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Casualty Info
Home Town Owensboro, KY
Last Address Box 386 Bowling Green, KY (Wife~Jacqueline J. Berry)
Casualty Date May 13, 1945
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Sea
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial - Honolulu, Hawaii
Wall/Plot Coordinates Court 5 (Cenotaph)
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
On May 13, 1945 VF-83 from 05:28 to 09:21 Fifteen Bombers attacked Saeki Airfield, Kyushu/ One Bomber was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. LCDR D.R. Berry, Commanding Officer was in acion and Eardlty, JM ACRM was missing in action.
Comments/Citation:
Name of Award
Navy Cross x3
Year Awarded
1942
Details behind Award:
Awarded for actions during World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Ensign David Render Berry (NSN: 0-83340), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Scouting Plane in Scouting Squadron FIVE (VS-5), attached to the U.S.S. YORKTOWN (CV-5), in action against enemy Japanese forces at Tulagi Harbor on 4 May 1942, and in attacks on an enemy carrier in the Coral Sea on 8 May 1942. These attacks, pressed home in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire, and on 8 May, opposed by enemy aircraft, resulted in sinking or damaging of a carrier and eight other vessels. His gallant conduct contributed to the success of our forces in the Battle of the Coral Sea. General Orders: Commander in Chief, Pacific: Serial 2885 (July 7, 1942) Action Date: May 4, 7 & 8, 1942 Service: Navy Rank: Ensign Squadron: Scouting Squadron 5 (VS-5) Ship: U.S.S. Yorktown (CV-5)
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Ensign David Render Berry (NSN: 0-83340), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Scouting Plane in Scouting Squadron FIVE (VS-5), attached to the U.S.S. YORKTOWN (CV-5), in action against enemy Japanese forces at Tulagi Harbor on 4 May 1942, and in the Battle of the Coral Sea on 7 and 8 May 1942. These attacks, vigorously and persistently pressed home in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire, and on 8 May opposed also by enemy fighters, resulted in the sinking or damaging of at least eight enemy Japanese vessels at Tulagi and the sinking of one carrier and the sinking or severe damaging of another in the Coral Sea. Ensign Berry's conscientious devotion to duty and gallant self-command against formidable odds were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. Action Date: May 4, 7 & 8, 1942 Service: Navy Rank: Ensign Squadron: Scouting Squadron 5 (VS-5) Ship: U.S.S. Yorktown (CV-5)
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Second Gold Star in lieu of a Third Award of the Navy Cross to Ensign David Render Berry (NSN: 0-83340), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Scouting Plane in Scouting Squadron FIVE (VS-5), attached to the U.S.S. YORKTOWN (CV-5), in action against enemy Japanese forces near Salamaua and Lae, New Guinea, on 10 March 1942. Ensign Berry pressed home, in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire, a vigorous and determined dive bombing attack on a light cruiser and scored a direct hit resulting in severe damage and probable destruction of the enemy vessel. By his superb airmanship and outstanding courage he contributed to the destruction of the three enemy ships and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 318 (September 1943) Action Date: March 10, 1942 Service: Navy Rank: Ensign Squadrion: Scouting Squadron 5 (VS-5) Ship: 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.
