Arnold Jay Isbell, USN

Born   1898Iowa
Died  19 Mar 1945(47)USS Franklin


Captain Arnold J. Isbell

Ranks

 Capt.

Decorations

Warship Commands listed for Arnold Jay Isbell, USN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
USS Card (CVE 11)Capt.Escort carrierJun 1943Mar 1944

Career information

Captain Arnold J. Isbell was born in Iowa, 1898. He was a graduate of the US Naval Academy, Annapolis in 1920 and earned his aviators wings at the Pensacola naval flight school. He was a specialist in aviation ordnance engineering and served in various naval aviation assignments prior to WWII. In September 1940 he was appointed Commanding Officer of VP-54 squadron and helped survey and select the USN air bases in Newfoundland.

In 1942-1943 he served as Commanding Officer of NAS Sitka, Alaska. In April 1943 he was appointed Commanding Officer of the escort carrier USS Card. Under Captain Isbell's command the Card Task Groups were responsible for the sinkings of U-117, U-664, U-525, U-847, U-460, U-422, U-402, U-584, U-405, and U-645.

He was relieved of command of Card in July 1944 by Captain Rufus C. Young and entered the Pacific war where he was to take command of the fast attack carrier USS Yorktown.

Captain Isbell was killed in April 1945 in the Japanese air attack on the aircraft carrier USS Franklin while on a temporary duty assignment awaiting to assume command of Yorktown.

Events related to this officer

Escort carrier USS Card (CVE 11)


7 Aug 1943
The German submarine U-117 was sunk in the North Atlantic, in position 39º42'N, 38º21'W, by depth charges and a Fido homing torpedo from five Avenger aircraft of the US escort carrier USS Card. U-117 was resupplying U-66 at the time of her loss. U-66 managed to escape.

9 Aug 1943
The German submarine U-664 was sunk in the North Atlantic, in position 40º12'N, 37º29'W, by depth charges from 2 Avenger aircraft (VC-1) of the US escort carrier USS Card.

11 Aug 1943
The German submarine U-525 was sunk in the North Atlantic north-west of the Azores, in position 41º29'N, 38º55'W, by depth charges and aerial torpedoes from an Avenger and a Wilcat aircraft (VC-1) of the American escort carrier USS Card

27 Aug 1943
The German submarine U-847 was sunk in the Sargasso Sea, in position 28º19'N, 37º58'W, by air-launched (Fido) torpedoes from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft (VC-1) of the American escort carrier USS Card.

4 Oct 1943
The German submarine U-460 in the North Atlantic north of the Azores, in position 43º18'N, 28º58'W, by depth charges from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft (VC-9) of the American escort carrier USS Card.

4 Oct 1943
The German submarine U-422 was sunk north of the Azores, in position 45º13'N, 28º58'W, by Avenger and Wildcat aircraft from the American escort carrier USS Card.

13 Oct 1943
The German submarine U-402 was sunk in the middle of the North Atlantic, in position 48º56'N, 29º41'W, by an acoustic torpedo (Fido) from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft (VC-9) of the American escort carrier USS Card

31 Oct 1943
The German submarine U-584 was sunk in the North Atlantic, in position 49º14'N, 31º55'W, by a Fido homing torpedo from 3 Avenger aircraft (VC-9) of the US escort carrier USS Card.

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