Pemberton Southard Papers

1942-1944
Manuscript Collection #551
Portions of this collection are digitized (1 item)
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Creator(s)
Southard, Pemberton, 1918-
Physical description
0.037 Cubic Feet, 16 items , consisting of action reports, reminiscences, ship's histories, and a biographical sketch
Preferred Citation
Pemberton Southard Papers (#551), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
No restrictions

Papers (1942-1945) of a U.S. Naval officer, USNA Class of 1941, consisting of Battle of Vella Gulf battle reports (1943), a history of the USS Lang (DD-399), USS Lang action reports (Feb. 1942-April 1944), naval communiques relating to USS Lang (1942-1944), and after-action reports for the battles of Vella Gulf, Guadalcanal, Wewak, (New Guinea), Morotai, Leyte Gulf, Okinawa, Lingayen Gulf, and other Pacific Ocean operations in which the USS Lang participated (1942-1945)

Biographical/historical information

Captain Pemberton Southard was born in Augusta, ME (February 4, 1918), and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) in 1941. During World War II, Southard served on the destroyers USS LANG (DD-399) and USS MYLES C. FOX (DD-829), and after the war, the destroyer minesweeper USS DORAN (DMS-41), the attack cargo ship USS VERMILION (AKA-107), the radar picket destroyer USS TURNER (DDR-834), and the destroyer tender USS GRAND CANYON (AD-28). Southard also held many administrative positions with the Bureau of Naval Personnel; Amphibious Group Two; the Naval War College; the Naval Station in Key West, FL; the NROTC Unit of Princeton University; the Fleet Training Group in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; the First Naval District; and the Fleet Training Group and Center in Newport, RI. Southard was awarded several medals, including the Silver Star for his conduct for the Vella Gulf Night Action.

Scope and arrangement

The collection consists of official Navy action reports of the USS LANG (February 1, 1942-April 4, 1944), three accounts of the Battle of Vella Gulf in the Solomon Islands, a history of the LANG, and a biographical sketch of Southard. The reports detail the LANG'S participation in various operations and include information on casualties, damage, other ships involved, analysis of the LANG'S performance, commendations, and lessons learned from the engagements. Discussed are the search and rescue of survivors in the Atlantic Theatre from the torpedoed British freighter SS EMPIRE WILDEBEESTE in cooperation with oiler USS SAPELO (AO-11, February 1, 1942); actions during shore bombardments on Guadalcanal (February 3, 1943), Nauru Island (December 10, 1943), and the Caroline Islands (January 31, 1944); surface and anti-aircraft engagements in the Vella Gulf and Georgia Island in the Solomon Islands (July 27, August 1, 15-16, 1943); landings on Makin in the Gilbert Islands (November 30, 1943); and anti-submarine actions (April 4, 1944).

The collection also includes three descriptions of the Battle of Vella Gulf (August 6-7, 9-10, 1943) consisting of an official Navy narrative detailing the battle plan, a chronological log of the battle, actions of all the destroyers involved, diagrams of the battle, and comments on enemy forces; a reminiscence that lists American and Japanese destroyers involved; and a typescript newspaper account of the action by an international news correspondent (August 10, 1943).

Also included in the collection are two histories of the LANG and biographical information concerning Southard.

Administrative information
Custodial History

February 9, 1988, 5 items; Papers of Naval officer, USNA Class of 1941, consisting of battle reports on the Battle of Vella Gulf (1943) and a history of the USS LANG.

May 14, 1996, (addition 1), 74 pages; Action report (Feb. 1942-Apr. 1944) for USS LANG (DD-399). Gift of Capt. Pemberton Southard, USN (Ret) of Beaufort, SC.

