James H. Flatley
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Vice Admiral James Henry Flatley Jr. (June 17, 1906 - July 9, 1958) was a World War II
naval aviator Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based a ...
and tactician for the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
(USN). He become a
fighter ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
credited with shooting down six enemy aircraft in aerial combat.


Early life

Flatley was born in Green Bay,
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, and graduated from St. Norbert College. He was a 1929
United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
graduate who earned his wings in 1931. An early squadron assignment found him with Patrol Squadron 4 (VP-4F), flying
Douglas PD The Naval Aircraft Factory PN was a series of open cockpit American flying boats of the 1920s and 1930s. A development of the Felixstowe F5L flying boat of the First World War, variants of the PN were built for the United States Navy by Douglas, ...
and Consolidated P2Y
flying boat A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...
s. In December 1941 he was with Fighting Squadron 2 (VF-2) flying the Brewster F2A Buffalo, the Navy’s first monoplane fighter.


World War II

At the opening of hostilities in December 1941, Flatley was serving aboard . However, his squadron did not see combat in the early raids, as VF-2 was beached from 25 January 1942 in order to transition from the F2A Buffalo to the Grumman F4F Wildcat. Their place, in the meantime, was taken by the Grumman-equipped Fighting Squadron 3 (VF-3). In late April, 1942, just prior to the
Battle of the Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the batt ...
, Flatley was dispatched to with orders to take command of Fighting Squadron 42 (VF-42). However, on arrival, he discovered that his academy classmate, Lieutenant Commander Charles R. Fenton, had already been appointed CO by the ship's captain. After a few days, the issue was sorted out: Fenton was recognised as VF-42's commander, and Flatley was ordered back to the United States to form a new fighter squadron. However, he managed to get permission to stay for the coming battle, and was thus retained as VF-42's
executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...
. On 7 May, Flatley led a group of Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters to escort Douglas TBD Devastator from VT-5 in the attack that sank light carrier ''Shōhō''. His group then engaged several Mitsubishi A5M fighters from ''Shōhōs Combat Air Patrol (CAP) and he managed to down one of them. In response to sinking of ''Shōhō'',
Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
(IJN) main carrier force launched a night strike on USN carriers composed of 15 Nakajima B5N and 12 Aichi D3A bombers. Flatley led one of the groups of F4F Wildcats that were sent to intercept (another group was led by
Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...
Paul Ramsey from VF-2). The enemy strike force suffered heavy losses. The following day, on 8 May, he was involved in CAP that protected USN carriers. His group engaged several
Mitsubishi A6M Zero The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 19 ...
fighters and he claimed one shot down, although no Zeros were actually lost in the engagement. After Coral Sea, he returned to the United States to form Fighting Squadron 10 (VF-10), flying
F4F Wildcat The Grumman F4F Wildcat is an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that entered service in 1940 with the United States Navy, and the British Royal Navy where it was initially known as the Martlet. First used by the British in the North Atlan ...
s. The squadron was nicknamed the "Grim Reapers," and as
commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
Flatley became "Reaper Leader" on board . During the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October 1942, Flatley led several F4F Wildcat fighters to escort Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers from
VT-10 Training Squadron TEN (VT-10) is a training squadron of the United States Navy. The squadron is homebased at NAS Pensacola, Florida. General information *Basic and intermediate flight school for Naval Flight Officers (NFO). VT-10 is tasked with ...
in a strike on Japanese carriers. En route, the US and Japanese strike forces passed each other. Nine A6M Zeros from ''Zuihō'' led by Lieutenant Moriyasu Hidaka abandoned their escort duty and attacked the US strike. In the following fight, several TBF Avengers and F4F Wildcats were shot down, as well as several A6M Zeros. Flatley received one shared kill credit in this engagement. The strike force he was escorting could not locate the main IJN carrier force and instead attacked a cruiser. Flatley and his F4F Wildcats strafed it in order to support the torpedo planes, but all torpedoes missed the target. Later that day, his division of four F4F Wildcats encountered A6M Zeros from the carrier ''Jun'yō'' at higher altitude and deployed Thach Weave defensive tactics when they attacked. One of the attackers was Lieutenant Yoshio Shiga, who gave up after he made several runs. During the
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, sometimes referred to as the Third and Fourth Battles of Savo Island, the Battle of the Solomons, the Battle of Friday the 13th, or, in Japanese sources, the , took place from 12 to 15 November 1942, and was t ...
on 15 November 1942, ''Enterprise'' launched a strike force against the damaged battleship ''Hiei'' and Flatley's group of Wildcats provided escort. After returning to ''Enterprise'', Flatley led a second strike force against IJN transports with reinforcement and supplies headed for
Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...
. His group then landed on Guadalcanal and performed another CAP before turning over their aircraft to
Marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
at Henderson Field. Following his tour as Commander Air Group Five (CAG-5) on board , during which he helped introduce the F6F Hellcat to combat in August 1943, Flatley at the age of 36 never flew combat again. He received a Navy Cross for Coral Sea; two Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism, a
Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...
for action with Japanese forces in the Philippine Islands, and the
Navy Distinguished Service Medal The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919 and is presented to sailors and Marines to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritoriou ...
.


