The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-07-15
Midway
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Lieut.. Cmdr. John Charles Wal
dron, Al, of Fort Pierre, S. d. This
squadron successfully attacked
the enemy's main battle force
without fighter support and in
spite of blistering antiaircraft
and fighter opposition. All Is
planes were lost. Only one man
of the squadron, Ensign G.. II.
Gay, of Houston, Texas, surviv-
ed.
DEED OF VALOR
Another deed of valor was at
tributed to Major Lotion r.
Henderson of Gary, Ind. During
the Marines first attack on the
Japanese fleet on June 4, his
scout bomber was hit and set
aflame. Henderson was last
seen diving his blazing craft into
the smokestack of Japanese
carrier.
After the Coral Sea victory of
May 4-May 8, the Navy said, the
High Command decided the en-
emy's next thrust would be di-
rected against some other section
of Americas Pacific defenses-
Hawaii, Alaska, the Panama
Canal or the Pacific coast.
Consequently u. 5. Naval
forces were deployed along the
100 mile front between Mid
way Island and the Aleutians in
the North Pacific. Throughout
the danger area, bases were re-
inforced with long-range, land
based aircraft Thus, the Navy
made clear, the fighting forces
under supreme command of Ad-
miral Chester WNimitz. Pacific
fleet chief, were ready when the
blow fell.
POISED TO STRIKE"
This was further borne out in
supplementary account which
said that 1.-The full fury of the
U. S. Naval Task force lying in
ambush off Midway was poised
to strike-once the quarry was
overtaken."
The following account of the
battle is taken from the Navy
communique and supplementary
reports based on voluminous
communications from command
ers in the field.
Enemy sighted-at 9 a. m,
Midway time, June 3, Navy pa
troll planes found an enemy
cruiser and transport force in
five huge columns about 700
miles west of Midway, coming
in.
simultaneously, Japanese
battle force of carriers and bat
tleships was coming in from the
northwest. Army fortress bomb
ers and Navy patrol planes dam
aged a cruiser, a transport and
probably sank and damaged
other vessels in an immediate
attack on the occupation force.
Battle joined-Army and Ma
rine planes from Midway at
tackled the main battle force
early the next day. Four army
planes attacked two carriers
and probably made a torpedo
hit on one. Two of the four
planes were lost. Six Marine
planes attacked and probably
got one torpedo hit on an enemy
ship. Five of these planes were
lost.
CARRIER THRICE HIT
Sixteen Marine dive bombers
got three hits on carrier, prob
ably the Soryu, Only half of
those planes returned. Eleven
Marine dive bombers reported
two hits on a battleship. Sixteen
Army heavy bombers made
three hits on carriers in high
level attacks.
Meanwhile, at 6:35 a. M. soon
after the American bombers
had left. Midway was attacked
by Japanese carrier-based bomb
ers. Outnumbered Marine fight
ers and anti-aircraft guns shot
down 40 enemy planes.
' Damage to shore installations
was serious but not disabling.
The enemy turns-By mid
morning the enemy had suffered
only about 10 ships damaged,
and the American command ex-
pected continued attack. But the
Japanese changed course unob-
served and both forces began to
retire.
RUSH TO ATTACK
BY that time American car
riers in ambush were rushing
full steam to attack. But be-
cause the enemy had changed
course contact was not establish
ed Immediately. Some American
planes hunted so long they land
ed at sea.
However, Waldron and Lieu
tenant Commander Clarence
Wade McClusky, Jr., of Buffalo,
N. Y, shrewdly guessed what
the enemy had done, led their