Midway
- The Turning Point
The Battle of Midway in
June of 1942 marked the turning point in the War in the Pacific, and the
Douglas SBD Dauntless was the aircraft which provided the punch in this
decisive victory for America. The SBD, which earned the nickname
"Slow, But Deadly," entered service with the USN and USMC in
1940. Powered by a 1,000 HP, 9-cylinder, Cyclone radial engine the SBD was
capable of a maximum speed of 250 MPH. The Dauntless could stay airborne
for a long time with its 1,300 mile range and slow cruising speed, and it
was capable of delivering a 1,200 pound bomb load. Because of its slow
speed the SBD needed armament to discourage attack by enemy fighters. Two
forward firing machine guns and either one or two rear firing guns mounted
in the gunners cockpit behind the pilot, gave the SBD enough firepower to
make it a challenging target for enemy fighters. The Japanese plan for
invading Midway, a strategically-located small island about 1,100 miles
northwest of Hawaii, involved the use of a decoy fleet which would feign
an invasion of the Aleutians, while the main fleet consisting of
approximately 100 ships and four aircraft carriers would carryout the
invasion. Based on intelligence reports the US Navy was ready for Adm.
Yamamoto this time. The American force totaled 25 ships including the
carriers Hornet, Enterprise, and Yorktown. Air power was about even,
because the U.S. could count on nearly 100 land-based aircraft on Midway
itself. About 1/3rd of the U.S. air power was represented by SBDs. During
the first exchanges, American attacks on the Japanese invasion fleet with
both land-based and carrier-based aircraft were repulsed with substantial
losses. These low-level torpedo attacks focused the attention of both
Japanese fighter pilots and AA gunners on the horizon. Lacking effective
radar, the Japanese fleet would prove to be unprepared for a high altitude
attack by swarms of SBDs on June 4, 1942. The timing proved perfect as the
Japanese carriers were laden with fully fueled and armed aircraft being
readied for a second wave. As depicted in Stan Stokes dramatic painting
the 1,000 pounder of Paul "Lefty" Holmberg's SBD penetrates the
carrier deck of the Soryu while Holmberg pulls out of his dive. Right
behind Holmberg is another SBD of VB-3 from the USS Yorktown. SBDs from
the Yorktown and its sister ship the Enterprise destroyed three Japanese
carriers in a matter of minutes during this battle. While the Yorktown was
later lost in the Battle, all four Japanese carriers were eventually
destroyed including many of Japan's most experienced naval aviators. The
rugged and effective Dauntless, the only USN aircraft to remain in service
through the entire war, was responsible for destroying more enemy shipping
than any other aircraft during WW II. |
