- General Collections
- Expand navigation for 1941 1941
- Expand navigation for Prelude to War Prelude to War
- Expand navigation for Pearl Harbor Attack Pearl Harbor Attack
- Expand navigation for Philippines, Guam, and Wake Attacks Philippines, Guam, and Wake Attacks
- Expand navigation for 1942 1942
- Expand navigation for Battles of Java Sea and Sunda Strait Battles of Java Sea and Sunda Strait
- Bataan and Corregidor
- Early Naval Raids
- Doolittle Raid
- Expand navigation for Battle of the Coral Sea Battle of the Coral Sea
- Battle of Midway
- Submarine Combat Patrols
- Expand navigation for Battle of the Atlantic Battle of the Atlantic
- Expand navigation for Solomons Campaign: Guadalcanal Solomons Campaign: Guadalcanal
- Expand navigation for Operation Torch: Invasion of North Africa Operation Torch: Invasion of North Africa
- Expand navigation for Building the Infrastructure for War Building the Infrastructure for War
- Expand navigation for Manning the U.S. Navy Manning the U.S. Navy
- Expand navigation for 1943 1943
- Expand navigation for Establishment of Numbered Fleets Establishment of Numbered Fleets
- Expand navigation for The Aleutians Campaign The Aleutians Campaign
- Battle of the Atlantic—Continued
- Expand navigation for On the Offensive Beyond Guadalcanal On the Offensive Beyond Guadalcanal
- Expand navigation for Sicilian Campaign: Operation Husky Sicilian Campaign: Operation Husky
- Expand navigation for Tarawa: Breaking into the Gilberts Tarawa: Breaking into the Gilberts
- Expand navigation for Landings at Salerno, Italy: Operation Avalanche Landings at Salerno, Italy: Operation Avalanche
- Naval Air Strikes Against German Shipping: Operation Leader
- Expand navigation for 1944 1944
- Operation Shingle: Landing at Anzio, Italy
- Gamble at Los Negros: The Admiralty Islands Campaign
- Evacuation by Submarine: USS Angler in the Philippines
- Securing New Guinea: Operations Reckless and Persecution
- Exercise Tiger: Disaster at Slapton Sands
- Expand navigation for Defeating the Sharks: The Capture of U-505 Defeating the Sharks: The Capture of U-505
- Pearl Harbor Ablaze Again: The West Loch Disaster
- Expand navigation for Operation Overlord: Invasion of Normandy Operation Overlord: Invasion of Normandy
- Operation Forager: The Battle of Saipan
- Expand navigation for The Battle of the Philippine Sea The Battle of the Philippine Sea
- Expand navigation for Port Chicago Naval Magazine Explosion Port Chicago Naval Magazine Explosion
- Expand navigation for Operation Forager Continued: Landings on Guam and Tinian Operation Forager Continued: Landings on Guam and Tinian
- Expand navigation for Operation Dragoon: The Invasion of Southern France Operation Dragoon: The Invasion of Southern France
- Expand navigation for Operation Stalemate II: The Battle of Peleliu Operation Stalemate II: The Battle of Peleliu
- Expand navigation for The Battle of Leyte Gulf The Battle of Leyte Gulf
- Expand navigation for The Battle off Samar: The Sacrifice of "Taffy 3" The Battle off Samar: The Sacrifice of "Taffy 3"
- United States Navy War Instructions, 1944
- The Japanese “Hell Ships” of World War II
- Expand navigation for 1945 1945
- Expand navigation for Battle of Iwo Jima Battle of Iwo Jima
- Navy Nurses Behind Enemy Lines in the Philippines
- Operation Plunder: Crossing the Rhine
- Expand navigation for Battle of Okinawa Battle of Okinawa
- Okinawa Highlights: 4-11 April 1945
- Battle of Okinawa: Historic Overview & Importance
- Okinawa Highlights: 12–19 April 1945
- Kamikaze Attack on USS Isherwood
- The Destruction of USS Pringle
- The Sinking of USS Little
- The Most Dangerous Place off Okinawa
- A Kamikaze Attack on New Mexico, Fifth Fleet Flag: A Photo Essay
- A Ceremony for the Fallen: Aftermath of a Kamikaze Attack
- Admiral Spruance Recounts Kamikaze Attack on His Flagship, New Mexico (BB-40)
- On the Verge of Breaking Down Completely: Combat Fatigue off Okinawa and the Destruction of USS Longshaw
- Investigating Okinawa: The Story Behind A Kamikaze Pilot’s Scarf
- The Loss of USS Twiggs at Okinawa
- The Most Difficult Antiaircraft Problem Yet Faced By the Fleet
- Expand navigation for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day Victory in Europe (V-E) Day
- Expand navigation for Japan's Surrender and Aftermath Japan's Surrender and Aftermath
