Jun 04, 2009 torpedo squadron eight his first glimpse of the hawaiian islands was just a distant smudge on the sunsplashed sea, but it was enough for him to feel a shiver of excitement. Satisfying though excessively popularized history of the bomber group that, legend has it, won the battle of midway. Mrazeks research and obvious affection for his heroes is indeed extraordinary. Former representative robert mrazek talked about his book a dawn like thunder. Navy reserve, was the pilot of one of the 15 douglas tbd1 devastators of torpedo squadron 8 vt 8 that took off from uss hornet cv 8 the morning of june 4, 1942 for a strike on the japanese fleet during the battle of midway. The douglas tbd1a devastator that bill evans flew has recently been identified. I knew of the illfated attack of the torpedo 8 squadron at the battle of midway, but this was only a small part of the story of torpedo 8. Harry ferrier, last midway survivor of vt 8 has passed away. A stirring, truly heroic book that is destined to become a classic. Vt8 aviators immortalized naval history magazine june 2017.
The heroic flight of torpedo squadron 8 warfare history. Vt 8 was assigned initially to the air group of the aircraft carrier uss hornet, joining the ship shortly after her commissioning in october 1941 after heavy losses in the battle of midway, vt 8 was assigned to uss saratoga. Download free amazon ebook sample here download free epub sample here. On the day the attack began, kenneth pier was shooting footage on the deck of uss hornet.
Vt8 was assigned initially to the air group of the aircraft. Harry ferrier, last midway survivor of vt8 has passed away. John ford made this memorial film for the families of members of torpedo squadron 8. This book tells the story of the fighting cocks of fighting fortyseven and the liquidators of torpedo bombing fortyseven. Craig koderas painting, only one survived, depicts torpedo squadron eights tbfs under attack by japanese fighters. Within the hour, torpedo 6 and torpedo 3 would also attack. While the battle of midway was seen by nearly everyone on the home front, torpedo squadron 8 was made solely for the families of the lost squadron members. One of the great untold stories of world war ii finally comes to light in this thrilling account of torpedo squadron eight and their heroic efforts in helping an. The gallantry of its officers and men in the face of overwhelming odds is indelibly inscribed in the history of the u. After heavy losses in the battle of midway, vt 8 was assigned to uss saratoga. Gay flew one of the 15 tbd douglas devastator torpedo planes from the aircraft carrier uss hornet cv 8 in an attack on japanese warships near midway island on june 4, 1942. Jun 01, 2017 three squadrons of torpedo planes had already made lowlevel attacks. Robert j mrazek an account of the contributions of world war iis torpedo squadron eight traces their role in key u. March 8, 1917 october 21, 1994 was a douglas tbd devastator pilot in united states navy torpedo squadron 8 operating from the aircraft carrier uss hornet in the pacific theater of operations during world war ii.
Mrazek has written the definitive account of how the few american pilots of torpedo squadron eight changed history at midway and guadalcanal. Vt8 rose from the ashes of the battle of midway to become an indispensable air arm in the series of engagements for the solomon islands and beyond. There are a lot of great insights in this book their role at the battle of midway. A dawn like thunder the true story of torpedo squadron. Ensign later lieutenant commander george henry gay jr.
Torpedo 8 the story of swede larsens bomber squadron. Torpedo eights celebrated survivor naval history magazine. Up to midway, the slogan of the squadron had been attack. Vt 8 rose from the ashes of the battle of midway to become an indispensable air arm in the series of engagements for the solomon islands and beyond. Torpedo squadron 8 vt 8 was a united states navy squadron of world war ii torpedo bombers. The heroic flight of torpedo squadron 8 warfare history network. A dawn like thunder the true story of torpedo squadron eight. Today the appellation hero is thrown about frivolously.
After the battle of midway, vt 8 was reconstituted and embarked aboard uss saratoga cv3. All but one of the members of the squadron perished in its first combat mission in the battle of midway. Boston, houghton mifflin company, 1943 ocolc612390587. Of the 30 vt 8 aircrew from hornet that participated in the pivotal battle of midway, ensign gay was the sole survivor. The japs wiped out the united states navy torpedo squadron 8 in a few minutes at the battle of midway. Vt 8 was assigned initially to the air group of the aircraft carrier uss hornet, joining hornet shortly after her commissioning in october 1941. Nh 93595 torpedo squadron eight vt8 pilots front row. The true story of torpedo squadron eight little, brown, 2008, which was named best book. All but one of the members perished in their first combat mission, the battle of midway.
