page_title: Richard E. Fleming
section_title: Postwar myths and clarifications regarding Fleming's attack
hierarchical_section_title: Richard E. Fleming / Postwar myths and clarifications regarding Fleming's attack
caption_attribution_description: English: The Japanese heavy cruiser Mikuma, photographed from a USS Enterprise (CV-6) Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless during the afternoon of 6 June 1942, after she had been bombed by planes from Enterprise and USS Hornet (CV-8). Note her shattered midships structure, torpedo dangling from the after port side tubes and wreckage atop her number four 203 mm gun turret.The photo flight was led by Lt(jg) E.J. Kroeger, A-V(N), USNR, of Bombing Squadron 6 (VB-6) with photographer Mr. A.D. Brick of Fox Movietone News in a SBD-3 of VB-3 ("3-B-10"). Kroeger was accompanied by Lt.(jg) C.J. Dobson of Scouting Squadron 6 (VS-6) and photographer CP(PA) J.S. Mihalovitch in SBD "6-S-18".
context_page_description: Captain Richard Eugene Fleming was a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his heroism in World War II during the Battle of Midway. Fleming piloted a Vought SB2U Vindicator dive bomber in an attack on the Japanese cruiser Mikuma.
context_section_description: In "Midway: The Battle that Doomed Japan" Mitsuo Fuchida states, "the pilot (R.E. Fleming) after being hit by anti-aircraft fire, attempted a daring suicide crash into Mikuma's bridge. He missed the bridge but crashed into the after turret, spreading fire over the air intake of the starboard engine room. This caused an explosion of gas fumes below, killing all hands working in the engine room. This was a damaging blow to the cruiser, hitherto unscathed except for the slight hull damage received in the collision with Mogami." This source among others began perpetuating the myth that Flemming crashed into Mikuma after scoring a near-miss. However, Fuchida's account has been challenged by modern scholars, most notably by Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully  for its many logic errors and inaccuracies. In this instance, Fuchida was not a witness to the attack as he was with the remnants of Kido Butai several hundred miles away.
  The "battleship" attacked by Capt. Fleming was actually the heavy cruiser Mikuma. Despite the clear language in Fleming's Medal of Honor citation, which noted (correctly) his having achieved a near miss and then crashing into the sea, the common wisdom of the battle has often had Fleming striking Mikuma with his bomb, and then crashing his aircraft onto her aft turrets. This construction is based upon the eyewitness accounts of both a Japanese naval officer and Fleming's wingman. Some sources state that the wreckage of Fleming's plane is shown in the very famous image of Mikuma in a pre-sinking state on the early evening of June 6. Wreckage located on the roof of #4 turret has commonly been ascribed as that of Fleming's aircraft. However, Mikuma had suffered catastrophic damage from the detonation of her own Type 93 torpedo mounts, which were located immediately forward of the main battery turrets, on the main deck. The resulting explosions had largely destroyed the aft portion of Mikuma's funnel, as well as her rear superstructure and mainmast. This accounts for the wreckage on her turret roof. Similarly, the particulars of Mikuma's damage, as well as the American attacks against her, were very accurately recorded by the Japanese, and these sources make no mention of a hit by an enemy aircraft.
caption: The Mikuma shortly before sinking.
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