USO Canteen FReeper Style..Battle of Midway Tribute....June 4,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and Snow Bunny

[SAMWolf]

“Oh, Yorktown! You’re so beautiful,” exclaimed Mike Swarm, the National Geographic Midway Expedition’s chief electronics technician, on May 20, 1998. A day earlier the expedition had found the U.S.S. Yorktown lying 16,650 feet (5,075 meters) underwater. Humans were now seeing the aircraft carrier for the first time since it sank in 1942. As the U.S. Navy’s Advanced Tethered Vehicle (ATV), a remotely controlled submersible, transmitted images, Midway survivor Bill Surgi led a virtual tour of his ship. His verdict? “She looks good for the shape she’s in.”

Have a look at the sunken Yorktown, and judge for yourself.

At the bow, two 20-millimeter antiaircraft guns are dimly visible in a gun tub below the flight deck. Lines through the hawser hole may have been used to haul in a towing cable in an attempt to save the carrier.

Three miles (4.8 kilometers) beneath the Pacific, the Yorktown still points her guns skyward, toward the Japanese warplanes that bombed her. (This and the other photos were taken by cameras on a U.S. Navy robot submersible.)

The wooden flight deck, which would have jutted over the stern, was apparently ripped away when the ship plunged into the seafloor.

Guns top part of the “island,” the superstructure housing the bridge and pilothouse. The circular object is a wiper used to clear a foggy porthole. Countless coats of paint keep the ship gray and free from corrosion.

On the port side, a hole shows where two aerial torpedoes hit on June 4, 1942, ripping away armor plate and opening the hull. Oil stains above the hole indicate that the torpedoes ruptured fuel tanks.

The Yorktown’s identifying numeral—5—appears on her bow. Also visible is a crack that probably opened when the carrier hit bottom at a speed estimated to be about 45 miles (72 kilometers) per hour.

Sort of makes your eyes mist up don't they?

[SAMWolf]

about 2 1/2 weeks more to endure. ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!

[Victoria Delsoul]

Victoria...perhaps it should have a pink ribbon since it IS his mother-in-law? -hahaha

Here you are. :-)

[Diver Dave]

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. LJ

[Victoria Delsoul]

LOL, too late. I've got your pink ribbon already. :-D

[Poohbah]

Captain Waynes Hughes, USN (Retired), wrote the book Fleet Tactics in 1986, and revised it in 2000. He discusses the carrier battles of the Pacific and lays out Midway in some detail. The following is based largely on that analysis.

Basically, in 1942, one deck-load strike (all offensive aircraft based on one carrier) could be expected to sink one enemy carrier. Finding the enemy was the critical factor. Allocate too few aircraft to search, and the odds are that the enemy will elude you; allocate too many, and your firepower will be diluted (the Dauntless was a scout-dive bomber).

The Japanese had four carriers; the US had three. Whoever attacked effectively first would win.

The US had a "force multiplier" in place at Midway: PBY Catalina flying boats, intended for maritime search and patrol. To attack Midway, the Japanese fleet would need to draw within range of Midway's search planes; this meant that Spruance could allocate his dive bombers to the attack mission instead of expending them in penny packets to find the enemy.

In early going, the Japanese had the better of the battle, with Torpedo 8 from the Hornet losing all but one man, Ensign George Gay. However, the torpedo attack drew the fighter cover down low, and kept them from engaging the dive bombers.

Additionally, Midway served as a valuable decoy, distracting Nagumo (he had TWO missions: aid in the seizure of Midway and destroy the remainder of the US fleet). He ordered several ordnance changes, and thus delayed his own strike against the American fleet until the dive bombers arrived.

Let's go back to Hughes' analysis that one carrier deckload could sink one enemy carrier.

Let's look at Scenario A, which the Japanese desired. They hoped to find the Americans and attack effectively before the Americans could locate them. With four deckloads on the attack, the Japanese would easily sink all three US carriers without loss to themselves. No more capital units in the US Pacific Fleet; the Japanese the war would probably extend well into 1946, or even 1947.

Scenario B is no less appetizing for the US. In this scenario, both sides detect and attack simultaneously. The Japanese sink all three American carriers; three Japanese carriers also sink. The one remaining carrier establishes enough air supremacy to allow the Japanese to sink Midway; the war goes on into 1946.

