She's now a museum ship in Baltimore. Docked right next to the Aquarium in the Inner Harbor.
The Battle at Dawn: The first battle between the United States and Japan December 7-10, 1941
- Thread starter galveston bay
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She's now a museum ship in Baltimore. Docked right next to the Aquarium in the Inner Harbor.
that group of cutters was one of the best investments ever made by the US Government...only wish there would have been another 30 of them in service in 1941!!!!
The Battle of Midway: Plans and Approach December 10 1941
The Battle of Midway: Plans and Approach
1145 Hours December 9
Halsey orders Brown link up with Newton and his cruisers and destroyers 100 miles south of Midway but to detach Spruance who will take the Enterprise, Yorktown, 2 heavy and 2 light cruisers and 9 destroyers to a position 200 miles WSW of Midway, which will put them behind the Japanese Invasion Fleet. Once that force is spotted by PBY's from Midway, Spruance is to launch strikes against them. Brown will hold his strike aboard the Lexington to be launched at the Japanese carriers when they are found. Brown and his force of 4 heavy cruisers, 10 destroyers and the Lexington will be close enough to either stage out of Midway to attack the enemy, or if Midway is hit and made inoperative, able to recover the survivors of strikes against the enemy carriers. Meanwhile the submarines Trout and Argonaut are directed to move 100 miles west to attack the enemy Invasion Fleet as it steams past them.
All aircraft in Midway Lagoon (12 PBY, 36 floatplanes) will take off at nautical twilight (0615 hours), while the strike aircraft (45 Dauntless, 17 Vindicator dive bombers that are operational) plus the 8 Buffalo fighters are to be on strip alert. They are already bombed up, having brought their bombs with them from their carriers, but the 3 Navy Bombing Squadrons (VB2, VB5, VB6) the Marine bombing squadron (VMSB 31) and Fighting 3. Captain Browning intends to lead that strike force himself flying one of the Dauntless divebombers of VB2.
0002 Hours
Yamamato and his staff are debating what to do next as word of Goto's defeat is digested. While the losses are serious the battle does show that the American fleet is nearby and thus can be brought to battle which is the entire point of the Midway Operation to begin with, and indeed is the objective of the entire campaign. The American battleship fleet has been neutralized, but the enemy carriers must also be brought to battle and destroyed to ensure that the Americans do not interfere with operations in Southeast Asia.
0300 hours
The fleet changes course to a direct heading for Midway, which will put the carriers and their escorts 50 miles from Midway at nautical first light (0612 hours). The carriers are to send 90 fighters into the air, with 60 to conduct a fighter sweep to catch the Americans as they try to get into the air while 30 will provide fleet CAP. Yamamoto and Yamaguchi assume the Americans will spot the 2nd Bombardment Force (all 4 battleships, 1 light cruiser and 3 destroyers) as soon as their air patrols take off at the same time, and by the time the American strike aircraft and fighters are in the air the Zero's will be upon them. The battleships will launch their float planes once fighter cover is over Midway and provide spotting with the fleet opening fire once it is within 30,000 yards (just under 15 miles) and close to 26,000 yards and continue bombardment until 1800 rounds total are expended, which should take 90 minutes.
Once the fighters are in the air, the carriers will launch 24 Kate's to provide extra search planes for the 8 float planes that are operational aboard the Chikuma and Tone. A strike force of 6 fighters, 6 Kate torpedo bombers, and 10 dive bombers from the Hiryu will seek and destroy any American ships in the local area, while an additional 18 fighters are launched from the remaining 3 Carriers to relieve fighters that have exhausted their ammunition or have been lost. Another 9 dive bombers from the Akagi, Kaga, and Shokaku will provide anti-submarine patrol while an anti-shipping strike is below in the hangers of those 3 carriers consisting of 21 Kate torpedo bombers, 24 Val dive bombers and 6 fighters (each ship) is readied to be launched when the enemy fleet is spotted. Fighters will be used after the fighter sweep is completed to provide the escorts for the missions later in the day.
