Story by MC3 Phillip Ladouceur Part 8 in a Series

As the darkness settled about the ships involved in the Battle of Midway on June 4,

each side made plans for the next day. Rear Adm. Raymond Spruance, now in operational command, was determined to protect both Midway and his carriers. He turned his ships east to prevent the Japanese from attacking with their surface ships at night.Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto, on the other hand, was still searching for a way to win, even after the loss of all his aircraft carriers. He announced in a radio message that the American fleet had been practically destroyed,

was retreating to the east, and the invasion of Midway would continue.He sent two battleships and four cruisers toward the American carriers. Yamamoto also sent four heavy cruisers toward Midway to destroy the airfield in preparation for the invasion.But by midnight, it was obvious that there was no hope for victory. His forces would reach neither the American carriers nor Midway before dawn, and that would leave them vulnerable to attack from American aircraft. He called off the operation and recalled his forces. But the four cruisers would still be within

DAILY DIGEST

June 5, 2013 Vol. 2 Issue 35

Victory Achieved

Continued on page 3

SAILOR DAYOFTHE

Editor

MC2 (SW) Jason Behnke

Lead Designer

MC3 (SW) George J. Penney III

Nimitz News accepts submissions in writing. All. submissions are subject to review and screening. ”Nimitz News” is an authorized publication for the members of the military services and their families. Its content does not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or the Marine Corps and does not imply endorsement thereby.

Public Affairs Officer

LCDR Karin Burzynski

Commanding Officer

CAPT Jeff Ruth

Executive Officer

CDR John Cummings

Command Master Chief

CMDCM Teri McIntyre

Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Stephen C. Lambert, of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 146, from Moreno

Valley, Calif., was named Sailor of the Day Tuesday on board the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). “I was flattered to be the Sailor of the Day,” said

Lambert. “I’ve been trying to keep it low-key so everyone else in my department would hear it over the 1MC later today.” As individual material list petty officer he

meticulously tracked, maintained and inventoried 250 pieces of gear for the squadron.His attention to detail was evident during high-

tempo flight operations where he discovered that the ejection seat in a Diamond 300 had been left in the armed position.Lambert offered some helpful advice to anyone

trying to achieve Sailor of the Day.“Stay positive, you’ll have to deal with a lot of

different personalities on the ship but if you stay optimistic you’ll be alright.”

ATAN Stephen C. LambertStory and Photo by MCSA Victoria Ochoa

Electronics Technician 3rd Class Erik A. Holze was selected as Sailor of the Day Monday, for outstanding performance as

navigation systems technician on board the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).“This is so awesome,” said Holze, a native of

Valley Stream, N.Y. “This just proves that all the hard work I’ve done has been noticed.”Holze was selected for his work as the main

technician for the electronic chart display and information system, fathometer and ring laser gyro navigator.In addition, Holze corrected three major faults

in the navigational critical distribution system, ensuring accurate outputs from all nine input/output controllers.Petty Officer Holze’s initiative, loyalty and total

devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.When at home port Holze spends the majority of

his time with his four month old son.

ET3 Erik A. HolzeStory and Photo by MC3 Derek W. Volland

Adm. Yamamoto & Staff

JUNE 5

range of attack from Midway as they retreated.At midnight Spruance turned his forces around and began moving west again, seeking to position Task Force 16 for further attacks when dawn came.

Task Force 16 stayed near Midway on June 5 in case a new attack on the island began.

Only when Spruance knew for sure that Japanese forces were in full retreat did he move. Fog delayed the launching of aircraft until late afternoon. Enterprise and Hornet then sent up 65 dive-bombers. He had a report that the Hiryū was still floating, and wanted to make sure it was sunk.Yamamoto received a similar report: Hiryū was afloat, but dead in the water, and forty or so men still on her after being abandoned. Yamamoto had ordered the small destroyer Tanikaze to find and sink her, to prevent the Americans from capturing her and using her as a trophy.Both the Tanikaze and the American dive-bombers would arrive to find that the Hiryū had sunk of her own accord. Finding no other targets, the little 2,000-ton destroyer became the object of focus for all 65 dive-bombers from Task Force 16.The captain of the Tanikaze, Cmdr. Katsumi Tomoi, had already decided his mission was suicidal. He now told his crew they should prepare to die with dignity.But he would still make a go of it.

He had his lookouts leaning out of the windows on the bridge, looking up. As they called out attacks, he would engage in manuevers, full speed to port, then full speed to starboard.“I never saw a ship go through such radical maneuvers at such high speed,” Stanhope Ring, leader of the attack, said later.As it got darker in the late afternoon, it became clear that the little ship was going to get away. Near misses killed several crewmembers, but there were no direct hits. The Tanikaze managed to avoid nearly 90 bombs from various American aircraft that day.As the dive-bombers returned to the carriers, the 36-inch searchlights were turned on and aimed straight up, beacons for the planes, low on fuel. Because of this, they all landed safely, except for one plane that had been downed by anti-aircraft fire.With that, Spruance this time ordered his carriers west, after the retreating Japanese naval forces, and went to bed.