- Expand navigation for World War II Profiles in Duty World War II Profiles in Duty
- ENS Allen W. Bain and Minneapolis (CA-36)
- LT Eugene A. Barham and Laffey (DD-459)
- LT Richard H. Best of VB-6
- LCDR Joseph W. Callahan and Ralph Talbot (DD-390)
- LT Albert P. “Scoofer” Coffin of Torpedo Ten
- MAtt1/c Leonard R. Harmon and CDR Mark H. Crouter of San Francisco (CA-38)
- CDR Frank A. Erickson—First Helicoptar SAR
- CDR Ernest E. Evans of Johnston (DD-557)
- S1/c James Fahy on Montpelier (CL-57)
- Float Plane Pilots in the Pacific
- AMM1/c Bruno P. Gaido of VS-6
- CAPT Joy Bright Hancock
- Charles Kleinsmith and Yorktown (CV-5)
- LCDR Edwin T. Layton of PACFLT N2
- LCDR Maxwell F. Leslie of VB-3
- LCDR Eugene E. Lindsey of VT-6
- ENS Donald W. Lynch and Mugford (DD-389)
- Theodore W. Marshall of VP-22
- LCDR Lance E. Massey of VT-3
- LCDR Bernard F. McMahon and Drum (SS-228)
- ARM1/c Oliver Rasmussen
- LTJG Melvin C. Roach, Guadalcanal Fighter Pilot
- CDR Joseph J. Rochefort and "Station Hypo"
- Chief Machinist William A. Smith and Enterprise (CV-6)
- LTJG Steffenhagen and Shōhō
- Submerged Appendectomy
- LCDR John C. Waldron of VT-8
- LCDR William J. “Gus” Widhelm of Scouting Eight
- Theater of Operations--Pacific
- Awards and Medals
- Operations
- People--Other American
- Aircraft--Fixed Wing
- Photograph
- Biography
- World War II 1939-1945
- Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
- NHHC
Lieutenant Commander Lance E. Massey
20 September 1909–4 June 1942
Lieutenant Commander Lance E. Massey, seated in his Douglas TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bomber, at Naval Air Station Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, on 24 May 1942. Note "victory" marking on the aircraft, representing the sinking of a Japanese ship during the Marshall Islands raid, 1 February 1942, when he was executive officer of Torpedo Squadron 6 (VT-6) on USS Enterprise (CV-6). Massey was killed in action on 4 June 1942, while leading Torpedo Squadron 3 (VT-3) in an attack on the Japanese carrier force during the Battle of Midway (80-G-66074).
Massey was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1909, and was educated at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The Academy’s yearbook describes him as having a persistent smile, even during drills, where smiling was frowned upon. Massey’s amicability manifested in his subsequent career with the Navy, too, and persisted as one of his defining features according to the people who served with him.
After graduation in 1930, Massey attended flight training at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, and achieved the designation of naval aviator on 1 April 1932. During the rest of the 1930s, Massey served on USS Lexington (CV-2), USS New Mexico (BB-40), and USS Idaho (BB-42), in addition to shore duty at Pensacola, Florida, where he taught the next cohort of naval aviators.
In September 1941, Massey joined Torpedo Squadron Six as its executive officer. He and the squadron found themselves at Pearl Harbor, on USS Enterprise (CV-6), when the Japanese attacked a few months later.
Massey was promoted to lieutenant commander in January 1942. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for executing the Navy’s first unescorted airborne torpedo attack during the 1 February Marshall Islands raid.
Massey’s boldness and bravery extended to his role in the Battle of Midway. On the morning of 4 June 1942, Massey led 12 planes of USS Yorktown’s (CV-5) Torpedo Squadron 3, accompanied by six fighters. Massey’s plane went down in flames during this attack, but his squadron succeeded in scoring direct hits on two enemy aircraft carriers.
As the smoke cleared, Massey was officially reported missing in action and, a day later, he was presumed dead. For this ultimate sacrifice in the effort to hit and sink as many Japanese carriers as possible, Massey received the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart medal. In 1944, the Navy named destroyer USS Massey (DD-778) in his honor.
Footnotes
- Accessibility/Section 508 |
- Employee Login |
- FOIA |
- NHHC IG |
- Privacy |
- Webmaster |
- Navy.mil |
- Navy Recruiting |
- Careers |
- USA.gov |
- USA Jobs
- No Fear Act |
- Site Map |
- This is an official U.S. Navy web site