vain attempt to be picked up on radar. Yorktown again wished him good luck. Ault, perhaps grimly aware of the fate that lay ahead, radioed bravely: "O.K. So long, people. We got a 1,000 pound hit on the flat top." No further word was ever received from Lexington's air group commander, and neither he nor Aviation Radioman Butler was ever seen again. Ault's courageous leadership of Lexington's air group in the Battle of the Coral Sea earned him the posthumous award of the Navy Cross. Photo from the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island | Bill Gonyo | |
| 95k | Artist's conception of the Ault as she appeared after the early 1950's conversion by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource. | Navy Yard Associates | |
| 179k | Artist's conception of the Ault as she appeared after FRAM II overhaul by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource. | Navy Yard Associates | |
| 52k | Undated, location unknown. | John Szalay | |
| 40k | Undated, location unknown. | - | |
| 62k | The USS AULT (DD-698) has just been signed over to the U.S. Navy by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., on 30 May 1944 and is transiting New York harbor. The following day she was commissioned. Photo Courtesy of the National Archives Photo #19-N-66338 | Bill Gonyo | |
| 223k | The USS Dixie (AD 14) with a nest of destroyers alongside at Leyte in April-May 1945 time frame. The destroyers are from left to right: USS Compton (DD 705), USS Ault (DD 698), USS Charles S. Sperry (DD 697), USS English (DD 696), USS John W. Weeks (DD 701) and USS Borie (DD 704). | Darryl Baker | |
| 51k | In the Mediterranean February 1959. | Marc Piché | |
| 63k | Taken by me at on the Manitowoc river at Manitowoc, Wisconsin (on Lake Michigan) summer of 1959 during operation "Inland Sea". Note USS Henley DD-762 directly behind. | Larry Bohn | |
| 41k | USS Tidewater (AD-31), USS Du Pont (DD-941), USS Weeks (DD-701), USS Willard Keith (DD-775), USS Ault (DD-698), USS Henley (DD-762) and USS Nimble (MSO-459) in Athens, Greece late 1961. | Michael J. Mogck | |
| 103k | Boston Naval Shipyard, June 1962. CG-10 Albany undergoing overhaul behind. | © Richard Leonhardt | |
| 63k | USS Ault off Pearl Harbor, HI on the morning of March 5, 1967 as part of DesDiv 161 and Task Unit 15.8.6 (USS Bigelow, USS McCaffery, USS Ault and USS Allen M. Sumner) underway for Vietnam via Midway, Yokosuka and Okinawa. | Fred Willshaw, USS Allen M. Sumner Reunion Association | |
| 54k | Ship's patch | Mike Smolinski | |
| 28k | Ship's patch | Mike Smolinski | |
The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.
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