The Battle of Midway Roundtable Opening Remarks
Welcome to the June issue of the Battle of Midway RoundTable. Been trying to catch up with submissions lately and this issue is quite full. In fact the normal 7 or 8 articles were not enough so I added a More Articles tag as the last link. Be sure to check those out. They are just as important as the titled links.
This month we have a follow up on the timing of the VT-3 attack in two articles. We also have some questions on both Ford's film and any help on Lindsey's condition prior to launching on the morning of the 4th. We also have an interesting bit of information on John Butler and Bert Earnest and Harry Ferrier.
That's all for now. The July issue I'll try to get out in a couple weeks. I have some traveling to do for business but after that should have a day or two free.
Thanks for reading and keeping the Battle of Midway RoundTable the great source for information on the battle.
Midway as Turning Point
2024 June 4 From Thomas Rychlik
I think your introductory comments concerning the debate over Midway and the Guadalcanal Campaign being the turning point in April’s Newsletter are spot on and further solidify Midway’s place. You broke new ground when you brought up the fact that if Hypo hadn’t broken their code the battle could have gone the way Yamamoto envisioned. A corollary to that is that if Hypo hadn’t been as definite, Nimitz might not have had the courage to push King, playing it safe and allowing King and the Washington DC folks to call the shots in placing our carriers. In which case Yorktown might not have been rushed back to Pearl for repairs and it’s likely that Hornet and Enterprise would have continued into the South Pacific and not been able to get into a battle of Midway soon enough. Saratoga would have shown up pretty much when she did. As the only carrier available Nimitz would have not rushed only Saratoga to Midway, he would have let it fall like Wake Island given its location. As you adroitly
point out, having not gotten the response from the Americans he wanted, Yamamoto would have pushed further to attempt to bring the US fleet to battle. Before committing to the Midway Operation, the Japanese Navy was committed to the Port Moresby operation but also wanted to sever or increase the communications line with Australia by seizing New Caledonia, Samoa and Fiji. Nimitz would have to fight there, and this would have put Guadalcanal off for a long time.
The other thing to consider is that we may be talking apples and oranges here. Midway was one battle and the Guadalcanal Campaign many. Is it fair to compare one battle with an entire campaign when it comes down to results? It’s actually amazing Midway was so impactful that we can compare it to a campaign. Were any one of the several Guadalcanal engagements more important than Midway in terms of results? The answer is no.
Ron Russell has written extensively on Bowen Weisheit’s book and its importance in advancing scholarship on Midway. Although he had previously recommended against obtaining a copy, I just couldn’t resist when I found a brand-new copy on Thrift Books for $45.00. It is sitting on top of my autographed copy of George Gay’s book and Robert Mrazek’s A Dawn Like Thunder. I was lucky to have obtained it at book signing at the Military Aviation Museum here in Virginia Beach the day I met Barrett. Bert Earnest also was there and signed both of the books I bought.
Speaking of Barrett. I need to buy his two MOH books. His revelation that Greeley and Lindbergh received MOHs astounded me! Lindbergh received his in 1927 and Greeley his in 1935. I know that the 77th Congress (1941-42) revised the MOH law and that was the version that was in place when the BOM occurred, but I don’t know what the previous criteria was. I was unaware of the Navy’s 53 MOH for Vera Cruz. However, I am convinced that the 15 the Navy awarded for Pearl Harbor must have caused some backlash and that this backlash resulted in not one sailor receiving a MOH for Midway. Question for Barrett. You mentioned that Spruance denied Mitcsher’s MOH recommendation for VT-8. Can you be more specific on this? I have read Spruance’s after action report on Midway and it doesn’t say anything about any awards. In the past I have pointed this out from the perspective of what someone doesn’t say is sometimes louder than what he does say. Is there some document that I haven’t found in which
Spruance discusses awards?
Barrett’s link on Best’s medical condition was very insightful. However, I question the fact that Best was hospitalized on June 5, 1942 at Pearl Harbor according to James D'Angelo. It would have been impossible for the Enterprise to have gotten Best to Midway and then Midway to have gotten Best to Pearl Harbor on the 5th. George Gay was picked up on June 5 by a Midway PBY and was medevacked to Pearl on the 6th Recently I mentioned that I had been in contact with a docent at the Midway Museum who had volunteered for the job of inventorying Bill Vickrey’s collection. Chris was going to keep his eyes out for any primary source material testifying to the fact that either his crew chief or another sailor had helped Eugene Lindsey into his cockpit on the morning of June 4th. This story appears in a number of books but I have still been unable to track down the source of it. I have talked to a number of folks associated with the Enterprise Association but without success. If you want I can
ask Chris what he knows about Barrett’s collection.
