The Battle of Midway Roundtable Opening Remarks
Welcome to the Battle of Midway RoundTable January 2023 issue. This month we have a really good article tracking down the B-26 that was flown by Captain Collins. There has always been a question on the exact aircraft. I think in this article we might have finally identified it. I also got around to writing a review of a book written by Al Kernan. Unfortunately the book is hard to find but if you can find a copy grab it. Well worth the read.
We will start off the new year with a somewhat short newsletter. But there is more to come in the months ahead. Sit back and enjoy.
Captain Collins' B-26 tail number being identified
17 January 2023
From William Longton
Panama City, FL
Learning, analyzing and understanding the many nuances of what took place on June 4, 1942 at the Battle of Midway is what we have all gathered on this site for. For some, it is to simply gain a better understanding. Others try to unravel and correct misconceptions and dispel errors. My passion of interest of that day goes towards the torpedo planes. The 6 separate attacks have always fascinated me. I thought I had "known it all" so to speak.
It came as a rude awakening in June of 2021 when Zsolt Szalanczi uncovered a very inconvenient fact. Up until that moment I had always understood that the commander of the B-26 Marauder strike, Captain James F. Collins had piloted his Marauder named "Winsockie" into the teeth of Nagumo's Zeros and anti-aircraft cannons in a ship whose BuNo was #40-1398. Mr. Szalanczi correctly pointed out that B-26 BuNo #40-1398 had crashed and was written off in April of 1942 meaning it could not possibly have been Collins' ship. He cited Mr Joe Baugher's thoroughly researched site on the serial numbers of the aircraft of WW2 (joebaugher.com/usaf_serials).
I took it upon myself to either dispel or confirm Mr. Szalanczi's claim. I conducted what I thought was an exhaustive examination of Mr. Baughers' page and reported my findings in the November 2021 newsletter. In that writing, I asserted that there could be only 4 other possible numbers which could have been Collins' Marauder. Without any definitive answers, I asked for further help from any readers, and decided to continue my search.
That led me eventually to Akron University. Located in their library is a "closed" research section (meaning in person viewing only) of B-26 Marauder files covering everything from manufacture through destruction or preservation of the aircraft. I reached out to the research librarian there, a Mr Mark Bloom (mabloom@uakron,edu) and told him of my search. Mr. Bloom then informed me that their archive did not include EVERY B-26, but was willing to give it a go. After several weeks of searching the files Mark informed me that all he could do for me was confirm that #40-1398 was not Capt. Collins' ship. He provided me with a maintenance record filed by his engineer, Sgt JD Dunn. This document which included an image of an identifying cylinder tag actually has a BuNo on it, but sadly it is unreadable. I thanked Mark for all his help and pressed on, but not knowing which direction to go in next.
It was almost a week later that I received a letter from Patrick J. Charles at the Air Force Historical Research Association (AFHRA.NEWS@us.af.mil). He had been contacted by Mark Bloom who told him of my search, and offered to help. Mr. Charles asked me to specify exactly what I was looking for and then provided me with 5 microfilm files (almost 6000 pages!) constituting all the collected available information of Captain Collins bombardment squadron; the 38th. After some computer compatibility issues, I began scrolling the films. As I began to make some progress, I received yet another unsolicited contact. This time, it came from an unexpected source.
Thom Behrens is the son of Sgt. Alan Behrens who was a member of the 38thBS. About 40 years ago, he began to go with his now deceased father to some of his unit's reunions and became truly interested in it. Part of what he did was to work on collecting the members' stories and compiling them into a research file. This was done because the group members had previously tried to publish their stories, but had contracted with a man who seemed to be dragging his feet at every opportunity. After years of wrangling and negotiations, finally a limited printed edition came forth. The book is titled
Sunsetters of the South Pacific. The number of copies was restricted to only those members who had pre-ordered one and anyone else who paid in full at the time the order was placed. Mr. Behrens ordered one for himself, but received 2 as one belonged to his father, who by this time had passed away. Wanting to honor both his father as well as the 38thBS, Thom took his fathers' copy and donated it to
the Library of Congress in Washington DC.