Continued from page 1

VICTORY

Damage Control on the Yorktown

JUNE 6

HUMANITY

YORKTOWN

At 2:15 a.m. the American submarine Tambor sighted the four cruisers. Assuming

this must be the invasion force, Spruance moved to block it.The cruisers, spotting the submarine, engaged in maneuvers to avoid torpedoes. Two of the ships, the Mikuma and Mogami, 13,000-ton ships, travelling at 25 knots, collided. Mogami’s bow collapsed, and the ship was now 40 feet shorter. But her engineers kept her afloat and got her back underway, though at a much slower speed. Mikuma sustained damage that slowed her down as well. The other cruisers went on ahead, and two destroyers were left behind to help defend the crippled ship.On the morning of June 6, they were spotted by scout planes and attacked by the remaining American squadrons from Midway, but managed to escape. Eventually the American planes caught up, and in a series of three attacks, the Mikuma was sunk and the Mogami escaped but was badly damaged.

Spruance sent two airplanes out to survey and photograph the damaged enemy ships.

One was Lt. j.g. Cleo Dobson, who on the way out to the site had decided that if he saw any survivors in the water, he would shoot at them, just as the Japanese had done to American survivors.Flying over, he saw 400 to 500 sailors in the water, bodies

lying on the deck of the burning Mikuma, and decided he couldn’t do it.“Boy I would hate to be in the shoes of those fellows,” said Dobson.” I might be in their shoes someday.” It was a rare moment of personal empathy in the midst of war. Dobson took his photos and flew back.

Also in the early morning of June 6, Japanese submarine I-168 was heading toward where the

Yorktown was listing in the water, drifting. With Japanese forces in full retreat, the submarine was the only thing close enough to go in and finish off the big carrier.When Yorktown was still floating the morning of June 5, Nimitz had ordered a minesweeper to take her under tow. It was slow going, with the Yorktown’s jammed rudder making towing difficult. She moved little

Mikuma

Yorktown Sinking

that night, and on the morning of June 6, her skipper, Capt. Elliott Buckmaster, asked for a volunteer crew to go back and try to salvage her. One hundred and seventy officers and enlisted men followed him over from the destroyer Hammann, which was escorting the damaged carrier.The ship still listed and a few fires were still burning, but using electric power and steam pressure from the Hammann, the fires were put out. Counter-flooding was used to correct the list, as well as cutting away anything they could to reduce weight on the lower side. The Yorktown, believed by the Japanese to be sunk on three different occasions looked as if it might fight on. Nimitz ordered tugs and salvage officers to the scene.But by the time they were on their way, it was too late.At noon, the workers broke for lunch, many sitting on the Yorktown’s deck to eat. And at 1:30, they spotted the wakes of inbound torpedoes. Despite the five destroyers providing a screen, I-168 had slipped through. Yorktown sounded general quarters, and the men used anti-aircraft guns to shoot into the water in hopes of detonating the torpedoes before they hit.It did no good. The torpedoes hit the Yorktown and Hammann. As the Hammann, cut in half by the explosion, began to sink, the men assigned to her depth charges frantically tried to disarm them so they would not explode as the ship sank. But there was no time. As the ship went down, those charges that were still active began going

off, killing many in the water and further damaging the Yorktown.Again, Buckmaster had to abandon ship. The Yorktown continued to settle slowly into the water, until the ship sank in the early morning of June 7, as Buckmaster saluted from a nearby destroyer. It was the final move in the massive battle.

Photo by MCSA Kelly Agee

Photo by MCSN Derek Harkins

Photo by MCSA Andrew PricePhoto by MC3 Derek W. Volland

AROUND THE DECK PLATES

THROUGH THE LENS

QUESTION:

ANSWER: Define ECDIS

Electronic Chart Display Information System

QUESTION:

ANSWER: Define Anchor Brake

Used to hold the anchor and chain and to control the speed of descent when the anchor and chain are payed out.

What did the Battle of Midway mean to the Navy?

MM3 William Gasset AO1 Curtis Powell

AT2 Adam Butler AE3 Rachel Hartranft“The Battle of Midway was a turning point for naval warfare, but it was also a turning point in the advancement of human technology.”

“The Battle of Midway furthered our capability for battle and I am proud to carry on the legacy of those who served there.”

“The Battle of Midway proved the aviation superiority of the United States military, which I believe we continue to prove today.”

“The Battle of Midway was a huge learning point for how large scale warfare can be fought.”

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