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Contact Info
Home Town McMechen, WV
Last Address Carthage, NC
Date of Passing Feb 10, 1995
Location of Interment Annapolis National Cemetery (VA) - Annapolis, Maryland
US Navy Vice Admiral. Baumberger was assigned to the USS New York early in his career as a Lieutenant JG and in World War II he was the Commanding Officer of the destroyer USS English DD-696 from April of 1945 through May of 1946. He was also the Commanding Officer of the USS Canberra CAG2 on it's world cruise in 1960. Baumberger was appointed the Commander Cruiser/Destroyer Force in the Pacific as well as Commander of the U.S. Taiwan Defense Force from August 1970 to September, 1972. He lastly was the Deputy Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet and Commandant of the 6th Naval District, Charleston Navy Yard.
Other Comments:
Bronze Star with Combat "V"
Awarded for actions during the World War II
Citation:
"For meritorious service as Commanding Officer of the USS ENGLISH in operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Pacific Area from April 30 to September 2, 1945…Commander Bumberger directed his ship's participation in operations at Okinawa, Fast Carrier Strikes on the Japanese homeland, and, as part of a support unit, in the occupation of Japan. Displaying outstanding skill in evading and driving off numerous enemy air attacks and successfully carrying out those hazardous assignments without damage to his ship, he materially contributed to many successful bombardment missions and the possible sinking of an enemy submarine… His actions were at all times in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."
Action Date: April 30 to September 2, 1945
Service: Navy
Rank: Commander
Company: Commanding Officer
Division: U.S.S. English (DD-696)
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.
