Criteria The Navy Cross may be awarded to any person who, while serving with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguishes himself in action by extraordinary heroism not justifying an award of the Medal of Honor.... The Navy Cross may be awarded to any person who, while serving with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguishes himself in action by extraordinary heroism not justifying an award of the Medal of Honor. MoreHide
Comments (Second Award)
Citation:
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Andrew Britte Hamm (0-82340), Lieutenant C... (Second Award)
Citation:
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Andrew Britte Hamm (0-82340), Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Dive Bomber of Bombing Squadron ONE (VB-1), embarked from the U.S.S. BENNINGTON (CV-20), and deployed over Kure, Japan, on 28 July 1945. While flying a Navy dive bomber plane in which, in the face of one of the heaviest anti-aircraft barrages ever encountered over the Japanese homeland, Lieutenant Commander Hamm pressed home his attack to a very low altitude above the target, released his bomb and scored a direct hit on an enemy aircraft carrier. At the time he was the leader of his Dive Bombing Squadron in its attack on Japanese battleships, heavy and light cruisers, aircraft carriers and smaller warships in the heavily defended Kure Naval Base harbor of the island of Honshu. His own damaging bomb hit and his leadership of the attack in the face of the intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire of the ship and shore batteries contributed materially to the success of the overall attack by the Task Force. His determination and heroic conduct were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Awards: 2@ Navy Crosses (WWII), 2@ Distinguished Flying Crosses, Purple Heart MoreHide
Criteria The Navy Cross may be awarded to any person who, while serving with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguishes himself in action by extraordinary heroism not justifying an award of the Medal of Honor.... The Navy Cross may be awarded to any person who, while serving with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguishes himself in action by extraordinary heroism not justifying an award of the Medal of Honor. MoreHide
Comments Awarded for actions during the World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Commander Andrew Britte Hamm (NSN: 0-8234... Awarded for actions during the World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Commander Andrew Britte Hamm (NSN: 0-82340), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Dive Bomber of Bombing Squadron ONE (VB-1), attached to the U.S.S. BENNINGTON (CV-20), and deployed over Kure, Japan, on 24 July 1945. While flying a dive bomber plane, Lieutenant Commander Hamm pressed home his attack in the face of intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire from enemy warships and shore batteries and scored a direct bomb hit on an enemy aircraft carrier in the heart of the Japanese homeland. At the time, he was the leader of his squadron's phase of the overall Task Force attack on a concentration of Japanese battleships, heavy and light cruisers, aircraft carriers and numerous smaller war craft in the Kure Naval Base harbor. Under his skillful direction and determined leadership, his squadron contributed materially to the outstanding success of the Task Force attack. His heroic conduct was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
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Criteria The Distinguished Flying Cross may be awarded to military members who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces, distinguish themselves by heroism or outstanding achievement while participa... The Distinguished Flying Cross may be awarded to military members who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces, distinguish themselves by heroism or outstanding achievement while participating in aerial flight. MoreHide
Comments Awarded for actions during the World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Commander Andrew Britte Hamm (NSN: 0-... Awarded for actions during the World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Commander Andrew Britte Hamm (NSN: 0-82340), United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight on 14 July 1945 as the leader of ten dive bombing planes which carried spotting officers for the first surface bombardment of the Japanese homeland by battleships and cruisers of the United States Navy. The bombardment was directed against major industrial targets on the island of Honshu in the heart of Japan. For two hours he circled over the target area of Kamaishi in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire from ships in the harbor and camouflaged shore batteries thereby placing his spotter in the most advantageous positions from which to direct the salvos of battleships and cruisers. At times he flew so low his plane barely cleared the hilltops. His leadership, determination and skillful airmanship on this occasion were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Action Date: July 14, 1945
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Company: Bombing Squadron 1 (VB-1)
Division: U.S.S. Bennington (CV-20)
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Criteria The Distinguished Flying Cross may be awarded to military members who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces, distinguish themselves by heroism or outstanding achievement while participa... The Distinguished Flying Cross may be awarded to military members who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces, distinguish themselves by heroism or outstanding achievement while participating in aerial flight. MoreHide
Comments Awarded for actions during the World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieuten... Awarded for actions during the World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Commander Andrew Britte Hamm (NSN: 0-82340), United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight on 18 July 1945 when he nominated himself to fly as the leader of a division of bombers which dived last in an attack on an enemy battleship in the Yokosuka Naval Base in the heart of the Japanese homeland. In taking this action, he placed himself in a position from which to make the most accurate observations of the damage done by planes preceding him in the attack. By the same token his division became the target of the most accurate of the intense heavy and medium anti-aircraft fire of warships and shore batteries. In the face of this withering fire, he pressed home his attack and dropped his bomb alongside the battleship and then maneuvered his plane at a low altitude to obtain excellent photo coverage of the bombing attacks. His leadership, determination and skillful airmanship on this occasion were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Action Date: July 18, 1945
