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McCampbell sitting in his F6F Hellcat in October 1944. The flags represent the 21 kills he had made at that time. (U.S. Navy photo)
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Capt. David McCampbell
Navy's 'Ace Of Aces' Scored Nine-Kill Record In One Wrenching Day Over Leyte Gulf
By Bethanne Kelly Patrick
Military.com Contributing Writer
Cmdr. David McCampbell, the Navy's top flying ace, had 34 victories that put him fourth behind three Army Air Force pilots. But not one of the top three matched his record of downing nine enemy aircraft in one day during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Lest anyone think that was a fluke, McCampbell shot down seven aircraft during the famed "Marianas Turkey Shoot" on June 19, 1944.
McCampbell, a 1933 Annapolis graduate, assumed command of Air Group 15 in February 1944. The "Fabled Fifteen" destroyed more planes (318 airborne, 348 on the ground) and sank more ships (300,000 tons' worth) than any other air group in the Pacific theater. McCampbell's personal record took place in the Philippines on Oct. 24, 1944, when his Grumman Hellcat and one other plane confronted a force of 60 enemy aircraft. The Japanese fighters abandoned their mission before they even reached the fleet they were en route to attack. McCampbell's nine kills remain a record in the annals of air combat. McCampbell was awarded the Medal of Honor for "this single engagement in which the outnumbering attack force was utterly routed and virtually annihilated." The Navy's "Ace of Aces" was one of only two Navy pilots awarded the Medal of Honor for air-to-air combat.
Yet McCampbell wasn't resting on his laurels for even a single second. On Oct. 25, assigned as target coordinator for a strike force, McCampbell was responsible for destroying four enemy aircraft carriers, one heavy cruiser, and one destroyer, along with damage to numerous other vessels. He was awarded the Navy Cross for this action. After just six months in the combat theater, McCampbell was the most decorated Navy fighter pilot of World War II.
Later, as a captain, McCampbell became the only Medal of Honor recipient to command an aircraft carrier. Throughout his more than 30 years in the Navy, he remained levelheaded about his prowess, saying of his first victory on May 19, 1944: "I knew I could shoot him down and I did. That's all there was to it." Of his nine-kill record, McCampbell said, "I just kept on shooting." When he landed his Hellcat, his six machine guns had only two rounds remaining, and the plane had only enough fuel to keep it aloft for 10 more minutes.
McCampbell is the namesake for the Navy's newest guided missile destroyer,
the USS McCampbell (DDG 85), christened July 2, 2000, at Bath, Maine.
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