The Battle of Midway Roundtable Opening Remarks
Welcome to the latest issue of the Battle of Midway RoundTable. The anniversary of the Battle of Midway has come and gone. Only one request this year for a veteran to attend a celebration. In fact I have not heard of more than a couple taking place. Could be the fact its the 83nd year anniversary and so not a year where it falls on an even 5 or 10. However if anyone attended one let us know and write up a short report.
This month we have a lot of articles. There is a good article on the Marines air group on Midway in the latest issue of the Naval Institute's Naval History magazine. You can read it online from the link provided. Good article so well worth the read. We also have a number of pictures of two veterans of the battle, one was the pilot who flew with Lloyd Childers in VT-3. There seems to be some movement on recovering the various aircraft that went down with the Lexington in the Coral Sea. Probably going to be a long difficult project but if succesful we might get a TBD in a museum someday.
Plus I have a special Images of Midway submission at the end of the newsletter. Check it out. Really well done.
Hope everyone is having a great summer. Sit back and enjoy the articles.
Lone Star Flight Museum
2024 May 4 From Brock Howe
Greetings gentlemen: A quick hello from Houston, TX and the Lone Star Flight Museum. Just wanted to forward y’all some photos from an SBD presentation last weekend where we talked about what it was like to fly the SBD Dauntless dive bomber in WW2 and in particular the dive itself. We had a good turnout, and I was able to get some kids involved as which was great. This presentation was done as a precursor to our annual Battle of Midway presentations in a month. For this year, we are planning on having a short hangar talk for general public to help educate them on the battle. And then I’m working on a more in-depth presentation for those that want to dive into the details into the battle (pun intended). In preparation for that, the last photo is a re-arrangement of our US Navy aircraft (Avenger, SBD, and Wildcat (the Wildcat is a visiting aircraft and the other two are ours)) to get them all together to talk about their involvement in the battle.
Harry Corl and Lloyd Childers photos over the Pacific
2024 May 6 From Dave Eby
There were two local men from Monroe County Michigan who were both torpedo plane pilots at the Battle of Midway. The Monroe County AMVETS Post 1942 in Monroe is named after them. Harry Corl and Oswald Gaynier. Corl flew off the Yorktown and Gaynier flew off Sand Island. Gaynier was killed in the initial hours of the battle. Corl survived but was killed about 3 months later in combat. Both received the Navy Cross, both had Navy ships named after them and both died in 1942. I researched and wrote Corl's story about 25 years ago. A copy is attached. I am pretty sure in the plane picture is Corl and his gunner Lloyd Childers. Corl's niece gave it to me. It was sent back to his family. I see land in the picture so I am assuming maybe Midway Island. Their families supplied the photos. Not sure where I got the early Corl picture. I believe Gaynier's photos are on Sand Island. I hope you find it of interest. The story was published in full by the local newspaper. Two weeks after the Squadron
photo was taken almost everyone pictured was killed. Corl is standing on the far left. I have written dozens of local WWII veterans stories over the last 25 years. What that generation did should never be forgotten.
Dave Eby
Past Commander
Corl-Gaynier AMVETS Post 1942
Monroe, MI
Click here to read the Harry Corl Story
Since the aircraft in the photo is a TBF Avenger this is likely Corl's plane but after Midway when he was transferred to the Enterprise. Photo may have been taken off Hawaii during training before they left for the invasion of Guadalcanal.
TW
USS Lexington Aircraft Recovery
2024 May 13 From Mickeen Hogan
I would like to introduce you to the efforts to recover aircraft from the Lexington. 8 TBD Devastators and F4F 3986 are the planes we want to recover.
While these aircraft are in the Coral Sea, we found that many Midway pilots have flown them;
John Thach and John Bain flew F4F 3986
William Creamer (VT-8) and Albert WInchell (VT-6) flew TBD 0345 (T1)
David Roche (VT-3) flew TBD 0300
Leonard Smith and John Cole (both VT-3) flew TBD 1516
Wilhelm Esders (VT-3) flew TBD 0271
Can you share this proposal? We are looking for people to write letters of support and the more letters of support we get the more likely this will succeed.
