Sixty-seven years ago today, the great clash of fleets known as the “Battle of Midway” was joined, almost exactly six months after IJN Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto told the Japanese cabinet during his planning for Pearl Harbor, “I can run wild for six months, but after that I have no expectation of success.”
He was right: When the battle ended two days later, four of the six carriers he had used at Pearl Harbor sunk to the bottom, Soryu, Hiryu, Kaga and Akagi, and the Japanese were thrown on the defensive for the rest of the war.
This was the beginning of the end.
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Update: Catch SJS on the USNI blog.
When was a young lad I did a paper on Midway for a history class. I still remember reading over my research material and having the battle come together in my mind. I specifically remember the point when the last VT sqdns were making their suicidal runs, with the Japanese CAP all down low and all of those Japanese planes on the CVs in the middle of changing weapons loads…and those dive bomber squadrons by some miracle happen to show up overhead. I remember the shiver going down my spine as I read descriptions of Japanese lookouts screaming about dive bombers overhead; the realization that the Japanese were laid open for the taking by a seemingly impossible series of events. It has always been one of my favorite battles to read about.
But, more than anything, I remember the feeling of admiration for the men who took part in that battle, and a growing internal drive to be a part of Naval Aviation. Some years later I had the good fortune to shake George Gay’s hand and say, “Thanks.” And I also got to fly E2’s from the USS Midway, one of the greatest periods of my life.
When were you with the Liberty Bells?
90 – 92. Last Midway cruise, turned over to Indy in HI and then a cruise on Indy. It was a good time to be there.
Oh, I missed you by a bit… 75 – 77. Got there just after Frequent Wind. ;p
About two months ago, I was part of a DV tour at Great Lakes. On the flight to Chicago, I sat next to a wonderful old fellow who trained at Great Lakes for an entire TWO weeks in 1941 before being shipped out to the fleet as a gunner’s mate. After some time on a light cruiser, he was on the Yorktown for this fight. He described being ordered by a senior chief to go below to open magazines to ensure flooding. Two other sailors were told to accompany him. As he related the story, he started down the ladder, turned at one point to organize with the other sailors and discovered he was alone. After finishing the job, he abandoned ship.
After all this time, he was still very peeved about the two sailors who bailed out on the job. Chief Garcia finished the war on a submarine in Tokyo Bay for the surrender, was on a destroyer for the trip up Flying Fish Channel to bombard Wolmi-do, and had a few other adventures before retiring. Despite his years and infirmities, Chief Garcia was fired up about this time in his life. I got a lesson on naval guns that was so detailed I think he wouldn’t have had a speck of hesitation in operating anything in the Navy’s arsenal from that time.
To Chief Garcia and all the others who did the heavy lifting all those many years ago, THANK YOU! Fair winds and following seas!
I never get tired of reading/hearing about this battle. I think McClusky is my favorite. VF-6 skipper, he was made CAG just a month before the battle. Squadron CO then CAG as a LtCommander! I’m sure the Dauntless pilots are the genesis of the saying, ‘fighter pilots make movies, attack pilots make history.’
A rare breed of men, they were. And I’ll be attending the local Navy Leagues Midway Commerative diner Saturday night. I’m going to have only one drink, I’ll save that for the toast. I can’t say, “absent companions”, but I can say, “absent hero’s “
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Last week I finished reading Shattered Sword. I thought I had comprehensive knowledge about the battle. I was wrong. This is an excellent book that truly illuminates the Japanese side, and fixed misconceptions on the US side.
Talk tales of bravery for both combatants, and how doctrine and chance intertwined to make Midway such a significant battle.
The only thing missing was the USAAF B-17 pilots claiming victory at the expense of the Navy pilots, and the subsequent fight in the O-club.
http://www.shatteredswordbook.com/index.htm
An excellet read from cover to cover.
Fortunately there are McCluskys, Waldrons and Thatchs in todays Navy. Their spirit of Naval Aviation leadership lives today.
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I listened to an interview on NPR today with the author of A Dawn Like Thunder chronicling Torpedo Squadron Eight. Great interview and I’m sorely tempted to support the author’s excellent effort by buying the book.
Joan of A/
Most people don’t know, but the sole survivor of Torpedo 8, George Gay, was one of the founder’s of Executive Jet (E-Jet.)
To pick a nit, there were two other survivors of VT-8. One of the land based TBFs made it back to Midway with the pilot and one other crewman alive- Harry Ferrier, who my parents knew for many years.
Yes, It’s true !
Yes, It’s true @ virgil. He was the key part in foundation of Executive Jet