Richard K. Gaines Papers
Historic Owner
Richard K. Gaines
Association
Harry W. Harrison Jr.
Association
USS Intrepid (CV/CVA/CVS-11)
DateAugust 16, 1943–October 1945
PeriodWorld War II
Mediumpaper, ink
ClassificationsCommunication Artifacts
Credit LineCollection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of Maud Gaines Tarrant, daughter of Intrepid's first executive officer. A2014.16
Object numberA2014.16
DescriptionExtent: 5 foldersRichard K. Gaines was the first executive officer of USS Intrepid. His papers include the program from Intrepid's commissioning ceremony, Intrepid printed newspapers, plans of the day, a report about the first shakedown cruise near Trinidad from September 14 to November 1, 1943, personnel records and reports, naval dispatches, naval song sheets, and other records pertaining to Intrepid's operations and the Pacific Fleet during Gaines's time as executive officer.
Program; USS Intrepid Commissioning Ceremony program (6), August 16, 1943
Newspapers; October 27, 1943–October 1945
- Intrepid Then-Now-Forever, October 27, 1943; March 28, 1944
- “Intrepid…with spirit to match.” Chicago Times, July 30, 1945
- Our Navy, October 1945
-- Clipping in regard to awards earned by Intrepid personnel
Memorandum from the Commanding Officer to the Commander, Air Force, Atlantic Fleet, in regard to Shakedown Cruise in Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Paria and enroute, 14 September to 1 November 1943, November 3, 1943
- This 52-page report (missing pages 4, 5, 9 half page), on the shakedown cruise contains an analysis of the ship’s performance, broken down by department, along with a general statement on personnel performance. It is signed by T.L. Sprague.
Plans of the day, December 4, 1943; December 8, 1943; January 22, 1944; January 25, 1944; January 26, 1944; January 27, 1944; January 29, 1944; January 30, 1944; January 31, 1944; February 2, 1944; February 3, 1944; February 5, 1944; February 6, 1944; February 7, 1944; February 8, 1944; February 9, 1944; February 10, 1944; February 11, 1944; February 12, 1944; February 15, 1944; February 16, 1944; February 17, 1944; February 18, 1944; February 19, 1944; February 20, 1944; February 21, 1944; February 22, 1944; February 23, 1944; February 24, 1944 (sheet 2 only); March 13, 1944; March 17, 1944 (addenda only); March 19, 1944; March 24, 1944; March 25, 1944; April 28, 1944; June 10, 1944; June 26, 1944; June 30, 1944; July 4, 1944 (addenda only); July 5, 1944; July 9, 1944; July 26, 1944 (addenda only); August 20, 1944; September 2, 1944; September 4, 1944; September 6, 1944; September 7, 1944; September 8, 1944; September 11, 1944; September 13, 1944; September 16, 1944; September 24, 1944; September 27, 1944; n.d.
- Some plans of the day have cartoons related to the ship, the crew and the war. Some images include racial stereotypes.
Directives and addresses to Intrepid personnel, January 12–August 19, 1944, n.d.
- This series includes directives and addresses from Richard Gaines to: all hands, in regard to operations in the Marshall Islands commencing January 29, 1944; squadrons of Group Six, in regard to their upcoming tour; officers, in regard to flight operations safety, including spectators; Air Group Six, in regard to their coming aboard; and personnel in the Wardroom Mess, in regard to Admiral Davison’s visit to give Intrepid a “test run” for serving as a flagship. Other subjects of Richard Gaines’s directives and addresses include: encouraging crew visits to the Tripolitan Monument at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, erected to the memory of personnel of the first Intrepid; how to treat the ship's stewards (includes racial stereotypes about Black personnel); procedures in the case of battle damage to Intrepid; and Captain Sample taking command of Intrepid from Captain Sprague, ca. May 19, 1944. Many of these directives and addresses are signed by Richard Gaines, while others are presumed to be his, sometimes by virtue of being handwritten on Intrepid Executive Officer notepaper. One of the latter has a note saying that part of the address is for the plan of the day only and not the loudspeaker. This series also includes a written address from C.W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas, to Pacific Fleet and Naval Shore Activities in regard to morale.
Summary of Intrepid and enemy damages, ca. February 16, 1944
Press releases, February 18, 1944; September 18, 1944
Naval dispatches, February 18–September 25, 1944
-This series consists of naval dispatches sent to Intrepid by accompanying ships, Carrier Task Groups, Task Groups, Commander Task Units, Radio Honolulu, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC) Chester W. Nimitz, and other individual Navy personnel.
Accompanying ships include USS Munsee, USS Bunker Hill, USS Nassau, USS Wichita, and USS Dortch. Messages exchanged with accompanying ships concern coordination and observation of ship and aircraft movements, staffing, and recovery of a bombing crew. Messages from February relate to the ship's journey to Pearl Harbor following damage from a torpedo attack.
Messages exchanged between Intrepid and Carrier Task Groups, Task Groups, and Commander Task Units primarily concern coordinating ships’ navigation, speed, and fueling. Other topics include: congratulations, recovery of Ensign Weizer and an air crew from VB-71 from a lifeboat, operations around Luzon, and a New York Herald Tribune correspondent’s desire to go ashore.
Messages from Chester W. Nimitz consist of congratulations and welcome messages to Intrepid and to Admiral William Halsey. Potter and Harrison of Air Group 6 both send messages thanking Intrepid for working with them. Messages from Radio Honolulu and from the Commander of the 5th fleet are about operations, enemy actions, and damages on both sides.
Letter from Richard K. Gaines to Commander Thomas J. Hamilton, USN, President, Wardroom Mess, USS Enterprise in regard to Enterprise hosting Intrepid officers for a party, August 9, 1944
Intrepid song sheets, n.d.
- Songs are titled “I Have Returned,” “USS Intrepid,” and “The Navy Air Song; Pilots, Man Your Planes!” It is possible that these song sheets were attachments to plans of the day.
Handwritten notes, n.d.
- Presumably handwritten by Richard Gaines on Intrepid Executive Officer notepaper. One sheet has transcribed quotes by George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Collett. Other sheets are titled, “A thought for the Presumptious [sic] Japanese” and consist of a racially charged polemic against the Japanese. It is unclear what the intended purpose of these handwritten notes were.
On View
Not on view
Richard Montfort
December 3, 1942–September 25, 1945
Object number: A2020.31
