Battle of Midway

[megan]

With the recent passing of our Danny I thought it appropriate to recognise the passing of the last pilot who participated in the Midway battle.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicoer/obituary.aspx?n=robert-k-campbell-cdr-usn-ret-soupy&pid=190230924&fhid=2815 (https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicoer/obituary.aspx?n=robert-k-campbell-cdr-usn-ret-soupy&pid=190230924&fhid=2815)

Robert K. (Soupy) Campbell, CDR., USN (ret)
DOB: August 18, 1917 Mildred, KS

CDR Campbell graduated from Paseo High School, Kansas City, KS, in 1934. He became enthralled with aviation in his teen years, flying with his cousin who was a TWA pilot. He joined the Missouri National Guard in 1936 and spent time mapping KS, OK, MO and TX bases used in WW1. So as not to be sent to the Army during mobilization of Reserve Units, he transferred to the U.S. Navy early in 1940, and to Flight School in September 1940.

Soupy earned his Wings and a commission as Ensign, USN, in April 1941, having flown the N3N “Yellow Peril” and N2N Stearman. He then joined VB-3, Commanded by then Cdr Max Leslie, aboard the USS Saratoga (CV-3) flying the SBD Douglas Dauntless. Arriving at Pearl Harbor December 11, 1941 they refueled, took on stores, and proceeded toward the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, where he first saw combat action. After taking a Japanese torpedo, the Saratoga off-loaded the air wing at Pearl Harbor and Ensign Campbell sailed on the USS Enterprise (CV-6), attacking Japanese-held Wake and Marcus Islands.

The Enterprise next joined the USS Hornet (CV-8) as escort for the Doolittle Raid on Japan. Ensign Campbell, while on a scouting mission from Enterprise, encountered and sank one of the picket ships suspected of reporting the presence of the Hornet TG so close to Japan, resulting in the early launch of the Doolittle Raiders, 400 miles from their planned launch point. Returning to Pearl Harbor, VB-3 stood down, then transferred to the USS Yorktown (CV-5) and sailed for Midway where Ensign Campbell flew a bombing mission against Japanese Carrier Soryu on June 4. The Soryu was badly damaged and later scuttled. As the flight was returning to the Yorktown, she was hit and fatally damaged by Japanese bombers, so his flight was diverted to the Enterprise. That same day VB-3 including Ensign Campbell flew another sortie from the Enterprise against the Japanese Carrier Hiryu, critically disabling her, resulting in her sinking later that day by Japanese gunfire. On June 5th and 6th he flew 2 more bombing missions,attacking retreating Cruisers of the defeated Midway occupation force. For his actions at the Battle of Midway Ensign Campbell was awarded the NAVY CROSS.

Following Midway, still flying the SBD Dauntless, he participated in the Battles of Guadalcanal and Soloman Islands where he shot down 2 Japanese Aichi dive bombers. Later that month he was part of the force that attacked the Carrier Ryujo, resulting in its sinking. He also flew against Japanese forces in the Battle of Santa Cruz, attacking ships supporting Japanese resupply of Guadalcanal. Against his wishes,LT(JG) Campbell was reassigned back to the states to become a flight instructor. He had by that time accumulated over 1000 hours and 140 carrier landings, mostly in combat.

After two back-to-back tours as a flight instructor, LCDR Campbell assumed command of VB-14, flying the SB2C Curtis Dive Bomber (affectionately known as “The Beast”). VB-14 was assigned to the USS Intrepid (CV-11). They were assigned to participate in the early phases of the invasion of Japan, but arrived just in time for the Japanese capitulation. They were then reassigned Occupation duty which involved flying throughout Japan to various aviation facilities to inventory remaining aircraft for subsequent demolition.

Over the next 12 months Campbell flew all over the world including China, Egypt, Algiers, Italy, Hong Kong, Singapore, Suez Canal and back to Norfolk Va. Late in 1946 CDR Campbell was assigned to “Operation High Jump”, the Admiral Byrd expedition to the Antarctic where Campbell and crew conducted aerial survey of the Antarctica coastline. His next duty was at NAS Patuxent River as a Test Pilot in the Service Test Unit. Then he was off to Monterey, CA, to the Naval Post Graduate School for Navy Line School.

Completing PG School CDR Campbell received orders to take command of VU-5 in Guam, an assignment that enabled him to fly all over the Western Pacific in the performance of his duties, including Korea which was at war by this time. By this time he had flown nearly every aircraft in the Navy inventory. CDR Campbell spent the next few years In the Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAir) in D.C., followed by a Staff tour with Commander, 14th Naval District, Headquartered at Barbers Point, HI. He was then assigned as OIC of NATTC NAS Memphis, TN, and lastly as Inspector of Naval Contracts for Industrial Security at Treasure Island, CA. This position required him to fly throughout 7 Western states performing inspections. CDR Campbell retired in 1962 having accomplished what every Naval Aviator aspires to do, and that is to be in an active flying billet throughout every year of active duty while in the Navy.

After his Naval Service, CDR Campbell worked for several large companies in corporate security and personnel management. He later sold real estate in the San Francisco Bay area.

In May of 1967, Robert married the former Elizabeth Von Rosseler. In 1971 they settled near Chico, CA. They enjoyed golf, skiing and traveling over the years. Bob graduated with a Business Degree from Chico State College in 1973. Their home was a 1929 farm house they purchased nearly 50 years before, and where they lived to the day of his passing.

CDR Robert Campbell had a Naval career that any aviator would envy. He flew bi-planes, carrier based prop planes, multi-engine, sea planes, jet and helicopter aircraft. He accumulated 3586 mishap free hours. He had no bail outs, never ditched or ejected. CDR Campbell is credited with 166 arrested landings on 5 different Straight Deck Carriers.