This wonderful story has a happy ending for us at the BOMRT as well. Thom looked up in his copy of Sunsetters and informed me that on pgs 38-43, Captain Collins' Midway exploits are covered. In May of 1942, Collins flew with Lt. Lloyd Whitley from Patterson Field, Ohio to Hamilton Field, California as crew chief in BuNo #41-17589 named "Winsockie DGA". Upon reaching Hamilton Field, Collins was assigned to B-26 BuNo #41-17559 (no nickname given). After some engine modifications and fuel tank additions, Collins led 5 other B-26's out to Hawaii with orders to hopscotch across the Pacific to Australia and join the rest of the 22nd Bomb Group. However, as we know he was pulled from this assignment and sent to Midway where BuNo #41-17559 was shot to pieces in the torpedo attack. Upon returning to Midway, the ship with 186 machine gun and cannon holes in it was stripped of useful parts and shoved into the lagoon. Years later, it was pulled out, cut apart and thrown into the scrap heap.
Not wanting to be completely insensitive to Thom, I kept the next step to myself, I double checked BuNo #41-17559 in Joe Baugher's site, and learned that there is no listing of it there. I have not yet found anything in the AFHRA files to contradict Thom's claims. That finished it for me.
So, with the help of several people, I feel we can now close this debate once and for all. A much deserved "Thank You" is sent to Mark Bloom, Patrick Charles and mostly to Thom Behrens.
Below is the 6 pages from the article. I put then in the list as wide as the screen would allow. If you have trouble reading them the images are about twice the size if you download them or just open them in another tab. TW
Midway box score June 8
3 February 2023
From Barrett Tillman
This is an interesting newspaper snip that reflects what many other newspapers published following the Battle. Not much was known or released for the public. This was published in July but by that time the
Yorktown had been lost yet it was not reported till much later. A lot of this was due to not informing the enemy of losses but also to not release too much known information to protect the code breaking.
TW
Book Review: Adrift Resues After The Battle of Midway
Alvin Kernan, Battle of Midway RoundTable member and AOM3/C on
Enterprise wrote history books about the battle as well as some novels. The title of a book he published in 2009 called
Adrift Rescues After The Battle of Midway is a bit misleading as to its contents. While it does tell the story of the many downed aviators and their rescues it also tells the story of those not rescued as well.
One statement in his book kind of sums up the book. In his introduction he wrote the following sentance "Not all of the people adrift after the battle got their feet wet."
The book briefly tells the story of the Battle of Midway to give some content to what follows in later chapters. Between stories of actual downed airmen and their rescues or fates at the hands of the Japanese he also outlines performance failures of some of the leaders in the battle. He relates the stories of both Ring, Mitscher and although there is nothing new he does give his opinion on why and how they failed yet survived the battle with their careers intact.
As an example one of the chapters is on James Gray unfortunately following the wrong torpedo squadron to the battle and not engaging as he never heard the call from the torpedo squadron he was supposed to protect. He witnessed a furious Chief Machinist Mate Steven Smith, upon landing, jump out of his shot up TBD, unholster his Colt 45, and with gun in hand headed in the direction of the bridge shouting he was going to 'get Gray'. He was restrained by several others with cooler heads and he did not complete his mission which was fortunate. But Gray never really was 'rescued' after the battle. Although he retired as Captain he never was promoted and this action or lack of during the battle was thought to have something to do with it. In 1988 in a conference on Midway at Pensacola he asked for the floor and gave an explanation of his actions on June 4th. The story he told is repeated in the book which in and of itself is worth the price of the book. Despite this explanation Mr.
Kernan does not let him off easy and as he said at the start of the book, not all that needed rescue after the battle got their feet wet.
All in all the book is a good read. Not too long at only 128 pages. In sections of the book he outlines some of the thinking at the time on how to use the carriers and their squadrons. The book is a little hard to find as it was a private printing. But if you watch some of the used book sellers or auction sites it comes up for sale now and then.
Comments and Questions
RE: Enterprise Order of Battle at Midway
17 January 2023
From Barrett Tillman
Certainly enjoyed Artur's model with the painted landing gear struts.
One note: the 20 June 44 strike at Phil Sea did in fact sink a CV, Hiyo, by Belleau Wood's VT-24. I'm largely convinced that Warren Omark was the only torpecker to sink a CV with one hit.
Barrett