All Americans know about and understand D-Day reasonably well, I believe; certainly in my generation that was true. Midway is less well-known. Perhaps sea battles are harder to visualize or convey. It was just as important. In the morning of June 4th, 1942 the Japanese Navy was the best remaining after the destruction of much of our fleet at Pearl Harbor, and many of its ships were best-in-class anyway. By the close of the battle the war had decisively turned against them. There were very tough fights ahead, but the direction of the war was clear from Midway.
There was a Douglas SBD Dauntless at the Udvar-Hazy center, which occasioned a brief recounting of the Battle of Midway from my son our tour guide. There were a few points he was hazy upon that I could fill in, but overall he at least of his generation understood it just fine.
Two Japanese carriers were sunk by one pilot, Richard Halsey Best. The battle did not cost him his life, but bad air in his plane's recycling system cost him his career: he was medically retired the same year due to lung damage. He lived to this century and is buried at Arlington.
2 comments:
Shattered Sword tells the story using Japanese sources as well, and explains what went wrong for the Japanese (starting with their naval doctrine).
Yes, I've heard that's a good work.
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