Admiral Miles R. Browning, USN, is most noted for his planning and execution during combat as a captain on the flagship USS Enterprise at the Battle of Midway, June 4-6, 1942. As his resulting citation for the Distinguished Service Medal (then second only to the Medal of Honor in merit) states, his execution of combat operations "was largely responsible for the rout of the enemy Japanese fleet in the Battle of Midway." USS Enterprise may refer to: United States Navy Eight ships in the United States Navy carried the name USS Enterprise. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Chester Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi† Strength Three carriers, about 50 support ships 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft Four carriers, about 150 support ships 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier, 1 destroyer sunk... This article is about the year. ... The Distinguished Service Medal (D.S.M.) is a military decoration for courage. ... Three different versions of the Medal of Honor are awarded: one each for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Chester Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi† Strength Three carriers, about 50 support ships 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft Four carriers, about 150 support ships 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier, 1 destroyer sunk...

The criteria for the DSM then stated: "Awarded to officers and enlisted personnel of the United States Navy and Marine Corps who distinguish themselves by extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy." Earlier that year, in the rank of commander, Browning had earned a Silver Star: "Awarded to all branches of the armed forces for gallantry in action against an armed enemy in circumstances which showed marked distinction, but did not justify the award of the Distinguished Service Medal." The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... The UKs Royal Marines in a Rigid Raider assault watercraft A marine corps is a branch of a nations armed forces incorporating Marines, intended to be capable of mounting amphibious assaults using infantry, armour, aircraft, and watercraft. ... The Silver Star is a United States military decoration and is the third highest medal for valor. ... The Distinguished Service Medal (D.S.M.) is a military decoration for courage. ...

Summary:

Miles Rutherford Browning was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on April 10, 1897, the third of four sons and three daughters of New York City investment broker Oren Fogle Browning, Jr. and his wife Sarah Louise Smith. Displaying an interest in flying early in life, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1917, and served on a battleship in the Atlantic during World War I. Perth Amboy is a city located in Middlesex County, New Jersey. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  Ranked 47th  - Total 8,729 sq. ... April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname The Big Apple, The Capital of the World [1], Gotham Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area  - City    - Land    - Water  - Urban  - Metro 1,214. ... The United States Naval Academy (USNA) is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and is located in Annapolis, Maryland. ... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total of dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total dead: 7 million The First...

He became a naval combat aviator in 1923, earning his wings at Pensacola in 1924. He showed exceptional skill in the cockpit, and displayed a quick, calculating and incisive mind which hastened his advancement within the naval aviation community. Soon he established himself as an important early pioneer in the development of carrier task force combat operations concepts. Pensacola is the name of several cities as well as other things: Pensacola (tribe), a group of Native Americans A number of places in the U.S. state of Florida: Pensacola, Florida An area airport, see Pensacola Regional Airport. ...

Not only was he instrumental in developing and implementing fighter tactics and strategy, as a respected combat pilot he also directly impacted the manner in which warplanes were designed and built. By the early 1930s, the navy fighter planes which Miles Browning piloted had gone through numerous changes in both structure and function, every upgrade hotly debated by men who had a great deal at stake. In his treatise on carrier airpower, Thomas Wildenberg writes:

"The progressives, which included such future notables as Pat Bellinger, 'Wu' Duncan, and Miles Browning, began to push for the development of a high-performance fighter in which speed, and not maneuverability would be the most important flight characteristic... To these men a true fighter had to be fast enough and have enough firepower to quickly overtake and shoot down an enemy plane. To Browning, who would later be credited with orchestrating the timely launch of the Midway strike, [the Bureau of Aeronautics] was over-emphasizing maneuverability, climb, and ceiling at the expense of the other characteristics that the 'progressives' were pushing for... Unfortunately for the future fortunes of the navy, Admiral King was not convinced of the order of precedence. Had King been more receptive to the emphasis on speed, it is possible that development of the high-performance monoplane fighter might have been accelerated. Had this been the case, the U.S. Navy could have entered World War II with a better fighter... " Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II...

Browning, for his part, was as aggressive in his tactical thinking as he was in the cockpit. An example of his tactical logic was a 13-page, single-spaced, typewritten thesis on carrier warfare that he prepared in 1936, the year that Nazi Germany allied with Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan. This memorandum anticipated the flaw in Japanese carrier execution that Captain Browning would later exploit during the coming war: Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, refers to the right-wing authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... The ensign of Imperial Japanese Navy was a prominent symbol of Imperial Japan. ...

"Every carrier captain has known the bitter experience of rushing his aircraft up and down the deck to meet changing probabilities in the situation and to care for the impending return of a scouting flight, just as the situation was becoming crucial. Every carrier we have knows what it means to be 'bopped' with all planes on deck, because her hands were tied by uncertainty as to her next move..."

It was this calculating mindset which led to Browning's assignment later that year, at age 29 to the Naval War College, and to his attracting the attention of Admiral William F. Halsey. Logo of the Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC) of the United States Navy is an education and research institution that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. ...

