This is a list of Navy Cross recipients for actions of valor carried out during World War II, awarded by the United States Department of the Navy.
World War II was a global military conflict, the joining of what had initially been two separate conflicts. The first began in Asia in July 1937 as the Second Sino-Japanese War; the other began in Europe in September 1939 with the German and Soviet invasion of Poland.Official military histories in Commonwealth nations refer to the conflict as the Second World War, while the United States' official histories refer to the conflict as World War II. English translations of the official histories of other nations tend to resolve into English as Second World War also, for example zweite weltkrieg in German. See C.P. Stacey Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, for example. "Official" usage of these terms is giving way to popular usage and the two terms are becoming interchangeable even in formal military history. This global conflict split the majority of the world's nations into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers.
The United States was drawn into World War II on December 8, 1941, a day after the Axis-member Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Honolulu.
While the U.S. Department of Defense website of Military Awards for Valor states that "Army Air Corps/Army Air Forces/U.S. Air Force members recognized for actions prior to 1 July 1948 are listed as Army members", the list here attempts to give the specific detail for members of the Army Air Forces, which existed during World War II.
, this list is incomplete, showing 1,485 Navy Crosses awarded in all service branches for actions of valor during World War II: 489 to U.S. Navy recipients; 1,029 U.S. Marine Corps recipients; 11 U.S. Army Air Forces recipients; 6 U.S. Coast Guard recipients; 3 U.S. Army recipients; and 1 civilian recipient. By partial comparison, , the U.S. Department of Defense shows 3,008 awarded to Navy recipients and 1,081 to Marines Corps recipients, for acts of valor during World War II.
The Navy Cross was also occasionally awarded to foreign personnel serving with allied forces - for example, Commander Gordon Bridson and Leading Signalman Campbell Buchanan, both of the Royal New Zealand Navy, whose actions helped sink Japanese submarine Japanese submarine I-1 in World War II.
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! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |off Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands |April 6, 1945
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Navy |Aviation Machinist's Mate Third Class |northwest Borneo |December 12, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant Commander |off Cape Verde Islands |May 6, 1944
! scope="row" | |Marine Corps |Corporal |Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands |February 24, 1945
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Navy |Lieutenant Commander |off Alaska |June 30 – July 24, 1942
! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |Far East |December 24, 1941 |First award |- ! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |off the Gilbert Islands |October 22, 1942 |Second award |- ! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |South Pacific |February 17, 1943 |Third award |- ! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Navy |Ensign |Midway |June 4, 1942
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant, Junior Grade |Kure Harbor, Japan |July 24, 1945
! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |off Christmas Island |March 1, 1942
! scope="row" | |Navy |Pharmacist's Mate Second Class |Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands |February 24, 1945
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Navy |Aviation Ordnanceman Third Class |off Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands |October 11–12, 1942
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant |off Samar, Philippine Islands |October 25, 1944
! scope="row" | |Marine Corps |Gunnery Sergeant |Cape Gloucester, New Britain |December 26–28, 1943
! scope="row" | |Navy |Ensign |Coral Sea |May 4 & 8, 1942 |First award |- ! scope="row" | |Navy |Ensign |Midway |June 4, 1942 |Second award |- ! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Lieutenant Colonel |Cavite Naval Yard, Philippines |December 10, 1941 |POW |- ! scope="row" | |Navy |Ensign |Leyte Gulf, Philippines |October 24, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant, Junior Grade |Philippine Sea |October 26, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant |New Guinea campaign |March 10, 1942 |First award, "Adams and his squadron inflicted severe damage on the enemy, with probable destruction of three hostile ships" |- ! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant |Tulagi Harbor &Battle of the Coral Sea |May 4 & 7–8, 1942 |Second award, actions contributed to "the sinking or damaging of at least eight enemy Japanese vessels at Tulagi and the sinking of one carrier and the sinking or severe damaging of another in the Coral Sea" |- ! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Navy |Lieutenant |Battle of Midway |June 4–6, 1942 |Third award, "established contact with [the Hiryū] ... and, in the face of fighter opposition ... sent complete contact and amplifying reports which later enabled our forces to attack the last remaining enemy aircraft carrier." |- ! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant |Leyte Gulf, Philippines |October 25, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant, Junior Grade |Philippine Sea |June 20, 1944
! scope="row" | |Marine Corps |Private First Class |Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands |February 21, 1945 |Shielded two Marines from a hand grenade blast, and then killed two of the enemy despite losing his hand |- ! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant Commander |off the Philippines |July 3 – August 25, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands |August 7 – October 25, 1942
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Private First Class |Tulagi, Solomon Islands |August 7–8, 1942
! scope="row" | |Marine Corps |Corporal |Cape Gloucester, New Britain |January 1, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |off Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands |April 12, 1945
! scope="row" | |Navy |Rear Admiral |Kula Gulf, Solomon Islands |July 5–6, 1943
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Navy |Electrician's Mate Third Class |Mindanao Sea, Philippines |December 11, 1944
