| Elliott Buckmaster | |
|---|---|
Elliott Buckmaster, photographed as a Captain on September 6, 1940.
| |
| Nickname(s) | Buck |
| Born | October 19, 1889 Brooklyn, New York |
| Died | October 10, 1976 (aged 86) Coronado, California |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1908-1946 |
| Rank |  Vice Admiral |
| Commands held | USS Farragut USS Yorktown Western Carolines Operating Area |
| Battles/wars | Veracruz (1914) World War I World War II –Battle of the Coral Sea –Battle of Midway |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Medal (2) Navy and Marine Corps Medal |
Vice Admiral Elliott Buckmaster (October 19, 1889 - October 10, 1976) was a United States Navy officer, later promoted to flag rank, and navalaviator during World War I and World War II.
Born in Brooklyn, New York to Dr. Augustus Harper Buckmaster (1859–1941) and the former Helen Gardner Elliott Masters (1858–1910) Buckmaster was raised in Charlottesville, Virginia from the age of twelve. Appointed from Virginia to the United States Naval Academy in 1908, Buckmaster graduated with the Class of 1912. Assigned to theUSS New Jersey at the occupation of Vera Cruz in 1914, Buckmaster was credited with rescuing a wounded sailor and bringing him to safety. Buckmaster was promoted through the ranks until 1934 when, with the rank of Commander, he would commission USS Farragut as her firstCommanding Officer. Following command of Farragut, Commander Buckmaster applied for flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Upon graduation in 1936 at age 47, Buckmaster performed duties in aviation until ordered in 1938 to USS Lexington as her Executive Officer. Serving in this capacity until 1939, he was then promoted to Captain and ordered to Naval Air Station Ford Island as Commanding Officer, serving in this capacity until January 1941.
On February 5, 1941 Captain Buckmaster assumed command of USSYorktown at Naval Air Station Ford Island. He was Commanding Officer of Yorktown at the Battles of Coral Sea and Midway. Later he served as Commander, Western Carolines Operating Area, where he spearheaded shore based operations in the rescue of 317 survivors ofUSS Indianapolis after her loss to enemy action.
Buckmaster was criticised by some historians for what was deemed the premature abandonment of Yorktown after she was struck by two torpedoes at the Battle of Midway. Buckmaster, consulting with hisExecutive Officer, Dixie Kiefer and the Ship's Chief Engineer OfficerJohn F. Delaney, Jr., all concluded that without power, the undoing of the very superficial repairs made at Pearl Harbor following the Coral Sea Battle there was no hope of correcting a list that varied between 26 and 28 degrees. Indeed, it was feared "that the vessel might capsize at any moment and take many crewman below decks with her". According to Yorktown crewmen, Buckmaster was thinking only of his ships company's welfare. While Yorktown was later re-boarded, she was sunk by I-168 following a torpedo attack that also sankUSS Hammann.
After the Yorktown was lost, Buckmaster was promoted to Rear Admiral and named the first Chief of Naval Air primary Training (NAPTC). NAPTC headquarters were located at the naval Air Training Station, Fairfax Airport, Kansas City, Kansas. Dixie Kiefer, his Executive Officer on Yorktown was promoted to Captain and became Buckmaster's Chief of Staff. Under Buckmaster's direction the Navy's first formal Flight Training Manuals were printed in two versions: "No.1 C.A.A.-W.T.S. ELEMENTARY" and "No. 2 PRIMARY". Both versions were printed by LA RUE in Kansas City (20,000 Sept 1943). The period from early 1942 through 1944 saw a rapid expansion of the navy's flight training operations ending in 1944 with the formation of the Naval Air Training Command at Naval Air Station Pensacola under the command of Rear Admiral George D. Murray, USN.
Vice Admiral Buckmaster died in Coronado, California on October 10, 1976.
| Marc Andrew Mitscher | |
|---|---|
Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher during World War II
| |
| Nickname(s) | "Pete" |
| Born | January 26, 1887 Hillsboro, Wisconsin |
| Died | February 3, 1947 (aged 60) Norfolk, Virginia |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1910–1947 |
| Rank |  Admiral |
| Service number | 7591 |
| Commands held | USS Wright USS Hornet Deputy Chief of Naval Operations Air Fast Carrier Task Force Eighth Fleet Atlantic Fleet |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Navy Cross (3) Navy Distinguished Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit |
Admiral Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher (January 26, 1887 – February 3, 1947) was a pioneer in naval aviation who became an admiral in theUnited States Navy, and served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific during the latter half of World War II.
