James Harry Campbell, USN

Born  28 May 1911Hot Springs, Garland County, Arkansas, USA
Died  12 Apr 2001(89)Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach City, Virginia, USA


If you can help with photo or any information on this Officer please
use our comment form
.

Ranks

1 Jun 1933 Ens.
1 Jun 1936 Lt.(j.g.)
1 Sep 1940 Lt.
1 Oct 1942 T/Lt.Cdr.
1 Jan 1944 T/Cdr.
1 Jan 1952 Capt.

Retired: 1 Jul 1960


Decorations

Warship Commands listed for James Harry Campbell, USN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
USS Litchfield (DD 336)T/Lt.Cdr.Destroyer21 Dec 19424 Aug 1943
USS Blower (325)T/Cdr.Submarine10 Aug 19446 Jun 1945

Career information

Married Elizabeth Tipton Johnson on June 20, 1935 in Cleveland, Bradley County, Tennessee.

Events related to this officer

Submarine USS Blower (325)


30 Aug 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) shifted from New London, Connecticut to Newport, Rhode Island to conduct her torpedo trials.

3 Sep 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Having completed her torpedo trials, USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN), shifted from Newport, Rhode Island to New London, Connecticut.

5 Sep 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) was put on the slipway at New London.

6 Sep 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) was put back in the water.

17 Sep 1944
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) departed from New London, Connecticut for duty with the Fleet Sound School at Key West, Florida.

24 Sep 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) arrived at Key West, Florida from New London, Connecticut.

26 Sep 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) conducted exercises off Key West, Florida.

27 Sep 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) conducted exercises off Key West, Florida.

28 Sep 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) conducted exercises off Key West, Florida.

29 Sep 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) conducted exercises off Key West, Florida.

30 Sep 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) conducted exercises off Key West, Florida.

2 Oct 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) conducted exercises off Key West, Florida.

3 Oct 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) conducted exercises off Key West, Florida.

4 Oct 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) conducted exercises off Key West, Florida.

5 Oct 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) conducted exercises off Key West, Florida.

6 Oct 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) conducted exercises off Key West, Florida.

7 Oct 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) conducted exercises off Key West, Florida.

9 Oct 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) conducted exercises off Key West, Florida.

10 Oct 1944
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) departed Key West, Florida for the Panama Canal Zone.

11 Oct 1944
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) collides with US patrol craft USS PC-1145 (Lt. J.L. Hoguet, USNR). Both ships are damaged. Blower set course for Key West for repairs.

12 Oct 1944
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) arrived back at Key West. Due to the damage from the collision the submarine had to go to New London for repairs.

13 Oct 1944
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) is put on the slipway at Key West to inspect the damage from the collission.

15 Oct 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) is put back in the water.

20 Oct 1944
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) departed Key West, Florida for New London, Connecticut for repairs.

25 Oct 1944
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) arrived at New London, Connecticut from Key West, Florida for repairs.

13 Nov 1944
With her repairs completed, USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN), departed from New London, Connecticut for the Panama Canal Zone.

20 Nov 1944
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) arrived at Colon, Panama Canal Zone from New London, Connecticut.

29 Nov 1944
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) departed Balboa, Panama Canal Zone for Pearl Harbour.

16 Dec 1944
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) arrived at Pearl Harbour. After voyage repairs a period of trainingexercises was started (not much details of this period are currently known to us).

21 Dec 1944
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) conducted exercises off Pearl Harbour together with USS Doherty (Lt. W.J. O'Brien, USNR).

17 Jan 1945
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to proceed to Saipan and then to patrol in the South China Sea.

For daily and attack positions (though incomplete) of USS Blower during this patrol see the map below.

28 Jan 1945
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) arrived at Saipan.

29 Jan 1945
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) departed Saipan for her patrol area. She was escorted out by USS LCI(L)-1054.

13 Feb 1945 (position 15.50, 110.50)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) attacked a Japanese task force with a full bow salvo of six torpedoes in the South China Sea west of the Paracel Islands in position 15°50'N, 110°50'E. No hits were obtained. The Japanese task force was made up of the hybrid battleship/carriers Ise and Hyuga, light cruiser Oyodo and destroyers Kasumi, Asashimo and Hatsushimo.

(All times are zone H, -8)
1150 hours - Sighted two objects on the haze bearing 180°(T), range about 20000 yards. SJ radar did not pick them up. Dived.

1151 hours - Battle stations. The objects were not in sight through the periscope while at 60 feet.

1208 hours - In position 15°55'N, 110°56'E sighted the foremast of two Japanese battleships and one other unidentified ship, later identified as a Tone class heavy cruisers (this must have been Oyodo however). Range as about 18000 yards.

1235 hours - Heard explosions. Came up for a look.

1238 hours - Something had happened, the column had scattered and the task force had zigged towards. Started attack.

1243 hours - In position 15°50'N, 110°50'E fired a full bow salvo of six torpedoes at the cruiser and one of the battleships.

1245 hours - Heard a torpedo explosion.

1246 hours - Heard two more torpedo explosions.

1330 hours - Returned to periscope depth. Sighted the Japanese task force at a range of 20000 yards bearing 020°(T).

1345 hours - Surfaced. Course due north and all ahead full. Sent out contact report.

1405 hours - Sighted two oil streaks. Followed them.

1500 hours - The seas were now breaking up the oil streaks. Blower searched for the enemy for the remainder of the day but they were not sighted again.

6 Mar 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) departed her patrol area for Fremantle, Australia.

9 Mar 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
King Neptune paid a visit to USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) while she crossed the equator.

12 Mar 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
During the night of 12/13 March 1945, USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN), made the southbound transit of Lombok Strait on the surface.

16 Mar 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) made a short stopover at Onslow to take on board additional fuel for the passage to Fremantle.

20 Mar 1945
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) ended her 1st war patrol at Fremantle, Australia. She was escorted in by HMAS ML 812 (Lt. D.G. Phillips, RANR). At Fremantle she was refitted by a relief crew of SubDiv 182 and USS Euryale.

14 Apr 1945
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) departed from Fremantle for her 2nd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Java Sea. Before proceeding on patrol exercises were carried out with HMAS Katoomba (Lt.Cdr. F.N. Allison, RANR).

For daily positions (though incomplete) of USS Blower during this patrol see the map below.

17 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) made a short stop at Exmouth Gulf to top off with fuel before proceeding to her patrol area.

21 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
In the early morning hours, USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN), made the northbound transit of Exmouth Gulf on the surface.

8 May 1945
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) receives orders to patrol in the South China Sea.

24 May 1945
USS Blower (Cdr. J.H. Campbell, USN) ended her 2nd war patrol at Subic Bay, Philippines. She was escorted in by USS Jaccard (Lt.Cdr. C.R. Hamilton, USNR). At Subic Bay she was refitted by a relief crew from Submarine Division 262 and USS Anthedon.


You can help improve officers James Harry Campbell's page
Click here to Submit events/comments/updates for this officer.
Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve his page.

Allied Commanders main page