Evening star., 1943-01-13

more, aICeF JnlS SQuaQTOnS CATTleF,
the Yorktown, had been put out Of
action. The Hornet at that time
was under the command of Capt.
(now Rear AdmiraD Mark A.
Mitscher.
The carrier left Pearl Harbor
about June to help intercept the
enemy force of Midway Her air.
planes took of from shore and
joined her at sea. Widhelm was
unable to get his airplane started
and was flown out to the ship in
the rear seat of torpedo bomber.
He was credited in the ensuing
action with two direct hits with
1000 pound bombs on a japanese
battleship. He received the Navy
Cross for this action.
The Hornets air group first
roaredRinto action at 9 o'clock in the
morning of June 4. In search of a
japanese force of four aircraft car
riers, reported to be more than $50
miles away, Torpedo Squadron 8,
accompanied by fighters and dive
bombers, took off on what was to
prove one of the most heroic episodes
of the war. Torpedo Squadron 8
pressed straight on to the target in
spite of the fact that 1t became
separated from is escorting fighters.
Several miles before it reached the
group of enemy carriers. it was at
tackled by an overwhelming force Of
II q - Nf IA "a
hopeless odds against 1t, the squadron
never wavered, but held course
straight for the carriers.
Only One Plane Returns.
First one member, then another,
then others in quick succession fell
before the Jap attack. How many
torpedo hits they scored before they
finally were shot down will never
be known, for only Ensign G. H.
Gay, U. S. N. r.. returned from this
squadron's heroic action. Gay him
self scored a hit and 1t is probable
that several of his squadron mates
did also. All pilots from this squad
ron were later awarded the Navy
Cross and their gunners were
awarded the Distinguished Flying
Cross. With the exception of Ensign
Gays, all awards were posthumous.
Some of the scout bombers which
had become separated from the
torpedo bombers were able to return
to the carrier; the others. with the
accompanying fighters, returned to
Midway to refuel.
"A number of the Hornets Grum-
man Wildcats had remained behind
to furnish a protective combat air
patrol over our own carriers. These
fighters helped to intercept the
Japanese attack on the nearby
Yorktown, and in this action shot
down three Zeros and two Japanese
dive bombers.
The second attack by the Hornet
air group was launched at ap-
proximately 6 o'clock the same
afternoon. A. large force of Daunt-
less dive bombers was launched and
scored three direct hits on battle
ship and two on heavy cruiser.
Jap Battleship Blasted.
THE third attack came the next
day, when another group Of Daunt-
less planes was launched to search
for the remaining japanese carriers.
This group was not able to locate
the carriers, so attacked the nearest
available target, a light cruiser, and
returned to the Hornet.
The fourth attack was launched
on the morning of June 6 by a large
force of Dauntless dive bombers,
escorted by Wildcats. This force
attacked an enemy group consisting
of battleship, a heavy cruiser and
three destroyers. Two 1000 pound
bombs and five 500-pound bomb hits
were scored on the battleship. Two
other 1,O00-pound bomb hits were
scored on the heavy cruiser and one
50O-pound bomb struck the stern of
one of the destroyers. Four of the
Wildcats teamed up to strafe another
destroyer with their .50-caliber ma
chine guns. This attack caused
heavy personnel losses on the bridge
and deck of the destroyer.
The fifth Hornet attack was
launched that afternoon by Daunt-
less dive bombers. Their target was
Jap fierce of two cruisers and two
destroyers more than 100 miles dis
tant. One of the cruisers was left
completely gutted by fire, with its
personnel abandoning ship"