Midway

Hey nsclcctl:
well the reason the US let the battle of Midway happen in short is that we where not to sure of the Japanees coded transmissions and to verify it we set up a trap for the Japanees Navy, the Japanesse also set up a decoy in the Aluition(if that how's it spelled) Iland chain off of Alaska, but ADM Nimitz wanted the larger Japanesse fleet to be destroyed, and also kick Japanesse ADM Yamamoto in the nose, and in short it was a success for the US, if you really want to know some of the unknown history of that battle read The Ragged, Rugged Warriors and this battle was not just Navy & Marines battle the AAF was involved too. Plus that movie never gave the battle any respect anyways there are so many inaccuracy's you wouldn't beleive it
cuda

Ok iam going to explane it as it happend in real life and i hope this helps you on your question of what happend.

The japs sent two fleets out to one diversonariy and one to atack the midway islands but the US had decoaded the japenese coad and knew that the fleet sent tord the Alusian islands was a diversinary attack. Hope that helps you.

Now to answer your question about the numbers were talking about in planes it was about probaly about 400 jap and 550 US.

Modelkid, you are wrong. In the movie, it was about 14 Japanese planes and I counted 17 total American planes. Come on, you know Hollywood never lies.

When the Imperial Navy planned the Midway invasion, they were bold enough to assume the US carriers would not arrive until after the island was taken. So confident were they that a spokesman for the Naval General Staff stated: "What we are most concerned about is that the enemy will be loath to meet our fleet and will refuse to come out from his base."
American Intelligence was able to read JN25 (the Japanese Navy's current operational code) but not entirely. They knew for sure something big was happening towards Midway, but not certain of the location. The Japanese used code letters for what was clearly locations - in this case 'AF' referred to Midway. To confirm this the Americans sent out a false message from Midway, stating in clear english that there was a shortage of water on the island. Sure enough, two days later, the Japanese broadcasted 'AF is short of water' and the rest, as they say, is history.

We had a stroke of luck in addition to our little code trick and the bravery of our pilots, many of whom ran out of fuel and ditched while searching for the Japanese fleet. The luck was that the Japanese strike force planes were on their carriers' decks refueling and rearming when our Dauntlesses found them. They couldn't launch with the deck so crowded, and our bombs had increased effect by not only holing the carriers, but blowing burning planes and fuel all over the ships.

That brings up a question. In the movie, there is something abvout an electrical switch and the center bomb. Apparantly as the pilot armed the bomb or something, some of the planes dropped the bombs by mistake in the open ocean. Did that happen?

QUOTE: Originally posted by 72cuda Hey nsclcctl: Plus that movie never gave the battle any respect anyways there are so many inaccuracy's you wouldn't beleive it cuda

SO far I think the best Hollywood treatment of that battle has been with the ABC miniseries 'War and Remembrance'.

Please don't forge the bravery of Torpedo Squadron 8, flying the outdated Douglas TBD Devastator. While they flew in low, slow, straight & level, they became victims of the Japanese fighter cover. The entire squadron, with the exception of Ens. George Gay, died that day. Their sacrifice enabled the SBDs to successfully dive-bomb the carriers, without fighter opposition. Just thought they should be mentioned, and not become a forgotten. They were an important piece of WW II history.

Who has a good Devastator in 1:48?

Monogram has the only one of which I know. I believe that it is currently available. It includes markings for VT-8.

Hey guy's
Did you know that the Japanesse fleet was first hit by not anything the Navy had (though most stories state that they did) but by the ole Baltimore Whore, Martin's B-26's loaded with a torepedo's, they accually brought down the fighter cover then the TBD's kept them down so the SBD's & Wildcats could fly over, but no one has ever got the story straight, like I said earlier read the Ragged, Rugged Warriors this will tell you just about everything you wanted to know about the first 3 to 4 years of WWII in aviation triumphs & defeats,

as for the number of planes...the history channel...on it's special about WWII birds last night said that the Japanese lost over 300 ac in the battle of midway...whatta ya think? did teh HC get it right?

4 Japanese carriers, with 70 to 90 a/c attached, sunk and no place for survivors to go. 3 American carriers with similar complements. 1 sunk and survivors could land on the other carriers, or Midway. Japanese expected the Americans to arrive after the attacks. They were arming for a second attack on land, when they learned American carriers were in the vicinity. They were rearming to attack ships when the Dauntless' and Devestators arrived. Stray bombs were all over the decks. Death and destruction.

Big Midway buff here!! A pretty good book for pics and stats on the planes and ships involved is "Return to Midway" -- it features the attempt by Robert Ballard to find the Yorktown and I believe the Akagi-- but is really laced with a lot of the minute-by-minute breakdown of the battle. It was put out by National Geographic and I still see it in Barnes and Noble....

nsclcctl...

Yes-- the part about the arming switches is true....and those guys had some brass ones for heading in on a dive without bombs to attract flak away from those with bombs....

Was "Ragged, Rugged..." the book that started with the A.V.G. in China? If so, I think I read that one. It seemed that the copy I read was older. (my uncle's actually) It told about the bombers from Midway flying in so low that the pilots looked at the Japanese sailors eye to eye! BELOW the bridge level? whooeee!