The Battle of Midway – Myths, Legends and Greatness (with John Parshall)

On thing is for certain, Torpedo Squadron 8 made up of Devastator torpedo planes was wiped out.

As opposed to June 1944, the allies were back on their heels in Spring 1942.

1941 USN bloodied at Pearl Harbor. Wake and Guam fall.
1942. U-boats still threaten to starve the UK.
Rommel trouncing around North Africa.
Russia is near collapse.
IJN victorious across the Pacific as it runs the Royal Navy out of the Indian Ocean, and the Dutch Navy, Australian Navy and USN from the Java Sea.
Philippines fall.
Japs attack Darwin.
With the Lexington sunk and Yorktown damaged, the Battle of the Coral Sea is a strategic success and tactical defeat for the USN.

Battle of Midway [06/04/2024]
Ignoring the Lessons of Defeat (Midway) [06/04/2024]
Grading Midway's Commanders [06/04/2024]

Drachinifel is a good channel, his series on the clean up and raising of the sunken ships at Pearl Harbor is facinating.

More John Parshall about Midway with the “Unauthorized History of the Pacific War Podcast”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw_Uox4s3lg

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John’s book is by far the most authoritative on Midway. There is a new book, I think called “Midway,” that is also very good and makes a few tweaks on “Shattered Sword,” but pretty much reaffirms it.

BTW, the BEST WW II in the Pacific Naval history is the new series by Ian Toll, a trilogy. Magnificent.

The real fact is the American attack was a cluster. All the units ended up attacking separately. The torpedo planes took the brunt of the attack with almost everyone of them being lost.

This was a mixed blessing as it pulled the fighters down and left the dive bombers who showed up late with no fighters to engage and left the Japanese carriers completely defenseless.

We were lucky.

<>This was a mixed blessing as it pulled the fighters down and left the dive bombers who showed up late with no fighters to engage and left the Japanese carriers completely defenseless.<>

That is one of the Midway myths that Parshall refutes.

You’re spot on with your post.