The Battle June 4, 1942
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Just after midnight on 4 June, Admiral Nimitz, based on patrol plane reports, advised Task Forces 16 and 17 of the course and speed of the Japanese "main body," also noting their distance of 574 miles from Midway. Shortly after dawn, a patrol plane spotted two Japanese carriers and their escorts, reporting "Many planes heading Midway from 320 degrees distant 150 miles!"
- The first attack on 4 June, however, took place when the four night-flying PBYs attacked the Japanese transports northwest of Midway with one PBY torpedoing fleet tanker Akebono Maru.
- Before dawn, 16 B-17s leave Midway for second attack on Japanese
Invasion Force. PBYs depart in search of the Japanese carriers.
- At 0430 in the morning of 4 June 1942, while 240 miles northwest of Midway, Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo's four carriers began launching 108 planes to attack the U.S. base there. Unknown to the Japanese, three U.S. carriers were steaming 215 miles to the east. The two opposing fleets sent out search planes, the Americans to locate an enemy they knew was there and the Japanese as a matter of operational prudence. Seaplanes from Midway were also patrolling along the expected enemy course. One of these spotted, and reported, the Japanese carrier striking force at about 0530.
That seaplane also reported the incoming Japanese planes, and radar confirmed the approaching attack shortly thereafter. Midway launched its own planes. Navy, Marine and Army bombers headed off to attack the Japanese fleet. Midway's Marine Corps Fighting Squadron 221 (VMF-221) intercepted the enemy formation at about 0615. However, the Marines were immediately engaged by an overwhelming force of the very superior Japanese "Zero" fighters and were able to shoot down only a few of the enemy bombers, while suffering great losses themselves.
The Japanese planes hit Midway's two inhabited islands at 0630. Twenty minutes of bombing and straffing knocked out some facilities on Eastern Island, but did not disable the airfield there. Sand Island's oil tanks, seaplane hangar and other buildings were set afire or otherwise damaged. As the Japanese flew back toward their carriers the attack commander, Lieutenant Joichi Tomonaga, radioed ahead that another air strike was required to adequately soften up Midway's defenses for invasion.
~ 0900 June 4th After The Initial Attack- PBY spots the Japanese carriers northwest of Midway at a heading
of 330 degrees and at about 170 miles out.
- A second PBY reports "many planes" headed toward Midway.
- Seven AM - Ten torpedo planes were among the aircraft launched from
Midway's Eastern Island airfield as the Japanese raid approached in
the early morning of 4 June 1942. Four were Army Air Force B-26 "Marauder"
medium bombers, which had been modified to each carry a Navy Mark XIII
aerial torpedo. The other six were a detachment of the same Torpedo
Squadron Eight (VT-8) that flew from USS Hornet (CV-8). Unlike their
ship borne squadron mates, this group operated the newly-introduced TBF-1
"Avenger" torpedo plane, which had much better performance than the
older TBD-1 "Devastator".
These ten torpedo planes were the first to encounter the Japanese carrier fleet, soon after 7:00 AM, and they received the intense and deadly attentions of the defending combat air patrol. Only one of the Navy TBFs survived, much shot up with one crewman killed. Two of the four Army planes got through. However, none of the torpedo planes hit a Japanese ship.
Remaining U.S. land-based aircraft take off from Eastern Island - B-26 bombers, Grumman single engine torpedo bombers TBF-1, Douglas Dauntless SBD-2 scout/dive bombers, and the Vought Vindicator scout/dive bombers.
The B-26 Marauder was an American World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. The first bomber in the Pacific theater and Aleutian Islands in 1942, it was also used in the European Theater of Operations and in the North African Campaign. The plane distinguished itself as "the chief bombardment weapon on the Western Front" according to an Army Air Forces dispatch from 1946, and also because the B-26B maintained the lowest loss record of any combat aircraft during World War II. Its loss record stands in sharp contrast to its unofficial nickname "The Widowmaker".
The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by
General Motors) was a torpedo bomber, developed initially for the United
States Navy and Marine Corps and used by a large number of air forces
around the world. It entered service in 1942, and first saw action during
the Battle of Midway. During the Battle of Midway, all of the three
aircraft carriers' torpedo groups (from the USS Hornet, USS Enterprise,
and USS Yorktown) had taken horrendous casualties; one group had a single
survivor (Ensign George Gay). This was partly due to the slow speed
of the Devastator (less than 200 mph (320 km/h) during glide-bombing)
and its weak defensive armament. Ironically, the first shipment of TBFs
had arrived only a few hours after the three carriers quickly departed
from Pearl Harbor (although a few eventually participated launched from
Midway Island).
Avengers At Work - 0800 - Less than an hour behind Midway's torpedo planes were sixteen Marine Scouting Squadron 241 (VMSB-241) SBD-2 bombers. They attacked the Japanese carrier Hiryu, scoring a near miss and causing a few casualties with machinegun fire. Again, the Japanese combat air patrol handled the attackers roughly. Only eight of the Marine SBDs returned to Midway, of which but two were fit for further service.
- Then, somewhat after 0800, fifteen Army B-17s struck, raining down
sticks of bombs from high altitude. Much was expected of this kind of
attack, but no hits were scored, a result that further war experience
would demonstrate was all-too-typical. On the other hand, the "Flying
Fortresses" were little damaged by Japanese anti-aircraft fire and fighters.