The Japanese expect that the enemy will be sighted no later than 0900 hours but if not a second search will be conducted by aircraft from the Hiryu as well as the cruisers after Midway has been eliminated as a functioning American base. The Invasion Force will reach the area by 1100 Hours with the landing to be conducted at 12:30 hours, which is high tide and landing craft will have the easiest time getting over the reef while providing sufficient water for the patrol craft carrying additional soldiers to two islands of Midway Atoll. It is expected that after the bombardment and with the large number of troops available that the island should be taken quickly.
1145 Hours December 9
Halsey orders Brown link up with Newton and his cruisers and destroyers 100 miles south of Midway but to detach Spruance who will take the Enterprise, Yorktown, 2 heavy and 2 light cruisers and 9 destroyers to a position 200 miles WSW of Midway, which will put them behind the Japanese Invasion Fleet. Once that force is spotted by PBY's from Midway, Spruance is to launch strikes against them. Brown will hold his strike aboard the Lexington to be launched at the Japanese carriers when they are found. Brown and his force of 4 heavy cruisers, 10 destroyers and the Lexington will be close enough to either stage out of Midway to attack the enemy, or if Midway is hit and made inoperative, able to recover the survivors of strikes against the enemy carriers. Meanwhile the submarines Trout and Argonaut are directed to move 100 miles west to attack the enemy Invasion Fleet as it steams past them.
All aircraft in Midway Lagoon (12 PBY, 36 floatplanes) will take off at nautical twilight (0615 hours), while the strike aircraft (45 Dauntless, 17 Vindicator dive bombers that are operational) plus the 8 Buffalo fighters are to be on strip alert. They are already bombed up, having brought their bombs with them from their carriers, but the 3 Navy Bombing Squadrons (VB2, VB5, VB6) the Marine bombing squadron (VMSB 31) and Fighting 3. Captain Browning intends to lead that strike force himself flying one of the Dauntless divebombers of VB2.
0002 Hours
Yamamato and his staff are debating what to do next as word of Goto's defeat is digested. While the losses are serious the battle does show that the American fleet is nearby and thus can be brought to battle which is the entire point of the Midway Operation to begin with, and indeed is the objective of the entire campaign. The American battleship fleet has been neutralized, but the enemy carriers must also be brought to battle and destroyed to ensure that the Americans do not interfere with operations in Southeast Asia.
0300 hours
The fleet changes course to a direct heading for Midway, which will put the carriers and their escorts 50 miles from Midway at nautical first light (0612 hours). The carriers are to send 90 fighters into the air, with 60 to conduct a fighter sweep to catch the Americans as they try to get into the air while 30 will provide fleet CAP. Yamamoto and Yamaguchi assume the Americans will spot the 2nd Bombardment Force (all 4 battleships, 1 light cruiser and 3 destroyers) as soon as their air patrols take off at the same time, and by the time the American strike aircraft and fighters are in the air the Zero's will be upon them. The battleships will launch their float planes once fighter cover is over Midway and provide spotting with the fleet opening fire once it is within 30,000 yards (just under 15 miles) and close to 26,000 yards and continue bombardment until 1800 rounds total are expended, which should take 90 minutes.
Once the fighters are in the air, the carriers will launch 24 Kate's to provide extra search planes for the 8 float planes that are operational aboard the Chikuma and Tone. A strike force of 6 fighters, 6 Kate torpedo bombers, and 10 dive bombers from the Hiryu will seek and destroy any American ships in the local area, while an additional 18 fighters are launched from the remaining 3 Carriers to relieve fighters that have exhausted their ammunition or have been lost. Another 9 dive bombers from the Akagi, Kaga, and Shokaku will provide anti-submarine patrol while an anti-shipping strike is below in the hangers of those 3 carriers consisting of 21 Kate torpedo bombers, 24 Val dive bombers and 6 fighters (each ship) is readied to be launched when the enemy fleet is spotted. Fighters will be used after the fighter sweep is completed to provide the escorts for the missions later in the day.