Major Tom
Thank you very much for the kind words. The comments were from the April issue of the Battle of Midway RoundTable.
Click Here
to read the introduction from the April issue.
TW
Rememberedsky post: Battle of Midway - The Legacy
2024 June 4 From Ed Beakley
4 June, the Battle of Midway has held special significance for me for quite some time and as I once noted:
You can take this as gospel or not, but over several dozens of these Alphas in an 11 month cruise, I don’t think I ever did not think and wonder about Lew Hopkins and Pat Patterson in there Dauntless and all those guys doing the same thing – looking out over the partially cloud covered Pacific Ocean – on the 4th of June, 1942 as they launched from Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown on their way to the most significant naval battle of World War II.
As you may recall from my past writing I was extremely honored to serve under Admiral Lew Hopkins at the Naval Missile Center as a young JG. My direct boss – operations officer – was LCDR Pat Patterson. Both were Bombing Six folks at Midway, the admiral as an Ensign and probably number 13 down the chute on Kaga. Pat was a petty officer in Ensign Goldsmith’s Dauntless and probably last a/c in the “silver waterfall.” Of interest Admiral Hopkins claimed his whole life that he actually followed Dick Best’s three a/c to strike the Akagi. I have his discussion for the Nimitz Library thanks to his daughter Anne.
My one contribution to this history is that when Pat retired, I had the Victory at Sea segment on Midway shown backwards at his retirement dinner, given that when I asked him about his experience, he replied ”what do I know, I was 19 and saw the whole thing backwards!”
Most years I post something related on the site. This year the subject is BOM’s legacy in lite of one of the precepts for a decisive battle, namely, The battle marks the introduction of a major change in warfare.
For me, the battle at Midway was incredibly important, but the true turning point in the Pacific war was Guadalcanal. But Midway was so important in another sense for all of naval aviation – we can never forget from whence we came!
Here is the link to my 2024 post for rememberedsky day – The Battle of Midway
http://rememberedsky.com/?p=5208
Comments/changes most appreciated
Ed ‘Boris’ Beakley
Fly Navy… THE BEST Always Have
Bert Earnest and Harry Ferrier at finda-a-grave - Harry bio
2024 June 4 From Barrett Tillman
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Ensign A. K. Earnest, USNR, was designated Naval Aviator #9371 in 1941. Had entered active naval service via the pre-war Aviation Cadet (AVCAD) program. A graduate of VMI, Earnest had orignally been commissioned a 2LT in the U.S. Army in 1938. Best known as one of only two torpedo plane pilots of Torpedo Squadron...
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Harry Ferrier grew up in Massachusetts and Connecticut. At age sixteen, he lied about his age to enlist in the U.S. Navy. Harry became an aviation radioman and joined his first squadron, Torpedo …
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Died 2016.
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NOTE: The book A Dawn Like Thunder - The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight by Robert J. Mrazek (a former 5 term congressman) and published in 2008 talks about Harry Ferrier in various sections throughout the indexed book. ================ Commander Harry H. Ferrier lost his final battle on April 26, 2016. He was 91....
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Timing of VT-3 Attack
Link to article in April Issue
2024 June 5 From Barrett Tillman
What a fine contribution from Tom Rychlik. Definitely a keeper.
Ref. The timing of VT-3's attack, perhaps worthwhile...
In my first conversation with Adm. Thach c. 1970-71 (he was always "Admiral," I never woulda thought to address him otherwise) he said VB-3 delivered "the most beautiful dive bombing you ever saw."
Then he turned pensive. I'm assuming he referred to the no-shows at the briefed RV; "I thought, 'My god, I've lost Torpedo Three...'"
Few people realized how thoroughly tired he grew tired of The Weave, as if he did nothing else. Despite our relationship within the aces assn, he warmed up to me when I raised his contributions to ASW and CAS—he was influential in both.
I wish I'd thought to ask who first taught Jimmy Thach gunnery, and how-whether his techniques evolved. Meanwhile, I wish I'd thought to ask Jimmy Doolittle about the wasted bomber sorties on D-Day. And other lost opportunities...
Sidebar:
Regarding addressing flag officers: Marion Carl was always Marion; Joe Foss was Joe to everybody; Robin Olds was Robin; etc. Yeager and Blesse had the same first names: General.