May 8, 2001 (unprocessed addition 2), Naval Communiques (1942-1944) concerning U.S.S. LANG (DD-399) and copies of after-action reports for battles of Vella Gulf, Guadalcanal, Wewak (New Guinea), Morotai, Leyte Gulf, Okinawa, Lingayen Gulf, and other World War II Pacific operations in which the LANG participated. Donor: Southard, Pemberton

October 24, 2001 (unprocessed addition 3), 14 items; Papers, 1943-2001, including communications to and from the U.S.S. LANG DD-399, (18 July – 30 November 1943) during and after the battle of Vera Gulf (8 p., carbon typescript); Battle of Vella Gulf report (10 August 1943) excerpted from a Springfield, Mass. Newspaper (1 p., mimeograph typescript); Silver Star Medal Award Citation (undated) by W. F. Halsey, Admiral, U.S. Navy, to Lt. Pemberton Southard for actions during the battle of Vella Gulf 6-7 August 1943 (1 p., carbon typescript); Letter (12 May 2001) from S. Michael (Mike) Mania, BMSN, 1st Division, who served under Capt. Southard aboard the U.S.S.TURNER DD/DDR 834 (1953 – 1954), containing an account of Southard' s leadership style (4 p., typescript). Donor: Southard, Pemberton, USN (RET), (Capt.)

May 17, 2002 (unprocessed addition 4), Papers (1937-1970) of a U.S. Naval Officer, USNA Class of 1941, consisting of six manuscript items, 1941-1957, including correspondence, reports, and copies of naval log and 24 published works, 1937-1970, including periodicals, pamphlets, and books, primarily on naval and military history. Donor: Southard, Pemberton, USN (RET), (Capt.)

June 25, 2002 (unprocessed addition 5), Papers (1946-1959) of a U.S. Naval Officer, USNA Class of 1941, including manuscripts, photographs, and printed materials concerning the Destroyer Escort Radar (DER) Picket, NORAD, and the North Atlantic Barrier. DONOR: Southard, Pemberton, USN (RET), (Capt.)

Source of acquisition

Gift of Southard, Pemberton, USN (RET), (Capt.)

Processing information

Processed by K. Romer, April 1996.

Encoded by Apex Data Services

Additional finding aids and editing completed November 5, 1999, by Ann Merriman.