Post war

Flatley remained in the Navy after the war and became a key figure with the Navy's postwar air-training program. After commanding the escort aircraft carrier for a year, Flatley became deeply involved with assessing naval aviation's disastrous safety record and ultimately helped develop the Naval Aviation Safety Center, today's
Naval Safety Center The Naval Safety Command (NAVSAFECOM) is a U.S. Navy organization, established in its current form on 4 February 2022. In May 1968, the Naval Aviation Safety Center and the Submarine Safety Center, located in New London, Connecticut, merged to b ...
. After the war he was training director of the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in
Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi (; Ecclesiastical Latin: "'' Body of Christ"'') is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patrici ...
Air Station; commander of the
Naval Air Station Olathe Naval Air Station Olathe is a former United States Navy base located in Gardner, Kansas. On its grounds at one point was Olathe Air Force Station. After it was closed, it was redeveloped into New Century AirCenter. History Navy use The base o ...
in Olathe, Kansas (which was renamed "Flatley Field" from 1962–1969); and commander of the Naval Station Norfolk in
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
followed by command of the carrier . He also held various staff positions. He retired from the Navy on June 2, 1958 and was promoted to vice admiral concurrent with his retirement. He died barely a month after his retirement at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, on July 9, 1958 and was buried at
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
two days later.


Tactician

During the attack on the ''Shōhō'', Flatley observed numerous torpedo and dive bombers wasting their ordnance on an already finished carrier, instead of diverting to other intact ships. Based on this observation, he later proposed that a designated strike coordinator be assigned during future operations to assign targets. Flatley criticized the practice of launching numerous small strikes piecemeal, as happened at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, since he felt strongly that one large force could accomplish much more than several small ones. Flatley — along with
John S. Thach John Smith Thach (April 19, 1905 – April 15, 1981) was a World War II Naval Aviator, air combat tactician, and United States Navy admiral. Thach developed the Thach Weave, a combat flight formation which could counter enemy fighters of superior ...
and Butch O'Hare — was instrumental in communicating tactical advice throughout naval aviation, and changing the perception that the F4F Wildcat was inferior to the Japanese Zero. Flatley's belief was that it was superior to the Zero when properly utilized, saying of the Wildcat: ''"Let us not be too critical of our equipment. It shoots the enemy down in flames and brings most of us home."'' He was not overly impressed by the Zero, but attributed the Japanese fighter's success to the high quality of Japanese pilots. His writeup on enemy capabilities received favorable notice at senior levels of the U.S. Navy. The expression "Thach Weave" did not come into the lexicon until Flatley named it in his after action report for the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. He recounted how Lieutenant Commander John S. Thach’s "beam defense tactic" had allowed him to escape almost certain destruction during the battle. Flatley wrote: ''". . . the four-plane division is the only thing that will work, and I am calling it the Thach Weave."'' Flatley later received a commendation for his bravery in retrieving wounded personnel after the carrier was hit by ''
kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
''s on May 11, 1945.


Legacy

* USS Flatley (FFG-21) *Admiral Flatley Park in Green Bay. *The Admiral Flatley Memorial Award for aviation safety is awarded each year to one
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
and amphibious ship, along with their embarked air wing and Marine expeditionary unit. *United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC) VADM James H. Flatley Jr. Division, Green Bay, Wisconsin *His son,
James H. Flatley III James Henry Flatley III (born January 9, 1934 in San Diego), is a retired rear admiral in the United States Navy. A naval aviator, fighter pilot, and test pilot, he is the son of Vice Admiral James H. Flatley. Education Flatley is a 1956 gradu ...
, became a naval aviator and test pilot, eventually achieving the rank of rear admiral *His grandsons, James H. Flatley IV and Joseph F. Flatley, became naval officers and aviators


References

; Notes ; Sources * * * Ewing, Steve. "Reaper Leader: The Life of Jimmy Flatley". Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 2002.


External links


USNSCC VADM James H. Flaley Jr. Div., Green Bay Wisconsin


by Naval History Command {{DEFAULTSORT:Flatley, James H. 1906 births 1958 deaths People from Green Bay, Wisconsin St. Norbert College alumni United States Naval Academy alumni United States Naval Aviators Military personnel from Wisconsin Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Air Medal American World War II flying aces United States Navy personnel of World War II Aviators from Wisconsin United States Navy admirals