| Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless scout bomber in flight off Hawaii. The plane is flown by the USS Enterprise (CV-6) Air Group Commander (CAG), United States Navy Lieutenant Commander Howard L. “Brigham” Young (November 23, 1901 – April 4, 1954). The letters “CAG” are painted in black on the plane’s wing, immediately outboard of the wingwalk. The transition from the Douglas SBD-2 to the SBD-3 Dauntless, which began in March 1941, represented a critical shift from a peacetime “scout” configuration to a combat-ready dive bomber. The SBD-3 added a twin mount for the M1919 Browning 30 caliber (7.62 millimeter) machine guns and armor plating for the rear gunner to protect against small-arms fire and shrapnel. The pilot also got armor, and a 2nd M2 Browning 50 caliber (12.7 millimeter) machine gun in the cowling for fixed forward firing through the propeller. The engine, fuel capacity, and self-sealing fuel tanks were added. By the time of the Battle of Midway in June 1942, the SBD-3 replaced the SBD-2 on all United States Navy carriers. The United States Marines took possession of the SBD-2s and fought the Battle of Midway with this model. A native of New York City who graduated from Annapolis in 1923 and earned his wings in 1926, United States Navy Lieutenant Commander Howard L. “Brigham” Young tested the Curtiss XF9C-1 Sparrowhawk fighter trapeze landing gear in the dirigible USS Akron (ZRS-4) in 1932. Young led Enterprise Air Group from April 1941 to April 1942. On December 7, 1941, Young’s flight of 18 SBDs preceded USS Enterprise into Pearl Harbor, running into Japanese fighters and losing several aircraft. Young and his passenger, Lieutenant Commander Bromfield B. Nichol, Assistant Operations Officer, saw anti-aircraft artillery explosions and at 1st thought it was a massive drill. Young dodged American anti-aircraft and Japanese fighters to land at Ford Island; he then got on the radio and instructed Grumman F4F Wildcats from Enterprise how to land. 7 SBDs of his flight were shot down, and 8 airmen were killed in action. From the tower on Ford Island, Young watched Aichi D3A “Val” dive bombers strike USS Nevada (BB-36) and described their attack as “practically perfect” in his after-action report. Young led Enterprise’s aircraft in the raids on the Marshalls (February 1, 1942), Wake (February 24, 1942), and Marcus (March 4, 1942). Young personally led 9 Douglas TBD Devastators against Kwajalein; each bomber carried 800 pound (226 kilogram) bombs. Young found so many ships that he redirected SBDs from Roi to attack Kwajalein. Young saw action in 9 battles and was awarded the Navy Cross for gallantry as Captain of the escort carrier Ommaney Bay (CVE-79) in the Philippines. He commissioned the escort carrier on February 11, 1944. His Navy Cross Citation reads, “The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Captain Howard Leyland Young, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the Escort Carrier USS Ommaney Bay, in a surface engagement with a large task force of the Japanese Fleet near the Island of Samar in Philippine waters during the Battle of Leyte Gulf on October 25, 1944. Captain Young conducted his command gallantly and with courageous initiative, inspiring his officers and men, as well as the Ommaney Bay air personnel, throughout the critical, fiercely fought Battle for Leyte Gulf against a powerful force of Japanese battleships, cruisers, and destroyers. His superb seamanship and indomitable fighting spirit in the face of overwhelming odds were essential factors in turning potential defeat into a decisive victory over the Central Japanese Force. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Navy. USS Ommaney Bay joined Rear Admiral Felix B. Stump’s (December 15, 1894 – June 13, 1972) “Taffy Two” (Task Unit 77.4.2) for the invasion of Leyte, arriving on October 22, 1944. On October, at 0155 Hours, Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid ordered 3 searches at daybreak. USS Ommaney Bay was directed at 0509 Hours to cover the northern sector. Because of delays, it took 2 hours to launch a search contingent of 5 General Motors FM-2 Wildcat fighters and 7 Grumman/General Motors TBM Avenger torpedo bombers. If launched earlier, the patrol could’ve intercepted Vice-Admiral Takeo Kurita’s (April 28, 1889 – December 19, 1977) task force and provided warning to “Taffy Three,” influencing the subsequent Battle off Samar. At the beginning of the Battle of Samar, the escort carriers began launching air strikes in an effort to cripple as many of the approaching enemy force as possible. The search contingent, becoming aware of the confrontation, moved to aid “Taffy Three.” Some sources credit her air group’s bombing with seriously damaging the Imperial Japanese Navy heavy cruiser Chokai during this phase of the battle. Imperial Japanese Navy cruiser Haguro’s action report confirms that it was aerial bombing that crippled her squadron mate. At around 0820 Hours, 5 Wildcats and 6 Avengers from USS Ommaney Bay attacked the Imperial Japanese Navy cruiser Mogami, part of the Japanese force which attacked from the direction of Surigao Strait to the southwest of the landing area, inflicting some damage. 40 minutes later, her Avengers joined 17 other torpedo bombers in crippling Mogami. She sank 3 hours later, scuttled by Akebono. USS Ommaney Bay launched some 6 strikes that day, and along with the rest of Task Group 77.4.1, she turned potential defeat into victory. As part of “Taffy Two,” she was also obliged to accept aircraft from other task groups, which were damaged or low on fuel from their strikes. She was forced to jettison several aircraft over her flight deck to preserve its functionality. On October 30, her task group retired from Leyte Gulf, bound for Manus. He was Chief of Staff to Commander, Fleet Air, in Seattle in June 1945. Following World War II, Young commanded the aircraft carrier USS Tarawa from February to August 1948, during which the ship conducted a world cruise. His last command was at Naval Air Station New Orleans before retiring in June 1953. Despondent over retirement and his divorce, he parked his car near Otay Reservoir, ran a hose from the exhaust to the cab, and killed himself. | |
| Image Filename | wwii2287.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.09 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 5003 x 4575 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | October 10, 1941 |
| Location | Pearl Harbor |
| City | Oahu |
| State or Province | Hawaii |
| Country | United States |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-G-279380 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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