Dive Bombers at Midway – How the Dauntless SBD Turned the Tide in the Pacific War’s Most Important Battle

Military History Now ^ | 3/8/2020 | Walter Topp

[LibWhacker]

What navy?

[Mr. Jeeves]

At the last moment, one of the section leaders, Lt. Richard Best, realized what was happening and redirected his five-plane section to attack Akagi.

It is believed Best's bombs sunk both the Akagi and then the Hiryu, later in the day. Talk about cast iron balls - this guy is up there with the greatest of American heroes.

[LibWhacker]

Oh, after Pearl. I was thinking you said after WWII.

[Seruzawa]

It went to Guadalcanal and sunk an awful lot of American and Australian ships. Midway seriously damaged Japan’s strategic capabilities, but during those early surface engagements in 1942 they were a competent and deadly foe. Especially at night fighting.

Check out the Battle of Savo Island.

[lowbuck]

When I was your son’s age I was beginning to dream about a future in Naval Aviation. Mainly from reading and rereading Samuel Elliot Morrison’s ‘History of the US Navy in WWII’.

Today many kids are more attuned to video rather than book so I commend to you several short YouTube videos which you both might find enjoyable.

First, the prelude to Midway. . . the battle of the Coral Sea. Go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB5hH3ksvKE

Then onto part 1 of 3 to analysis the battle of Midway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd8_vO5zrjo

As an aside, by 13 I had a firm goal to be a “Nasal Radiator” (sorry inside joke) and 13 year later won my “Wings of Gold”.

If your son has such dreams assure him they can come true if he believes and fights to realize his goal. As Disney like to say “dreams can come true as long as ‘You Are Young At Heart”.

FReeper regards.

[Little Ray]

Strangely enough the Army tried to adopt the Dauntless as the A-24, but found that dedicated dive bombers were too vulnerable and that fighter-bombers met their needs.
The Army did use A-24s to cover the retreat from the Java sea, but they took heavy casualties.

[bert]

The definitive work on Midway is “Shattered Sword”

I recommend it highly.

It is a fantastic read while suffering from cabin fever

[jmacusa]

Unfortunately the Japs got their revenge six months after Midway in The Battle Of Iron Bottom Sound. Worst defeat for the US Navy ever.

[pfflier]

I hope the Midway movie mentioned is the recently released version about Dick Best, not the earlier abomination with Charlton Heston.

[LibWhacker]

That’s one of the reasons I liked this article so much; there were lots of little facts like that that I had forgotten or never knew.

Yes, incredibly brave men willing to give it all for their country. Something we all should remember as we face our own little crisis in 2020, which is small potatoes compared to WWII.

[colorado tanker]

I actually found the Heston version of Midway pretty good - if you use tech to zap out all the silly human interest crap they put in.

[SuperLuminal]

DZ, your son is about the age I was on December 7th, 1941...

So I have very clear memories of WWII...
Particularly the Pacific Theater since my Dad joined the Marines in Feb 1942 and was in the first wave onto Guadalcanal (1st Division) and, subsequently, several other island amphibious landings,,,
The last one on April fools day in 1945 on Okinawa (6th Division)...

Here is a link to a YouTube playlist that I have compiled of video histories of the Pacific theater land, sea, and air battles...

I made this for my grandchildren and great grandchildren to help understand just how great the United States was back when it was a Nation of freedom, liberty & patriotism...

WWII: Pearl Harbor & Beyond

[US Navy Vet]

Home to Japan

[US Navy Vet]

See your FreeP Mail.

[fso301]

My nine year-old is obsessed with Midway

Get him a copy of Midway, the Battle That Doomed Japan by Mitsuo Fuchida.

John Toldand's But Not in Shame has good eyewitness accounts of not only Midway but many of the Pacific battles during the first six months of the war.

[LibWhacker]

Thanks. After this article I’m wanting more.

[NImerc]

My nine year-old is obsessed with Midway and WWII carrier warfare.....

---

This is great! I watched Midway with my father as a child and I was absolutely amazed by the movie, the battle, and the history. To this day I still watch it and enjoy it as if it were the first time.

[blueunicorn6]

The Japanese get to Pearl Harbor and they think,

“Crap! The carriers aren’t here! Let’s shoot up some stuff since we’re here and head back to our carriers.”

Then what?

They have to consider American submarines, but they always had to consider American submarines.

I can see a tactical move to confuse the submarines, but where did they go?

[75thOVI]

A better book is “Shattered Sword” by John Parchall, and Anthony Tully. They make a solid case that Fuchida may have played fast and loose with the truth. In a later account he told of how hw snuck aboard the USS Missouri to watch the Surrender Ceremony. Not bloody likely.

[Chainmail]

It is also possible that the army air force despised close support missions. Their doctrine was "interdiction" to support the ground forces: killing bridges, staging areas, armor on the road and railroads. It is true that the SBD/A-24 would have had heavy losses against the Germans, unless that air defenses were accurately suppressed first.

But imagine what would have happened if A-24s or SB2Cs were used in direct support of the Normandy landing, taking out the bunkers and machine gun pits while the landing was under way at Omaha Beach. Just wasn't the air force way and those guys were just left with what they could carry and what little flat trajectory naval gunfire could hit that day.

MacArthur used Marine SBDs to support his scheme of maneuver on Luzon. Marine FACs used radio jeeps to direct the Marine pilots on target and the precise hits nailed Japanese defenses, saving soldier's lives and ending Japanese lives. It is said that MacArthur hated the Marine Corps - until he used them at Luzon.