Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-14
Continued From Page C-4)


Of the cruiser. At 1905, in his own
words, my decision paid dividends"
Peering through his binoculars, he saw,
40 miles ahead, the welcome sight of the
Jap carrier striking force. Promptly he
broke the radio silence and sent mes
sage. The American command learned
for the first time of the Japanese re-
treat and the current whereabouts of
the enemy fotilla.
1t happened that for a brief moment
the Jap carriers were virtually without
protection. AS had been foreseen, the
carrier-borne bombers had departed for
an attack on Midway and had not yet
returned. In the Coral Sea the Japa-
nese attributed their defeat principally
to American torpedo planes. Their one
track mentality reasoned that the same
tactics would be used at Midway. So
the bulk of the carrier borne Zeros were
lying in wait, at $500 feet, for the low
level American torpedo planes.
McClusky Attacks
With the way open before him, Nc
Clusky dashed in to the attack and APP
parently took the carriers unawares.
Followed by half his force, he peeled off
and went screaming down in 4-mile
power dive against the Kaga. The
other section took the Akagi Both
were showered with bombs. Pulling out
of the dive, the American planes sped
away
McClusky did not look back until he
was 4 miles distant, beyond the range
of ack-ack fire. To his establishment,
he saw three great conflagrations in
stead of two. He learned afterward that
planes from the Yorktown had followed
his flight in, arriving two minutes later,
and had put the Soryu out of action.
The Kaga and Akagi either sank during
the night or were sunk by japanese
gunfire. While the enemy was trying
to take the smoking Soryu in tow during
the afternoon the carrier was dispatched
by three torpedo hits from an American
submarine.
Zeros Close In
Suddenly two Zeros burst from a
cloud and assailed McClusky's plane. 1t
had become separated from the others,
half of which failed to return. There
was chase of Is miles with McClusky
driving his craft at full power only 20
feet above the sea surface, and lodging
back and forth to elude attack. The
Dauntless was hit SIS times, and Nc
Clusky suffered five bullet wounds in
the left shoulder and arm. Finally his
rear gunner shot down one of the
Zeros, whereupon the other took to
flight.
Changing winds had compelled the
United States carriers to alter their
original course, and McClusky spent
time and fuel in locating them. His
gasoline gauge read only 10 gallons
when he reached the Yorktown He
was about to alight when he saw the
Enterprise five miles away and decided
to try for his own ship. He had barely
Zoomed away from the Yorktown when
Jap bombers from the unchanged
plastering that two days later the
carrier fell helpless prey to an enemy
submarine. Flyers from the Yorktown,
who found refuge on other carriers
avenged their ship on the evening of
June A, when, in company with Enter
prise and Hornet planes, they sent the
Hiryu to the bottom.
While McClusky was treated for his
wounds, the battle roared on to the west,
with the fleeing Japanese ships scat
tered far and wide, and American long
range bomers in hot pursuit. The final
act occurred on June g. when an Army
medium bomber, with Maj. Gen Clar-
ence L. Tinker aboard. was driven down
at sea far toward the setting sun and
foundered with all hands.
When accounts were east up. II ap-