Реферат: The Battle Of Midway In The Pacific

Commander Massie Hughes’ VP-23 took off from Midway lagoon, then headed out in

an arc stretching 700 miles from Midway in search of the Japanese. Midway got

further air reinforcement on June 1 when six new Grumman TBF torpedo bombers,

commanded by Lieutenant Langdon K. Fieberling, arrived. None of the TBF pilots

had ever been in combat, and only a few had ever flown out of sight of land

before. The TBF would later be named Avenger in honor of its combat introduction

at Midway. By June 1, both Sand and Eastern islands were ringed with coastal

defenses. Six 5-inch guns, 22 3-inch guns and four old Navy 7-inch guns were

placed along the coasts of both islands for use as anti-aircraft and anti-boat

guns. As many as 1,500 mines and booby traps were laid underwater and along the

beaches. Ammunition dumps were placed all around the islands, along with caches

of food for pockets of resistance and an emergency supply of 250 55-gallon

gasoline drums. Midway had practically everything it needed for its defense.

Along with the 121 aircraft crowding Eastern Island’s runways, Midway had 11 PT-

boats in the lagoon to assist the ground forces with anti-aircraft fire. A yacht

and four converted tuna boats stood by for rescue operations, and 19 submarines

guarded Midway’s approaches. Even with those preparations, there were problems.

The air station’s radar, an old SC-270 set installed on Sand Island, showed many

blips that were more often albatrosses than aircraft. Also, there was no plan

for coordinating Midway’s air operations, which were dependent on a mixture of

Army Air Force, Navy and Marine pilots and crews. With that in mind, Midway’s

commanders believed their only chance was to attack the Japanese carriers when

they were located, in the hope of catching them with their planes on deck. “This

meant exquisitely precise timing, a monumental dose of luck, or both,” Admiral

Nimitz explained. “Balsa’s [Midway's] air force must be employed to inflict

prompt and early damage to Jap carrier flight decks if recurring attacks are to

be stopped….” By June 2, the Pacific Fleet’s three aircraft carriers–

Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown–were in position northeast of Midway, but only

a few key officers were aware that Midway’s defenders would be supported by them.