John W. Brock
Encyclopedia
John W. Brock was a United States Navy
officer who received the Navy Cross
posthumously for his actions in combat during World War II
.
, Alabama
, on 15 August 1914. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on 12 May 1936 at Birmingham
, Alabama. After basic training
at the Naval Training Station Norfolk in Norfolk
, Virginia
, he reported on board the battleship
USS Arkansas (BB-33)
on 5 February 1937.
Transferred to Naval Air Station Norfolk on 21 May 1937, Brock was assigned to the receiving ship at Naval Operating Base Norfolk
, serving as part of the detail fitting out the new aircraft carrier
USS Yorktown (CV-5)
. During duty at Naval Air Station Norfolk which followed, he was advanced to the rate of seaman
first class on 1 September 1937. On 30 September 1937, Brock was assigned to the staff of the Commander, Carrier Division 2, Rear Admiral
Charles Adams Blakely
. Promoted to aviation ordnanceman
third class on 16 February 1938, Brock was transferred to Torpedo Squadron 6 soon afterward, on 15 April 1938.
On 13 April 1939, Brock was assigned to Naval Air Station Pensacola
at Pensacola
, Florida
, where he underwent flight training as a naval enlisted pilot. Promoted to aviation ordnanceman second class on 16 December 1939, he rejoined Torpedo Squadron 6 on 10 May 1940, remaining in that squadron
until autumn
, when he received orders to Naval Training Station Norfolk. While serving there, he was advanced in rate to aviation ordnanceman 1st class on 16 November 1940. After a brief assignment to the receiving ship at Naval Base San Diego at San Diego
, California
, he joined the oiler USS Brazos (AO-4)
on 30 June 1941, and ultimately reported to Torpedo Squadron 6 for a third time, on 2 August 1941. He was commissioned as an ensign
on 21 April 1942, and attained the permanent rate of pilot
first class on 30 April 1942.
During World War II, Brock took part in the Battle of Midway
on 4 June 1942. That morning, he took off from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6)
in one of Torpedo Squadron 6s 14 Douglas
TBD-1 Devastator
torpedo bomber
s. In the course of the flight toward the Imperial Japanese Navy
s "Mobile Force" of aircraft carriers, the fighters
, dive bomber
s and torpedo planes of Enterprises attack group became separated from one another. Thus unable to carry out a coordinated attack as doctrine dictated, Torpedo Squadron 6 went in unsupported by fighters or dive bombers, and 10 of its fourteen planes were shot down.
During the melee, as Japanese Mistubishi A6M2 "Zero" fighters vigorously attacked Torpedo Squadron 6, Brock lifted the nose of his plane to bring his fixed, forward-firing machine gun
to bear on a Japanese fighter, only to be shot down moments later. His TBD-1, aircraft 6-T-14, crashed into the sea, and neither Brock nor his radio-gunner, Aviation Radioman Third Class J. M. Blundell, survived.
USS Brock (DE-234) was named for Ensign Brock. She was converted during construction into a high-speed transport, and was in commission
as such as USS Brock (APD-93)
, from 1945 to 1947.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
officer who received the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
posthumously for his actions in combat during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Biography
John Wiley Brock was born in New BrocktonNew Brockton, Alabama
New Brockton is a town in Coffee County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,250. The community was named for Huey E. Brock, settler.New Brockton is part of the Enterprise–Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, on 15 August 1914. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on 12 May 1936 at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Alabama. After basic training
Basic Training
Basic Training may refer to:* Basic Training, a 1971 American documentary directed by Frederick Wiseman* Basic Training , an American sex comedy* Recruit training...
at the Naval Training Station Norfolk in Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, he reported on board the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
USS Arkansas (BB-33)
USS Arkansas (BB-33)
USS Arkansas , a was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 25th state.A dreadnought battleship, Arkansas was laid down on 25 January 1910 at Camden, New Jersey, by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation. She was launched on 14 January 1911 sponsored by Miss Nancy Louise...
on 5 February 1937.