World War II[edit]
Between June 1939 and July 1941, Mitscher served as assistant chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics.
Carrier commander[edit]
Mitscher's next assignment was as captain of the Yorktown-class aircraft carrierUSS Hornet, being fitted out in Newport News, Virginia.[13] Upon her commissioning in October 1941 he assumed command, taking Hornet to the Naval Station Norfolkfor her training out period. She was there in Virginia when the Japanese attackedPearl Harbor. Newest of the Navy's fleet carriers, Mitscher worked hard to get ship and crew ready for combat. Following her shake-down cruise in the Caribbean, Mitscher was consulted on the possibility of launching long-range bombers off the deck of a carrier. After affirming it could be done, the sixteen B-25 bombers of theDoolittle Raid were loaded on deck aboard Hornet for a transpacific voyage while Hornet's own flight group was stored below deck in her hangar. Hornet rendezvoused with the Enterprise and Task Force 16 in the mid-Pacific just north of Hawaii. Under the command of Admiral Halsey, the task force proceeded in radio silence to a launch point 650 miles from Japan. Enterprise provided the air cover for both aircraft carriers while the Hornet's flight deck was taken up ferrying the B-25s. Hornet, then, was the real life "Shangri-la" that president Roosevelt referred to in his announcement of the bombing attack on Tokyo.
Battle of Midway[edit]
During the Battle of Midway Hornet and Enterprise carried the air groups that made up the strike force of Task Force 16, while Yorktown carried the aircraft of Task Force 17. Mitscher had command of the newest carrier in the battle and had the least experienced air groups. As the battle unfolded, the Japanese carrier force was sighted early on June 4 at 234 degrees and about 140 miles from Task Force 16, sailing on a northwest heading. In plotting their attack there was strong disagreement among the air group commanders aboard Hornet as to the best intercept course. Lieutenant Commander Stanhope C. Ring, in overall command ofHornet's air groups, chose a course of 263 degrees, nearly true west, as the most likely solution to bring them to the Japanese carrier group.[14] He had not anticipated the Japanese turning east into the wind while they recovered their aircraft. Lieutenant Commander John C. Waldron, in command of Torpedo Eight, strongly disagreed with Ring's flight plan. An aggressive aviator, he assured Mitscher he would get his group into combat and deliver their ordinance, no matter the cost.[15] Thirty minutes after the Hornet airgroups set out, Waldron broke away from the higher flying fighters and dive bombers, coming to a course of 240 degrees. This proved to be an excellent heading, as his Torpedo Eight squadron flew directly to the enemy carrier group's location "as though on a plumb line".[16] They did so with no supporting fighter aircraft. On their way Waldron's Torpedo Eight happened to get picked up by Enterprise's VF-6 fighter squadron flying several thousand feet above them. This group had launched last off Enterprise and had not been able to catch up with or locate the Enterprise dive bombers, but when Waldron dropped his group down to the deck to prepare for their attack the Enterprise fighters lost sight of them.[17] Torpedo Eight was on its own.
