Evening star., 1942-06-13
Navy Airmen Fired
3Carriers at Midway
Within 10 Minutes
Invasion Fleet Halted
Us Miles From Island
Group Leader Says
By WALTER CLAUSEN.
Associated Press War Correspondent

japanese airplane carriers af1ame
from stem to stern within 10 min
utes and eliminated them entirely
from further operations.
This and other spectacular phases
I the mid-Pacific action were de-
scribed in graphic detail by Comdr.
MUIR E. Arnold Of Kimberly. Idaho,
who led an aircraft carrier group
against the enemy.
Comdr. Arnolds account OF the
three-day battle also disclosed that
the invasion fleets closest approach
to Midway was a point 125 miles
offshore.
When the engagement ended, he
said. the enemy had been chased
back farther than the original
point of discovery, several hundred
miles" from the American outpost.
Enemy in Two Groups.
I'VE found the enemy forces di-
vided into two groups" Comdr.
Arnold related. "One was power
full striking force of four carriers.
three battleships and numerous
cruisers and destroyers. The other
force was several transports heavily
loaded down with troops to be used
to occupy Midway. This force was
protected by numerous cruisers and
destroyers. There were II large YES
sells in it, mostly cargo and troop
transports supported by carriers,
battleshipS, cruisers and destroyers.
Possibly six were troop ships.
The striking force appeared to
have launched an air attack on
Midway June 4 from point ZOO
miles away. Then the four carriers
continued toward Midway to recover
plane groups. 1t was estimated
there were 200 japanese planes in
the attack.
I'VE received a report giving the
position of the carriers. Our car
riers launched an attack group with
the sole object of destroying the en-
emy carriers.
I'VE attacked at II o'clock. Ten
minutes later three carriers were
blazing from stem to stern. AS soon
as they were knocked out they
started retreating.
Planes Blown Into Sea.
"One of our dive bombers at
tackled a carrier just as its planes
were going to take off. Another OF
our dive bombers aimed for the
planes on its deck. The first bomb
dropped by this second dive bomber
hit squarely in the middle of the
flight deck. Japanese planes were
seen being blown over the side.
"Au the planes remaining on the
carriers deck started burning.
These three carriers never took
part in any further air operations
during the battle. All were sunk
within "a hours. They had some
Zero fighters in the air for pro-
tective purposes. Presumably these
Zeros landed in the water. There
was no other place for them to go.
The carriers decks were completely
destroyed.
Two Of these carriers were of
the Kaga class and the Akagi class
-Japans biggest ships of this cate
CORY, about 10000 tons each. The
third carrier was smaller, perhaps
about 10000 tons.
These three carriers as far as
we know had plane compliments of
60 to 70 each and at least 1,500 per-
sonnel aboard each.
Ensign Gay George H. Gay of
Houston, Tex, whose plane was shot
down early in the fight and who
saw the rest Of the battle from the
floating wreckage of his plane OBJ
served this whole action and re-
ported destroyers came alongside
one carrier rescuing personnel while
Japanese cruisers shelled one of the
carriers.
There Is no doubt that two Of
the carriers we're sunk that night.
Carriers Had Protective Screen.
The Jap carriers had Zero fight
ers in the air as a protection patrol
and cruisers and destroyers formed
a protective screen as we attacked.
The carriers and every ship in
the force opened up with heavy AA
fire when our air group commenced
to attack. Needless to say, we let
EN- nave everything.
I asked Comdr. Arnold how many
planes We had against them.
Enough to do the job," he an
swered.
"A fourth Jap carrier was in the
area" Comdr. Arnold continued.
but her exact position was not
known at the time we attacked the
other three. This fourth carrier
launched an attack group against
our carriers about 1:30 pm. This
was intercepted by our fighters some
distance away from our force.
Seven or eight Japanese dive
bombers were shot down in this in
itial operation. 1t was a most spec
tacular sight. We could see them
at 10000 feet altitude burst into
flame and then form plumes of black
smoke downward to the sea.
Six or Seven Get Through.
'As far as we could ascertain only
six or seven dive bombers got
through and released their bombs
at our force.
1NOG n SlllSlc OllC vi UllCSC SOJ
away. They we're shot down by AA
fire from our carriers, cruisers and
destroyers.
During this action the japanese
battleships were $50 miles away.
To the southwest of the battle
ships was the occupation force of
troops ships, in position to reach
Midway two days after the initial
raid
AT $50 pm. a second group of
planes from the fourth Jap carrier
attacked us. They were torpedo
planes and Zeros.
when this attack started, we had
several fighters on deck which had
landed for refueling. We didn't take
time to finish refueling but began
launching fighters which went right
through the middle of the enemy fire
and into the air.
That really was spectacular.
"One of these fighter pilots was
Ensign Milton Tootle, %, of St.
Joseph, Mo. He is one of the
youngest and most inexperienced of
the pilots. He had been on the car