The third option is one the Japanese fear the most. Scenario C presumes that the Americans locate the Japanese task force while their own carriers remain safely hidden. A surprise attack by 3 undetected carriers would sink 3 Japanese carriers; a Japanese counterstrike would sink one carrier; and the US second strike would sink the remaining Japanese carrier.

Attack effectively first. That is the most importannt rule in naval warfare.

The Battle of Midway shows many glimpses of future warfare, from over-the-horizon targeting (a major issue in the 1980s as the Tomahawk antiship missile--which could fly out much further than the launching ship's sensors could see) to modern concept of "network-centric warfare" (where remote sensors communicate their reports to the commander).

[Victoria Delsoul]

Hahahahaha, let me think about it.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Hi 4! Have a great day my friend. See you later.

[SAMWolf]

[Peacerose]

Thanks, Snow Bunny! Excellent graphics!

[LadyX]

I LOVE IT!!!

(it will grow on SAM..:)))

[hchutch]

Indeed. IMHO, it was a well-done effort, and the two unsung heroes of this battle are Edwin Layton and Joe Rochefort. Both of these men made the victory at Midway possible.

It was also, IMHO, Frank Jack Fletcher's best day, albeit I am not a fan of his. He was barely competent, IMHO.

[Poohbah]

He was a good peacetime manager, but he didn't have the fire in his belly needed to fight a war.

[Billie]

Hi, pretty lady! Don't tell anyone - they'll think I'm biased, but...it's my favorite, too! Thank you.

Some things just fall into place. Some were quick and easy to make, and those I did first. Others I had to think for a bit to decide what 'side' of the FReeper I wanted to show......which is why yours, and LadyX', were a couple of the last ones I did.

Also, of all the dollz we've seen here, my very favorite will ALWAYS be, not the first one Louie gave me, but the cowgirl, which I use on my page in a prominent spot. :)

Speaking of profile pages, check out "the wolf's" latest. Something for everyone. (almost!) LOL

[LadyX]

Hang tough, Angelique!

I had the same problem, but it just takes a while to load.
Pull up another screen or play Hearts or something while you allow it to do its thing -
go out and water the flowers - play a round of golf - it WILL load!

It truly is worth the effort.

[LadyX]

Hi, Billie!
Needless to say, I LOVE mine, and am so grateful for the thoughtfulness and creativity
that went into my signature.
Everything you do reflects both your talents, and your HUGE HEART.

[sleavelessinseattle]

Hi Billie...If you're not accustomed to vibration interfering with your typing accuracy...sip the Quad Espresso I just bought you slowly Hombre! Mui FUERTE!!!

Sippin' and sssssshakin'.

In Seattle, home of Starbucks...Our society is totally adapted to all the problems associated with mass caffeine addiction...We have special intervention squads that go out to offices where some negligent Barista(coffee maker person) has switched regular coffee beans with DECAF...HORRORS!) The Squad usually gets there before people start actually sliding under their desks asleep, but business here would "grind" to a halt without the Leaded Variety!!!

Large doses of Caffeine can turn you into a power tool(women must notice this about me...They're always calling me a "tool" as they walk briskly away from me on some errand...their slaps of encouragement are so invigorating!LOL) Drink a Quad or a Quintuple short and you can sand an entire desk by just sitting on it with a piece of sandpaper under your butt!

doing a little remodel job? need a new door cut in a non load bearing wall? No problem!!! Just take a number two pencil and start tracing the outline of the cut you want to make over and over again...stepping forward as you machine your way through the wall...Your shaking will act on the point of the pencil like a Jackhammer tip to a Concrete Pool Demolition!!! Later DUDE!!!

[hchutch]

No kidding. Fletcher just couldn't hack it out there... thankfully, we faced somewhat more incompetent Japanese commanders.

[Billie]

:) :)

Well, you're so affectionate and outgoing, blowing kisses was the ticket for you - sorta like, that's what that X stands for in your screenname. :)

[Poohbah]

An interesting point: aside from Raizo Tanaka, most Japanese naval commanders required the Americans to act in the way they wished them too when writing their operational plans.

Tanaka was a tactical commander, and used his advantages (torpedoes, night optics) superbly.

Probably the best US tacticians were Moosbrugger and Arleigh Burke; and Burke was the only one to have two battles where he exercised tactical command.