The first of the carrier squadrons to locate the Japanese carriers, Waldron bore down upon the enemy. He brought his group in low, slowing for their torpedo drops. With no fighter escort and no other attackers on hand to split the defenders, his group was decimated by defending Japanese Zeros flying combat air patrol. All fifteen TBD Devastators of VT-8 were shot down. Though not known at the time, the efforts of Torpedo Eight failed to deliver a hit on the Japanese carriers. Of the Torpedo Eight aircrews, only Ensign George H. Gay, Jr. survived. About twenty minutes later Enterprise's Torpedo Six made their own attack, and was met with a similar hot reception. Again, no torpedo hits were made, but five of the aircraft managed to survive the engagement. Though failing to inflict any damage, the torpedo attacks did pull the Japanese CAP down and northeast of the carrier force, leaving the approach from other angles unhindered. SBD dive bombers fromEnterprise arriving from the south flew over the Japanese carrier force to reach their tipping points almost unopposed. They delivered a devastating blow to Kaga and managed to put a bomb into Akagi as well, while SBDs coming from the east fromYorktown dove down upon the Soryu and shattered her flight deck. All three ships were set ablaze, knocked out of the battle to sink later that day. While these attacks were in progress, Ring continued his search on a course of 260 degrees, flying to the north of the battle. Unable to find the enemy and running low on fuel, Hornet's strike groups eventually turned back, either toward Hornet or to Midway Island itself. All ten fighters in the formation ran out of fuel and had to ditch at sea. Several of her SBDs heading to Midway also ran out of fuel and had to ditch on their approach to the Midway base. Other SBDs attempting to return to the Hornet were unable to locate her, and disappeared into the vast Pacific. All these aircraft were lost, though a number of the pilots were later rescued. Of Hornet's air groups, only Torpedo Eight ended up reaching the enemy that morning. Hornet's air groups suffered a 50 percent loss rate without achieving any combat results.[18]
The battle was a great victory and Mitscher congratulated his crew for their efforts, but the Hornet's performance had not lived up to his expectations and he felt he had failed to deliver the results he should have done.[19] In addition, he felt great regret for the loss of John Waldron and Torpedo Eight.[20] For the next three years he would try to secure the award of theMedal of Honor to the entire unit, but without success. The pilots of Torpedo Eight were eventually awarded the Navy Cross.
.jpg)
Hornet shortly after completion
| |
| Career (United States) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS Hornet |
| Operator: |  United States Navy |
| Ordered: | 30 March 1939 |
| Builder: | Newport News Shipbuilding Company |
| Laid down: | 25 September 1939 |
| Launched: | 14 December 1940 |
| Sponsored by: | Mrs. Frank Knox |
| Commissioned: | 20 October 1941 |
| Struck: | 13 January 1943 |
| Honors and awards: | American Defense Service Medal with "Fleet" clasp; American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with (4 Battle Stars);[1][2] World War II Victory Medal; |
| Fate: | Sunk in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 27 October 1942 |
| Notes: | Last U.S. fleet carrier lost in action |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Yorktown-class aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: | As built:20,000 long tons (20,000 t) standard (design),26,507 long tons (26,932 t) (full load), 29,114 long tons (29,581 t) (maximum) |
| Length: |
|
| Beam: | As built:83 ft 3 in (25.37 m) (waterline), 114 ft (35 m) (overall) |
| Draft: | 24 ft 4 in (7.42 m) design, 28 ft (8.5 m) full load |
| Installed power: | 120,000 shp (89,000 kW) |
| Propulsion: | 4 × Parsons geared steam turbines 9 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers 4 × shafts |
| Speed: | 32.52 kn (37.42 mph; 60.23 km/h) (design) 33.84 kn (38.94 mph; 62.67 km/h) (builder's trials) |
| Range: | 12,500 nmi (14,400 mi; 23,200 km) at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h) |
| Complement: | 2,919 officers and enlisted (wartime) |
| Armament: |
As Built:
From July 1942:8 × 5 in (130 mm)/38 cal dual purpose guns 16 × 1.1 in (28 mm)/75 cal anti-aircraft guns (4x4) 24 × .50 in (13 mm) machine guns From February 1942: 8 × 5 in/38 cal dual purpose guns 16 × 1.1 in (28 mm)/75 cal anti-aircraft guns (4x4) 30 × 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons 8 × 5 in (130 mm)/38 cal dual purpose guns 20 × 26 ft 9 in (8.15 m)1.1 in/75 cal 32 × 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons |
| Armor: |
As built:*2.5–4 in (6.4–10.2 cm) belt
|
| Aircraft carried: | As built: 90 × aircraft |
| Aviation facilities: | 3 × elevators 3 × hydraulic catapults (2 flight deck, 1 hangar deck) |
USS Hornet CV-8, the seventh ship to carry the name Hornet, was aYorktown-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. During World War II in the Pacific Theater, she launched the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and participated in the Battle of Midway and the Buin-Faisi-Tonolai Raid. In the Solomon Islands campaign she was involved in the capture and defense of Guadalcanal and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands where she was irreparably damaged and sunk. Hornet was in service for a year and six days and was the last US fleet carrier ever sunk by enemy fire. For these actions, she was awarded four service stars, a citation for the Doolittle Raid in 1995, and her Torpedo Squadron 8 received a Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism for the Battle of Midway.
