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David McCampbell was born on 16 January 1910 in Bessemer, Alabama, and early on decided on a military career. He enrolled at the Staunton Military Academy at age 13, then moved on for a year at Georgia Tech after graduation until he was accepted into the US Naval Academy in 1929, where he twice became diving champion. Graduating in 1933, he immediately was discharged into the Naval Reserve, due to the Depression—the US Navy couldn’t afford a large officer corps. He worked briefly for Douglas Aircraft, which got him interested in aviation, and was brought back into the Navy in 1934. After a stint as an aircraft observer on the cruiser USS Portland, McCampbell applied for flight training, and got his wings in 1938. When the United States entered World War II, he was the senior Landing Signals Officer onboard USS Wasp.   McCampbell’s first taste of combat came in the Mediterranean, where the Wasp was used to ferry fighters to the besieged British base at Malta. The Wasp was then transferred to the Pacific and the Guadalcanal campaign, but McCampbell was to see no significant action: the Wasp was sunk by a Japanese submarine on 15 September 1942, and he had to swim for his life. He was sent home to rest and become an instructor.

   McCampbell might have stayed Stateside had it not been for a need in mid-1943 for experienced squadron commanders, as the US Navy underwent massive wartime expansion. Now a Lieutenant Commander—and considered a little old to be in combat, for McCampbell was 33—he reported to USS Essex in September 1943 to command VF-15. Later, in April 1944, he was promoted to Commander and took command of the Essex’s air group as Commander Air Group (CAG) 15.   He had yet to score an aerial victory.

   That was about to change. During airstrikes on Saipan on 11 June 1944, McCampbell shot down a Zero for his first kill. A week later, during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, he added seven more—five D4Y Suisen dive bombers and two Zeroes, making him one of the few “aces in a day”—while protecting the Essex.  Unlike many aces, who often have a steady rise in victories, McCampbell tended to get his in batches: during fighter sweeps over the Philippines, he was to raise his victory total to 19 aircraft, including four J2M Raiden fighters on 12 September 1944—the Raiden, known to the Allies as the “Jack,” was considered the equal of the Hellcat and was a more difficult opponent than the Zero; McCampbell also attacked a Ki-27 “Nate,” an obsolete fighter used by the Japanese as a training aircraft; the Nate was able to outmaneuver him and get away. On returning to the Essex, McCampbell wrote in his logbook that, as an instructor, he would definitely pass the Nate’s pilot.

   McCampbell’s greatest day, however, came on the first day of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, 24 October 1944. On combat air patrol with Ensign Roy Rushing, McCampbell spotted a force of over 60 Japanese aircraft heading for the fleet off Samar. McCampbell, Rushing, and another five Hellcats were all that stood between this force and the American carriers. McCampbell ordered his aircraft into the attack, sending five Hellcats against the 20 or so bombers, while he and Rushing took on the forty Japanese fighters. In the ensuing wild combat, McCampbell accounted for nine Japanese fighters (seven Zeroes and two Ki-43 “Oscars”), while the other Hellcats did so much damage that the surviving Japanese jettisoned their ordnance and turned back. McCampbell, low on fuel and out of ammunition, landed aboard USS Langely; as he caught the arresting wire, his engine stopped. For this action, McCampbell would later be awarded the Medal of Honor. No other American before or since has equalled his nine kills in a single mission. By the time he was rotated home for a rest, McCampbell had scored another four victories, giving him a total score of 34 kills—the most ever achieved by a naval aviator, and the most ever achieved by an American in a single combat tour. After the death of Richard Bong and Thomas McGuire in 1945, McCampbell was also the highest scoring American pilot to survive World War II; his score would only be surpassed by one American, Francis Gabreski, who added six kills in Korea to the 28 ½ he had shot down in World War II.

   McCampbell remained in the Navy after the war, serving in various shore staff billets, including as an advisor to the Argentine Navy, before getting his first command, the USS Severn, and later the carrier Bon Homme Richard in 1960. He retired with the rank of Captain in 1964. Like many aces, he went on the airshow and seminar circuit. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, David McCampbell died on 30 June 1996 at the age of 86, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In his honor, the US Navy named an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer for McCampbell. On its crest is McCampbell’s Medal of Honor and ribbon, with the motto Relentless in Battle.

McCampbell's Hellcat is a F6F-5 variant, assigned to VF-15 aboard the Essex. It is painted in the late war naval aircraft scheme of overall nonspecular sea blue. McCampbell personalized his aircraft with the name Minsi III and his scoreboard.

