Warbird Information Exchange

Originally posted by Mark Allen.




Officers of Fighting Squadron (VF) 1B pictured in Hawaii. Standing at the far right is Ensign Clarence Wade McClusky, who later led the Enterprise Air Group at the Battle of Midway in June 1942


Log Book of Aviation Radioman First Class Joseph F. DeLuca noting his combat flights as a gunner in an SBD Dauntless of Scouting Squadron (VS) 6 during during the Battle of Midway.


Log Book of Captain John F. Carey, USMC, covering June 1942, and documenting his participation in the famous Battle of Midway, during which he flew an F2A-2 Buffalo and was credited with shooting down a Japanese dive bomber, Carey, who received the Navy Cross for his actions, was among the lucky ones. Sixteen of his squadronmates were shot down during the engagement, with fourteen pilots killed in action.


Letter from Acting Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal to Mrs. Harold J. Ellison, expressing his sympathy over the fact that her husband was declared missing in action.


Citation for the Navy Cross presented posthumously to Ensign Harold J. Ellison, a pilot in Torpedo Squadron (VT) 8 off the carrier Hornet (CV 8 ), for actions against the enemy during the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942. Ellison was among those killed in action.


Temporary Citation for the Distinguished Flying Cross presented to Ensign Jewell H. Reid for performance of duties as a patrol plane pilot during the Battle of Midway. On June 3, 1942, while flying a PBY Catalina from Midway, Reid and his crew spotted the approaching ships of the Japanese invasion force.


Map of Midway Atoll showing Eastern and Sand Islands and the coral reef surrounding them. The map contains handwritten navigation notes by Lieutenant Howard P. Ady noting approach distances and landing areas for PBY Catalina flying boats. On the morning of June 4, 1942, Ady made the first sighting of Japanese carriers approaching Midway.


Lt George Gay, sole survivor of Torpedo Squadron (VT) 8 Battle of Midway, speaks on the occasion of the christening ceremony of the carrier Midway (CVB 41) at Newport News, Virginia, 20 March 1945

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Report of Lieutenant (junior grade) John Magda detailing his experiences making a water landing in an F4F-4 Wildcat during the Battle of Midway and the ensuing period spent in a rubber life raft, 18 June 1942.
Lieutenant (junior grade) John Magda later served as a fighter pilot in Fighting Squadron (VF) 12 and in the postwar years was selected to command the Blue Angels flight demonstration team. When the team disbanded at the beginning of the Korean War to form the nucleus of Fighter Squadron (VF) 191, Magda became the skipper of the squadron. He was killed in action during a combat mission over Korea.

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SBD-2 and 3's of Bombing Squadron Five VB-5 and Scouting Squadron Five VS-5 pictured on the flight deck of USS Yorktown CV-5 June 1942


SBD-3 possibly of Bombing Squadron Five VB-5 pictured on the flight deck of USS Yorktown CV-5 during the Battle of Midway


SBD-2 or 3's of Bombing Squadron Six VB-6 and Scouting Squadron Six VS-6 are spotted forward on board USS Enterprise CV-6 June 1942


SBD-2 Dauntless Bureau Number 2106 after its return to Midway Atoll following an attack against Japanese aircraft carriers at the Battle of Midway


SBD-2 Dauntless Bureau Number 2106 after its return to Midway Atoll following an attack against Japanese aircraft carriers at the Battle of Midway

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Thanks for posting. Neat to see DeLuca's logbook - his pilot (Dickinson) was later the author of The Flying Guns - great book doucmenting SBD life in the early months of the Pacific campaign.

Timeline of the Battle of Midway

4 June 1942

04:30 First Japanase takeoff against Midway Islands
04:30 10 planes (Yorktown) begin to search for the Japanese ships
05:34 Japanese ships detected by Yorktown airplanes
07:10 1 Avenger and 4 B26 of US-Army (from Midway I.) attack
07:50 67 Dive-, 29 Torpedo-bombers, 20 Wildcats takeoff (Spruance)
07:55 16 Dive bombers of the US-Navy (from Midway I.) attack
08:10 17 B17 (from Midway Islands) attack
08:20 11 Bombers of the US-Navy (from Midway I.) attack
09:06 12 Torpedo-, 17 dive-bombers, 6 Wildcats takeoff (Yorktown)
09:18 Nagumo to Northeast
09:25 15 airplanes (Hornet) attack
09:30 14 airplanes (Enterprise) attack
10:00 12 T-Bombers (Yorktown) attack
10:25 37 Dive bombers (Enterprise) attack on Akagi
10:25 17 Dive bombers (Yorktown) attack on Soryu
11:00 18 Vals and 6 Zekes takeoff from Hiryu
12:05 First attack on Yorktown
13:30 24 Dive bombers takeoff against Hiryu (Spruance)
13:31 10 Kates and 6 Zekes take off from Hiryu
13:40 Yorktown again in service with 18 kn
14:30 Second attack on Yorktown
15:00 Yorktown abandoned
16:10 Soryu sunk
17:00 Dive bombers attack on Hiryu
19:25 Kaga sunk

