Langdon K. Fieberling
Encyclopedia
Langdon Kellogg Fieberling was born on 3 January 1910 in Oakland, California
, enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve on 7 October 1935, and after training and service as an aviation
cadet
, was commissioned ensign
on 1 March 1937. From 26 July 1941, he aided in establishing Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8), and when this unit was activated, served with it in Hornet
(CV-8).
When the aircraft carrier
sailed from Norfolk, Va.
for the Pacific in March 1942, half of the squadron
remained behind to take delivery of new TBF Avenger
s, which would replace the obsolescent TBD Devastator
s. Fieberling's detachment reached Hawaii
on 29 May — the day after Hornet had sailed. However, the airfield at Midway
had room for a few more planes, so Fieberling led six of the 21 aircraft on to the island.
In the Battle of Midway
, 4 to 6 June 1942, one of the turning points of the Pacific War
, Lieutenant Fieberling led his flight in its heroic defiance of massive Japanese fighter and antiaircraft fire opposition to attack the enemy carriers on 4 June. They were the first Navy aircraft to attack the Japanese
fleet, albeit without success. Of the 18 men, only Ensign Albert K. Earnest and Radioman 3rd Class Harrier H. Ferrier came back from the sortie. Fieberling was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross
for his brave devotion to duty in this action.
USS Fieberling
(DE-640) was named in honor of Lt. Fieberling, sponsored by his mother, Mrs. C. A. Fieberling.
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve on 7 October 1935, and after training and service as an aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
, was commissioned 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 1 March 1937. From 26 July 1941, he aided in establishing Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8), and when this unit was activated, served with it in Hornet
USS Hornet (CV-8)
USS Hornet CV-8, the seventh ship to carry the name Hornet, was a of the United States Navy. During World War II in the Pacific Theater, she launched the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and participated in the Battle of Midway and the Buin-Faisi-Tonolai Raid...
(CV-8).
When the 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...
sailed from Norfolk, Va.
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...
for the Pacific in March 1942, half of the 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...
remained behind to take delivery of new TBF Avenger
TBF Avenger
The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world....
s, which would replace the obsolescent TBD 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...
s. Fieberling's detachment reached Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
on 29 May — the day after Hornet had sailed. However, the airfield at Midway
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
had room for a few more planes, so Fieberling led six of the 21 aircraft on to the island.
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...
, 4 to 6 June 1942, one of the turning points of the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, Lieutenant Fieberling led his flight in its heroic defiance of massive Japanese fighter and antiaircraft fire opposition to attack the enemy carriers on 4 June. They were the first Navy aircraft to attack the Japanese
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...
fleet, albeit without success. Of the 18 men, only Ensign Albert K. Earnest and Radioman 3rd Class Harrier H. Ferrier came back from the sortie. Fieberling was posthumously awarded 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...
for his brave devotion to duty in this action.
Namesake
In 1944, the 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 Fieberling
USS Fieberling (DE-640)
USS Fieberling was a of the United States Navy, named in honor of Lieutenant Langdon K. Fieberling , a naval aviator in squadron VT-8, who was killed in action in the Battle of Midway....
(DE-640) was named in honor of Lt. Fieberling, sponsored by his mother, Mrs. C. A. Fieberling.