BT
Ens. John Butler and brother
2024 June 6 From Barrett Tillman Forward from: Billy Walker
Story of John Butler's brother and Leo Sullivan. Leo Sullivan was a B-17 pilot who was taught to fly by Bill Walker's father. Bill Butler, John's brother was a B-24 pilot. Story by Billy Walker who met Bill Butler and were friends for many years.
TW
Pic Walker - Plains Airways, Inc., UC-78 “Bamboo Bomber”
My father taught Leo to fly at Plains Airways CPT school in Cheyenne, WY. In addition to running three CPT schools, my Dad liked instructing and taught several cadets to fly personally. Leo was one. The Me410 photo was sent along with the phot of Leo and his bride.
Leo and his new bride.
Me 410 just before being shot down by the belly gunner in Leo Sullivan’s B-17.
Although much maligned by some historians when being compared to the B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-24 Liberator would prove itself in all theaters of operation. Indeed Eighth Air Force statistics show that the B-24 was more durable than the B-17; B-17 operational losses being 15.2% compared to B-24 operational losses of 13.3%. Aircrews had a better chance of surviving the war as a B-24 crew member.
The Butler Family from Buckeye, AZ was truly a flying family. The father, a car dealer flew. His sons flew.
John C. Butler was KIA during the Battle of Midway where he posthumously was awarded The Navy Cross. Butler was flying a Douglass SBD “Dauntless.” America honored him by naming an entire class of Destroyer Escorts after him.
Douglas SBD "Dauntless"
DDE-339 USS John C. Butler
John’s brother, Bill, was a B-24 command pilot. Bill survived WWII and we were long-time friends sharing membership in a special pilot’s fraternity. When Bill had Gone West, the Arizona Stearman Squadron flew the Missing Man Formation over his services.
Interesting to note — B-24 crews chance of survival was between 2 & 3% better than the B-17 crews. More B-24’s were produced than the B-17, but fewer survive today!
Billy Walker
Lindsey Information
2024 June 9 From Tom Rychlik
On page 69 of Barrett’s book on the Enterprise Barrett wrote: “Gene Lindsey, still gimpy from his crash a week before, was determined to take his squadron into the Japanese fleet. He had limped to the lead Devastator and painfully eased his way into the cockpit, helped by a mechanic.” In Barrett’s book on TBD Devastator Units of the US Navy on page 69 he wrote: “The commanding officer of TorpRon Six, Lt Cdr Gene Lindsey, had injured his back in a recent crash and reportedly had to be helped into ‘Six-Tare-One’.
In Commander Stafford’s book The Big E on page 89 he stated “Gene Lindsey’s plane captain had to help him into the front seat of his venerable Devastator.” I have contacted a number of people through the Enterprise Association and have not been able to track down the primary source for this quote.
In Stephen Moore’s book Pacific Payback on page 191 he wrote: “Lieutenant Commander Gene Lindsey, still battered from his water landing several days prior, had to be helped into the cockpit of his Devastator.” When I emailed Stephen he recommended that I track down Stafford’s papers wherever they are archived.
In The First Team John Lundstrom on page 336 he wrote: “The battered Gene Lindsey refused to be left behind and had to be helped into his cockpit”
I also have numerous accounts of Lindsey eating breakfast with McClusky, Riley, and Fox the morning of June 4 that describe his horrible physical condition and his words saying he was taking the squadron in but have not been able to primary source that conversation. But the Navy has taken the position that until I have a primary source for that conversation it doesn't matter.
The Navy has demanded only primary sources for my new, relevant, and substantive information justifying upgrading Lindsey’s Navy Cross to the Medal of Honor. I have a copy of the Enterprise Deck Log documenting Lindsey’s crash on May 28th and the extent of his injuries. The fact that he took off on June 4th after crashing a week earlier is also undeniable. But it sure would be nice if I Barrett or John or someone else could provide me a primary source for the cockpit story. I have Chris Mather looking through Bill Vickrey’s collection at the Midway Museum but so far he hasn’t found anything. Ron Graetz is mentioned in numerous sources as having watched the launch of Torpedo Six but so far I haven’t found anything from him that relates.
Asking if the members of the Roundtable could help me on this.
Sincerely,
Tom Rychlik
I believe a primary source is going to be difficult to track down at this late date. This would have to be in the format of a letter or some other official coorespondence. We might get lucky if Bill Vickrey at some point asked one of the BOM veterans he knew and either recorded it or wrote it down. The unfortunate problem is that apparently no medical report or papers survived from the Enterprise doctor who certainly must have treated him. A friend of mine's father was the doctor on Enterprise during the war but I don't think he was at the Battle of Midway. I will ask her if any of this papers are still around or if he even kept any. Possible some record might have been in his possesion although that is a long shot.