Soon after, the men of torpedo squadron 8 vt 8 were the first to fight the. In the history channel version, during the darkest days of world war ii american. A dawn like thunder tells the story of gays squadrons victory at the. Recollections of lieutenant george gay united states navy. It was pretty rugged on the torpedo squadrons, there were two other ones out there that day, torpedo squadron 3 and 6, and they were shot up, one of them almost a bad as torpedo 8, only they just didnt get the publicity, but they do deserve the credit.
On june 12, eight days after the holocaust at midway, the squadron commander in an official squadron memorandum changed the slogan to. He was the only survivor of the 4 june 1942 torpedo squadron eight vt 8 tbd torpedo plane attack on. The true story of torpedo squadron eight little, brown and company. Mrazek is the story of carrierbased torpedo squadron eight and its fight through both battles. Vt 8 s first and bestknown combat mission came during the battle of midway on 4 june 1942. Focuses on the 30 men in the torpedo squadron of the us aircraft carrier hornet. The true story of torpedo squadron eight by mrazek, robert j. Fourteeen tbd1s of torpedo squadron 6 vt6 from uss enterprise cv 6, and devastators of torpedo squadron 3 vt 3 from uss yorktown cv 5 were the other two torprons attacking. Torpedo squadron four a cockpit view of world war ii ebook. It is immensely personal, told from the viewpoints of all of the men who fought and many who died in that squadron. The true story of torpedo squadron eight little, brown, 2008, which was named best book american history by the washington post. The pilots of torpedo squadron 8 aboard uss hornet cv8. It begins with the men of torpedo 8, then covers their attack at midway and then their exploits in the battle for. Of the 30 vt8 aircrew from hornet that participated in the pivotal.
That victory would not have happened without the bravery of the men of torpedo squadron 8. Fighting squadron vf 47 and torpedo bombing squadron vf 47. Records of commander motor torpedo boat squadrons, pacific fleet, 194345. Torpedo 8 includes the island war in the pacific illustration pack 152 maps, plans and photos. Jimmy doolittle launch heavy b25 bombers off the hornet. This wwii naval battle took place between june 47, 1942 in the pacific theater. A memorial to a fallen unit june 1, 2017 by audrey amidon, posted in motion pictures on june 4, 1942, the japanese imperial navy attacked united states forces on the island of midway. Navy reserve, was the pilot of one of the 15 douglas tbd1 devastators of torpedo squadron 8 vt8 that. Check out this excellent book for much more on john fords service and the.
A short documentary filed during the battle of midway, june 4, 1942. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Includes the island war in the pacific illustration pack 152 maps, plans and photos. When saratoga was disabled on 31 august, vt 8 was transferred to henderson. Memorial film of torpedo squadron 8 facebook watch.
Around 0915, torpedo 8 sighted the japanese carriers and began its attack. Well, as you know torpedo squadron 8 was organized in norfolk virginia and i think you know the. We will attack on the morning of 4 june 1942, tex was assigned to the last section of three planes out of the squadrons 15 on board the hornet. Read torpedo 8 the story of swede larsens bomber squadron illustrated edition by ira wolfert available from rakuten kobo. The author was the radioman and tunnel gunner in 8t1. The squadron remained on the canal until november of.
John ford made this memorial film for the families of members of torpedeo squadron 8. The naval aviators of torpedo squadron 8, celebrated by robert j. Gay at pearl harbor naval hospital, with a nurse and a copy of the honolulu starbulletin newspaper featuring accounts of the battle. Torpedo squadron 8, battle of midway, world war ii, navy, aviation publisher. These young men, with much to live for, sold their lives dearly to blunt japanese aggression against the u.