CDR Campbell was the last known living American Carrier Pilot veteran of the Battle of Midway.

He is a Naval Aviation Treasure as well as a National Treasure. His words to live by are:

May I deal with honor

May I act with integrity

May I achieve humility

[Chugalug2]

As a dive-bomber pilot himself, Danny 42C felt surprised that more is not made in the USA of the Battle of Midway and of the success of the dive bombing against the Jap carriers. It was the turning point in the Pacific, ie in the war against Japan. It was Japan's Stalingrad, and the impetus to its final defeat gathered pace thereafter. Nothing is certain in war, but if the battle had gone the way that Japan had hoped for then the outlook for the USA would have indeed been bleak. It seems that cunning plan started to go wrong when the fresh water supply at Midway was misreported...

A life well spent by Soupy Campbell. They are going fast now, and we are the poorer for it. Rest in Peace, sir.

[SASless]

Midway is a frequent topic of segments on the Military Channel and History Channel on Cable TV here.

One program features Dive Bomber pilots giving their accounts....remarkable to hear them tell their experiences.

The breaking of the Japanese Codes was crucial to the conduct of the entire War.

That the US Aircraft Carriers were at Sea during the Pearl Harbor Attacks, that the Dry Docks and Fuel Farm were not damaged also made a crucial difference.

When the Japanese got caught talking of Midway's water problem....and Nimitz along with his Carrier Admirals made excellent decisions on how to counter the Japanese Fleet....the stage was set.

The Carrier Pilots understood the absolute need to take their attacks to the very limit possible as the outcome of the war depended upon destroying the Japanese Carriers.

We owe a lot to that Generation.....had we not defeated the Japanese and other Axis Powers.....Life today would be very different and not for the better.

One WWII Navy Pilot I served with in our State's Army National Guard.....had dropped a bomb down the stack of a Japanese Destroyer in Kure Harbor during an attack late in the War.

He was the source of some very good stories (some thought to be remotely true) as we nursed some old Whisky around campfires while in the Scrub on Field Exercises flying our Huey's.

We youngsters admired him and definitely looked up to him for his past service.

[TBM-Legend]

The era of wooden decks and iron men...

Bless them all

[tdracer]

As a dive-bomber pilot himself, Danny 42C felt surprised that more is not made in the USA of the Battle of Midway and of the success of the dive bombing against the Jap carriers.

I'm rather puzzled by that statement - the Battle of Midway is widely recognized as the turning point in the Pacific, and anyone who cares knows all four Japanese carriers were sunk by the dive bombers (granted with significant help from the sacrifice of the torpedo bombers who drew away the fighter cover allowing the dive bombers to attack relatively unhindered). Plus, the Dauntless dive bomber was arguably the only US carrier plane at the time of Midway that was superior to its Japanese counterpart.
True, the younger generation may not know the importance of the Battle of Midway or the dive bomber contribution, but their knowledge of WWII in general is pretty poor.
Soupy Campbell did well to live a long and fulfilling life - the loss rate of US carrier pilots during 1942 and early 43 was pretty horrendous.
May he Rest in Peace.

[SASless]

That diversion by the Torpedo Bombers was not intentional....just the sad result of a poorly coordinated attack caused by tactical events.

That they pressed on and paid the price they did is what is so deserving of respect.

War is not a perfect science and when things go bad....they go really bad.

[Chugalug2]

tdr, I would not want to misrepresent Danny's viewpoint in any way but I suspect that it was that the turning point of the Pacific War was achieved by USN Dauntless Dive Bombers against the Japanese carriers at Midway. The perceived wisdom was that such tactics, such aircraft, were already obsolete given the far superior performance of fighter aircraft. That rather presupposed the lack of that essential ingredient in war, luck. That factor emerged for Danny in Burma where the Japanese fighters seemed to be uninterested in interrupting his good work. At Midway of course it was sadly provided by the TBDs, whose destruction put the Zeros in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Their sacrifice won the Battle. Such is war...

It is because general knowledge of the war is so poor (not only amongst the young) that key battles, turning points, should be commemorated. Thus the BoB, Stalingrad, El Alamein, D-Day, etc. Those at least are well known by their respective populations. If Midway is just as well known and recognised as such in the USA then your point is well made and taken.

[tdracer]

I'm probably better informed about the Pacific part of WW II than most from my generation since my father was involved (164th Infantry - part of the Americal Division - saw action on Guadalcanal, New Guinea, the Philippines, and was part of the Japanese occupation force). That helped generate the interest on my part to read and learn about it. However I believe the 'Baby Boomer' generation is reasonably knowledgeable about WW II since most had parents and teachers that had been involved - and they still did a good job of teaching American history in school. That being said I suspect in general the knowledge of the European war is more common than the Pacific war simply because far fewer Americans were involved in the Pacific than Europe.
The younger generation is a different story - their knowledge of history in general is not as good, and too many have been taught that all war is bad hence the American involvement was bad. I was talking to the teenage daughter of a co-working no long ago - she said something along the line of 'war is horrible, it should be avoided at all costs'. I looked at her and responded that war is indeed unimaginably horrible, but sometimes the alternative is worse and mentioned Nazi genocide as an example. The look she gave me was interesting, but I couldn't tell if a light bulb had gone on, or if she was concluding I was mad.
Just in the last couple days I was reading an article that said the number of college studies majoring in history had dropped dramatically - down nearly 50% in the last 10 years. I really fear for the future - that whole thing about forgetting history means you'll end up repeating it...

BTW SAS, I'm fully aware that the whole thing with the torpedo bombers was an accident - but it was a very fortuitous accident as a result of poor coordination of the attack.