Oral history interview with William A. Sullivan, 1966.

Biographical Note

Naval officer.

Scope and Contents

Education, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; naval construction; Annapolis; navy yards in United States; Philippines; Shanghai, 1934-37; Trans-Siberian Railroad; Model Basin, Washington Naval Gun Factory; salvage and admiralty law; diving; Merritt, Chapman & Scott; San Diego salvage depot; equipment and personnel, procurement problems; Assistant Naval Attache, London; British World War II salvage operations: training personnel, blocking channels, enemy interference, financial aspects of salvage and marine insurance, rescue tugs; Bureau of Ships, 1941, salvage branch, training personnel; Pearl Harbor: communications problems, Naval districts; cont. salvage off United States and Canadian coasts; clearing Cape Cod Canal; Chief of Navy Salvage, World War II; NORMANDIE fire and sinking; salvage training exercises and school; divers; civilian training; development of equipment; salvage award claims; clearing Casablanca harbor after North African landings; salvage problems in Mediterranean Theater: Bizerte Channel, Ferryville, Tunis; Operation Husky; landings in Sicily, Salerno, Naples; plans for landing at Kwajalein; London, preparations for D-Day; Normandy landings: demolition teams, artificial harbors, mine-sweeping; operations at LeHavre, Marseilles; clearing Manila Harbor; impressions of Admirals Alan Kirk, John Hall, Ernest King, Benjamin Manseau, and Generals Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur, and many others.

Subjects

• Amphibious warfare.
• Interviews.
• Maritime law.
• Mason, John T., 1909-1998, interviewer.--http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/ivr
• Oral histories (literary works)
• Salvage.
• Sullivan, William A.--Interviews.
• United States. Navy.
• Veterans--Interviews.
• World War, 1939-1945--Naval operations, American.

Access Conditions

Copyright by The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, 1987.