Transferred to Naval Air Station Norfolk on 21 May 1937, Brock was assigned to the receiving ship at Naval Operating Base Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
, serving as part of the detail fitting out the new aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
USS Yorktown (CV-5)
USS Yorktown (CV-5)
was an aircraft carrier commissioned in the United States Navy from 1937 until she was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. She was named after the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 and the lead ship of the Yorktown class which was designed after lessons learned from operations with the large...
. During duty at Naval Air Station Norfolk which followed, he was advanced to the rate of seaman
Seaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
first class on 1 September 1937. On 30 September 1937, Brock was assigned to the staff of the Commander, Carrier Division 2, Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Charles Adams Blakely
Charles Adams Blakely
Vice Admiral Charles Adams Blakely was the great grandnephew of Capt. Johnston Blakeley and an officer in the United States Navy during World War I and the interwar period....
. Promoted to aviation ordnanceman
Aviation Ordnanceman
Aviation Ordnanceman is a United States Navy occupational rating.-Overview:Aviation Ordnancemen operate and handle aviation ordnance equipment. They are responsible for the maintenance of guns, bombs, torpedoes, rockets, and missiles. Their duties include the stowing, issuing, and loading of...
third class on 16 February 1938, Brock was transferred to Torpedo Squadron 6 soon afterward, on 15 April 1938.
On 13 April 1939, Brock was assigned to Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola , "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United States Navy base located next to Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits...
at Pensacola
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where he underwent flight training as a naval enlisted pilot. Promoted to aviation ordnanceman second class on 16 December 1939, he rejoined Torpedo Squadron 6 on 10 May 1940, remaining in that squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
until autumn
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
, when he received orders to Naval Training Station Norfolk. While serving there, he was advanced in rate to aviation ordnanceman 1st class on 16 November 1940. After a brief assignment to the receiving ship at Naval Base San Diego at San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, he joined the oiler USS Brazos (AO-4)
USS Brazos (AO-4)
USS Brazos was an Kanawha-class fleet oiler built during World War I for service in the United States Navy, and named for the Brazos River, the longest river in the State of Texas....
on 30 June 1941, and ultimately reported to Torpedo Squadron 6 for a third time, on 2 August 1941. He was commissioned as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
on 21 April 1942, and attained the permanent rate of pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
first class on 30 April 1942.
During World War II, Brock took part in the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
on 4 June 1942. That morning, he took off from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Enterprise , colloquially referred to as the "Big E," was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to...
in one of Torpedo Squadron 6s 14 Douglas
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
TBD-1 Devastator
TBD Devastator
The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, first flying in 1935 and entering service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the USN and possibly for any navy in the world...
torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
s. In the course of the flight toward the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
s "Mobile Force" of aircraft carriers, the fighters
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
, dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
s and torpedo planes of Enterprises attack group became separated from one another. Thus unable to carry out a coordinated attack as doctrine dictated, Torpedo Squadron 6 went in unsupported by fighters or dive bombers, and 10 of its fourteen planes were shot down.
During the melee, as Japanese Mistubishi A6M2 "Zero" fighters vigorously attacked Torpedo Squadron 6, Brock lifted the nose of his plane to bring his fixed, forward-firing machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
to bear on a Japanese fighter, only to be shot down moments later. His TBD-1, aircraft 6-T-14, crashed into the sea, and neither Brock nor his radio-gunner, Aviation Radioman Third Class J. M. Blundell, survived.
Awards
For his part in the "bold and heroic" attack carried out by Torpedo Squadron 6 at Midway, Brock was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously.Namesake
The U.S. Navy destroyer escortDestroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
USS Brock (DE-234) was named for Ensign Brock. She was converted during construction into a high-speed transport, and was in commission
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
as such as USS Brock (APD-93)
USS Brock (APD-93)
USS Brock , ex-DE-234, was a United States Navy high-speed transport in commission from 1945 to 1947.-Construction and commissioning:...
, from 1945 to 1947.