CDR George F. Davis
6 JANUARY 1945
CDR GEORGE F. DAVIS
Since October 1944, the Allied assault on the 7000 islands of the Philippines had been steadily progressing. Leyte, Samar, and several more of the Visayans had fallen, though the main island of Luzon remained to be retaken. Here, the Allies planned the same approach the Japanese had used so successfully three years earlier, landing on the less populated western shore of Luzon at the Lingayen Gulf then sweeping southward toward Manila. From 2-8 January advanced elements of Task Force 77 approached the Lingayen Gulf to sweep mines and soften-up shore defenses.
The enemy resistance was expected to include their deadly new weapon, the kamikaze. WWII was the first time American sailors faced an enemy bent on suicide attacks, and initial incredulousness had given way to determined countermeasures. Kamikazes were part of the reason the van of the advancing force this day included a four-destroyer section of pickets. USS Walke (DD-723) was one of these destroyers, captained for the recent six weeks by CDR George Fleming Davis. Davis had been born to American parents in Manila in 1911 and was familiar with the territory his Navy was about to attack. He had served as a LT aboard USS Oklahoma (BB-37) at Pearl Harbor and had become a seasoned combat veteran in the Aleutians, Guadalcanal, and Guam campaigns. His reputation for steadfastness was about to be reaffirmed.
Around noon, a massed flight of kamikazes appeared on the horizon. They began diving toward the battleship New Mexico (BB-40), the van of destroyers: Walke, Allen M. Sumner (DD-692), Richard P. Leary (DD-664) and the former destroyer, now minesweeper, Long (DMS-12). Four “Oscars” turned toward Walke, whose gunners came alive. Forty millimeter and 5-inch shells filled the air in a massive anti-aircraft defense. The first kamikaze broke up and landed close aboard. Likewise, the second was deflected from its path. But the third, following close on the tail of the second, crashed into the base of Walke’s superstructure. The bridge was splashed with liquid gasoline and in a millisecond was aflame. Comms, power, radar, and fire control were knocked out. Neither was CDR Davis spared, crewmen pounded the flames that engulfed him from head to foot.
Despite his burns, he remained on the bridge conning the destroyer to put the fire to leeward. He directed AAA defenses, splashing the fourth kamikaze. He then coordinated the damage control efforts, indeed, only when his ship and crew were safe did Davis allow himself to be carried below. But it was too late. His life could not be saved. Davis was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions this day.
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Department of the Navy, Naval History Division. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol 2 “C-F”. Washington, DC: GPO, 1977, p. 244-45.
Goodspeed, M. Hill. U.S. Navy: A Complete History. Washington, DC: Naval Historical Foundation, 2003, pp. 501-02.
Morison, Samuel Eliot. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Vol 13 The Liberation of the Philippines: Luzon, Mindinao, the Visayas. Little Brown and Co., Boston, MA, 1959, pp. 104-05.
ADDITIONAL NOTES: Walke’s damage did not preclude completing her mission as the vanguard of the invasion force. She was detached shortly thereafter for repairs. She returned to action in time to see preparations for the final invasion of Japan.
The Forrest Sherman-class destroyer Davis (DD-937) honors CDR Davis. The John C. Butler-class destroyer escort of WWII, George E. Davis (DE-357) honors a different hero. LT George Elliot Davis, Jr. was the No. 3 turret officer aboard USS Houston (CA-30) when that vessel was attacked off Borneo on 4 February 1942. LT Davis was killed in the action.
USS Walke is one of three warships that honors CDR (later RADM) Henry A. Walke, USN, a hero of combat in the Mexican War and the Civil War.