There are no TBD Devastators in existence, this will change if the project succeeds
https://usslexingtonaircraftrecoveryproject.com/home
Mickeen
Robert Taylor USS Yorktown CV 5 on Remember WW II with Rishi Sharma
2024 May 14 From Mark R. Taylor
Please see the link to my Dad’s interview with Rishi Sharma on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/WiBbfrHj1_k?si=2mi6uUzq6XWlSZkl
Respectfully,
Mark R. Taylor
This was forwarded to me by Ron Russell as submissions still go to his email from time to time due to his many years of hosting the RoundTable.
TW
Marine Air’s Dark Day at Midway
2024 May 14 From Chuck Wohlrab
The current USNI Naval History Magazine has an article entitled Marine Aviation's Dark Day at Midway. It addresses the performance of Marine Aviators on 4 June, to include their experience and training. Well worth the read!
https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2024/june/marine-airs-dark-day-midway
A review of sorts
2024 May 14 From Bill Longton
I was glancing at the BOMRT archive page the other day which, according to the earliest post I can find, spans from 20 years ago. It started me thinking how much work has been put in and how much knowlege has been gleaned out since then. I also gave what I consider deep heartfelt appreciation to the vets from the BOM who had the opportunity to post on the site, most (if not all) of whom have now passed on.
Whoever you are reading this post, please take just a moment to appraise what is available to you. Contained on this site are the collective works of historians, authors, military vets and analysts all of whom have put in a dedicated attempt to correctly discern information regarding the battle which at times has been incomplete, inacurate, fragmented and or confusing. Through their works, much of the fog which has surrounded the BOM has been cleared up.
Speaking for myself, I truly value it. I was 14 years old in 1976 when I first heard about the Battle of Midway. My father was a WW2 naval pilot who completed dive-bomber training in SBD Dauntlesses and went on to fly F6F Hellcats from the USS Hancock (CV-19). He took me to see "Midway" with an all star cast as the movie premiered. I never understood at the time why he seemed so mesmermised during the film, but later came to see that he was reliving his younger days. Following the film, he took me aside and explained away the sensationalism of the movie. I then started to understand the significance of the BOM for the first time. Since that day, the study of the battle has been an interest of mine which I have never let go.
This site, and all the links contained therein, opens up the chance for you to go back through everyones thought processes and see just how the conclusions were reached, and just what they are. There are numerous lists of seemingly minute details for anyone to "nerd-out" on should they desire. There are links to books, articles, artwork, models and dioramas which have all been created simply because of this site. Finally, there are the words from a handful of the actual vets themselves who were literally there on that day. All of this holds immense value to anyone who holds any interest whatsoever in the BOM. On my own, I could have spent a lifetime working at it and never have come close to discovering and gathering all that this site contains. For me, it is pure gold. I simply want to say "Thank You" to everyone who has helped make it a reality.
Bill Longton
I think we all have a story of how we became interested in the Battle of Midway and how it has led to a lifetime of 'study'. I am constantly amazed at the information we have gathered and continue to gather about the battle even at this late date. For Bill Price, Ron Russell, all the vets who gave us their store, and myself thank you for the kind words.
Importance of the Nautilus
2024 May 17 From Rick Becker
USS Nautilus and the Incredible Victory
I have felt very much that an unsung contributor to the amazing success at the BOM was LCDR Brockman of SS168 Nautilus. He was tasked to locate and report on the location of Kido Butai and he went above and beyond by attacking first a battleship and then a carrier. This generated a response from Arashi and other destroyers that lasted about 2 hours. As you know, McClusky followed Akashi’s wake that helped him pinpoint the carriers and arrive at the precise moments that “caught” the carriers at a vulnerable moment. Without the Nautilus harassment, McClusky and his airdrop may have missed out altogether..Brockman"s aggressive leadership and the Nautilus impact has gotten relatively lost in the history books, IMHO.
Rick Becker
Another submission by way of Ron Russell from his midway roundtable email.