The Japanese expect that the enemy will be sighted no later than 0900 hours but if not a second search will be conducted by aircraft from the Hiryu as well as the cruisers after Midway has been eliminated as a functioning American base. The Invasion Force will reach the area by 1100 Hours with the landing to be conducted at 12:30 hours, which is high tide and landing craft will have the easiest time getting over the reef while providing sufficient water for the patrol craft carrying additional soldiers to two islands of Midway Atoll. It is expected that after the bombardment and with the large number of troops available that the island should be taken quickly.
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authors note: Midway does not have sufficient bombs to rearm the dive bombers once they attack, so they will have to retire to the Lexington to rearm. It has plenty of fuel, but doesn't have nearly enough ground crew to refuel them quickly (it took most of the day and evening to refuel them after they landed yesterday with partial fuel tanks after carrying out their searches).
The wind is blowing from the SW, which is the direction all carriers will have to move to launch and recover aircraft.
Wind speeds are variable. As I don't know the actual weather on December 10 1941 I am using an average of weather conditions from December 10 for the period 2014-16 which was available after a search online. Occasional thunderstorms and partly cloudy in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon. The landing is going to be costly, assuming it occurs, from the surf conditions alone. But hey its the cost of doing business for the Japanese.
The wind is blowing from the SW, which is the direction all carriers will have to move to launch and recover aircraft.
Wind speeds are variable. As I don't know the actual weather on December 10 1941 I am using an average of weather conditions from December 10 for the period 2014-16 which was available after a search online. Occasional thunderstorms and partly cloudy in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon. The landing is going to be costly, assuming it occurs, from the surf conditions alone. But hey its the cost of doing business for the Japanese.
Patrol planes based at Midway December 10
The JRS (Sikosky S-38)
The Navy version looks similar to the PBY above. Only a few of these saw service and were basically utility transport aircraft but Halsey has pulled everything that will fly into the search effort
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_S-43
The J2F Duck
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_J2F_Duck
and the SOC Seagull
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_SOC_Seagull
Midway Atoll
Many of the installations pictured are incomplete, particularly hardened shelters at the airfield. Most of the command posts and battery positions are completed.
The JRS (Sikosky S-38)
The Navy version looks similar to the PBY above. Only a few of these saw service and were basically utility transport aircraft but Halsey has pulled everything that will fly into the search effort
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_S-43
The J2F Duck
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_J2F_Duck
and the SOC Seagull
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_SOC_Seagull
Midway Atoll
Many of the installations pictured are incomplete, particularly hardened shelters at the airfield. Most of the command posts and battery positions are completed.
Battle of Midway: Slaughter and Sacrifice at Dawn
Battle of Midway: Early Morning Talley Ho!
0530 hours Midway Island
PBY Catalina's, J2F Ducks, SOC Seagulls, and Sikorsky JRS1 (Sikorsky S-43 Flying Boats) start engines and begin preparations to take off at Midway Lagoon. At Midway Air Station the fighters are readied for immediate take off, with the Marines readied for first take off, then the Navy squadrons from the Lexington, Enterprise and Yorktown in that order. Crews are near their aircraft or making last minute stops to the latrine. Admiral Halsey is in operations, which is wooden building on Eastern Island near the runway, waiting patiently for dawn and his planes to take off.
0530 hours Carrier Hiryu
Aircrews take to their planes aboard the decks of the carriers, and final preparations for flight begin. Happily, unlike on the 7th, the seas are moderate today with 5 foot swells. At 0600 a signal is sent by lamp for aircraft to prepare for launch.
0600 Hours
The PBY's begin taking off, followed by the JRS1s, Seagulls and Ducks. The last aircraft is in the air by 0610 hours.
0615 Hours
A Duck, call sign Tare 14, spots the 2nd Bombardment Force a mere 32 miles from Midway heading straight for it at 27 knots. As the observer frantically calls out his spotting report the aircraft drops flares illuminating the enemy fleet.
