The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place 4–7 June 1942, six months after the Empire of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under Admirals Chester W. Nimitz, Frank J. Fletcher, and Raymond A. Spruance defeated an attacking fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy under Admirals Isoroku Yamamoto, Chūichi Nagumo, and Nobutake Kondō north of Midway Atoll, inflicting devastating damage on the Japanese fleet. Military historian John Keegan called it "the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare", while naval historian Craig Symonds called it "one of the most consequential naval engagements in world history, ranking alongside Salamis, Trafalgar, and Tsushima Strait, as both tactically decisive and strategically influential."
A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carrying the weight of a torpedo, and remained an important aircraft type until they were rendered obsolete by anti-ship missiles. They were an important element in many famous Second World War battles, notably the British attack at Taranto, the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck, the sinking of the British battleship HMS Prince Of Wales and the British battlecruiser HMS Repulse and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
USS Enterprise (CV-6) was a Yorktown-class carrier built for the United States Navy during the 1930s. She was the seventh U.S. Navy vessel of that name. Colloquially called "The Big E", she was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. Launched in 1936, she was one of only three American carriers commissioned before World War II to survive the war. She participated in more major actions of the war against Japan than any other United States ship. These actions included the attack on Pearl Harbor — 18 Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers of her air group arrived over the harbor during the attack; seven were shot down with eight airmen killed and two wounded, making her the only American aircraft carrier with men at Pearl Harbor during the attack and the first to sustain casualties during the Pacific War — the Battle of Midway, the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, various other air-sea engagements during the Guadalcanal Campaign, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Enterprise earned 20 battle stars, the most for any U.S. warship in World War II, and was the most decorated U.S. ship of World War II. She was also the first American ship to sink a full-sized enemy warship after the Pacific War had been declared when her aircraft sank the Japanese submarine I-70 on 10 December 1941. On three occasions during the war, the Japanese announced that she had been sunk in battle, inspiring her nickname "The Grey Ghost". By the end of the war, her planes and guns had downed 911 enemy planes, sunk 71 ships, and damaged or destroyed 192 more.
USS Hornet (CV-8), the seventh U.S. Navy vessel of that name, was a Yorktown-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy.
Ensign George Henry Gay Jr. was a Douglas TBD Devastator pilot in United States Navy Torpedo Squadron 8 operating from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. Of the 30 VT-8 aircrew from Hornet that participated in the pivotal Battle of Midway, Ensign Gay was the sole survivor.
The Yorktown class was a class of three aircraft carriers built for the United States Navy and completed shortly before World War II, the Yorktown (CV-5), Enterprise (CV-6), and Hornet (CV-8). They immediately followed Ranger, the first U.S. aircraft carrier built as such, and benefited in design from experience with Ranger and the earlier Lexington class, which were conversions into carriers of two battlecruisers that were to be scrapped to comply with the Washington Naval Treaty, an arms limitation accord.
Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) was a United States Navy squadron of World War II torpedo bombers. VT-8 was assigned initially to the air group of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, joining the ship shortly after her commissioning in October 1941.
USS John C. Butler (DE-339) was the lead ship of her class of destroyer escorts in the service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was recommissioned between 1950 and 1957 and finally sunk as a target in 1971.
John Charles Waldron was a United States Navy aviator who led a squadron of torpedo bombers in World War II. He was among the twenty-nine men in his squadron who perished in the Battle of Midway.
William Bowen Ault was a commander in the United States Navy during World War II and a posthumous recipient of the Navy Cross. The front page of the June 18, 1942, issue of the Enterprise Chieftain carries the news of Commander William Ault's death in the Pacific.
USS Bebas (DE-10) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort in the service of the United States Navy from 1943 to 1945.
Vice Admiral James Henry Flatley Jr. was a World War II naval aviator and tactician for the United States Navy (USN). He became a fighter ace credited with shooting down six enemy aircraft in aerial combat.
USS Seid (DE-256) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy in service from 1943 to 1945. She was scrapped in 1947.
Tony F. Schneider was an American World War II pilot who taught at University of Louisville and was appointed the Holloway Plan Professor of Naval Science at the University of New Mexico.
USS Brock (APD-93), ex-DE-234, was a United States Navy high-speed transport in commission from 1945 to 1947.
USS John P. Gray (APD-74), ex-DE-673, was a United States Navy high-speed transport in commission from 1944 to 1946.
Attack Squadron 35 (VA-35) was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. The squadron's nickname is unknown. Its insignia, a winged dragon, was revised several times during its lifetime. The squadron was first established as Torpedo and Bombing Squadron 2 (VT-2) on 6 July 1925, and was redesignated as VT-2B on 1 July 1927, VT-3 on 1 July 1937, VA-4A on 15 November 1946, and, finally, VA-35 on 7 August 1948. The squadron was disestablished on 7 November 1949. It was the first squadron to carry the VA-35 designation, the second VA-35 was redesignated from VA-34 on 15 February 1950 and disestablished on 31 January 1995.
Attack Squadron 15 (VA-15), nicknamed the Valions, was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. It was established as Torpedo Squadron 4 (VT-4) on 10 January 1942, redesignated VA-2A on 15 November 1946, and finally redesignated VA-15 on 2 August 1948. The squadron was disestablished on 1 June 1969, after 27 years of service.
Lance Edward "Lem" Massey was a U.S. Navy pilot during World War II.
VPB-11 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Torpedo & Bombing Squadron 19-D14 (VT-19D14) on 7 February 1924, redesignated Torpedo & Bombing Squadron 6D14 (VT-6D14) on 1 July 1927, redesignated Patrol Squadron 6-B (VP-6B) on 1 April 1931, redesignated Patrol Squadron 6-F (VP-6F) on 17 July 1933, redesignated Patrol Squadron 6 (VP-6) on 1 October 1937, redesignated Patrol Squadron 23 (VP-23) on 1 July 1939, redesignated Patrol Squadron 11 (VP-11) on 1 August 1941, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 11 (VPB-11) on 1 October 1944 and disestablished on 20 June 1945.
United States
