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Shane Laemmel, MR3
to remember
Maltby, Arthur, CAPT.
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Contact Info
Home Town New Orleans, LA
Last Address New Orleans, LA
Date of Passing Jun 19, 1991
Location of Interment Barrancas National Cemetery (VA) - Pensacola, Florida
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Commander Arthur Lauren Maltby, Jr., United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Bomber and Flight Leader in Bombing Squadron EIGHTY-FIVE (VB-85), attached to the U.S.S. SHANGRI-LA (CV-38), in action against enemy Japanese forces at the Yokosuka Naval Base on 18 July 1945. Carrying out a determined attack on the enemy battleship, NAGATO, Lieutenant Commander Maltby led his flight through intense ship and shore anti-aircraft fire from the point of commencing the final approach until well after pulling out and, dropping his bomb directly on the aiming point, contributed materially to the infliction of damage on the hostile warship. Although his plane was severely damaged by enemy fire during the attack, he brought it safe back to base. Lieutenant Commander Maltby's gallant leadership and unwavering devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Action Date: July 18, 1945
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 Commander Arthur Lauren Maltby, Jr., United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Bomber and Commanding Officer of Bombing Squadron EIGHTY-FIVE (VB-85), attached to the U.S.S. SHANGRI-LA (CV-38), in action against enemy Japanese forces in Kure Harbor, Japan, on 28 July 1945. Executing a skillful approach to his target, Lieutenant Commander Maltby dived through intense anti-aircraft fire from ship and shore batteries to score a direct hit on the enemy battleship HARUNA, thereby contributing materially to the beaching of this vessel shortly thereafter. His outstanding airmanship, courage and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Action Date: July 28, 1945
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Okinawa Gunto Operation
From Month/Year
March / 1945
To Month/Year
June / 1945
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 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.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
March / 1945
To Month/Year
June / 1945
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories On 24 April, she joined Task Group 58.4 (TG 58.4) while it was conducting a fueling rendezvous with TG 50.8. The next day, Shangri-La and her air group, CVG-85, launched their first strike against the Japanese. The target was Okino Daito Jima, a group of islands several hundred miles to the southeast of Okinawa. Her planes successfully destroyed radar and radio installations there and, upon their recovery, the task group sailed for Okinawa.