2nd Bombardment Force
battleships Kirishima (Mikawa), Hiei, Kongo, Haruna, light cruiser Abukuma, destroyers Urukaze, Isokaze, Tanikaze
Meanwhile, aboard the Japanese carriers the first of 90 fighters begin taking off. The first 30 climb at 3,100 feet per minute to their patrol altitude of 15,000 feet, with the entire combat air patrol overhead and in position by 0622 hours. The next 60 fighters form up at 5,000 feet into their combat elements and by 0630 are racing toward Midway at 300 miles per hour, which means they will be overhead in 6 minutes (at 0636 hours)
0617 hours
Halsey receives the report of both Tare 14 and a radar report of many bogies appearing suddenly at a distance of 50 miles, on a bearing 5 degrees North. The Admiral realizes at once that the Japanese carriers are launching and orders an immediate launch of all aircraft with orders to ignore the battleships and hit the carriers.
0619 hours
Peter 8, a PBY, spots the Japanese carrier force 50 miles from Midway and radios a warning that it is launching aircraft. A few seconds later it is set upon by 6 Zero fighters and shot to pieces. All aboard are killed.
0621 hours
American fighters and dive bombers begin taking off in pairs every 15 seconds.
0632 hours – 0645 hours
The Buffalo fighters climb at full military power on a heading to take on the approaching enemy aircraft and slow them down before they reach the bombers. The Buffalos's climb at 2440 feet a minute at 322 miles per hour, reaching 6,000 feet in just over 3 minutes and complete forming up at 0632 hours, mere moments before intercepting the lead Zero's from the Akagi 10 miles from the island.
The combat is short and merciless. The Zero completely outclasses the Buffalo, and the Buffalo also lacks the toughness of the Wildcat. While the American pilots are skilled, they are simply overwhelmed by 24 Zero's that tear into them. However the Navy Aviators of Fighting 2 manage to down 2 of the Zero's before all are shot down, and 6 more Japanese fighters are forced to break off having exhausted their ammunition. However this brief 5 minutes of slaughter keeps a portion of the enemy from reaching the American bombers. Lieutenant Commander Paul Ramsey and three other pilots somehow manage to survive the encounter after bailing out, and Ramsey will receive a Navy Cross for his leadership.
VMSB 231 and its 18 Vindicator's also climb at their best speed. They can only do 1,300 feet a minute and the full squadron finishes assembling at 13,000 feet 10 miles east of Midway at 0633 hours. Luckily for them, cloud cover hides them from the approaching Zero's and they make their way at their best speed of 230 miles an hour toward the reported position of the enemy carriers. Each carries a 500 pound bomb and they will reach their targets in 14 minutes.
VB2 and its 15 SBD Dauntless dive bombers are next in the air, and by 0636 hours are 5 miles west of Midway Atoll at 6,000 feet and climbing. At 10,000 they clear the low lying cloud level that hid them and they begin to form up before heading for the enemy at 0640 hours
VB5 has just completed its take offs and VB6 is taking off when 36 Japanese Zero's roar in. They proceed to rip into the American scout bombers, downing 12 and damaging all 18 of the remainder which results in 8 more of them being forced to ditch not long after. All of the Enterprise and Yorktown bombers are forced to jettison their bombs and make a run for it. However the American gunners manage to claim 3 Zero's in return, including one that blunders into front of the twin 50 caliber machine guns of the SBD's. Another 4 Zero's suffer damage and 20 more exhaust their ammunition. But VB5 and VB6 are out of the fight. American flak manages to damage 6 more of the Japanese fighters and in all of 60 fighters the Japanese have only 20 remain available to fight as the rest have exhausted their ammunition, have been shot down or suffered damage severe enough to take them out of the battle. However half of Browning's strike force has been knocked out of the battle. In all 17 of the American aircrew are recovered, although several are wounded. None of the 5 Japanese pilots shot down survive.
