Evening star., 1945-09-07
Combat Exhaustion
Is Blamed in Death
OF Admiral Mccain
81 the Associated Press.

@AC oeouI AlSllIlIlS 1ledTG WHICH
carried Vice Admiral John Sid.
ney Mccain through the Navy.
strenuous flying course at S:
years of age and to smashing
victories over the Japanese, gave
out last night-of sheer exhaus-
,tion from combat duty.
Admiral Mccain gave his life
for his country. He was suffering
from complete fatigue resulting
from the strain of the last months
of combat" asserted Capt. John
Vann, his personal physician.
The 61-year-old vice admiral
commander of the famed, far
ranging fast carrier Task Force So,
had been directing almost constant
raids, mostly against the japanese
homeland, for the last three months.
In that time, Admiral McCains
planes knocked out 5000 Nipponese
aircraft and 1000 900 tons of ship
ping, including approximately 100
warShips.
In that time, too, Admiral Nc
Cain was under terrific strain from
combating repeated kamikaze at
tacks on his task force-including
one made several hours after the
August Is truce.
Arrived in U. S. Wednesday.
Admiral Mccain lived just long
enough to see victory accomplished
but not much longer. He arrived
home only Wednesday after having
witnessed the surrender ceremony
aboard the U. S. S. Missouri in
Tokyo Bay September 2.
Admiral Mccain, almost as bitter
in his hatred of japanese war lords
as was his superior at sea, Admiral
William F. Halsey, jr., declared
"Japan's war lords are not half
licked yet. I didn't like the look in
their (signatoriesO eyes,"
He had planned a short visit with
his wife here, then a trip to WASH
1ngton to report for a new assign
ment.
Peppery despite the tired lines
In his face, he was full of postwar
plans.
Give me enough fast carriers
and let me run them and you can
have the atom bomb" he told news
papermen in Honolulu en- route
home by air.
Admiral Mccain was graduated
from the Naval Academy in 1906.
Thirty years later, at SO, after hav-
Ing served on almost every type of
ship from destroyer to battleship,
he received his wings at Pensacola
and plunged into naval air strategy
He already wore captains eagle.
In May, 1912, then a rear ad-
miral, he became commander of
aircraft in the South Pacific. A few
months later was awarded the Dis
tinguished Service Medal for hav-
ing contributed greatly to the oc-
cupation of the Guadalcanal- -Tula-
81 area" Then he became deputy
chief of naval operations for air in
Washington.
Late III the summer of 1914, Ad-
miral Mccain returned to the Paci-
flc to study carrier force tactics
first hand under Past Master Vice
Admiral Marc A. Mitscher. After
few weeks, he was given COM
mand of carrier task group under
Admiral Mitscher.
In September and October, he
helped cover the Peleliu and Leyte
invasions and participated in the
second battle of the Philippines,
which sank or damaged SO of 81
Nipponese ships participating.
On October 80, Admiral Mitscher
asked Admiral Mccain, Are you
ready to take over, John?" And
Admiral Mccain replied simply, II
am"
Penetrated South China Sea.
Rain had prevented Gen. Douglas
MacArthur'S air forces from firmly
establishing themselves on bitterly
contested Leyte, so he asked Ad-
miral Mccain to smash the Japa-
nese air forces in the Philippines.
Admiral McCain's famous Task
Force 38 did-with almost daily
raids on Philippine bases and strikes
at Formosa and along the Ryukyus
which blasted staging bases.
Then Admiral Halsey and Admiral
Mccain dared to penetrate the
South China Sea. They went in
l 900 miles and the japanese never
knew they were there until, early
in January, their carrier planes
blasted Saigon and 300 miles of the
French Indo-China coast. Then
they bombed, rocketed and strafed
300 miles of the China coast, rang
Ing from Canton to Hong Kong to
Swatow and ranging over to the
Takao-Toshien area of Formosa.
They wound up with another neu-
tralizing smash at the Ryukyus.
In that three month period, Octo-
ber 80, 1914 to January 26, 1945,
Admiral McCain's force sank or
damaged 298 merchantmen totaling
995, 100 tons, 10l cruisers, destroyers
and destroyer escorts totalling 147,-
900 tons and another 10000 tons of
small craft for grand total OF L.
162, 500 tons.
In the same period it destroyed or
damaged 1852 Japanese aircraft
representing two months full Nip
poneses production.
Admiral Mccain was given a rest,
the Navy Cross-his services high
est award-for extraordinary hero
ISM and gold star in lieu of
second Distinguished Service Medal.
Had Three-Way Task.
On May q, Admiral Mccain re-
turned to the command of Task
~