Comments on: June 4 - 7, 1942 - The Battle of Midway. http://fewl.net/2008/06/04/june-4-7-1942-the-battle-of-midway/ Just another Navy guy living in Japan... Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:42:26 +0000 By: Eddie http://fewl.net/2008/06/04/june-4-7-1942-the-battle-of-midway/#comment-328808 Eddie Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:32:36 +0000 http://fewl.net/?p=277#comment-328808 I just found this site. Very interesting so far. I've been very interested in the Battle of Midway ever since I saw the movie as a kid. Although the movie is inaacurate, it was the jump start that lead me to join up many years later. When I left AB "A" school in Lakehurst, N.J., I got orders to the USS Midway out of Yoko many moons ago. Being a bit of a USN WWII history buff, my "Holy Grail" was realized in Jan. of 91. I was stationed on the Ranger steaming toward the Persian Gulf. We were in a hurry to get there and liberty in Pearl Harbor was cancelled, but we headed to the north of Hawaii. One evening, just before sunset, the CHENG got on the 1MC and announce that we were passing though the area were the Battle of Midway occurred. He then gave a detailed account of the events as I stood in the catwalk staring out over the ocean and imagining the sacrifices made by everyone involved. A very moving experience. In case anyone wants a good perspective of the events and a great read, pick up Shattered Sword. One of the best books on the subject as far as I'm comcerned. http://www.shatteredswordbook.com/ I just found this site. Very interesting so far. I’ve been very interested in the Battle of Midway ever since I saw the movie as a kid. Although the movie is inaacurate, it was the jump start that lead me to join up many years later. When I left AB “A” school in Lakehurst, N.J., I got orders to the USS Midway out of Yoko many moons ago. Being a bit of a USN WWII history buff, my “Holy Grail” was realized in Jan. of 91. I was stationed on the Ranger steaming toward the Persian Gulf. We were in a hurry to get there and liberty in Pearl Harbor was cancelled, but we headed to the north of Hawaii. One evening, just before sunset, the CHENG got on the 1MC and announce that we were passing though the area were the Battle of Midway occurred. He then gave a detailed account of the events as I stood in the catwalk staring out over the ocean and imagining the sacrifices made by everyone involved. A very moving experience.

In case anyone wants a good perspective of the events and a great read, pick up Shattered Sword. One of the best books on the subject as far as I’m comcerned.
http://www.shatteredswordbook.com/

]]> By: Tony http://fewl.net/2008/06/04/june-4-7-1942-the-battle-of-midway/#comment-280753 Tony Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:53:02 +0000 http://fewl.net/?p=277#comment-280753 If it wasn't for those crazily brave pilots flying those TBFs pulling the Japanese fighter coverage low allowing the Navy dive bombers to pick and choose their targets; if it wasn't for the indecision of Admiral Nagumo at the last minute to debate on whether to wipe out the remaining forces on Midway or to arm his wing to knock out the the US CVs; if it wasn't for the ability for SRF Hawaii to patch up the Yorktown after the Battle of the Coral Sea to get her back in action in short time; if it wasn't for the efforts of the crew to keep the Yorktown up that fooled the Japanese pilots that they were attacking the Enterprise or Hornet; if it wasnt for the sharp eyes of the guys in the YBP Catalinas; if it wasn't for the "out side the box" thinking of the intel guys, Midway would have been a completely different story...a whole team effort. That blunted the Japanese attempts to cripple the US Navy in the Pacific to force the US to the bargaining table to recognize Japanese power as it was in the Pacific; it wasn't so much the loss of the ships but the loss of the veteran pilots who had spearheaded the Japanese assault in the Pacific since 1940 that really hampered the Japanese naval air service that allowed the US to dominate in the war...that and our unrestricted submarine warfare that effectively strangled Japan. If it wasn’t for those crazily brave pilots flying those TBFs pulling the Japanese fighter coverage low allowing the Navy dive bombers to pick and choose their targets; if it wasn’t for the indecision of Admiral Nagumo at the last minute to debate on whether to wipe out the remaining forces on Midway or to arm his wing to knock out the the US CVs; if it wasn’t for the ability for SRF Hawaii to patch up the Yorktown after the Battle of the Coral Sea to get her back in action in short time; if it wasn’t for the efforts of the crew to keep the Yorktown up that fooled the Japanese pilots that they were attacking the Enterprise or Hornet; if it wasnt for the sharp eyes of the guys in the YBP Catalinas; if it wasn’t for the “out side the box” thinking of the intel guys, Midway would have been a completely different story…a whole team effort.

That blunted the Japanese attempts to cripple the US Navy in the Pacific to force the US to the bargaining table to recognize Japanese power as it was in the Pacific; it wasn’t so much the loss of the ships but the loss of the veteran pilots who had spearheaded the Japanese assault in the Pacific since 1940 that really hampered the Japanese naval air service that allowed the US to dominate in the war…that and our unrestricted submarine warfare that effectively strangled Japan.

]]> By: VoXman http://fewl.net/2008/06/04/june-4-7-1942-the-battle-of-midway/#comment-279057 VoXman Sat, 07 Jun 2008 11:37:59 +0000 http://fewl.net/?p=277#comment-279057 In the top ten "Navy's Finest Hour" category. No only did wave after wave of flights from those carriers get shot down by the Japanese, but we lost the Yorktown in the process. The IJN lost 4 carriers and Never recovered from the loss. They built these tremendous assets but had no ability to replace the lost ships, men and material. But over confidence led them to push for the destruction of the US carriers thinking we'd negotiate a peace then. Forgetting the Atlantic fleet would have been pulled by FDR to protect Pearl harbor. A loss at Midway Island would have a paved the way for the Japanese fleet to attack the dry docks and SRF at Pearl. Thus destroying our ability to repair any of the ships previously sunk. Nimitz called it right. Took a big gamble, and showed why the US Navy is the best fighting force in the world. In the top ten “Navy’s Finest Hour” category. No only did wave after wave of flights from those carriers get shot down by the Japanese, but we lost the Yorktown in the process. The IJN lost 4 carriers and Never recovered from the loss. They built these tremendous assets but had no ability to replace the lost ships, men and material. But over confidence led them to push for the destruction of the US carriers thinking we’d negotiate a peace then. Forgetting the Atlantic fleet would have been pulled by FDR to protect Pearl harbor.

A loss at Midway Island would have a paved the way for the Japanese fleet to attack the dry docks and SRF at Pearl. Thus destroying our ability to repair any of the ships previously sunk. Nimitz called it right. Took a big gamble, and showed why the US Navy is the best fighting force in the world.

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