Frederick Ashworth: From Fierce Pacific Battles to the Atomic Age Decision

Frederick Ashworth: From Fierce Pacific Battles to the Atomic Age Decision

I have been learning about the people who served during the wars. So I want to tell you a bit about Frederick Lincoln Ashworth.

He was born on the 24th of January 1912 in Beverly in Massachusetts. Hos family was connected to naval service and he followed that path by entering the United States Naval Academy. He graduated in 1933. After he was commissioned, he began his career at sea before training as a naval aviator.

In 1942, he took command of Torpedo Squadron Eleven, flying from Guadalcanal during the Solomon Islands campaign. His squadron carried out dangerous missions under intense enemy fire, including night mine-laying, bombing, and anti-shipping strikes during the Battle of New Georgia. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star Medal.

In 1943, he moved to a staff role during the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign. By June 1944, he returned to the United States and was soon involved in one of the most secret and controversial projects of the war-the Manhattan Project. He supervised testing of atomic bomb components and later became Director of Operations for Project Alberta, which focused on delivering the weapons.

In 1945, Ashworth was the weaponeer on board the B-29 Bockscar, and was responsible for overseeing the deployment of the “Fat Man” atomic bomb during the bombing of Nagasaki on the 9th of August 1945. Despite the difficult conditions, including low fuel and poor visibility, the mission was able to succeed. For this, he was awarded the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit.

After the war, he stayed involved in nuclear testing, helping to select Bikini Atoll for Operation Crossroads, earning a second Legion of Merit. He continued his service during the early years of the Cold War. He worked with the Atomic Energy Commission and he held senior naval positions.

He was promoted to vice admiral in 1966, and went on to command the United States Sixth Fleet and went on to serve as Deputy Commander in Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. For this, he received two awards of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal before retiring in 1968.

He spent his later years in the United States and died on the 3rd of December 2005 at the age of 93.