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Home Town Browning, Missouri
Last Address 1910-1976
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Arthur James Brassfield
World War II ACE
USS YORKTOWN, Battle of Midway Ltjg Arthur J. Brassfield, a peacetime Missouri high school teacher, already has four kills from the Coral Sea. Now he faces three Japanese bombers. He blasts one at 300 yards, flips to the left, and explodes another at 150 yards. The third flees, but Brassfield chases after him and shoots him down. The high school teacher is now a fighter ace. His buddies shoot down seven more planes. The remaining Japanese planes close the range. VF-42 cumulative hours LTjg Arthur J Brassfield, USN as of May 1942 - 1,457.3 hours.
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.
ALL HANDS, JANUARY 1943:
Gets Gold Star
As Second Navy Cross
Lt. Arthur J. Brassfield, USN, has been presented with a Gold Star in lieu of a second Navy Cross.
As pilot of an airplane in the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942, in company with four other friendly fighter planes, Lieutenant Brassfield intercepted a formation of 18 Japanese dive bombers approaching the Yorktown. In the face of fierce opposing fire, he personally destroyed three of the enemy craftand damaged two others. Later, during the same action with the enemy, he vigorously attacked and shot down in flames a Japanese dive bomber which was straflng survivors of a torpedo plane that had made a forced landing at sea.
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, Junior Grade Arthur James Brassfield, 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. In company with four other friendly fighter planes, Lieutenant Brassfield intercepted a formation of 18 Japanese dive bombers approaching the YORKTOWN. Pressing home persistent and aggressive attacks in the face of fierce opposing fire, he personally destroyed three of the enemy craft and damaged two others, thereby contributing such effective resistance that only a few of the 18 planes were able to get through to our ships. Later, during the same action with the enemy, he vigorously attacked and shot down in flames a Japanese dive-bomber which was strafing survivors of a friendly Torpedo Plane which had made a forced landing at sea. His courageous devotion to duty, maintained at great personal risk against tremendous odds, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 310 (January 1943) Action Date: 4-Jun-42 Service: Navy Rank: Lieutenant Junior Grade Company: Fighting Squadron 3 (VF-3) Division: U.S.S. Yorktown (CV-5)
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 Arthur James Brassfield, 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. LEXINGTON (CV-2), in action against enemy Japanese forces during the Air Battle of the Coral Sea from 5 to 8 May 1942. On 5 May while on combat air patrol, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Brassfield intercepted and aggressively attacked an enemy 4-engine patrol bomber, assisting in its rapid destruction. On 7 May as part of the fighter escort for our scout bombers in an attack on an enemy carrier, he provided protection against enemy aircraft throughout the delivery of the attack which resulted in the sinking of the enemy vessel. On 8 May while on combat air patrol, he, in company with his wingman, aggressively attacked a formation of enemy fighters which were harassing his own forces. By his skillful and courageous action he succeeded in dispersing the formation and in destroying one of the enemy aircraft. He then braved strong enemy fighter protection in order to attack and destroy an enemy dive bomber which was attacking our surface forces. Slightly wounded and his plane badly damaged, he nevertheless succeeded in making a safe landing on the carrier after the attacking force had been driven off. In these engagements he displayed skill, leadership, aggressiveness and complete disregard of his own safety in order that he might carry out his assigned missions. His conduct throughout these actions reflects great credit upon himself, and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
General Orders: Commander In Chief Pacific Fleet: Serial 2050 (May 8, 1942) Action Date: May 5 - 8, 1942 Service: Navy Rank: Lieutenant Junior Grade Company: Fighting Squadron 42 (VF-42) Division: U.S.S. Yorktown (CV-5)
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 USS Yorktown CV-5 Battle of Coral Sea Yorktown Air Group VF-42 (Fighting 42) LTJG Arthur James Brassfield