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Metadata Rights Declaration
Key terms
Personal Names
Southard, Pemberton, 1918-
Corporate Names
Lang (DD-399)
United States Naval Academy--Alumni and alumnae
United States. Navy--Officers
Topical
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Solomon Islands--Guadalcanal
World War, 1939-1945--Naval operations, American
Container list
Box 1 Folder a Action Reports: Battle of Vella Gulf; USS Lang ship's histories; biographical information on Pemberton Southard
Box 1 Folder b USS Lang (DD-399) Action Reports (February 1942–April 1944)
Box 1 Folder c USS Lang (DD-399) Action Reports (September–December 1944)
Box 1 Folder d USS Lang Action Reports (January 1945; March–June 1945)
Box 1 Folder e Papers, 1943–2001, including communications to and from the USS Lang (DD-399) (18 July–30 November 1943) during and after the Battle of Vella Gulf (8 p., carbon typescript); Battle of Vella Gulf report (10 August 1943) excerpted from a Springfield, Mass., newspaper (1 p., mimeograph typescript); Silver Star Medal Award Citation (n.d.) by W. F. Halsey, Admiral, U.S. Navy, to Lt. Pemberton Southard for actions during the Battle of Vella Gulf 6–7 August 1943 (1 p., carbon typescript); Letter (12 May 2001) from S. Michael "Mike" Mania, BMSN, 1st Division, who served under Capt. Southard aboard the USS Turner (DD/DDR-834) (1953–1954), containing an account of Southard's leadership style (4 p., typescript). 14 p. (0.005 cubic feet)
Box 2 Folder a All Hands, by John A. Oudine; published by The Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1966, 64 pages
Box 2 Folder b All Hands; published by The Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1946, 52 pages
Box 2 Folder c Journal of the European Cruise, by Captain R. L. Morris; published by USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8). 1952, 78 pages
Box 2 Folder d Mediterranean Cruise 1948; 32 pages
Box 2 Folder e Reef Points 1937–1938, by Carl Redmond Dwyer; published by United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. 1937, 192 pages
Box 2 Folder f Reef Points 1939–1940, by Jay Noble; published by United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. 1939, 194 pages
Box 2 Folder g Reef Points 1940–1941, by Stuart C. Jones; published by United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. 1940, 200 pages
Box 2 Folder h Regulations Governing the Admission of Candidates into the United States Naval Academy; published by U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 1935, 83 pages
Box 2 Folder i Road to Rome, by Headquarters Fifth Army; published by Headquarters Fifth Army. Undated, 56 pages
Box 2 Folder j The America's Cup 1970, by E. Wesley Oliver Jr.; published by Palmer & Oliver, Inc., Woodside, N.Y. 1970, 47 pages
Box 2 Folder k The Drags Handbook of the U.S. Naval Academy, by Cary Hall; published by The Log, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. 1940, 39 pages
Box 2 Folder l The Log: Graduation Issue (31 January 1941), by E. E. Kintner; published by Fleet-McGinley, Inc., Candler Bldg., Baltimore, Md. 1941, 36 pages
Box 2 Folder m The Old Navy 1776–1860; published by National Archives Trust Fund Board, Washington, D.C. 1962, 56 pages
Box 2 Folder n The O.N.I. Weekly; published by The Navy Department. 25 July 1945, 24 pages
Box 2 Folder o The O.N.I. Weekly; published by The Navy Department. 1 August 1945, 37 pages
Box 2 Folder p The O.N.I. Weekly; published by The Navy Department. 8 August 1945, 12 pages
Box 2 Folder q The O.N.I. Weekly; published by The Navy Department. 15 August 1945, 36 pages
Box 2 Folder r The O.N.I. Weekly; published by The Navy Department. 22 August 1945, 140 pages
Box 2 Folder s The O.N.I. Weekly; published by The Navy Department. 29 August 1945, 56 pages
Box 2 Folder t The O.N.I. Weekly; published by The Navy Department. 5 September 1945, 56 pages
Box 2 Folder u The O.N.I. Weekly; published by The Navy Department. 12 September 1945, 70 pages
Box 2 Folder v The O.N.I. Weekly; published by The Navy Department. 19 September 1945, 44 pages
Box 2 Folder w The O.N.I. Weekly; published by The Navy Department. 26 September 1945, 36 pages
Box 2 Folder x Turner (DDR-834), by John B. Peterson; 1953, 48 pages
Box 3 Folder a Department of Navy, by T. L. Sprague. August 1948–June 1949, 17 pages
Box 3 Folder b Log Book of the USS Lang (DD-399). March 1941–February 1942, 550 pages
Box 4 Folder a Log Book of USS Lang (DD-399). March 1942–November 1942, 439 pages
Box 5 Folder b The Military Planning Process, by L. B. Cook. May 1957, 98 pages
Box 5 Folder c Autobiographical writings, by P. Southard. 1991–2001, 30 pages
Box 5 Folder d Photograph of USS Lang (DD-399). ca. 1940s, 1 page
Box 5 Folder e U.S. Naval Academy Clippings. 1940–1941, 1948, 10 pages
Box 6 Folder a Destroyer Escort Radar Picket (DER): The DER, Its Mission, and Briefly How the Barrier Works, 2 p. [1959]
Box 6 Folder b Destroyer Escort Radar (DER) Picket Operations & Clippings, 2 p. 4 March 1959, 17 March 1959, n.d
Box 6 Folder c Destroyer Escort Radar (DER) Picket Photographs, 7 items. 1958–1959
Box 6 Folder d NORAD Radar Defense of North America, Reprinted from Time Magazine, 6 p. 2, November 1957
Box 6 Folder e The North Atlantic Barrier, by Capt. P. Southard & draft version, 14 p. 1959
Box 6 Folder f Classmate 1941, Vol. I, Publication of the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1941, 24 p. , February 1946
Box 6 Folder g The Earlybird, Copmbarlant Newsletter No. 24, including a biographical article on Capt. P. Southard (p. 11), 18 p, May 1959
Box 6 Folder h U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1941 Fifteenth Anniversary Directory and Newsletter, 40 p. 1956