How did 3 US CVs defeat 4 IJN at BOM?
2024 May 29 From Barrett Tillman
Note responses from Wackenhut & David Fred.
Wackenhut's imagery assigns hits to individual pilots.
https://www.quora.com/Why-were-four-Japanese-Aircraft-Carriers-defeated-by-three-US-Aircraft-Carriers-in-the-Battle-of-Midway-in-WW2
2024 May 30 From James Sawruk
Definitely looks like it was copied as is from your newsletter. As for the unknown VB-3 pilot who scored a hit, Butler can be eliminated as he attacked a BB as per the VB-3 report. Shumway looks like the best candidate to me.
Best to all, Jim
Yes the image was copied from the RoundTable page on Bomb Damage of Japanese Carriers. You can see it by clicking
here
.
I did not have any conclusive report or witness report to credit the third hit on Soryu. There have always been conflicting reports/witness reports as to some hits. I always tried to take the primary source where available. If Shumway did hit Soryu then that would be three men from the battle that hit two carriers that day, joining Best and Kleiss. One interesting note is that Shumway didn't claim a hit and at the time sources indicate only two bombs hit Soryu. Later when Japanese sources became available the information was that a third bomb did hit Soryu further aft. However by the time the bomb hit the rear of the flight deck was pretty much covered by smoke so any hit was likely obscured by then and possibly Shumway or his rear seat man could not tell if the bomb hit.
TW
Images of Midway
From Ben Fisher
The following drawings are from Ben Fisher who posted one of these a day on Facebook starting on May 29 and then June 1st to June 4th. I contacted him and asked if I could post these in our next newsletter. He agreed and sent me the images. So they are posted with his kind permission. He also accompanied each drawing with a bit of history behind the drawing.
Good art always gets the best of me as I was an aspiring artist when I was a kid. My brother and I did many pencil drawings of the models we built. Nearly every model had a pencil drawing accompanying the finished model we displayed with pride. My brother was very talented and his drawings always looked better than mine but it didn't prevent me from working even harder at the next one. Our little sister not to be outdone rapidly eclipsed us both when she got the hang of it. She became a very talented artist in her own right and far better than me. I'll let my brother and sister continue the conversation on who of the two is better.
So when I saw these drawings on Facebook it brought back the many hours spent with paper and pencil drawing the model we just built.
Each of the drawings below has a title of the drawing and a story to go along with it. If you want to look up the artist search for Ben Fisher on Facebook or click here to go to
benfisherart.com
Resurrection
May 29, 1942. A cacophony of noise fills dry dock one at Pearl Harbor, as plasma torches, hammer blows, and shouts pour from the battered USS Yorktown.
She limped into Pearl yesterday, after a long journey from the Coral Sea where she was severely damaged by Japanese air attacks. Fully repairing the carrier will take weeks, or months.
However, the workmen swarming over the ship are focused on one goal: meeting Admiral Chester Nimitz’s demand to get the ship back to sea in less than 3 days. It is a herculean effort, requiring round-the-clock activity and even waiving some normal procedures.
But the repair crew perform their miracle, a resurrection of sorts, since the Japanese thought the Yorktown damaged beyond repair.
A mere 48 hours after entering drydock, the Yorktown is on her way to join her sisters and ultimately help shift the entire balance of the naval war in the Pacific near a small spot of land called Midway Island.
|
Counterpunch
It is June 4, 1942, and the US Navy has just struck a fatal blow to the Imperial Japanese Navy near Midway Island. Three of four carriers in the Japanese strike group have been mortally damaged.
The remaining Japanese carrier, Hiryu, has launched her few planes in a retaliatory strike on the American fleet. But of the 18 “Val” dive bombers launched, just 7 have made it through the American defenses. And only one so far has made a hit on the carrier they’ve found- the USS Yorktown.
Now another plane begins its dive, the pilot skillfully compensating for the radical port turn of the carrier. He releases his bomb and pulls up. As he flies away he looks back to see smoke billowing from the ship- his bomb has struck deep inside, knocking out the boilers and starting fires. Another bomber makes a third hit near the bow.
