![]() ![]() The Japanese Combined Fleet Maneuvers Against MidwayĪlthough now in a combat zone, Torpedo 8 did not see any action immediately. Taking those whom he considered to be his best pilots, Waldron headed west with the Devastators. Waldron ordered Larsen to stay behind at Norfolk with a detachment of men to begin training in the new planes. Twenty-one new Avengers arrived in March 1942, just as the squadron was preparing to depart for the Pacific aboard the Hornet. Waldron hoped that he would not have to go into battle with the old Devastators. Fresh from the assembly line, the new planes were expected to arrive any day. The squadron was slated to be among the first to receive the Devastator’s replacement, the Grumman TBF Avenger. The combination of light armament and slow approach speed made the Devastator an easy target for both Japanese fighter pilots and antaircraft gunners. ![]() Once considered a modern aircraft, the bomber was obsolete by the start of the Pacific War. Torpedo 8 was equipped with the Douglas TBD Devastator, which at the time represented the U.S. In the months that followed, Waldron and Larsen molded their group of inexperienced pilots into a functioning squadron. Like all members of the new squadron, Gay would soon endure long days of training, both in the classroom and in the air. A native Texan with little experience, Gay reported for duty shortly after flight school. “We’ve got to make fighting men out of them and we may not have much time.”Īmong the pilots assigned to the squadron was Ensign George Gay. “We’re getting fresh, green kids,” he said. Waldron told him of the difficult task that lay ahead. The squadron’s executive officer, Lieutenant Harold Larsen, became Waldron’s second in command. Waldron immediately set out to organize his squadron. Naval Academy in 1924, he joined the fast-growing field of naval aviation, earning his wings in 1927. A native of Fort Pierre, South Dakota, he was an experienced naval aviator. Waldron was selected to lead the new squadron. Torpedo Squadron 8 was created in 1941 to become part of an air group for the new carrier USS Hornet. The first torpedo squadron to find the carriers had been Torpedo Squadron 8. Three squadrons of torpedo planes had already made low-level attacks. The dive-bombers were not the first American carrier-based planes to attack the enemy flattops. He began a 70-degree dive toward the Japanese ships below and into history. Earl, you follow me down.” McClusky immediately banked his Douglas SBD Dauntless dive-bomber sharply to the right. “Earl Gallaher, you take the carrier on the left and Best, you take the one on the right. The air group commander gave final orders to his squadron leaders. Descending to an altitude of 15,000 feet, the airwaves lit up with the voice of Lt. At a time when the squadron expected to be swarmed by Zeros, none were present. Most remarkable was the absence of any Japanese Mitsubishi Zero fighter planes. ![]() A fourth carrier stood off in the distance. The light tan flight decks clearly stood out against the backdrop of the deep blue sea. The squadron was about 150 miles northwest of Midway atoll when good visibility allowed the dive-bombers from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise to make out three Japanese carriers almost 20,000 feet below. The pilots of Bombing Squadron 6 could not believe what they were seeing on the morning of June 4, 1942. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |