Date - June 3rd 1942
Reporting from Hawaii is our own Terry "Doc" Savage
With the memory of Pearl Harbor just 6 months old, the exploits of Doolittle's Raiders fresh in our mind and the recent Battle of Coral Sea just off the headlines of the papers comes word of a bigger and even more important battle just now underway - CLASH at MIDWAY.
It appears the Japanese have massed a fleet of 4 or more Carriers including the battle hardened and tested veterans of Pearl Harbor the AKAGI, KAGA, SORYU and HIRYU plus 100's of other ships of all kinds to support them. The US has just 2 maybe 3 carriers plus a handful of support ships to meet them in battle.
The day started as normal. Both sides Launched Scout planes to reach out and find the opposing fleets. As the day wore on and no reports of contacts were reported both sides were on edge.
At around 3:00 PM Local time both sides sent off another wave of Scouts. Both Commanders knew they only had a few hours of daylight left to find and attack the enemy. Both commanders had both SCOUTS and Attack planes take off in anticipation of finding the enemy.
The Japanese got the first blows in of the battle. A swarm of ZEKES and KATES and VALS all attack the Mighty Enterprise. She twisted and turned to avoid the on rush of torpedoes and her gunners fired valiantly at the dive bombing VALS. But in the end she was overwhelmed and after being bracketed by multiple hits of bombs and torpedoes she succumbed to her mortal wounds and quickly sank below the surface - leaving behind an oil slick mixed with survivors and the dead - and a group of pilots DETERMINED to avenger her loss.
The day got even darker for the U.S. forces as reports started coming in about the attacks on the Yorktown. The same ship that was almost sunk at Coral Sea, the same one that was patched up in less than 3 days to get her ready for this battle, was now under attack again and fighting for her life. Her fate was the same as the Enterprise. She fought hard and courageously but in the end she to sank below the surface to her final resting place.
At this point the Japanese had pulled off a perfect plan. Her scouts had found the US Carriers and her Dive bombers and Torpedo planes had done their job and once again crippled the American fleet.
But all was not lost for the US. She still had Scouts in the air from asll of her carriers and Midway herself looking for the enemy carriers. And soon the reports started trickling in. CV's spotted both North and South of Midway. They were closer than anyone realized. The Japanese had been very BOLD and had their Carriers farther EAST than anyone had anticipated. But they would pay for their boldness.
Elements of the survivors of the Enterprise and Yorktown teamed up with the pilots from the surviving Hornet and pressed their attacks against the Japanese fleets. The Japanese defended their ships valiantly but both the AKAGI and HIRYU were sunk under the bombs and torpedoes of the attacking Americans.
At this point both sides were trying to get their planes back to their ships and to try to get a 2nd attack coordinated and organized to hit the enemy again and get back before the sun set.
Some action took place over Midway herself and the remnants of the Japanese headed South to either try to land on another carrier or to do what damage they could at Midway before they ran out of fuel and ammo and bombs.
As the Day drew to a close both sides retired from the battle and compared what was won and lost.
The U.S. Lost 2 Carriers. Her third carrier , the Hornet, was not spotted and Midway only took light damage but lost several planes that can not be replaced in time for the next days battle.
The Japanese lost 2 carriers but still have 2 other carriers intact. They still need to find and then sink the third US Carrier and destroy Midway as a field of operations fora COMPLETE Victory.
We do not know what tomorrow will bring, a Crushing Victory for the Japanese or the turning of the tide of the war for the Americans. The end result will come down to how the MEN who fight the battle can overcome the fear and anxiety and persevere at the end of the day.
-----
Walkons are WELCOME for Frame #2.
Saturday Nov. 9th
Be there NO LATER than
2:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM CT / Noon MTN / 11:00 AM PAC / 6:00 PM UTC
Take off is at
3:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM CT / 1:00 MTN / Noon PAC / 7:00 PM UTC