0530 hours Midway Island
PBY Catalina's, J2F Ducks, SOC Seagulls, and Sikorsky JRS1 (Sikorsky S-43 Flying Boats) start engines and begin preparations to take off at Midway Lagoon. At Midway Air Station the fighters are readied for immediate take off, with the Marines readied for first take off, then the Navy squadrons from the Lexington, Enterprise and Yorktown in that order. Crews are near their aircraft or making last minute stops to the latrine. Admiral Halsey is in operations, which is wooden building on Eastern Island near the runway, waiting patiently for dawn and his planes to take off.
0530 hours Carrier Hiryu
Aircrews take to their planes aboard the decks of the carriers, and final preparations for flight begin. Happily, unlike on the 7th, the seas are moderate today with 5 foot swells. At 0600 a signal is sent by lamp for aircraft to prepare for launch.
0600 Hours
The PBY's begin taking off, followed by the JRS1s, Seagulls and Ducks. The last aircraft is in the air by 0610 hours.
0615 Hours
A Duck, call sign Tare 14, spots the 2nd Bombardment Force a mere 32 miles from Midway heading straight for it at 27 knots. As the observer frantically calls out his spotting report the aircraft drops flares illuminating the enemy fleet.
2nd Bombardment Force
battleships Kirishima (Mikawa), Hiei, Kongo, Haruna, light cruiser Abukuma, destroyers Urukaze, Isokaze, Tanikaze
Meanwhile, aboard the Japanese carriers the first of 90 fighters begin taking off. The first 30 climb at 3,100 feet per minute to their patrol altitude of 15,000 feet, with the entire combat air patrol overhead and in position by 0622 hours. The next 60 fighters form up at 5,000 feet into their combat elements and by 0630 are racing toward Midway at 300 miles per hour, which means they will be overhead in 6 minutes (at 0636 hours)
0617 hours
Halsey receives the report of both Tare 14 and a radar report of many bogies appearing suddenly at a distance of 50 miles, on a bearing 5 degrees North. The Admiral realizes at once that the Japanese carriers are launching and orders an immediate launch of all aircraft with orders to ignore the battleships and hit the carriers.
0619 hours
Peter 8, a PBY, spots the Japanese carrier force 50 miles from Midway and radios a warning that it is launching aircraft. A few seconds later it is set upon by 6 Zero fighters and shot to pieces. All aboard are killed.
0621 hours
American fighters and dive bombers begin taking off in pairs every 15 seconds.
0632 hours – 0645 hours
The Buffalo fighters climb at full military power on a heading to take on the approaching enemy aircraft and slow them down before they reach the bombers. The Buffalos's climb at 2440 feet a minute at 322 miles per hour, reaching 6,000 feet in just over 3 minutes and complete forming up at 0632 hours, mere moments before intercepting the lead Zero's from the Akagi 10 miles from the island.
The combat is short and merciless. The Zero completely outclasses the Buffalo, and the Buffalo also lacks the toughness of the Wildcat. While the American pilots are skilled, they are simply overwhelmed by 24 Zero's that tear into them. However the Navy Aviators of Fighting 2 manage to down 2 of the Zero's before all are shot down, and 6 more Japanese fighters are forced to break off having exhausted their ammunition. However this brief 5 minutes of slaughter keeps a portion of the enemy from reaching the American bombers. Lieutenant Commander Paul Ramsey and three other pilots somehow manage to survive the encounter after bailing out, and Ramsey will receive a Navy Cross for his leadership.
VMSB 231 and its 18 Vindicator's also climb at their best speed. They can only do 1,300 feet a minute and the full squadron finishes assembling at 13,000 feet 10 miles east of Midway at 0633 hours. Luckily for them, cloud cover hides them from the approaching Zero's and they make their way at their best speed of 230 miles an hour toward the reported position of the enemy carriers. Each carries a 500 pound bomb and they will reach their targets in 14 minutes.