Upon graduation in the spring of 1938, Miles Browning was appointed to Halsey's staff in the new billet of Air Tactical Officer. When Halsey became the Commander of Air Battle Forces two years later, Browning remained on his staff as Operations and War Plans Officer. He became Halsey's chief of staff in June 1941, and from the onset of United States involvement in World War II, provided tactical counsel to Halsey from the bridge of the flagship USS Enterprise CV-6, the most decorated ship of the Second World War. For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... USS Enterprise may refer to: United States Navy Eight ships in the United States Navy carried the name USS Enterprise. ...

Commander Browning directed numerous daring air raids on Japanese bases in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands in February and March of 1942, for which he was awarded the Silver Star. Halsey gave credit for much of his own remarkable military success to Miles Browning, and recommended him for a spot promotion to the rank of captain. The promotion was approved by CINCPAC that April, following the notorious Halsey-Doolittle Raid (dubbed "Jimmy Doolittle's Raid" by the American press), which Browning played a key role in planning and executing. The Gilbert Islands are a chain of 16 atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of the nation Kiribati. ... The Silver Star is a United States military decoration and is the third highest medal for valor. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders James H. Doolittle N/A Strength 16 B-25 Mitchells N/A Casualties 3 dead, 8 POWs (4 would die in captivity) about 50 dead, 400 injured Lt. ...

When “Bull” Halsey fell ill prior to the Battle of Midway, Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, Halsey's hand-picked successor, inherited Captain Browning and his staff. Facing the entire Japanese Combined Fleet, the depleted U.S. Navy was forced to gamble everything on her small aircraft carrier force. Captain Browning was the officer charged with directing the impending order of battle. Raymond Spruance Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 - December 13, 1969) was a US Navy admiral in World War II, victor of the Battle of Midway and commander in the capture of many islands of the Pacific Ocean, and later ambassador to the Philippines. ... Ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ...

Military historian Samuel Eliot Morison referred to Captain Browning as "one of the most irascible officers ever to earn a fourth stripe, but he was a man with a slide-rule brain." Despite a notoriously saturnine temperament, he possessed "a superintellect that evoked praise -- often begrudging -- from his superiors." Invariably, Miles Browning is described as clever, daring and exceptionally aggressive. His exploits before, during and after World War II are recorded in dozens of books and articles. RAdm Samuel Eliot Morison (1887-1976), USN historian Samuel Eliot Morison, RAdm, USNR (July 9, 1887 – May 15, 1976) was an American historian, notable for producing scholarly works that were both authoritative and highly readable, an ability recognized with two Pulitzer Prizes. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II...

Education and Appointments:

Miles Rutherford Browning attended public schools at Perth Amboy before his appointment to the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, from the third District of New Jersey in 1914. As a Midshipman, he was captain of the Academy swimming team and art editor of the "Lucky Bag." He graduated and was commissioned Ensign with the Class of 1918 on June 29, 1917. Perth Amboy is a city located in Middlesex County, New Jersey. ... City nickname: Americas Sailing Capital Location in the state of Maryland Founded 1649 Mayor Ellen O. Moyer (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 19. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  Ranked 47th  - Total 8,729 sq. ...

During the early period of World War I, directly following his graduation from the Naval Academy in June 1917 until February 1918, he served on the USS Oklahoma, a battleship of the Atlantic Fleet. He then had duty in connection with fitting out the USS New Mexico. On June 18, 1918, he joined the French steamship Lutitia, and was senior American Naval Officer aboard while she operated with Cruiser Force, US Fleet, during the several months following.

He returned to the United States in January 1919 and for four years thereafter had consecutive service afloat beginning on the USS Pennsylvania, flagship of the Atlantic Fleet; the USS McKlean, a unit of Destroyer Division 8, Atlantic Fleet; as Engineer Officer of the USS Crane and later the USS Howard, destroyers operating with the Pacific Fleet. He joined the USS Badger at the Navy Yard, Mare Island, California on September 9, 1920, and served as Executive Officer until transferred a year later to similar duty on the USS Kidder. 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ...

On May 20, 1922, Miles Browning married San Francisco socialite Catharine Isabella Parker, stepdaughter of Admiral Clark Howell Woodward. They had one child, Cathalene Parker Browning.

Detached on June 27, 1922, he reported to the USS Charleston for duty as Senior Patrol Officer, while she operated out of San Diego. He completed that period of sea duty on the USS Thompson, in which he served from February 1, 1923 to January 2, 1924.

On January 31, 1924, he reported to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, for flight training. Designated Naval Aviator on September 29, 1924, he joined the USS Langley, aircraft carrier of Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet. Upon arrival at San Diego, he was assigned to Observation Squadron 2, attached first to the USS Aroostook, later to the USS Idaho, on which he served from January 1925 until May 1927, during which period he participated in the Curtiss Marine Trophy Race. For two years thereafter, he served as Operations Officer at the Naval Air Station, Naval Operating Base, Hampton Roads, Virginia. Pensacola is the name of several cities as well as other things: Pensacola (tribe), a group of Native Americans A number of places in the U.S. state of Florida: Pensacola, Florida An area airport, see Pensacola Regional Airport. ... San Diego County in the Southwest corner of California. ...

