VT-8
Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) was a United States Navy squadron assigned to the Hornet Air Group operating from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8). The squadron joined the ship shortly after commissioning in October 1941 and remained in the Pacific following her sinking in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in October 1942. VT-8's first combat was the Battle of Midway (4th of June 1942). Flying Douglas TBD Devastators, Cdr. John Waldron's 15 planes were all shot down executing an unescorted torpedo attack against four Japanese aircraft carriers. They did not destroy any enemy aircraft with their rear-facing .30-caliber machine guns or any enemy carriers with their torpedoes during this battle. All members of Squadron 8 involved in the action perished with the exception of Ensign George Gay. A list of the fallen: Lt. Commander John C. WaldronLt. Raymond A. MooreLt. James C. OwensLt.(jg) George M. CampbellLt.(jg) John P. GrayLt.(jg) Jeff D. WoodsonEns. William W. AbercrombieEns. William W. CreamerEns. Harold J. EllisonEns. William R. EvansEns. Henry R. KenyonEns. Ulvert M. MooreEns. Grant W. TeatsRobert B. Miles, Aviation Pilot 1cHorace F. Dobbs, Chief RadiomanAmelio Maffei, Radioman 1Tom H. Pettry, Radioman 1Otway D. Creasy, Jr. Radioman 2Ross H. Bibb, Jr., Radioman 2Darwin L. Clark, Radioman 2Ronald J. Fisher, Radioman 2Hollis Martin, Radioman 2Bernerd P. Phelps Radioman 2Aswell L. Picou, Seaman 2Francis S. Polston, Seaman 2Max A. Calkins, Radioman 3George A. Field, Radioman 3Robert K. Huntington, Radioman 3William F. Sawhill, Radioman 3 Failure of the Hornet's captain and air group commander to provide proper coordination led to the disaster, though in fairness neither Torpedo Squadron 3 from the USS Yorktown (CV-5) nor USS Enterprise (CV-6) torpedo squadrons fared much better. Of all 41 torpedo planes which sortied that day, only 5 survived. However, it is believed that the act of drawing away the Japanese Zero fighters allowed a subsequent wave of dive bombers to seriously harm three enemy carriers. Torpedo 8 was the first squadron equipped with Grumman's new TBF-1 Avenger, a bigger, faster, longer-ranged replacement for the TBD. Six Avengers flew from Midway during the Battle of Midway but only one returned to base. Subsequently VT-8 fully re-equipped with TBFs and flew in the Guadalcanal campaign before being disestablished.
|
|
