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Posted on 06/04/2008 10:33:01 PM PDT by eekitsagreek
On this date back in 1942, one of the most decisive engagements in the history of naval warfare took place. The outnumbered and outgunned US Pacific Fleet took on the mighty Imperial Japanese Navy and came away with--as author Walter Lord would describe--an incredible victory.
Although the US was outnumbered, they had the advantage of reading the Japanese code traffic and knew that Midway was the target. On the morning of June 4, Japanese aircraft inflicted great damage on the island but luckily no American aircraft were caught on the ground. Many American fighters (Wildcats and Buffaloes) defending the island were lost. Midway-based strike aircraft made valiant attempts to attack the Kido Butai (Japan's main carrier task force) but failed to register a hit. Devastator torpedo bombers from the carriers Yorktown, Enterprise, and Hornet took very heavy losses but also failed to score.
At this point, despite the bravery and sacrifice of the American pilots, the US is losing the battle.
Then incredibly, as Zero fighters were flying at wavetop height, hunting the remaining torpedo bomber, US Navy Dauntless dive bombers from the Yorktown and Enterprise bore down undetected and scored hits on Kaga, Akagi, and Soryu.
With three flattops burning, the Hiryu was all that was left. Her planes managed to find the Yorktown and scored with three bombs. Her pilots thought for sure that Yorktown would sink as she went dead in the water. But Yorktown's crew thought otherwise as they were able to patch her up and get her moving again. Hiryu launched another strike and her planes found what looked like an undamaged carrier (Yorktown) and attacked, scoring two torpedo hits. Yorktown began to list and, fearing that she may capsize, was ordered abandoned. She would struggle to live (and take a torpedo from a Japanese sub) before finally sinking on June 7.
Meanwhile, Hiryu's pilots believe now that two US carriers are out of action. While preparing to laucnh a third strike, Dauntlesses from Enterprise and Yorktown (the latter having taken refuge aboard the former) found her and set her ablaze.
The loss of the four carriers of the Kido Butai would end Japan's Pacific ambitions and turned the tide in favor of the US.
From Walter Lord's book "Incredible Victory"....
“By any ordinary standard they were hopelessly outclassed. “They had no battleships, the enemy eleven. They had eight cruisers, the enemy twenty-three. They had three carriers (one of them crippled); the enemy had eight. Their shore defenses included guns from the turn of the century. “They knew little of war. None of the Navy pilots on one of their carriers had ever been in combat. Nor had any of the Army fliers. Of the Marines, 17 of 21 new pilots were just out of flight school - some with less than four hours’ flight time since then. Their enemy was brilliant, experienced and all-conquering. “They were tired, dead tired. The patrol plane crews, for instance, had been flying 15 hours a day, servicing their own planes, getting perhaps three hours’ sleep at night. “They had equipment problems. Some of their dive bombers couldn’t dive - the fabric came off the wings. Their torpedoes were slow and unreliable; the torpedo planes even worse. Yet they were up against the finest fighting plane in the world. “They took crushing losses - 15 out of 15 in one torpedo squadron … 21 out of 27 in a group of fighters … many, many more. “They had no right to win. Yet they did, and in doing so they changed the course of a war. More than that, they added a new name - Midway - to that small list that inspires men by shining example. Like Marathon, the Armada, the Marne, a few others, Midway showed that every once in a while ‘what must be’ need not be at all. Even against the greatest of odds, there is something in the human spirit - a magic blend of skill, faith and valor - that can lift men from certain defeat to incredible victory."
Two things about that film bug the heck out of me. First — the love story. Come on, does any man like that crap in a war movie? Ugh.
Second — the stock footage of the aircraft show Hellcats, Avengers, Helldivers — all of those were not in use in June 1942.
I always loved reading about what was done by the heroes of Midway, ever since I was a little kid. Those sailors and aviators were brave men and we all owe them.
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Still trying to sell it to a publisher. If I don't get a bite soon, I'll self publish under the title, "Halsey's Bluff."
The United States Navy suffered another blow in its attempt to stem the Japanese juggernaut ravaging the Pacific Ocean. Midway Island, perhaps the most vital U.S. outpost, was pummeled by Japanese Naval aviators. The defending U.S. forces, consisting primarily of antique Buffalo fighters, were competely wiped out while the Japanese attackers suffered few, if any, losses.
In a nearby naval confrontation, the Japanese successfully attacked the Yorktown which was later sunk by a Japanese submarine. A destroyer lashed to the Yorktown was also sunk.
American forces claim to have sunk four Japanese carriers and the cruiser Mikuma but those claims were vehemently denied by the Emporer's spokeman.
The American carriers lost an entire squadron of torpedo planes when they failed to link up with fighter escorts. The dive bombers had fighter escort even though they weren't engaged by enemy fighters. The War Dept. refused to answer when asked why the fighters were assigned to the wrong attack groups. The Hornet lost a large number of planes when they couldn't locate the enemy task force. Despite this cavalcade of errors, Admirals Fletcher and Spruance have not been removed.
Yep, you’re so right.
Hey there SWB! Glad to see you here. You are right, "Shattered Sword" is a great book. Another recent book on Midway that I recommend is "Midway Inquest". There is also another recent book that I have yet to read called "Midway, Dauntless Victory: Fresh Perspectives on America's Seminal Naval Victory of World War II". I have heard good reviews on this book.
Other titles:
"That Gallant Ship: USS Yorktown"
"A Glorious Page in our History"
Hey SWB, I won't be able to participate in a TSN thread the next few days, so please pass along my regards to TSN Queen for me please. Thanks!
Well...the Red Wings are chumps...er, champs once again. Oh well...their run is now over. It's time for the Hawks to dominate!! Take care my friend and I will chat with you soon again.
Second — the stock footage of the aircraft show Hellcats, Avengers, Helldivers — all of those were not in use in June 1942.
Third - the battle scenes use stock overhead shots of 1950s-era angle-decked American carriers, which are supposed to be the straight-decked Japanese carriers. Technically, the picture is a complete mess.
A modern remake of "Midway" would be nice - if it could ever be done without re-inserting your first objection. ;)
The first turning point and a lot sooner than anybody thought. Stalingrad was the other main turning point.
Here is a photo of Torpedo 8 commander LCDR John Waldron as his TBD Devastator takes off from the Hornet and toward his fateful destiny with the Kido Butai at Midway.
The first A6M Zero prototype went to the airfield in a ox cart. They didn’t use a truck ‘cause the roads were so bad that the aircraft carried that way were damaged; they didn’t use a railroad because there wasn’t one between factory and the airfield.
In the US, we would have called that a “clue.”
Yorktown taking a torpedo hit in the second attack.
BUMP!
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