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Private First Class |Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands |March 20, 1945
! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |off Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands |August 8 – October 18, 1942
! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |off Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands |May 2 – June 24, 1945
! scope="row" | |Marine Corps |Captain |Solomon Islands and Bismarck Archipelago areas |January 5 – February 15, 1944 |Shot down 15 Japanese aircraft during this period |- ! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Navy |Lieutenant, Junior Grade |Bay of Biscay |September 4, 1943
! scope="row" | |Navy |Captain |Leyte Gulf, Philippines |October 14–24, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant |near Gela, Sicily |July 10, 1943
! scope="row" | |Marine Corps |First Lieutenant |Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands |March 12, 1945
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Sergeant |Makin Atoll, Gilbert Islands |August 17–18, 1942
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant, Junior Grade |Sicily |July 10–13, 1943
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Navy |Lieutenant |Pacific Ocean |February 20, 1942 |First award |- ! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Navy |Lieutenant |Coral Sea |May 7, 1942 |Second award |- ! scope="row" | |Navy |Hospital Apprentice First Class |Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands |February 22, 1945
! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |off Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands |April 14, 1945
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Staff Sergeant |Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands |May 23, 1945
! scope="row" | |Marine Corps |Sergeant |Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands |February 22, 1945
! scope="row" | |Navy |Ensign |Leyte Gulf, Philippines |October 25, 1944
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Captain |Midway |June 4, 1942
! scope="row" | |Navy |Ensign |Coral Sea |May 7, 1942
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Captain |Guam, Marianas Islands |July 21–27, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant, Junior Grade |Philippine Sea |June 20, 1944
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Private First Class |Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands |February 21, 1945
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Corporal |Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands |May 9, 1945
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant Commander |Java Sea |February 4, 1942
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant |over Tokyo, Japan |February 16, 1945 |Personally shot down five enemy planes in a single action |- ! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Navy |Fireman First Class |Surigao Strait, Philippines |December 11, 1944
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Corporal |Guam, Marianas Islands |July 25–26, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant, Junior Grade |Midway |June 4–6, 1942
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Sergeant |Saipan, Marianas Islands |July 2, 1944
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Sergeant |Guam, Marianas Islands |July 27, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant |Kure Harbor, Japan |July 28, 1945
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant |off the Philippines |December 14, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant |Philippine Sea |October 24, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant Commander |South Pacific |December 30, 1941 – February 26, 1942
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant |Leyte Gulf, Philippines |October 25, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant, Junior Grade |Normandy, France |June 6, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |Palau Islands |July 12–26, 1943 |First award |- ! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |Celebes Sea |April 16 – June 11, 1944 |Second award |- ! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant |Leyte Gulf, Philippines |October 25, 1944
! scope="row" | |Marine Corps |Private First Class |Cape Gloucester, New Britain |January 10, 1944
! scope="row" | |Marine Corps |Major |Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands |February 19 – March 16, 1945
! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |Java Sea |March 1, 1942 |Also awarded the Medal of Honor for actions as POW |- ! scope="row" | |Marine Corps |Private First Class |Guam, Marianas Islands |July 22, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant Commander |Philippine Sea |June 20, 1944
! scope="row" | |Marine Corps |First Lieutenant |Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands |February 23, 1945
! scope="row" | |Navy |Captain |off Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands |May 11, 1945
! scope="row" | |Navy |Signalman First Class |Solomon Islands |November 12–13, 1942
! scope="row" | |Marine Corps |Corporal |Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands |June 14, 1945
! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |Solomon Islands |November 13, 1942
! scope="row" | |Marine Corps |Major |Midway |June 4, 1942
! scope="row" | |Navy |Ensign |Leyte Gulf, Philippine Islands |October 25, 1944
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |First Lieutenant |Saipan, Marianas Islands |June 15–16, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |off Bougainville, Solomon Islands |November 1–2, 1943 |First award |- ! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |off Bougainville, Solomon Islands |November 24–25, 1943 |Second award |- ! scope="row" | |Navy |Lieutenant Commander |near New Guinea |March 10, 1942
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Navy |Pharmacist's Mate Third Class |West Pacific |January 21, 1945
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Private First Class |Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands |September 13–14, 1942
! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |Philippine Sea |June 20, 1944
! scope="row" | |Navy |Ensign |off Georgia, U.S. |June 10, 1943
! scope="row" | |Navy |Commander |Midway |June 4 & 6, 1942
! scope="row" | |Navy |Shipfitter Second Class |French Morocco |November 8–11, 1942
! scope="row" style="background:#e3d9ff;" | |Marine Corps |Private |Saipan, Marianas Islands |July 8, 1944