If anyone has information send it my way and I'll make sure to forward.
TW
Follow up to VT-3 Analysis
2024 June 13 From Maj Thomas Rychlik
Readers will recall that in the April Edition I did an analysis of VT-3s attack on Kido Butai. One of the figures I depicted was CAP Esder’s sketch. Shown below:
In searching for documents and other reports on the battle in the National Archives Website I came across a rather large file that contained most of the Pacific Fleet Reports covering 1942. I was looking for a letter from Captain Buckmaster dated June 18, 1942, recommending Lieutenant Commander Massey for the Medal of Honor. This is not the same June 18, 1942, letter from Buckmaster to Fletcher on the battle in which he does not go into recommended awards in the main body of the report. Buckmaster’s after action report handles ship’s company awards (and there were a number of them) via his acting Executive Officer’s report (Enclosure A). At the bottom of the XO’s report is a sentence that said that since the Air Group did not return to Yorktown, awards for the Air Group would be prepared by the Air Group Commander (Commander Oscar Pederson) and forwarded via the Commanding Officer via separate correspondence. I still am looking for the letter.
Nestled inside one report that was labeled as Admiral Fletcher’s “Supplementary Report for Midway,” I came across the below sketch. None of the other documents around it showed it as an enclosure or anything. Comparing sketches it shows VB-3’s and VT-3’s attack whereas Esder’s sketch does not depict VB-3’s position relative to VT-3. Esder’s sketch does not account for all four carriers whereas this sketch does. The sketch clearly takes into account information from Esders and Leslie. This new sketch does not show any carriers on fire. Most important to me, the new sketch shows that the carrier closest to the Yorktown’s Air Group’s approach and the one that VB-3 attacked was clearly Soryu, with Hiryu to the west and north of Hiryu. Being further away than Soryu it would have taken VT-3 longer to get into position to launch their torpedoes. Further evidence that Massey adroitly took his squadron to the north and east of Kido Butai to attack the unattacked Hiryu. This added time to his
attack, yet he did it in an attempt to hit the undamaged Hiryu. Again, more evidence that Massey is a hero. The weakness in this new sketch is that there are no distances marked off.
Announcements and Questions
USS Yorktown (CV-5) Pearl Harbor May 27, 1942
Link to April Article
2024 June 3 From Don Boyer
That film of the Yorktown has been floating around on Facebook for a few weeks now. I have a friend in Australia who pokes about the National Archives film/video files all the time, which has to be mind-numbing since "ship stuff" and "wartime stuff" aren't exactly the most organized group of files out there. His post was the first I'd seen, but you know once something like that shows up, everybody shares to other sites, usually without crediting the original poster. But if he can find it, others should be able to as well...but it will probably be mind-numbing, as he told me. I would think that the soundtrack may have been overdubbed later as there would be no reason in late May '42 to be making a big deal with accompanying music out of Yorktown's return to Pearl, especially with Hornet and Enterprise already there. It certainly wouldn't have been a "Movietone News" item at the local movie theater until long after the battle, if then.
Regards,
Don
USS Hornet CV-8
2024 June 5 From Howard Ady III
BOM 6-4-7 pictures
2024 June 5 From Francine Kraus
Pictures from the Battle of Midway
This is a good collection of pictures from the Battle of Midway or associated with the battle.
TW
Ervin "Judge" Wendt
2024 June 12 From Robert Mrazek
This note isn't strictly related to Midway, but it involves the last survivor from Torpedo Squadron 8, Ervin "Judge" Wendt.
After serving aboard the Saratoga, the judge became Swede Larsen's regular turret gunner during the squadron's deployment with the Cactus Air Force on Guadalcanal from September to November 1942.
Wounded during the October 13 shelling of Henderson Field by the Kongo and Haruna, he became Swede's turret gunner in the "Frankenstein" TBF assembled by Chief Hammond from various parts of VT-8's shattered fleet.
"The best gunner in the squadron," according to Swede, he was wounded again when Larsen attacked the strongest Japanese position of Maruyama's Sendai Division along the Matanikau River on October 23, 1942.
He spent months recovering at Pearl Harbor before going on to enjoy a thirty year naval career.
Every year since I interviewed him numerous times in 2006-7 for my book on the squadron, he has called me at Christmas to wish me good cheer. His home overlooks the naval base in San Diego.