World War II[edit]
She was launched on 14 December 1940 by Newport News Shipbuilding of Newport News, Virginia[3](sponsored by Annie Reid Knox,[4] wife of Secretary of the Navy Frank M. Knox), and commissioned at Norfolk on 20 October 1941, with Captain Marc A. Mitscher in command.[5]
During the uneasy period before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hornettrained out of Naval Station Norfolk. Her armament was upgraded in her January 1942 yard period, removing all .50 in (13 mm) machine gunsand replacing them with thirty 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons. A hint of a future mission occurred on 2 February 1942, when Hornetdeparted Norfolk with two Army Air Forces B-25 Mitchell medium bombers on deck. Once at sea, the planes were launched to the surprise and amazement[6] of Hornet's crew. Her men were unaware of the meaning of this experiment, as Hornet returned to Norfolk, prepared to leave for combat, and on 4 March sailed for the West Coast via thePanama Canal.
Battle of Midway, June 1942[edit]
Main article: Battle of Midway
On 28 May, Hornet and Task Force 16 steamed out of Pearl Harbor heading for Point "Luck", an arbitrary spot in the ocean roughly 325 miles northeast of Midway, where they would be in a flank position to ambush Japan's mobile strike force of four frontline aircraft carriers the Kido Butai.[17] Japanese carrier-based planes were reported headed for Midway in the early morning of 4 June 1942.[18] Hornet,Yorktown, and Enterprise launched aircraft,[19] just as the Japanese carriers struck their planes below to prepare for a second attack on Midway. Hornet dive bombersfollowed an incorrect heading and did not find the enemy fleet. Several bombers and all of the escorting fighters were forced to ditch when they ran out of fuel attempting to return to the ship.[20] Fifteen torpedo bombers of Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) found their enemy and pressed home their attacks. They were met by overwhelming fighter opposition about 8 nmi (9.2 mi; 15 km) out, and with no escorts to protect them, they were shot down one by one.Ensign George H. Gay, USNR, was the only survivor of 30 men.[21]
Further attacks by Enterprise and Yorktown torpedo planes proved equally disastrous, but succeeded in forcing the Japanese carriers to keep their decks clear for CAP operations, rather than spotting a counter-attack against the Americans. Japanese fighters were finishing off the last of the torpedo planes over Hiryū when dive bombers of Enterpriseand Yorktown attacked, starting enormous fires aboard the three other Japanese carriers that led to their loss. Hiryu was hit late in the afternoon of 4 June by a strike from Enterprise and sank early the next morning. Hornet aircraft, launching late due to the necessity of recovering Yorktown scout planes and faulty communications, attacked a battleship and other escorts, but failed to score hits. Yorktown was lost to combined aerial and submarine attack.[22]
The Hornet's warplanes attacked the fleeing Japanese fleet on 6 June 1942, and they assisted in sinking the heavy cruiserMikuma, damaging a destroyer, and leaving the heavy cruiser Mogami, heavily damaged and on fire, to limp away from the battle zone. The attack by the Hornet's on the Mogami ended one of the great decisive battles of naval history.[22] Midway Atoll was saved as an important base for American operations into the Western Pacific Ocean. Of greatest importance was the crippling of the Japanese carrier strength, a severe blow from which the Imperial Japanese Navy never fully recovered. The four large carriers took with them to the bottom about 250 naval aircraft and a high percentage of the most highly trained and experienced Japanese aircraft maintenance personnel. The victory at Midway was a decisive turning point in the War in the Pacific.
| Walter Gabriel Schindler | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 10, 1897 New Glarus, Wisconsin |
| Died | April 3, 1991 (aged 93) New Glarus, Wisconsin |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1921–? |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands held | USS Finch (AM-9) USS Topeka (CL-67) |
| Battles/wars | World War II Korean War |
| Awards | Navy Cross Silver Star |
Walter Schindler (December 10, 1897 – April 3, 1991) was a highly decorated career officer in the United States Navy, who ultimately achieved the rank of Vice Admiral. While a Commander during World War II, Schindler received a Navy Cross and a Silver Star for his service aboard the Yorktown (CV-5), including during the Battle of the Coral Sea.
