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Home Town St. Paul
Last Address Edward Duran Mattson Place of Birth: St. Paul, Minnesota Home of record: Deerwood, Minnesota
Date of Passing Nov 22, 1983
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Edward Duran Mattson
USS YORKTOWN CV-5, Battle of the Coral Sea
The air-to-air action was sustained and violent. Veteran strike leader Commander Takahashi would not return from this fight. When Lt. (j.g.) Duran Mattson landed his Wildcat after this action his crew found the Grumman fighter riddled with 21 shell holes from 20mm cannon fire and countless machine-gun bullet holes. The battle of Midway woud be next. VF-3 Line up at Midway: 4th Division, Bu No 5153 - Side No 21; pilot - Lt ED Mattson; call sign Scarlet 21. The USS Yorktown CV-5 sunk during the Battle of Midway, 7 June 1942.
USS YORKTOWN AIR CREWS After Midway, most of the remaining VF-3/42 pilots and their planes went over to USS Hornet to replace that ship’s VF-8 losses (ten of the VF-8 fighters ditched in the open sea due to, charitably, navigation errors. Thach commanded the new organization, called VF-3-42-8. The USS Hornet CV-8 sunk in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, (Solomon Islands) 27 October 1942.
Navy Cross
Awarded for actions during 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 Navy Cross to Lieutenant Edward Duran Mattson (NSN: 0-82774), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Fighter Plane in Fighting Squadron THREE (VF-3), attached to the U.S.S. YORKTOWN (CV-5), during the "Air Battle of Midway," against enemy Japanese forces on 4 June 1942. While flying combat patrol over our surface ships, Lieutenant Mattson led his wingman in aggressive attacks against a large formation of Japanese dive bombers and fighters. Although coming under fire of an enemy fighter, he pressed home his attack with courageous skill and determination until he succeeded in shooting down one Japanese dive bomber, thereby contributing greatly to the frustration of the enemy's offensive. His gallant initiative and conscientious devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Navy Cross Awarded for actions during World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Edward Duran Mattson (NSN: 0-82774), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Fighter Plane in Fighting Squadron FORTY-TWO (VF-42), attached to the U.S.S. YORKTOWN (CV-5), in action against the enemy from 5 to 8 May 1942, during the Battle of the Coral Sea. In company with three other fighters on 5 May, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Mattson participated in a prompt and resolute attack against an enemy four-engine patrol bomber with the result that the bomber was quickly shot down and the detection of our forces by the enemy was prevented. On 7 May, as part of a fighter escort, he provided protection from enemy aircraft for our scout bombers throughout their attack on an enemy Japanese carrier in the Coral Sea, enabling our forces to successfully attack and sink that vessel. Again, while on combat air patrol protecting our own forces in the Coral Sea on 8 May, he braved punishing machine gun and cannon fire to press home an aggressive attack against four enemy fighters attacking our forces and succeeded in dispersing them. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Mattson's conduct throughout these engagements was marked by skill, determination and complete disregard for his own personal safety.
Central Pacific Campaign (1941-43)/Battle of the Coral Sea
From Month/Year
May / 1942
To Month/Year
May / 1942
Description The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought during 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first action in which aircraft carriers engaged each other, as well as the first in which neither side's ships sighted or fired directly upon the other.
In an attempt to strengthen their defensive positioning for their empire in the South Pacific, Japanese forces decided to invade and occupy Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi in the southeastern Solomon Islands. The plan to accomplish this, called Operation MO, involved several major units of Japan's Combined Fleet, including two fleet carriers and a light carrier to provide air cover for the invasion fleets, under the overall command of Japanese Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue. The US learned of the Japanese plan through signals intelligence and sent two United States Navy carrier task forces and a joint Australian-American cruiser force, under the overall command of American Admiral Frank J. Fletcher, to oppose the Japanese offensive.
On 3–4 May, Japanese forces successfully invaded and occupied Tulagi, although several of their supporting warships were surprised and sunk or damaged by aircraft from the US fleet carrier Yorktown. Now aware of the presence of US carriers in the area, the Japanese fleet carriers entered the Coral Sea with the intention of finding and destroying the Allied naval forces.
Beginning on 7 May, the carrier forces from the two sides exchanged airstrikes over two consecutive days. The first day, the US sank the Japanese light carrier Shoho, while the Japanese sank a US destroyer and heavily damaged a fleet oiler (which was later scuttled). The next day, the Japanese fleet carrier Shokaku was heavily damaged, the US fleet carrier Lexington was critically damaged (and was scuttled as a result), and the Yorktown was damaged. With both sides having suffered heavy losses in aircraft and carriers damaged or sunk, the two fleets disengaged and retired from the battle area. Because of the loss of carrier air cover, Inoue recalled the Port Moresby invasion fleet, intending to try again later.
Although a tactical victory for the Japanese in terms of ships sunk, the battle would prove to be a strategic victory for the Allies for several reasons. The battle marked the first time since the start of the war that a major Japanese advance had been checked by the Allies. More importantly, the Japanese fleet carriers Sokaku and Zuikaku – one damaged and the other with a depleted aircraft complement – were unable to participate in the Battle of Midway, which took place the following month, ensuring a rough parity in aircraft between the two adversaries and contributing significantly to the US victory in that battle. The severe losses in carriers at Midway prevented the Japanese from reattempting to invade Port Moresby from the ocean. Two months later, the Allies took advantage of Japan's resulting strategic vulnerability in the South Pacific and launched the Guadalcanal Campaign that, along with the New Guinea Campaign, eventually broke Japanese defenses in the South Pacific and was a significant contributing factor to Japan's ultimate defeat in World War II.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
May / 1942
To Month/Year
May / 1942
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories Battle of the Coral Sea: USS Yorktown CV-5 Yorktown Air Group VF-42 (Fighting 42) LTJG Edward Duran Mattson