{"id":35200,"date":"2025-03-07T23:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T23:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2025\/03\/07\/how-a-dauntless-dive-bomber-became-a-wwii-ace-at-coral-sea\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:24:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:24:35","slug":"how-a-dauntless-dive-bomber-became-a-wwii-ace-at-coral-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air-warfare\/2025\/03\/07\/how-a-dauntless-dive-bomber-became-a-wwii-ace-at-coral-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"How a \u2018Dauntless\u2019 dive bomber became a WWII ace at Coral Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When one thinks of U.S. Navy aircraft carrier operations in the months leading up to the Battle of Midway, one name that readily comes to mind is Lt. Edward \u201cButch\u201d O\u2019Hare<\/a>, the F4F-3 Wildcat pilot whose five aerial victories in defense of the carrier Lexington on Feb. 20, 1942, made him both the Navy\u2019s first World War II fighter ace<\/a> and its first WWII aviator to receive the Medal of Honor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, hard on O\u2019Hare\u2019s heels in Lexington lore was a Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless team whose activities seemed just as much devoted to fighters as to dive bombers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Arthur Leppla<\/a> was born in Lima, Ohio, on May 7, 1916. After graduating from Purdue University, he enlisted in the Navy<\/a> in September 1940, and went on to qualify as an aviator with an ensign\u2019s commission. In 1941, he joined scout squadron VS-2, flying SBDs from the Lexington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leppla\u2019s usual \u201cback-seater,\u201d Aviation Radioman 3rd Class John Liska<\/a>, was born in Coalville, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 28, 1922.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first indication that the two were a natural team occurred on March 10, 1942, two days after a Japanese naval force occupied Lae and Salamaua harbors in northern New Guinea, when the <\/b>Lexington and Yorktown struck back in the first raid of the war by two U.S. carriers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The surprise attack caught Japanese forces without air support except for eight reconnaissance seaplanes, two of which tried to engage the U.S. bombers until they were brought down by Wildcat fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. bombers sank a number of Japanese ships, in addition to damaging multiple other vessels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the 104 carrier planes involved in the raid, only one SBD from Leppla\u2019s scout squadron VS-2 and its crew were lost to antiaircraft fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For their part in the raid, Leppla and Liska were awarded the Navy Cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Battle of the Coral Sea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Two months later, in May 1942, the Japanese launched Operation MO<\/a>, an offensive to seize Port Moresby, New Guinea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The invasion force was escorted by the heavy cruisers Aoba, Furutaka, Kinugasa and Kako, and the light carrier Shoho. Fleet carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku offered mobile support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On May 7, 1942, Shokaku\u2019s and Zuikaku\u2019s D3A1 dive bombers sank the U.S. destroyer Sims and so badly damaged the fleet tanker Neosho that it was scuttled a few days later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsewhere, however, the Lexington and Yorktown set out to intercept enemy threats. The carriers located Shoho and dispatched 53 SBDs, 22 TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bombers and 18 F4F-3s to eliminate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Japanese light carrier\u2019s hangar sheltered eight A6M2 Zeros, four A5M4 fighters and six B5N2 torpedo bombers, but it had only one Zero and two A5M4s in the air on combat air patrol when the Americans attacked off Misima Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first Americans on the scene were SBDs of Leppla\u2019s scout squadron VS-2, led by Lt. Cmdr. Robert Dixon. As they positioned themselves to dive from 12,500 feet, the first echelon came under attack. Dixon extended his dive brakes, causing enemy forces to overshoot. Two Zeros then went after an SBD crewed by Leppla and Liska, but Liska drove them off with his .30-caliber machine gun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a third Zero attacked the SBD in front of him, Leppla briefly rolled, fired and saw the Japanese disengage. He then resumed his dive, registering a near miss with his 1,000-pound bomb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their squadron mates, Lt. j.g. William Edward Hall and Seaman 1st Class John Moore, were more successful in bombing the Japanese carrier Shoho.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Shoho launched three more fighters, it could not stop U.S. aircraft from landing as many as 13 bombs and seven torpedo hits in less than one hour when it went down \u2014 the first Japanese carrier sunk in the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the U.S. planes returned to their carriers, Dixon reported to the Lexington: \u201cScratch one flat top! Signed Bob.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three SBDs of VS-2 and one from Yorktown\u2019s VS-5 were shot down, while their crews claimed a total of five Zeros and one A5M4, though the Japanese denied any air-to-air losses among their fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leppla was credited with shooting down two Japanese aircraft in 30 seconds, with two more credited to his radioman, Liska. About halfway along the 180-mile flight back to their carrier, the two encountered a Japanese reconnaissance plane, which Leppla shot down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
