The Sacrifice of VT-8
4 JUNE 1942
THE SACRIFICE OF VT-8
Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) from HORNET (CV-8) flew an early version of the TBD Devastator. A three-seater, behind the pilot a navigator/radioman sat ahead of a rear-most gunner operating the only defensive weapon, a .30 caliber Browning machine gun. The TBD was designed to attack under a fighter escort, a shortcoming that would prove fatal this day.
Aware of the Japanese battle plans, Pacific commander ADM Chester W. Nimitz “hid” the three carriers of Task Force 16 at “Point Luck” northeast of the anticipated enemy position off Midway. TF 16’s commander, RADM Raymond A. Spruance, learned of the enemy’s arrival this morning. HORNET now launched the 15 TBDs of VT-8 along with 35 dive bombers and LCDR Samuel G. Mitchell’s ten Wildcat fighters. Overall command of HORNET’s aircraft fell to CDR Stanhope C. Ring of the dive bomber group. But heavy cloud cover prevented Ring from correctly grouping the squadrons over HORNET. LCDR John C. Waldron’s Devastators became separated. To complicate matters, within an hour of HORNET’s launch the Japanese changed course, moving to the northwest away from Midway. Waldron’s squadron, now flying without its fighter escort, arrived at the target site to find the Japanese gone. Ring had arrived a few minutes earlier but gambled incorrectly by turning toward Midway. Waldron on the other hand, guessed correctly and shortly spotted smoke on the horizon.
Estimates vary as to the number of Japanese Zeros that jumped Waldron’s naked Squadron. Even before they were within flak range, four Devastators had been splashed. The remaining eleven now began their slow, deliberate run toward the carrier Akagi. The result was suicidal. Five more Devastators went down, one even attempted to crash dive into Akagi’s bridge but missed. The heavy anti-aircraft fire spurred Waldron to redirect his surviving pilots to the center carrier, Soryu. Yet the Zeros mercilessly chewed through the squadron. Waldron himself, was observed to struggle unsuccessfully in his flaming cockpit. Only a single plane piloted by LTJG George H. Gay survived to launch its torpedo, which Soryu dodged. Gay’s crewmen were already dead by this time, and as he pulled up, a flak burst disabled the TBD’s rudder pedal, and a Zero shot off a wing. He belly-flopped the plane and jumped. With his 29 buddies of VT-8 wiped out, Gay bobbed in the water amidst the enemy fleet, concealing himself under a seat cushion.
The sacrifice of VT-8 did not go for naught. Distracted by the torpedo bombers, the Japanese fighter CAP completely missed LCDR C. Wade McClusky’s Dauntless dive bombers high overhead. These unloaded on Akagi, Soryu, and Kaga, ultimately sinking all three!
Watch or more “Today in Naval History” 9 JUN 24
CAPT James Bloom, Ret.
Miller, Nathan. The Naval Air War 1939-1945. USNI Press, Annapolis, MD, pp. 80-88, 1980.
Morison, Samuel Eliot. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Vol 4 Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions. Little, Brown and Co., Boston, MA, pp. 116-21, 1949.
Stephen, Martin. Sea Battles in Close-up: World War 2. USNI Press, Annapolis, MD, pp. 170-71, 1988.
ADDITIONAL NOTES: To complicate what was a dangerous practice at face value, the Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bomber was itself a death trap for pilots–skimpy armor, poorly maneuverable, weak defenses, and painfully slow. The TBD began its torpedo approach at 200 mph and could not release the torpedo above 115 mph. (The Mitsubishi A6M “Zero” cruised at 270 mph). In addition, the faulty Mark 13 torpedo the TBD carried often failed to detonate. Of the 41 Devastators launched in the battle of Midway, none scored a torpedo hit, and only six returned to their carriers. The Navy withdrew the Devastator from service after the battle of Midway to be replaced by the Grumman TBF Avenger.
LCDR Waldron received the Navy Cross for his actions this day, and “Torpedo-8” was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. The WWII Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer WALDRON (DD-699) remembers the Commander. RMC Horace F. Dobbs in Waldron’s 2nd seat was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
LTJG Gay’s attempt to hide beneath a seat cushion succeeded; he was rescued later, the sole survivor from the squadron and an eye-witness to the entire battle.
In our early days of carrier aviation the squadrons embarked adopted the hull number of the ship as their designator. Thus, we have squadrons VT-8, VB-8, and VF-8 above.
