How the Marines won the Battle of Midway

[Markus]

This is my counterposition to Pacific War Redux. No additional equipment, no "new" weapons, instead they fight with what they have!


Midway Island:

05:45: A PBY reports the location of Kido Butai, all air personnel is alerted
05:55: radar reports incoming air raid
06:00: all American planes scramble in the air – six TBF, four torpedo armed B-26, 15 B-17, 16 SBD, 11 SBU, 21 F2A and five F4F.

Over the ocean: 06:00 to 07:35

The planes split into tow formations. The fast, high flying B-17 proceed on their own, the remaining planes stay together, but form a wide search line.


07:36hrs: A TBF spots Kido Butai. The fast TBF and B-26 immediately swing around.
07:50hrs: The first of 15 CAP-Zeros engages the eleven F2A and five F4F escorting the torpedo bombers. One TBF is shot down, the remaining planes attack Akagi simultanoiusly from both sides, score a hit but the fish is a dud.

07:55 hrs: 16 SBD dive bombers under Maj. L.R. Henderson begin a glide bombing attack on Hiryu, while 11 obsolescent SBU Vindicators under Maj. Ben Norris dive bomb Akagi. As always the entire Japanese CAP has bunched up around the torpedo planes and their escorts, so the dive bombers are facing nothing but ineffective AAA. Therefore its fighter escort (ten F2A) races ahead to support their hard pressed buddies.

07:56 to 08:05

Maj. Henderson hits Hiryu with a 1000lb AP bomb dead center, two of his greener than grass pilots score hits, too. Hiryu starts burning fiercely.
Akagi manoeuvres wildly, but is hit by two 500lb bomb and catches fire too.

All dive bombers but one SBD who fall victim to a lucky hit by AAA leave the scene. The American fighters have downed all but one Zero, while loosing three F4F and seven F2A. Initial USMC fighter losses have been high, but eventually sheer numbers won the day.


08:35hrs: The Midway strike force returns, finding two out of the fours CV ablaze from bow to stern. The flight leader informs Adm. Nagumo of Midway´s installations being still intact.

08:45hrs: After having lost half his carriers to land based planes who escaped and whose base is still operational, while the American carriers have not even been sighted Adm. Nagumo concludes the operation has failed. He orders the remnants of Kido Butai to withdraw.



I already did a PH-scenario and can think of two for Wake.

[CalBear]

I like the competing TL idea. Not sure if I entirely buy the success of the VMB units, but an interesting take.

I'm working my TL for the fun of it. Be watching this one for the counterpoints.

[mattep74]

The main reason that the carriers burned otl was iirc that they were reloading the planes when the divebombers attacked. Would they burn without planes on deck?

[Markus]

The re-arming begun at 07:20, but only on Kaga and Akagi. So when Akagi is hit by a 500lb bomb she has round about three dozen fueled planes in the hangar, a full load of bombs and some torpedoes - she won´t make it.


Hiryu has her planes in the hangar, but they are not armed. SOP was to attach the bombs on the flight deck - she will burn but might survive.


By the way, here is how it went in OTL:

1. Then ten torpedo bomber attacked unescorted and were attacked by 30 CAP fighter. Still three could escape.
2. The 16 SBDs ran into just nine fighter, lost six of their own and scored several near misses.
3. The Vindicators ran into no fighters at all, attacked a BC and scored no hits.

[ranoncles]

Originally Posted by Markus

This is my counterposition to Pacific War Redux. No additional equipment, no "new" weapons, instead they fight with what they have!


Midway Island:

The American fighters have downed all but one Zero, while loosing three F4F and seven F2A. Initial USMC fighter losses have been high, but eventually sheer numbers won the day.

4 Wildcats and 21 Buffalos against 15 Zeros and the Americans win, shooting down 14 Zeros with only minor losses???


Hardly believable. Two Wildcats versus 1 Zero was already considered a bad deal. Buffalos were slaughtered.

[Markus]

It wasn´t the plane. Except for the level of fuel tank protection the plane´s performance is similar. It was tactics and numbers.
In OTL the Marine fighters were outnumbered 1,3 to 1, now they outnumber the japanese CAP by 1,7 to 1 and win while suffering 40% losses.