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Company: Bombing Squadron 1 (VB-1)
Division: U.S.S. Bennington (CV-20)
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Criteria The Purple Heart may be awarded to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the Armed Forces, has been wounded, kill... The Purple Heart may be awarded to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the Armed Forces, has been wounded, killed, or who has died or may die of wounds received in armed combat or as a result of an act of international terrorism. MoreHide
Criteria The Air Medal may be awarded to individuals who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces, distinguish themselves by heroism, outstanding achievement, or by meritorious service while partic... The Air Medal may be awarded to individuals who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces, distinguish themselves by heroism, outstanding achievement, or by meritorious service while participating in aerial flight, but not of a degree that would justify an award of the Distinguished Flying Cross. MoreHide
Criteria The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following condi... The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following conditions: On permanent assignment within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; or, For service in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service in active combat in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat. MoreHide
Description
10 July 1945 - 15 August 1945 (3rd Fleet Operations against Japan)
Description The plan of the Pacific subseries was determined by the geography, strategy, and the military organization of a theater largely oceanic. Two independent, coordinate commands, one in the Southwest PaciThe plan of the Pacific subseries was determined by the geography, strategy, and the military organization of a theater largely oceanic. Two independent, coordinate commands, one in the Southwest Pacific under General of the Army Douglas MacArthur and the other in the Central, South, and North Pacific (Pacific Ocean Areas) under Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, were created early in the war. Except in the South and Southwest Pacific, each conducted its own operations with its own ground, air, and naval forces in widely separated areas. These operations required at first only a relatively small number of troops whose efforts often yielded strategic gains which cannot be measured by the size of the forces involved. Indeed, the nature of the objectivesùsmall islands, coral atolls, and jungle-bound harbors and airstrips, made the employment of large ground forces impossible and highlighted the importance of air and naval operations. Thus, until 1945, the war in the Pacific progressed by a double series of amphibious operations each of which fitted into a strategic pattern developed in Washington.... More
Description The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg. was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lastedThe Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg. was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were approaching Japan, and planned to use Okinawa, a large island only 340 mi (550 km) away from mainland Japan, as a base for air operations on the planned invasion of Japanese mainland (coded Operation Downfall). Four divisions of the U.S. 10th Army (the 7th, 27th, 77th, and 96th) and two Marine Divisions (the 1st and 6th) fought on the island. Their invasion was supported by naval, amphibious, and tactical air forces.
The battle has been referred to as the "typhoon of steel" in English, and tetsu no ame ("rain of steel") or ("violent wind of steel") in Japanese. The nicknames refer to the ferocity of the fighting, the intensity of kamikaze attacks from the Japanese defenders, and to the sheer numbers of Allied ships and armored vehicles that assaulted the island. The battle resulted in the highest number of casualties in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Based on Okinawan government sources, mainland Japan lost 77,166 soldiers, who were either killed or committed suicide, and the Allies suffered 14,009 deaths (with an estimated total of more than 65,000 casualties of all kinds). Simultaneously, 42,000–150,000 local civilians were killed or committed suicide, a significant proportion of the local population. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki together with the Soviet invasion of Manchuria caused Japan to surrender less than two months after the end of the fighting on Okinawa.... More
Criteria The American Campaign Medal was awarded for For thirty days service outside the Continental United States but within the American Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946; or,... The American Campaign Medal was awarded for For thirty days service outside the Continental United States but within the American Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946; or, an aggregate service of one year within the Continental United States during the same period under the following circumstances: On permanent assignment outside the continental limits of the United States; or, On permanent assignment as a member of a crew of a vessel sailing ocean waters for a period of 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service outside the continental limits of the United States in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non consecutive days; or, For service in active combat against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat; or, For service within the continental limits of the United States for an aggregate period of one year. MoreHide
Criteria The American Defense Service Medal was awarded for service in the Armed Forces between September 8, 1939, and December 7, 1941. Army members had to serve 12 months to be eligible, but Navy and Marine ... The American Defense Service Medal was awarded for service in the Armed Forces between September 8, 1939, and December 7, 1941. Army members had to serve 12 months to be eligible, but Navy and Marine Corps members were eligible based on any length of service. MoreHide
