Aubrey Fitch (FFG 34) - Naval Cruise Book

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Admlral Aubrey Wray Fltch Unlted States Navy C1883 19789 was an avlatlon hero of World War ll former Deputy Chlef of Naval Operatlons for Avlatlon and Superlntendent ofthe U S Naval Academy Durlng World War Il atthe Battle of Coral Sea Admlral Fltch then a Rear Admiral command ed the American planes In the flrst naval battle In history en tlrely fought by aircraft In which no shlp on elther slde slgh ted the other As Alr Task Force Commander under Vlce Ad mural Frank Jack Fletcher Task Force Commander his alr craft from the carriers USS LEXINGTON and USS YORKTOWN checked the Japanese advance durlng the May 7 9 1942 battle American alrcraft sunk one carner dam aged two others and destroyed or severely damaged 195 aircraft Damage to American forces Included the loss of the LEXINGTON and two other support shlps as well as sngnlfl cant damage to the carner YORKTOWN Only one day before the Battle of the Coral Sea U S forces had surrendered at Corregldor In the Phlllpplnes This Battle though not a con cluslve American vlctory halted the Japanese advance to the south and represented a turn of the tlde In favor of the Unlted States Aubrey Fltch was born of Bntlsh parents In St lgnance Mnchlgan on June 11 1883 He was appolnted to the U S Naval Academy from which he graduated In 1906 Followlng duty aboard shlps In both the Atlantic and Paclflc fleets Au brey Fltch became the Alde to the Commander In Chlef of the U S Atlantic Fleet Later he served as Gunnery Officer on USS WYOMING operatlng wlth the Brltush Grand Fleet during World War I After serving from 1922 to 1927 as a member of the American Mlsslon to Brazul and later as Executive Officer of USS NEVADA he was accepted for Naval Avuatlon tralnlng at Pensacola Flonda and deslgnated a Naval Avlator upon completnon of trannlng Subsequently he assumed command of USS LANGLEY the fIrstAmerIcan aircraft carrler and lat er took command of USS LEXINGTON Followlng promotlon to RearAdmIral In 1940 he became Commander Carrler Dlvn slon One with has flag on USS SARATOGA When the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor on December 1,12 1'gJ9q e ADIVIIFRAL AUBREY WFIAY FITCH 7 1941 Admiral Fitch took Carner Dlvlslon One from the West Coast of the Unlted States and penetrated deep Into Japanese controlled waters beyond Midway and Wake Islands In search of the enemy He was later appointed Com mander Arr Task Force Paclflc and transferred has flag to USS LEXINGTON where he remained untll LEXINGTON was sunk In the battle of Coral Sea After promotion to Vlce Admlral Fitch was named Com mander Aircraft South Paclflc Fleet under Admlral Wllllam E Halsey where he was In command of all shore based Army Navy Manne and New Zealand aircraft during the Guadalcanal campaign and the recapture of the Solomon Islands the flrst offenslve campaugns of the Paclflc War ln the later part of the war he was Deputy Chlef of Naval Operatlonsfor Alr In 1945 he became Superintendent ofthe Naval Academy the flrst avlator to assume that post Whale Superintendent of the Naval Academy he was Instrumental In the establishment of the Department of Aeronautics He retired on July 1 1947 and was slmultaneously advanced to the rank of Admnral on the basls of combat awards In add: tlon to belng awarded the Dlstlngulshed Service Medal with Gold Star the Leglon of Ment and the Army Dlstlngulshed Flylng Cross Admiral Fltch was appointed Honorary Knlght In the Most Excellent Order of the Brltlsh Empire ln August 1945 General Charles DeGaulle presented hum wlth the French Crolx de Guerre with Palms Admlral Fltch also had the Natlonal Order of the Southern Cross Degree of Grand Offlcer awarded by the Brazlllan Government the Com mander of the French Legion of Honor awarded by the French Government the Mexlcan Service Medal the Navy Expeditionary Medal World War I Vuctory Medal Grand Fleet Clasp Amencan Defense Medal Fleet Clasp Aslatlc Paclflc Campaign Medal wlth operatlonal stars American Campaign Medal and World War ll Vlctory Medal I 1 ' 1 1 5 1 1 . . . , I - 1 1 , 1 ' . I - - 1 1 1 ' 1 , ' 1 1 1 - , I , , 1 1 - 1 ' - 1 . , . , . . I , - I 7 7 ' . - 1 1 1 , , . . , 1 ' 1 - . . 7 , 1 1 1 . 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 '- , a I I I ' 1 , . . 1 7 ' , 1 . ' 3 .

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IVIEF 3-88 CRUISE BOOK STAFF STG1 ISvvp DAVID CROTTS OKI ISINI .IORGE GONZALEZ GSE2 LOUIS .JOHNSICK YN3 THOMAS MOON SN ALEX PASS SMI ISINI JAMES PIERCE SM1 DENNIS NELSON RMI ISINI TEDDY SKALEOKI ENS ERIC I-IARRIS, MANAGER

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We A? ,Z-tigtqi WY -'lg Iron W 1981 U kee October 1 mid February 1 Training from Cuba. Following was examined by the The Final Contract for service in the U WHS Bahrain Karachi on the ship s the examination then returned to month Bath in early of Mayport, Training at the ship IPHM 31 IVI Surface of Grenada 1984 AUBREY Naval Fo rt visits dun Fiosyth, Aarhus, Bermuda, Halifax Savannah, New Orleans in December FITCH was Ag me sea operations in carrier escort duties ucted ASW, AAW, and Port visits included St Bahamas, and Fort UBREY FITCH served as and visited Wilm 1987, AUBREY MOBILE BAY in May and June. FITCH exercising all FITCH Operations Copenhagen, Stockholm, BREY FITCH lability at was umber of and combat Station in for ness E area, joining ' i East Coast for ,I J HS search cover Unit u for her f 2 l In IVI 19861 spection by the high praise as the best ln May 1986, AUBREY ranking military officer from the '4 .4 -. -M ,--.- -- ic afltl-SUbl'TI3I'lI lS BREY FITCH shi and