VB2 and its 15 SBD Dauntless dive bombers are next in the air, and by 0636 hours are 5 miles west of Midway Atoll at 6,000 feet and climbing. At 10,000 they clear the low lying cloud level that hid them and they begin to form up before heading for the enemy at 0640 hours
VB5 has just completed its take offs and VB6 is taking off when 36 Japanese Zero's roar in. They proceed to rip into the American scout bombers, downing 12 and damaging all 18 of the remainder which results in 8 more of them being forced to ditch not long after. All of the Enterprise and Yorktown bombers are forced to jettison their bombs and make a run for it. However the American gunners manage to claim 3 Zero's in return, including one that blunders into front of the twin 50 caliber machine guns of the SBD's. Another 4 Zero's suffer damage and 20 more exhaust their ammunition. But VB5 and VB6 are out of the fight. American flak manages to damage 6 more of the Japanese fighters and in all of 60 fighters the Japanese have only 20 remain available to fight as the rest have exhausted their ammunition, have been shot down or suffered damage severe enough to take them out of the battle. However half of Browning's strike force has been knocked out of the battle. In all 17 of the American aircrew are recovered, although several are wounded. None of the 5 Japanese pilots shot down survive.
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well, the only words that really sound appropriate at this point:
LET'S GET READY TO RUUUMMMMMMBBBBLLLLLEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LET'S GET READY TO RUUUMMMMMMBBBBLLLLLEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lost Freeway
Banned
I have a feeling this is gonna be a Pyrrhic victory for the USN at best and an absolute curbstomp at worst.
I don't think there will be a Miracle at Midway this time, but the IJN will get a bloody nose that will have secondary and tertiary effects throughout 1942 until the USN can start popping out carriers like PEZ dispensers (to borrow the description from another poster)
And ships like Model Ts too. Hope E, Lex, Sara, Hortnet, York and Wasp can last until late 1942 at least when the Essex class comes online.
Also, most of the USN battleships at Pearl are under repairs, except Arizona. Poor Arizona.
Battle of Midway: Scratch One Flattop!
Battle of Midway: Scratch One Flattop!
0641 hours
PBY Peter 2 spots the Japanese Invasion Force 60 miles from Midway and closing. A message is sent to Midway which forwards it to Brown and Spruance.
0645 Hours
The Japanese combat air patrol spots the Marine Corps bombers as they approach and swarm in for the attack. Browning orders his squadron to attack the biggest carrier in sight (the Kaga) and then the Japanese fighters are on him and his attack force. The Japanese down 10 of the obsolete bombers, including the lead aircraft piloted by Captain Browning and the other 8 are shot to ribbons. However Browning, his aircraft in flames, crashes into the middle of 6 Japanese fighters aboard the Kaga getting ready to take off, starting a severe fire. None of the other American Marine Corps bombers score a hit and all 8 of the survivors run right into the Japanese fighters returning from Midway and 6 more are shot down.
However the Marines and their sacrifice clear the way for Bombing 2, and they also aim for the Kaga, as the other carriers are hidden from sight by clouds as the American squadron reaches their target. They only face limited flak as they dive, and the American pilots score 9 more hits on the Kaga, blasting apart her flight deck and starting massive fires as well as a chain reaction of explosions as fully fueled and armed bombers detonate as fires reach them. In less than 5 minutes over 800 Japanese crew are dead or doomed, and the carrier is clearly a total loss.
Browning's family will receive the Medal of Honor in a ceremony in 1942 at the White House and an infant Chevy Chase (of later television fame and his grandson) will be present when a Fletcher class destroyer is launched bearing the name of Browning in 1944.
However, the Navy dive bombers are subject to Japanese vengeance as the combat air patrol pounces on them on their way out. The Japanese down 4 of the 15 bombers, damage 6 more, and all of these end up ditching near Sand Island. Only 5 make it to the Lexington, along with 2 damaged Marine Corps bombers (which are both pushed over the side as total write offs).
0655 Hours
The Lexington launches 15 TBD Devastators and 16 SBD Dauntless dive bombers led by Lieutenant Commander Dixon. Brown orders the Lexington to keep back the remaining 9 Buffalo fighters for combat air patrol.