Without propulsion, the Yorktown slows and comes to a stop, dead in the water and belching thick smoke. The Japanese have landed their counterpunch.
|
Resilience
Afternoon, June 4, 1942. The wounded USS Yorktown drifts dead in the water, thick, black smoke pouring from her stack. Her boilers have been knocked out by the Japanese dive bombing attack, and there are multiple fires deep in the ship from the bomb blasts.
But the damage control teams have learned lessons from her last battle at Coral Sea, and have sprung into action now that the Japanese planes are gone. They begin patching holes in the flight deck, putting out the fires, and working to relight the boilers.
The damage to the ship was severe enough that the Japanese pilots reported her destroyed. But as at Coral Sea, the Yorktown is resilient. She is not destroyed, far from it. In fact, her damage control crew will have her ready for flight operations again in just two hours.
The Yorktown is not done fighting- not yet.
|
Haymaker
Late afternoon, June 4, 1942. Japanese Lt. Tomonaga leads his formation of “Kate” torpedo bombers, scanning the horizon for an undamaged American carrier. The dive bombing crews reported that they already knocked one carrier out. Now this group of torpedo planes has the chance to take out another.
Tomonaga sees his target- an undamaged carrier conducting flight operations. He splits the flight of torpedo planes into two groups to make an “anvil” attack. Coming from two directions, the carrier won’t be able to outmaneuver all the torpedos.
But the Japanese have not found a second carrier. In an ironic twist of fate, Yorktown’s damage control efforts were so successful they have inadvertently fooled the Japanese.
Despite radical maneuvers and an intense barrage of anti-air fire, the Yorktown is caught between the hammer and the anvil. One torpedo hits near midship, and another hits nearby just seconds later.
Despite the heavy loss of planes, including Lt Tomonaga, the Japanese have landed a powerful haymaker blow on the already wounded ship.
|
Knockout
It’s a little after 5:00 PM on June 4, 1942, and Captain Elliott Buckmaster has just given the order that every ship’s master wishes he must never give- abandon ship.
Despite the heroic efforts throughout the day by Yorktown’s damage control crews, the hits made by the Japanese air torpedo attack are devastating to the ship- both struck in close proximity to each other and impacted the machinery spaces.
The effect was immediate- propulsion was again knocked out, but with the massive flooding caused by the torpedoes, the ship quickly started to lean over, or list. Failures in electrical generation and pumping meant the list quickly grew to over 20 degrees, and Captain Buckmaster and his officers feared the ship could turn over.
So Captain Buckmaster ordered the ship abandoned. The crew now carefully climb down netting and ropes dropped to the water, as Yorktown’s escort destroyers and cruisers close in to rescue them from the water. In this gallant fight against the Japanese, the Yorktown has been knocked out.
Against all odds, the Yorktown does not sink that night, and Buckmaster organizes a salvage crew to begin preparing the ship for tow back to Pearl Harbor. But fate intervenes, and on the afternoon of June 6 a Japanese submarine sneaks through the destroyer screen and launches a spread of 4 torpedoes at nearly point blank range. One misses astern, one hits the destroyer Hammond tied alongside (she splits in two and sinks within minutes), and two slam into the Yorktown, on the opposite side from the ship from the air torpedoes. Again the effect is immediate, and the salvage crew evacuates.
Just after sunrise on June 7, all watch with heavy hearts as Yorktown slowly rolls over and slips beneath the calm surface of the Pacific.
She will not be seen again for 56 years, when Robert Ballard finds her at the bottom of the Pacific in 1998.
|
Announcements and Questions
Cap Insignia
In response to the March issue post.
Click here to see the post.
2024 May 14 From Mike Maule
The "fouled anchor with star USN" device is a Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO) collar device. The paygrades of Master Chief (MCPO) and Senior Chief were established by Congress in the Military Pay Act of 1958. Senior Chiefs are often referred to as "Even Numbered Chiefs" because of their paygrade of E-8.
Mike Maule
STGC (AW/NAC) USN, Ret.
|