Biography[edit]
Schindler was born on December 10, 1897 in New Glarus, Wisconsin,[1]to S. A. Schindler and Anna Schindler.[2] He graduated from theUniversity of Wisconsin in Madison in 1917,[3] before attending and graduating from the United States Naval Academy as a member of the Class of 1921.
In 1935 he was ordered to duty with the United States Asiatic Fleet, and on July 1, 1936, assumed his first command (of the minesweeperFinch (AM-9)).[4]
Commander Schindler was considered the first U.S. serviceman to shoot down a Japanese A6M Zero fighter plane from the rear seat of a navy dive bomber.[5] His Navy Cross citation reads:
- The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Commander Walter Gabriel Schindler, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Gunnery Officer on board the Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. YORKTOWN (CV-5), in action against enemy Japanese forces at Tulagi Harbor on 4 May 1942, and in the Battle of the Coral Sea on 7 and 8 May 1942. In order to advise his seniors more accurately and intelligently, Commander Schindler volunteered as free gunner in an airplane in Scouting Squadron FIVE (VS-5), attached to the U.S.S. YORKTOWN (CV-5), in three attacks against Japanese forces, at Tulagi on 4 May, although opposed by heavy anti-aircraft fire, and in two attacks on 7 and 8 May in the Coral Sea area, in the face of enemy fighters as well. He shot down a Zero type Japanese fighter which attacked the plane in which he was serving as free gunner on 8 May. His conspicuous intrepidity was above and beyond the call of duty on these occasions. Commander Schindler's conscientious devotion to duty and gallant self-command against formidable odds were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
His Silver Star citation reads:
- The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Commander Walter Gabriel Schindler, United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Gunnery Officer on the Staff of Task Force Commander for the first ten months of World War II.
Schindler commanded the Cleveland-class light cruiser Topeka (CL-67) following the end of the war (from November 7, 1945 to July 24, 1946).[6] He also served as chief of research for the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance, and chief of the U.S. naval mission in Chile.[5] In the 1950s, he served as commanding officer of the Naval Ordnance Laboratory in White Oak, Maryland, commanded the cruiser division off the coast of Korea, then served as assistant Chief of Naval Operations for first operations and readiness. Starting in 1955, he commanded U.S. naval forces in Germany,[4] before becoming the commandant of the Eighth Naval District, based in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1958.
Smith, William Ward
"Poco" Smith was chief of staff of Pacific Fleet when war broke out. Promoted to rear admiral shortly afterwards, he commanded the cruiser escort for Task Force 17 (Yorktown) at Coral Sea and Midway, and got on well with Fletcher. He was given command of the main surface elements of North Pacific Force on 3 August 1942, freeingTheobald to remain ashore and in communication with his command. He was ordered to bombard Kiska, and arrived off the island on 7 August. His seaplanes were promptly shot down or driven off by the defending Japanese Rufe seaplane fighters, which then directed Japanese coastal artillery against Smith's force. In frustration, Smith unloaded his ships' magazines in the general direction of the harbor, then withdrew. The bombardment missed the Japanese facilities by half a mile. Smith was relieved by McMorris in late 1942.
Smith combined a razor intellect with a warm sense of humor, but also suffered from alcoholism. His nickname was an abbreviation of "Pocahontas" and was given to him by an Academy upperclassman, who suggested that his dark complexion and prominent nose showed he was an illegitimate descendant of the famous Native American woman. He had been one of the Navy's early code breakers, and when Nimitz sarcastically mentioned in a pre-Midway conference that the Japanese had already selected the officer to take command of the island, Smith quicky deduced where the intelligence had come from.
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