70 years ago today...

[Capitaine Vengeur 263]

On 4 June 1942, the Japanese carriers launched their first strikes in order to seize the atoll of Midway, but unexpectantly, had to face there the warned U.S. carrier fleet in a decisive battle. First, they successfully ravaged the defenses of Midway and bled the first attack waves sent against them, destroying several squadrons of torpedo-bombers in the process. But at dusk, following a legendary, incredible twist of situation, four of the six fleet carriers that had struck Pearl Harbor were sunk or aflame. The tables had turned once and for all in the Pacific, as the Americans, beaten and beaten again before, would never lose again their hard-earned initiative.

 

Napoléon once wrote: "At war, victory goes to the general who makes the least mistakes." Indeed, during the battle, the Americans accumulated some expensive blunders and errors of judgement they could not afford; but the Japanese negligences and consequential toll to arrogance and overconfidence proved to be lethal for the Empire. The Americans also benefitted from some strokes of genius: the Thach Weave perfected by LtCdr John Thach succeeded in compensating the Zero's overwhelming superiority in battle, and in overcoming the Zero myth, while the trick used by Cdr Joseph Rochefort to find out that the Japanese objective codenamed AF was actually Midway, became legendary in the history of the intelligence services.

[+Dave 2,322]

[+JonathanRL 974]

The story about AF is while genius, fades somewhat compared to Commander Edwin Laytons prediction about the Japanese Carriers during a pre-battle briefing...

"The Japanese Carriers, four or five with Escorts will attack Midway at the morning of the 4th of June 1942 on bearing 325. They will be detectable at a distance of 280 km around 07.00"

Edited June 4, 2012 by JonathanRL

[Wrench 9,801]

R.G Smith (official Douglas Aircraft Co artist)

 

"Famous 5 Minutes"

[column5 63]

http://www.centuryinter.net/midway/Carrier_Squadrons/Torpedo_Eight/in_color.html

 

[Wrench 9,801]

i used that film, and several other sources, to make 100% historically accurate skins for VT-3, VT-6 and VT-8 Devestators .. right down to the Modex & BuNums

 

below, Waldron & Dobbs (note: at Midway, all the TBDs only carried the pilot and gunner - I ever inied-out the bombadier/navigator figure)

Edited June 4, 2012 by Wrench