Don Velazquez, who wrote a great book about his father Eddy, another member of the squadron, wrote to me to say he ran into the judge aboard the Midway this past week and he is still as sharp as the proverbial tack.
Ervin Wendt is 108 years old.
Best, Bob
2024 June 23 From Don Velazquez
Bob Mrazek had forwarded a note he sent you a few weeks ago. My father was a gunner in VT-8, trained at Grumman, and brought the first 21 TBF's to Ford Island just prior to Midway. I'm just familiarizing with the Round Table, etc.. It was only around 2000 that I began understanding things he had spoken and written about. It's hard to imagine how you and your group can wrap your minds around the BOM. I hope to be able to chat with you sometime. Thanks for what you and your cohorts have done. I just read "To set the record straight" and that's verbatim what my dad and I sought to do in developing his autobiography.
Don Velazquez
Nice to hear from you. If you want I can add you to the members list and you'll get an email each time the newsletter is released. If you have any comments or articles you wish to contribute to the RoundTable as that's what we're all about.
Are you going to publish your fathers autobiography?
Look forward to hearing from you in the future.
2024 June 24 From Don Velazquez
Thanks for the response. I am publishing a print version soon and have an ebook I'm testing without promotion, which family and friends have been critiquing. My father's experience may not sync with some of the accounts but in time I think several little points will prove out. I coordinated the 2002 and 2005 VT-8 reunions here in San Diego and got to spend some days with about thirteen surviving members. Albert Earnest was unable to make the trip in 2002 but we talked. My father had attended reunions previously in Alameda and Pensacola. I have photos from both and even some video taken at Alameda wherein most members got up and gave a brief talk.
Setting the record straight was something that all the members wanted to see done. From LIFE magazine's limited article to facts even about Frenchie Fayle (whom I also had a fair amount of contact with), you might find some of it interesting too. It's taken a lot of digging and time to connect some of the dots. Also a bit intimidating (being that my father was a master at printing and a stickler for detail).
I've hesitated to contact you because it's not a book about Midway and includes childhood experiences, mischief, becoming a pilot after returning to the states and family life, etc.
I've bought a domain that I hope to find someone to help with the website. I'll be happy to send you some excerpts from the book if you'd like.
Don Velazquez
VT-8 Footage from John Ford Film question(s)
2024 June 14 From Tom at Models and Aviation
I was hoping the Midway experts from your roundtable might be able to answer some questions I haven’t been able to discover.
As you well know, director John Ford took the famous color film of some members of USS Hornet’s Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8).
What I have been trying to reconcile is when this filming actually occurred. I’ve seen text anywhere from just after the Battle of Coral Sea, to Honolulu (yes, seriously), to the actual morning of June 4th, 1942.
To me, it is after Coral Sea since Eddy “Frenchy” Fayle appears in his personal “close-up” and in the squadron clips and since he did not ship out with Torpedo 8 to Midway after their return to Hawaii from Coral.
However, we do clearly see the (VT-8) TBD-1 Devastators T-13 and T-16 taking off armed with torpedoes. And, I have seen longer B&W footage with more of the TBD’s in the background in sequence with those same takeoff shots of T-13 (Abercrombie?) and T-16 (Waldron?).
Yet, George Gay always stated that he had never taken off with a live torpedo or even a practice torpedo until that fateful day. He had also established that he had never seen it done before. T-3 (Evans?) and T-5 (Woodson?) are also seen with engines running and taxiing on deck with torpedoes in color. So, it seems as if the VT-8 Devastators seen on the film in action are from June 6th. Could one of Ford’s cameramen stayed aboard Hornet for that, while Ford was on Midway Island? Maybe all the film that has been shown took place on at least two different days?
I’m hoping that you might have better information on this subject or at least some better thoughts than mine.
Thank you for your time and any help!
Tom
“Max_Afterburner” Channel
Models and Aviation
Otis Kight would be 100 today
2024 July 29 From Zsolt Szalanczi
I thought I would pass it to the round: Former BOMRT member Ltcdr Otis Gilbert Kight, USN Ret. passed away about ten years ago on July 11, 2014. He was not only a veteran of the Battle of Midway but served also during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. His birthday is July 29, 1924 so he would be 100 years old today. We have been in direct contact for some time. I will always remember his kind personality and humour.
Here is a video interview with him:
https://www.ww2online.org/view/otis-kight
Fair Winds and Following Seas old friend!
Zsolt
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