Torpedo 8 is the epic story of the death and rebirth of the famous bomber squadron led by lieutenant harold swede larsen. Waldron right with his backseater, chief radioman horace franklin dobbs left. Complete caption photographed on board uss hornet cv8, circa midmay 1942, shortly before the battle of midway. Yale university press, 2005 considers torpedo squadron 8. Much has been told of the heroic sacrifice of torpedo squadron eight at the battle of midway. The epic story of the death and rebirth of the famous torpedo squadron 8, destroyed at the battle of midway and rose again to become a crack outfit under the leadership of swede larsen. Oct 06, 2019 the skipper of torpedo squadron 8, lt. He is pictured as being very brave, but driven, bigoted, imperious and disliked even hated to the extent that on two occasions men pulled guns on him and had they not been wrestled to the ground might have killed him. The fame of torpedo eight has rested on the actions of the main body of the squadron based on board the uss hornet cv 8. Praising the heroic attack, the citation concluded, the loss of twentynine lives, typifying valor, loyalty, and determination, was the price paid for torpedo squadron 8s vital contribution to the eventual success of our forces in.
Mrazek is the author of nine books, including a dawn like thunder. This chapter is from the just published book torpedo squadron four a cockpit view of world war ii. Not every person who encounters personal trials in their life is a hero. After boot camp and aviation radio school, he joined torpedo squadron 8 vt 8 stationed on the aircraft carrier uss hornet. Records of commander amphibious force, pacific fleet, consisting of general correspondence, serial file, engine parts lists, and miscellaneous records, 193945. The squadron s luck didnt get much better because when sara maru took a japanese torpedo in her starboard side on august 26 th 1942, vt 8 was sent to work out of henderson field on guadalcanal.
In addition to telling the story of torpedo 8 on guadalcanal, this part of the book discusses the relationship of the leader of torpedo 8, harold swede larsen, and those he commanded. Torpedo squadron 8 vt8 was a united states navy squadron of world war ii torpedo bombers. It begins with the men of torpedo 8, then covers their attack at midway and then their exploits in the battle for guadalcanal. Waldron with horace franklin dobbs, crmp, in the rear seat, taking off from the aircraft carrier uss hornet cv 8 on june 4, 1942, during the battle of midway. Dec 15, 2012 thomas book about his 25 months of service with torpedo squadron four is the only combat account of a world war ii torpedo bomber pilot ever published. Torpedo squadron eight made a near total sacrifice at midway. In vt8s initial battle, for the first time he would be flying with a torpedo weighting down his devastator, just like most of the others in the squadron. Records of naval operating forces national archives. Vt 8 was assigned initially to the air group of the aircraft carrier uss hornet, joining the ship shortly after her commissioning in october 1941.
Torpedo 8 by ira wolfert overdrive rakuten overdrive. He was subsequently awarded the navy cross for his actions, while his unit received the presidential unit citation for this battle. Jan 01, 2008 a very well done book that looks at torpedo squadron eight. Recollections of lieutenant george gay, usnr sole survivor of torpedo squadron eight vt 8 describing his experiences during the battle of midway. Another detachment of torpedo 8, comprised of a few of the new tbf avenger torpedo bombers, was flying that day from midway island itself. The fifteen slow, obsolete, and unescorted douglas tbd devastators were all downed without even a single torpedo hit or enemy aircraft shot down to show. Told from the japanese perspective youtube flying from hornet, vt 8 was the first american carrier squadron to attack the japanese during the battle of midway. The first torpedo squadron to find the carriers had been torpedo 8. Vt8s first and bestknown combat mission came during the battle of midway on 4 june 1942. Prepare yourself to decipher fact vs fiction in roland.
Harry ferrier enlisted in the navy on january 28, 1941, three days after his sixteenth birthday. Three squadrons of torpedo planes had already made lowlevel attacks. Sep 23, 2007 edited version of john fords short film about torpedo squadron 8. Torpedo squadron 8 was created in 1941 to become part of an air group for the new carrier uss hornet. All the planes in his squadron were shot down, and he was the only one of 30 men in torpedo squadron 8 to survive. Roosevelt awarded torpedo squadron 8 the presidential unit citation. Gay and the flyboys of torpedo squadron 8, along with the hornets crew, were participants in military history as they witnessed lt. Torpedo 8 the story of swede larsens bomber squadron illustrated edition ebook.
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