View on the flight deck of carrier Lexington during the Battle of the Coral Sea. (U.S. Navy\/National Archives)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The next day, on May 8, 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea<\/a> reached its crescendo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly before 11 a.m., the Lexington\u2019s radar detected Japanese forces from 64 miles out. With most of their Wildcats escorting the strike on the Japanese carriers, only 17 remained to defend the American carriers, so their numbers were supplemented with 18 available SBDs from the scouting squadrons, including Leppla and Liska\u2019s squadron mates, Hall and Moore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japanese torpedo bombers had an escort of their own, and three picked out Hall\u2019s plane. A 20mm round entered his cockpit, wounding Hall in both ankles and nearly severing his right foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, Hall stayed in the fight<\/a>, firing at any opponent that passed before his sights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noticing Hall\u2019s plight, Leppla and Liska intervened, with the two claiming four Zeros in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In reality, Japanese forces lost one fighter whose pilot ditched. The SBDs, however, were credited with downing a Japanese D3A dive bomber and five B5N torpedo bombers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the Battle of the Coral Sea ended in a tactical victory for Japan, the U.S. had turned back a major Japanese invasion attempt. Moreover, while Shokaku underwent repairs and Zuikaku replaced its airplane and aircrew losses, Yorktown\u2019s damage was repaired in time to join in the decisive U.S. victory at Midway on June 4, 1942.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After sorting out the air-to-air claims at Coral Sea, Hall was credited with one enemy plane, while Leppla was credited with a Zero and a floatplane destroyed and two Zeros damaged on May 7, followed by two Zeros downed and one damaged on the 8th. Liska was credited with three Zeros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their outstanding performance resulted in a gold star in lieu of a second Navy Cross for Leppla and Liska. On Nov. 21, 1942, Hall was awarded the Medal of Honor<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Dauntless\u2019 ace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Leppla\u2019s bellicose attitude led to his being retrained as a fighter pilot. He then rejoined the war with fighter squadron VF-10 on the carrier Enterprise in the Solomon Islands. Also aboard, now with VS-10, was Liska with Lt. j.g. Martin Carmody as his pilot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While en route to intercept another Japanese carrier task force threatening U.S. Marines on Guadalcanal, Leppla trained under VF-10\u2032s commander, Lt. Cmdr. James Flatley Jr.<\/a>, whose experience at Midway led to a change in fighter tactics, from the three-plane formation to the \u201cfluid four.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Oct. 26, 1942, Air Group 10 got to put its months of training into practice when the Enterprise and its sister ship, the carrier Hornet, faced the Japanese carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku and light carriers Zuiho and Junyo off the Santa Cruz Islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As U.S. forces headed toward the Japanese fleet, U.S. aircraft passed Japanese planes en route to attack their task force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lt. Saneyasu Hidaka, leading nine of Zuiho\u2019s Zeros to escort Japanese torpedo and dive bombers, let the first wave of Americans pass, but was unable to resist attacking the second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the ensuing dogfight, Hidaka and his pilots claimed 14 Americans. In fact, they downed two U.S. planes and badly damaged a third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flatley deviated from his escort task only long enough to pick off a nearby Zero. Belatedly entering the fray, Leppla, flying an F4F, and his wingman, Ens. Albert Mead, were credited with three Zeros and certainly got one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Leppla and Mead soon got into an aerial duel with Hidaka during which Leppla signaled that only one of his six machine guns was functioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mead was surprised Leppla didn\u2019t assume a beam defense position, but he stuck with his wingman, who he noted \u201cseemed to fly straight ahead and I don\u2019t believe fired a shot. I shot for both of us and believe I got three.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that point, Leppla had probably been wounded or killed, while another Zero\u2019s fire disabled Mead\u2019s motor. As he descended, Mead saw Leppla\u2019s Wildcat still flying level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two of Enterprise\u2019s SBDs reached the Japanese fleet and damaged Zuiho, while Hornet\u2019s Dauntless dive bombers scored hits that put Shokaku out of action for months. At the same time, however, Japanese attack planes reached the American task force, and in the ensuing melee, seven D3As dive-bombed Hornet, losing three planes but scoring three hits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the Hornet ultimately sank and the Enterprise was damaged, Japanese forces failed to follow up their tactical victory at Santa Cruz, just as they had at Coral Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leppla was recommended for a third Navy Cross for his last mission but only received a Letter of Commendation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mead credited him with one of the three Zeros he\u2019d claimed, making Leppla the closest thing to an SBD Dauntless ace. Although his body was never recovered, he is remembered by a cenotaph in Arlington National Cemetery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liska survived the war and lived his final years<\/a> in Manteca, California. He died on Aug. 12, 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources consulted for this report include \u201cJapanese Naval Aces and Fighter Units in World War II\u201d by Ikuhiko Hata and Yasuho Izawa; \u201cThe First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway\u201d by John B. Lundstrom; \u201cDuel: SBD Dauntless vs. A6M Zero-Sen\u201d by Donald Nijboer; and \u201cStars & Bars: A Tribute to the American Fighter Ace\u201d by Frank Olynyk.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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