Rear Admiral Robert Witcher Copeland (September 9, 1910 – August 25, 1973) was a United States Navy officer who served during World War II.
Copeland was born in Tacoma, Washington. Enlisted in the Naval Reserve in 1929, he was commissioned as a Naval Reserve officer in 1935. Copeland practiced law from 1935 until 1940, when he was ordered to active duty during the Navy's pre-World War II expansion. During the war, he commanded , , , and .
During the Battle off Samar, October 25, 1944, while commanding Samuel B. Roberts, a destroyer escort, with 2 x 5 inch guns and weighing in at only 1,350 tonnes, Lieutenant Commander Copeland led his ship and crew in an attack on a superior Japanese battleship and cruiser force consisting of 4 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 11 light cruisers and 2 destroyers, commanded by Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita, together with 3 other US destroyers (USS Johnston, USS Hoel, USS Heermann) and 4 destroyer escorts (USS Dennis, USS John C. Butler, USS Raymond, USS Samuel B. Roberts). The Japanese force consisted of 4 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and some 11 destroyers. One of the 4 Japanese battleships was the almighty legendary Japanese battleship Yamato, with her 9 x 18.1 inch guns and weighing in at over 65,000 tonnes, one of the finest if not the finest battleship ever built. The other three Japanese battleships consisted of the Nagato with her 16 inch guns and the two fast battleships Kongo and Haruna. It was an outstandingly brave action to charge such a powerful force in his tiny destroyer escort. The advantage of course for the Samuel B Roberts was that because the ship was so small at only 1,350 tonnes, it was difficult for the Japanese battleships to target and to hit. Despite evasive maneuvers and firing off all her torpedoes were expended, the Samuel B Roberts was eventually hit.
Though his ship was sunk and lost in the battle, this action helped defeat the Japanese counter-offensive against the Leyte invasion. For this, he was awarded the Navy Cross, and shared the Presidential Unit Citation with the rest of Task Unit 77.4.3. After his ship was crippled by 14-inch shells from a Japanese battleship and ordered abandoned, Copeland managed to survive for two days on a life raft before being rescued. Of the 224-man crew aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) during the Battle off Samar on October 25, 1944, 120 sailors survived. Copeland was lucky to be one of the 120 who survived. Those who survived, spent over 50 hours in the water on a raft. Some of the men in the water were eaten by sharks.
According to the action report of the USS Samuel B. Roberts, "The crew were informed over the loud speaker system at the beginning of the action, of the Commanding Officer's estimate of the situation, that is, a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival could not be expected, during which time we would do what damage we could. In the face of this knowledge the men zealously manned their stations wherever they might be, and fought and worked with such calmness, courage and efficiency that no higher honor could be conceived than to command such a group of men."
Following World War II, Copeland resumed his law career while remaining a member of the Naval Reserve, in which he rose to the rank of Rear Admiral. Robert W. Copeland died at Tacoma, Washington, on August 25, 1973.
In 1980, the frigate was named for him.
Awards
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|colspan="6"| Navy Cross
|colspan="6"| Purple Heart
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|colspan="4"|Naval Reserve Medal<br/>w/ one " bronze star
|colspan="4"|Navy Presidential Unit Citation<br/>w/ one " bronze star
|colspan="4"|American Defense Service Medal
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|colspan="4"|American Campaign Medal
|colspan="4"|Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal<br/>w/ two " bronze stars
|colspan="4"|World War II Victory Medal
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|colspan="4"|Armed Forces Reserve Medal
|colspan="4"|Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
|colspan="4"|Philippine Liberation Medal<br/>w/ one " bronze star
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Navy Cross citation
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:Lieutenant Commander Robert Witcher Copeland
:U.S. Navy
:Date Of Action: October 25, 1944
:The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Commander Robert Witcher Copeland, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the Destroyer Escort U.S.S. SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (DE-413), in a surface action with a large task force of the Japanese Fleet off the Island of Samar, in Philippine waters, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf on 25 October 1944. Against an enemy force vastly superior in numbers, armament and armor, with cool deliberation Lieutenant Commander Copeland closed to within 4,000 yards of a heavy cruiser to deliver a torpedo attack on the rapidly advancing enemy who had taken him under fire from their large caliber guns. By his heroic action, he thus diverted enemy fire to himself from the almost defenseless vessels which he was protecting. Although his ship was lost in this engagement, his heroic actions were instrumental in turning back, sorely crippled, a vastly superior enemy force. His extraordinary courage and magnificent fighting spirit in the face of terrific odds will live forever in the memory of the officers and men who served with him that day. His conduct was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Navy of the United States.