Reporting on July 20, 1929 to Aircraft Squadrons, Scouting Fleet (later, Aircraft, Scouting Force), he commanded Scouting Squadron 5-S, aviation unit of the USS Trenton with additional duty on the staff of Commander Light Cruiser Division Two, Scouting Fleet, (USS Trenton, flagship) until June 1931. On July 14, he reported to the Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy Department, to serve in the Material Division (Design) until June 1934.

He had command of Fighting Squadron 3B, based on the Langley, and later on the Ranger, both aircraft carriers, until June 1936, when he reported to the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, for instruction with additional duty at the Naval Torpedo Station there. He completed the junior course and reported on June 1, 1937 as a Naval Instructor at the Air Corps Tactical School, Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama. When detached in June 1938, he joined the USS Yorktown, to serve as Commander Carrier Air Group, until June 26, 1939. He organized, and for two years thereafter, commanded Fleet Aircraft Tactical Unit, also based on that carrier. 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

From July 1941 until July 1943, he served as Operations and War Plans Officer, and later Chief of Staff and Aide to Admiral (later Fleet Admiral) W. F. Halsey, Jr., USN, Commander Aircraft, Battle Force, and later Commander South Pacific Area and South Pacific Force. For outstanding service during that period, Miles Browning received a Letter of Commendation (with Ribbon) from Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, and was awarded the Silver Star and the Distinguished Service Medal, at that time second only to the Medal of Honor as the highest award given by the United States Navy. These citations are quoted in part below: A Commander-in-Chief is the commander of a nations military forces or significant element of those forces. ... The Silver Star is a United States military decoration and is the third highest medal for valor. ... The Distinguished Service Medal (D.S.M.) is a military decoration for courage. ... Three different versions of the Medal of Honor are awarded: one each for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ...

Letter of Commendation: "For distinguished service in the line of his profession as Chief of Staff of the Task Force in action, on February 1, 1942, against strong enemy island positions. By his brilliant and audacious planning and his unerring grasp of opportunities during the combat, he was primarily responsible for the success of the attack."

Silver Star Medal: "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while servicing as Chief of Staff to the Task Force commander during a series of highly successful offensive missions including the attacks of the Marshall and Gilbert Islands, the raids on Wake and Marcus Islands, the Battle of Midway, and similar operations in the Central Pacific covering a period from December 6, 1941, to June 14, 1942... Largely due to his skill and determination under fire, only minor damage was suffered from attacking heavy bombers in the Marshall Islands engagement, [and]... the Task Force came through unscathed after inflicting extremely heavy damage on Japanese installations and shipping."

Distinguished Service Medal: "For exceptionally meritorious service... as Chief of Staff to a Task Force Commander... By his judicious planning and brilliant execution, [he] was largely responsible for the rout of the enemy Japanese fleet in the Battle of Midway. Later while serving in a similar capacity with the Commander South Pacific Area and South Pacific Force, he... was instrumental in bring about successful culmination of many operations in the South Pacific. His efficient conduct and inspiring example in operational and administrative capacities aided materially in the many victories achieved by our forces... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Chester Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi† Strength Three carriers, about 50 support ships 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft Four carriers, about 150 support ships 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier, 1 destroyer sunk... South Pacific is a musical play with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II that opened on Broadway on April 7, 1949, and ran for more than five years. ...

Presidential Unit Citation -- USS Enterprise: "For consistently outstanding performance and distinguished achievement during repeated action against enemy Japanese forces in the Pacific war area, December 7, 1941 to November 15, 1942. Participating in nearly every major carrier engagement in the first year of the war, the Enterprise and her Air Group, exclusive of her far-flung destruction of hostile shore installations throughout the battle area, did sink or damage, on her own a total of 35 Japanese vessels and shoot down a total of 185 Japanese aircraft. Her aggressive spirit and superb combat efficiency are fitting tribute to the officers and men who so gallantly established her as an ahead bulwark in defense of the American Nation."

In September 1943, he reported to Newport News, Virginia, for duty in charge of fitting out the new USS Hornet, named for the famous aircraft carrier lost in October 1942 during the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands. He commanded the new aircraft carrier USS Hornet from her commissioning, November 29, 1943, until May 29, 1944, during which period she participated in raids on Palau, Yap, Ulithi, Woleai, Truk, Satawan, and Ponape, and in the Hollandia operations. Newport News is an independent city located in Virginia. ...

Returning to the United States, he reported July 3, 1944, for duty with the Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He served there as a Navy Member of the staff until relieved of all active duty pending his retirement on January 1, 1947.

In addition to the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star Medal, the Commendation Ribbon, and the Ribbon for the Presidential Unit Citation to the Enterprise, Read Admiral Browning received the Victory Medal, Grand Fleet Clasp, the American Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clasp, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, with engagement stars, American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.