5 June 1942

05:00 Akagi sunk
09:00 Hiryu sunk

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“Knowing what’s right, doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”

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Pilots of Marine Scout Bombing Squadron VMSB 241 pictured on Midway Atoll 1942

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CDR. Harry Ferrier's TBF Avenger flew back to midway island badly shot up after his squadron "VT-8, attacked the Japanese carriers at the Battle Of Midway. His aircraft was the only one to return.

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Great stuff, thanks for posting these

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/2282629 ... ref=SEARCH

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1062859 ... 8743408401

Awesome stuff as usual Mark, thanks

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Running bombing missions at only 582 hours TT....wow.

Thanks for sharing. Very very interesting.

Your welcome gents, early June certainly hold important date(s) in history for sure.


Army Air Corp B-17's taking off from Midway Island to intercept Japanese fleet June 1942


Raising an American flag even during air raids on Midway Island June 1942

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Shell Hit Flying Fortress

An explosive anti-aircraft shell hit a Flying Fortress piloted by Lt. Hack D. Whidden, 25, of Van Nuys, Calif., and Lt. Chuck R. Crowell, 22, Freeport, Ill., but they pressed home their attack, hit and probably sank a Japanese destroyer in the Battle of Midway.

Jack and Chuck told about it in these words:

"We saw our first action in the war the morning of June 4, when with our squadron we attacked the Japanese battle fleet 150 miles off Midway.

"We saw among other ships two heavy cruisers, and three carriers, one of them very large, with many destroyers weaving about. Actually we have to confess that the sight of the ships was a complete surprise to us."

Jack: "We were flying along following our squadron leader through the clouds. He ordered our plane to prepare to drop bombs. I thought that we were about to land or leastwise getting somewhere near bases and that the bombs were to be released to lighten the load so we could make it home okay. Our gasoline wasn't any too high at that point. Anyway we got ready to let the bombs go and just then we burst through the clouds and there were some 20 or 25 ships beneath us and all of them blazing away at us."

Too Mad To Be Scared

Chuck: "That ack-ack was plenty thick. In fact, very, very thick. We were down real low for planes of our type - Fortresses. I felt pretty scared."

Jack: "So did I feel scared for a few minutes. We saw the first burst of anti-aircraft shot off to the right and I threw up my right arm instinctively to cover my face as if boxing. Then I got mad. So did Chuck. And from then on we were too mad to be scared."

Chuck: "That is, until we got back home and began thinking the whole thing over."

Jack: "Anyway, this stuff was getting pretty thick. We were flying right through it. Then an explosive shell hit our left wing. It cut the main spar and wrecked the flaps and damaged the ailerons. The cockpit suddenly filled up with smoke. It smelled like firecrackers. We thought for a while that we were on fire. [Some duplication here omitted.] That shell knocked down our rear gunner, but he got up again and told me over the phone that he could see a lot of holes in our left wing."

Chuck: "I remember the sound of that shell. It went 'ker-poom' and waves of hot air came up our legs."

Jack: "There was a destroyer directly [illegible] It was our target and believe me we were its target. That destroyer was really putting out. It must have thrown up 500 AA shells in 30 seconds. The sky was black with exploding shells."

Destroyer Squarely Hit

Chuck: "We kept going in and the bombardier laid one right on the stern of that destroyer. We could see the explosion and it was smoking badly as we pulled away."

Jack: "Then two Zeros got after us. The tail gunner got the first one, which went down in flames. The side and rear gunners knocked the hell out of the second Zero. Then we were more or less alone in the air as far as the enemy were concerned and had time to look over our situation."

Chuck: "Our situation wasn't any too good. Our flaps were shot away. The left wing was a little wobbly. One motor wasn't functioning right. It was heading for a strange field on a small island."

Jack: "I believe it was pure luck that got us back plus, of course, smart navigation and swell leadership by our group commander, Capt. Earnest Manniers (?) of Hartford, Conn. Our flight never broke formation and we landed okay."

Jack and Chuck: "Those B17s will win the war."

Both also would like to get back into action against the Japanese and "don't expect any heavier fire than they have already have experienced."

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