Description

David McCampbell was born on 16 January 1910 in Bessemer, Alabama, and early on decided on a military career. He enrolled at the Staunton Military Academy at age 13, then moved on for a year at Georgia Tech after graduation until he was accepted into the US Naval Academy in 1929, where he twice became diving champion. Graduating in 1933, he immediately was discharged into the Naval Reserve, due to the Depression—the US Navy couldn’t afford a large officer corps. He worked briefly for Douglas Aircraft, which got him interested in aviation, and was brought back into the Navy in 1934. After a stint as an aircraft observer on the cruiser USS Portland, McCampbell applied for flight training, and got his wings in 1938. When the United States entered World War II, he was the senior Landing Signals Officer onboard USS Wasp.   McCampbell’s first taste of combat came in the Mediterranean, where the Wasp was used to ferry fighters to the besieged British base at Malta. The Wasp was then transferred to the Pacific and the Guadalcanal campaign, but McCampbell was to see no significant action: the Wasp was sunk by a Japanese submarine on 15 September 1942, and he had to swim for his life. He was sent home to rest and become an instructor.

   McCampbell might have stayed Stateside had it not been for a need in mid-1943 for experienced squadron commanders, as the US Navy underwent massive wartime expansion. Now a Lieutenant Commander—and considered a little old to be in combat, for McCampbell was 33—he reported to USS Essex in September 1943 to command VF-15. Later, in April 1944, he was promoted to Commander and took command of the Essex’s air group as Commander Air Group (CAG) 15.   He had yet to score an aerial victory.

   That was about to change. During airstrikes on Saipan on 11 June 1944, McCampbell shot down a Zero for his first kill. A week later, during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, he added seven more—five D4Y Suisen dive bombers and two Zeroes, making him one of the few “aces in a day”—while protecting the Essex.  Unlike many aces, who often have a steady rise in victories, McCampbell tended to get his in batches: during fighter sweeps over the Philippines, he was to raise his victory total to 19 aircraft, including four J2M Raiden fighters on 12 September 1944—the Raiden, known to the Allies as the “Jack,” was considered the equal of the Hellcat and was a more difficult opponent than the Zero; McCampbell also attacked a Ki-27 “Nate,” an obsolete fighter used by the Japanese as a training aircraft; the Nate was able to outmaneuver him and get away. On returning to the Essex, McCampbell wrote in his logbook that, as an instructor, he would definitely pass the Nate’s pilot.

   McCampbell’s greatest day, however, came on the first day of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, 24 October 1944. On combat air patrol with Ensign Roy Rushing, McCampbell spotted a force of over 60 Japanese aircraft heading for the fleet off Samar. McCampbell, Rushing, and another five Hellcats were all that stood between this force and the American carriers. McCampbell ordered his aircraft into the attack, sending five Hellcats against the 20 or so bombers, while he and Rushing took on the forty Japanese fighters. In the ensuing wild combat, McCampbell accounted for nine Japanese fighters (seven Zeroes and two Ki-43 “Oscars”), while the other Hellcats did so much damage that the surviving Japanese jettisoned their ordnance and turned back. McCampbell, low on fuel and out of ammunition, landed aboard USS Langely; as he caught the arresting wire, his engine stopped. For this action, McCampbell would later be awarded the Medal of Honor. No other American before or since has equalled his nine kills in a single mission. By the time he was rotated home for a rest, McCampbell had scored another four victories, giving him a total score of 34 kills—the most ever achieved by a naval aviator, and the most ever achieved by an American in a single combat tour. After the death of Richard Bong and Thomas McGuire in 1945, McCampbell was also the highest scoring American pilot to survive World War II; his score would only be surpassed by one American, Francis Gabreski, who added six kills in Korea to the 28 ½ he had shot down in World War II.

   McCampbell remained in the Navy after the war, serving in various shore staff billets, including as an advisor to the Argentine Navy, before getting his first command, the USS Severn, and later the carrier Bon Homme Richard in 1960. He retired with the rank of Captain in 1964. Like many aces, he went on the airshow and seminar circuit. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, David McCampbell died on 30 June 1996 at the age of 86, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In his honor, the US Navy named an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer for McCampbell. On its crest is McCampbell’s Medal of Honor and ribbon, with the motto Relentless in Battle.

McCampbell's Hellcat is a F6F-5 variant, assigned to VF-15 aboard the Essex. It is painted in the late war naval aircraft scheme of overall nonspecular sea blue. McCampbell personalized his aircraft with the name Minsi III and his scoreboard.