THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY The Naval Institute Guide to the US. Navy's Greatest Victory EDITED BY THOMAS C. HONE NAVAL INSTITUTE PRESS Annapolis, Maryland
Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Help for Readers General Chronology xiii xv xvii xix Iptroducton by LCDR Thomas J. Cutler, USN (Ret.) 1 Part I. Midway Anthology 3 CHAPTER 1. Akagi, Famous Japanese Carrier, by Walton L. Robinson, 5 CHAPTER 2. Attacking a Continent, by Mark R. Peattie, from Sunburst, The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power, 1909-1941 24 CHAPTER 3. Time Is Everything (Japanese Side), by John B. Lundstrom, from Black Shoe Carrier Admiral 26 CHAPTER 4- Midway Island Operation Plan, by Mitsuo Fuchida and Masatake Okumiya, from Midway, The Battle That Doomed Japan 31 vii
viii CONTENTS Part II. Approach to Midway 35 CHAPTER 5. Sortie from Hashirajima, by Mitsuo Fuchida and Masatake Okumiya, from Midway, The Battle That Doomed Japan 37 CHAPTER 6. Mobile Force Commander's Estimate of the Situation, translated by Fred Woodrough Jr., Office of Naval Communications, from The Japanese Story of the Battle of Midway (translation) 44 CHAPTER 7. Time Is Everything (American Side), by John B. Lundstrom, from Black Shoe Carrier Admiral 46 CHAPTER 8. Soaring, by Mark R. Peattie, from Sunburst, The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power, 1909-1941 51 CHAPTER 9. Prelude to Midway, by Mitsuo Fuchida and Masatake Okumiya, 53 CHAPTER 10. Opening Shots, by John B. Lundstrom, from The First Team 65 CHAPTER 11. Forging the Thunderbolt, by Mark R. Peattie, from Sunburst, The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power, 1909-1941 71 CHAPTER 12. Preparing to Defend Midway, by E. B. Potter, from Nimitz 74 CHAPTER 13. Lest We Forget: Civilian Yard Workers, by LCDR Thomas J. Cutler, USN (Ret.), 78 Part III. The Battle 81 CHAPTER 14. Out in Front at Midway, compiled by Dr. Fred H. Allison, from Naval History 85 Chapter 15. Torpedo Squadron 8, the Other Chapter, by LT H. H. Ferrier, USN, 91 CHAPTER 16. The Lone Avenger, by Rich Pedroncelli, from Naval History. 97 CHAPTER 17. Report of Incidents in Connection with Participation of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One in the Battle of Midway Island, 4-6 June, 1942, by LTJG H. S. Parker Jr., USNR, from Naval War College Archives 104
CONTENTS ix CHAPTER 18. Mounting the TF-16 Strike, by John B. Lundstrom, from Black Shoe Carrier Admiral 108 CHAPTER 19. Five Fateful Minutes at Midway, by Mitsuo Fuchida and Masatake Okumiya, 111 CHAPTER 20. Flying into a Beehive, by ADM John S. "Jimmie" Thach, USN (Ret.), from Naval History 118 CHAPTER 21. Moment at Midway: McClusky's Decision, 127 CHAPTER 22. The Battle of Midway I: The Most God-Awful Luckiest Coordinated Attack, by John B. Lundstrom, from Black Shoe Carrier Admiral 131 CHAPTER 23. "Flags" at Midway, by Thomas B. Allen, from Naval History 135 CHAPTER 24. "We Weren't Going to Go Off and Leave the Ship": Oral History of Frank Fabian, interview with Dr. Evelyn Cherpak, from the Oral History Collection of the Naval War College 142 CHAPTER 25. I Sank the Yorktown at Midway, by Yahachi Tanabe, with Joseph D. Harrington, 147 CHAPTER 26. Incredible Midway, by LCDR Thomas E. Powers, USNR, 156 CHAPTER 27. Comment and Discussion: "Incredible Midway," by J. D. Harrington, JOC, USN, and LTCOL R. E. Barde, USMC, 169 CHAPTER 28. Sweating Out the Strike, by John B. Lundstrom, from Black Shoe Carrier Admiral 171 CHAPTER 29. Lost Letter of Midway, by CAPT Bruce R. Linder, USN (Ret.), 173 Part IV. The End of the Battle 185 CHAPTER 30. Finale, by John B. Lundstrom, from Black Shoe Carrier Admiral 187
