Posted on 06/04/2014 7:50:32 PM PDT by Retain Mike
Some of the sources are really great. Nimitz Graybook may be only accessable to USNI member, but here you get to see hard copies of actual orders.
thanks to the author.
Midway almost turned out to be a total catastrophe for the U.S. but ended as an incredible victory.
If not for those Dauntless dive bombers we would have lost everything.
A BTT - ENS Gay had a front-row seat for the turning point in the Pacific war after every one of his VT-8 squadron mates including his rear gunner had died. When at last he died in 1994 he had his ashes scattered on that spot.
Admiral Nimitz was at my boot camp graduation. He was a very gracious man. By then he was a frail, old man in civvies. He wanted to stand around and shoot the breeze with us white hats but the brass kept trying to usher him away. He won! ;-)
One thing Midway showed us was that we had a lot to learn especially for the Army Air Force.
B-17s flying at 20,000 feet had little chance of hitting moving ships. I have seen video of German Condor bombers attacking a convoy and they were flying right at mast high. These were four engined bombers, not fighters and they were pretty slow yet they came right over the ships.
The other thing was that we needed much better planes, especially fighters tho a well flown Wildcat could do OK.
Once witnessed a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge being told at ~age 85 that he had lung cancer and not very long to live. He just nodded. The doctor wanted to be sure he really had understood what had just been said. The man replied that he understood but explained that although he survived into old age, the best people he knew died young in Europe. He just stoically accepted the diagnosis. Truly a great man and a privilege to have known him. These noble veterans never forget and often haunting details and memories are known only to them.
God intervened directly at Midway.
Well done, appreciated.
Probably one of the most important naval battles of the war.
If you ever get to Fredericksburg, Texas, be sure to check out the Nimitz Museum. (I think they may have changed the name but its the same place.)
Those Brewster Buffalos were a real POS.
Thank you for relating that story, and for your service to this Republic.
The Greatest generation.
Wow... great essay
I never really knew our planes were quite THAT antiquated
I don’t think I have ever heard of the Brewster Buffalo in all the things I have read about the war.
I met Ensign Gay in late 70’s at an air show at Willow Grove NAS, PA. Being on bicycle at the time, I didn’t have enough cash to buy his book. But I got to shake his hand; a very proud moment for me.
But on the same day, a young boy entered a jet fighter cockpit and ejected himself. He passed away. His family seen him die. Still bothers me today because I witnessed his death. Can’t recall the outcome of the Naval investigation.
lol... Vindicator Dive Bombers were known as “Wind indicators”... lol
I believe the 'Buffalo' is the plane he's talking about.
I believe that it is called the “Museum of the Pacific War.” Lots of great things to see there, with a heavy concentration on Nimitz himself. A “can’t miss” for WW2 aficionados.
Yep, I went to the Wiki
they didn’t make it sound as bad as this article of course
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