0700 Hours
Japanese battleships open fire on Eastern Island concentrating on the airfield. Meanwhile the Japanese carriers put 18 Kate bombers into the air to begin a search, while 7 float planes launch from the two Japanese cruisers. The strike by the Hiryu is cancelled and its remaining Kates and all of its Vals are put into the air on search missions as well.
Meanwhile the Yorktown and Enterprise launch 28 SBD Dauntless dive bombers and 30 TBD Devastators on a strike mission against the Japanese Invasion Fleet. Orders are to concentrate on the transports. Spruance keeps back 6 Dauntless for antisubmarine patrol and all 28 of the Wildcats for fleet defense.
0641 hours
PBY Peter 2 spots the Japanese Invasion Force 60 miles from Midway and closing. A message is sent to Midway which forwards it to Brown and Spruance.
0645 Hours
The Japanese combat air patrol spots the Marine Corps bombers as they approach and swarm in for the attack. Browning orders his squadron to attack the biggest carrier in sight (the Kaga) and then the Japanese fighters are on him and his attack force. The Japanese down 10 of the obsolete bombers, including the lead aircraft piloted by Captain Browning and the other 8 are shot to ribbons. However Browning, his aircraft in flames, crashes into the middle of 6 Japanese fighters aboard the Kaga getting ready to take off, starting a severe fire. None of the other American Marine Corps bombers score a hit and all 8 of the survivors run right into the Japanese fighters returning from Midway and 6 more are shot down.
However the Marines and their sacrifice clear the way for Bombing 2, and they also aim for the Kaga, as the other carriers are hidden from sight by clouds as the American squadron reaches their target. They only face limited flak as they dive, and the American pilots score 9 more hits on the Kaga, blasting apart her flight deck and starting massive fires as well as a chain reaction of explosions as fully fueled and armed bombers detonate as fires reach them. In less than 5 minutes over 800 Japanese crew are dead or doomed, and the carrier is clearly a total loss.
Browning's family will receive the Medal of Honor in a ceremony in 1942 at the White House and an infant Chevy Chase (of later television fame and his grandson) will be present when a Fletcher class destroyer is launched bearing the name of Browning in 1944.
However, the Navy dive bombers are subject to Japanese vengeance as the combat air patrol pounces on them on their way out. The Japanese down 4 of the 15 bombers, damage 6 more, and all of these end up ditching near Sand Island. Only 5 make it to the Lexington, along with 2 damaged Marine Corps bombers (which are both pushed over the side as total write offs).
0655 Hours
The Lexington launches 15 TBD Devastators and 16 SBD Dauntless dive bombers led by Lieutenant Commander Dixon. Brown orders the Lexington to keep back the remaining 9 Buffalo fighters for combat air patrol.
0700 Hours
Japanese battleships open fire on Eastern Island concentrating on the airfield. Meanwhile the Japanese carriers put 18 Kate bombers into the air to begin a search, while 7 float planes launch from the two Japanese cruisers. The strike by the Hiryu is cancelled and its remaining Kates and all of its Vals are put into the air on search missions as well.
Meanwhile the Yorktown and Enterprise launch 28 SBD Dauntless dive bombers and 30 TBD Devastators on a strike mission against the Japanese Invasion Fleet. Orders are to concentrate on the transports. Spruance keeps back 6 Dauntless for antisubmarine patrol and all 28 of the Wildcats for fleet defense.
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that is it for the evening....
It took almost 70 bombers to get those hits, and wiped from the board a Japanese CV, along with nearly 70 aircraft and a number of aircrew as well. It wiped out 4 1/2 American squadrons getting it.
The cloud cover was the only reason any of the American aircraft managed to survive long enough to score.
But Midway is about to be removed from the board as a functioning airfield.
It took almost 70 bombers to get those hits, and wiped from the board a Japanese CV, along with nearly 70 aircraft and a number of aircrew as well. It wiped out 4 1/2 American squadrons getting it.
The cloud cover was the only reason any of the American aircraft managed to survive long enough to score.
But Midway is about to be removed from the board as a functioning airfield.
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