They made several fine photographs of the Japanese carriers maneuvering
far below, an indication of the true role of these heavy bombers in
contemporary maritime warfare: long-distance reconnaissance by aircraft
capable of defending themselves.
B17s Attempting A Hit On Japanese Carriers - Last of the Midway attack force were eleven Marine SB2U dive bombers,
which came on the scene some minutes after the B-17s. These older planes
attacked the battleship Haruna. They, too, made no hits, but
most of them survived
- Midway fighter aircraft engage Japanese aircraft 30 miles from Midway
and suffer heavy loss.
- Midway under attack - attack is over in about 20 minutes with major
damage to facilities on Eastern and Sand Islands.
- Japanese Midway strike commander requests second strike/bombing
of Midway.
- U.S. Aircraft from Midway begin attacking Japanese carriers - they
score no hits and suffered heavy losses, except for the B-17s which
were diverted to attack the Japanese carriers and recorded no hits.
- U.S. Carriers
Hornet and
Enterprise launch their aircraft to attack the Japanese carriers.
The seventh USS Hornet (CV-8) of the United States Navy was a Yorktown class aircraft carrier of World War II, notable for launching the Doolittle Raid, as a participant in the Battle of Midway, and for action in the Solomons before being irreparably damaged in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands.
She was launched 14 December 1940 by Newport News Shipbuilding of Newport News, Virginia, sponsored by Annie Reid Knox (wife of Secretary of the Navy Frank M. Knox), and commissioned at Norfolk 20 October 1941, Captain Marc A. Mitscher in command.
During the uneasy period before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hornet trained out of Norfolk. A hint of a future mission occurred 2 February 1942 when Hornet departed Norfolk with two Army Air Force B-25 Mitchell medium bombers on deck. Once at sea, the planes were launched to the surprise and amazement of Hornet's crew. Her men were unaware of the meaning of this experiment, as Hornet returned to Norfolk, prepared to leave for combat, and on 4 March sailed for the West Coast via the Panama Canal.
USS Hornet Ready To Sting
The Hornet, Still Alive And Well
- Japanese Admiral Nagumo orders rearming of planes he has prepared
for a possible attack on U.S. ships with land bombs for second strike
on Midway.
- Japanese scout plane locates portions of the U.S. Fleet and later
the Yorktown.
- Yorktown responds by launching a limited strike with only half of
its dive-bombers and fighters taking off.
- Nagumo decides to rearm all planes with torpedoes and armor piercing
bombs to attack U.S. ships. Safety precautions are overlooked to ready
the aircraft.
- Japanese aircraft return from Midway attack and Nagumo decides to
wait to attack the U.S. ships with all aircraft. Japanese carriers turn
northeast to engage the reported U.S. carrier.
- U.S. TBD2 Devastators, torpedo bombers from the Hornet and Enterprise
attack the carriers without the protection of the Wildcat fighters.
Yorktown TBDs attack the fighter escort but still suffer heavy losses.
Forty out of 44 TBD2 aircraft are lost, with no hits. Ensign George
Gay is the sole survivor of Hornet's Torpedo Eight.
The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States
Navy, ordered in 1934, first flying in 1935 and entering service in
1937. At that point, it was the most advanced plane flying for the USN
and possibly for any navy in the world. However, the fast pace of aircraft
development caught up with it, and by the time of the Japanese attack
on Pearl Harbor the TBD was already outdated. It performed well in some
early battles, but in the Battle of Midway the Devastators launched
against the Japanese fleet were almost totally wiped out. The type was
immediately withdrawn from service, replaced by the Grumman TBF Avenger.
- Japanese fighter aircraft protecting their carriers are running
out of ammunition and fuel after mopping up after the torpedo bomber
attacks.
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The SBDs plunged down on the startled
Japanese, who were turning
into the wind to fly off their own striking force. Flight decks were
crowded with armed, fueled planes, and hangar decks held other planes
and much unstowed ordnance. Multiple bomb hits ignited fatal conflagrations
on three of the four Japanese carriers, which were immediately put out
of action, ending any realistic hope of Japanese victory in this battle.
As they burned, Lieutenant Commander William H. Brockman, undeterred
by earlier depth charge attacks, brought USS Nautilus in submerged and
fired torpedoes at Kaga. However, as would commonly be the case until
more than half-way through 1943, the only "fish" that hit failed to
explode. Consumed by fires and explosions, Kaga and Soryu sank late
in the afternoon. Akagi followed them before dawn the next day.
- Hornet's dive-bombers and fighters miss the initial action.
- Aircraft from the Hiryu launch an attack on the Yorktown - three
bombs find their mark. Damage control parties had Yorktown underway
at two-thirds speed with all fires controlled within two hours after
the attack.
Yorktown Under Attack - Second wave of Japanese aircraft from the Hiryu attack the Yorktown,
thinking that it was another carrier; two torpedoes find their mark
- Yorktown abandoned but remains afloat.
- Admirals Fletcher and Spruance turned the U.S. Fleet to the east
to avoid a nighttime surface battle with the Japanese cruisers and battleships.