CONTENTS Part V. The Official Report of the Battle 195 CHAPTER 31. Battle Experience from Pearl Harbor to Midway, December 1941 to June 1942, by United States Fleet, Headquarters of the Commander in Chief, from Navy Department Library, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC 197 CHAPTER 32. "This Was All Happening So Fast": Oral History of RADM Ernest M. Eller, USN, interviewed by John T Mason Jr., from U.S. Naval Institute 215 Part VI. The Commanders 217 CHAPTER 33. Admiral Nimitz and the Battle of Midway, by E. B. Potter, 219 CHAPTER 34- Excerpt from Nimitz, by E. B. Potter, from Nimitz 231 CHAPTER 35. Chester W. Nimitz: Victory in the Pacific, by John B. Lundstrom, from Quarterdeck and Bridge: Two Centuries of American Naval Leaders 234 CHAPTER 36. Commentary on RADM Raymond A. Spruance, by Thomas C. Hone 247 CHAPTER 37. Harsh Lessons, by John B. Lundstrom, from Black Shoe Carrier Admiral 252 CHAPTER 38. Enemy Carriers, by John B. Lundstrom, from Black Shoe Carrier Admiral 255 CHAPTER 39. Mitscher and the Mystery of Midway, by Craig L. Symonds, from Naval History 259 Part VII. The Code-Breaking 267 CHAPTER 40. Code-Breaking before Midway, by Elliot Carlson, from Joe Rochefort's War 269 CHAPTER 41- America Deciphered Our Code, translated by RADM Edwin T. Layton, USN (Ret.), 273 CHAPTER 42. Freedom of the Press or Treason? by Grant Sanger, M.D., 277
CONTENTS xi Part VIII. Assessments of the Battle CHAPTER 43. Foreword to Midway, The Battle That Doomed Japan, by ADM Raymond A. Spruance, USN (Ret.), CHAPTER 44. Underappreciated Victory, by James Schlesinger, from Naval History CHAPTER 45. The Great Midway Crapshoot, by Lee Gaillard, CHAPTER 46. Comment and Discussion: The Great Midway Crapshoot, by CAPT Chris Johnson, USN (Ret.), CHAPTER 47. A Tactical Model of Carrier Warfare, by CAPT Wayne P Hughes Jr., USN (Ret.), from Fleet Tactics, Theory and Practice CHAPTER 48. Midway: The Decisive Battle? by Geoffrey Till, from Naval History CHAPTER 49. Descending in Flame, by Mark R. Peattie, from Sunburst, The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power, 1909-1941 CHAPTER 50. Midway: The Story That Never Ends, by Thomas B. Allen, CHAPTER 51. Identifying Kaga, by Jonathan Parshall, with Anthony Tully and David Dickson, CHAPTER 52. Book Review of Peter C. Smith, Midway: Dauntless Victory: Fresh Perspectives on America's Seminal Naval Victory of World War 11, reviewed by CWO Ronald W. Russell, USN (Ret.), from Naval History CHAPTER 53. Midway Is Our Trafalgar, by CDR Brian Fort, USN, APPENDIX A. USS Enterprise Action Report, 8 June 1942 APPENDIX B. RADM R. A. Spruance's Letter of 8 June 1942 to RADM F. J. Fletcher APPENDIX C. Aircraft Names Notes Selected Bibliography Index 281 283 286 291 297 299 305 312 314 322 325 327 335 341 343 345 347 351