Midway Page #6

- Aye-aye, Sir.

You certain it was Strawberry-5?

Positive, Skipper.

How far are we

from that contact point?

We're 15 minutes behind schedule.

Bandits! Sweet mother of God,

hundreds! - Where, damn it?

Four... no, five o'clock!

Jesus!

Billy, send this quick:

Many planes heading Midway.

Are you certain?

Alright, just let us know

the second you get anything else.

Nothing more. No word from our scouts

since that "Many planes" flash.

Yes, but was that from Strawberry-5?

- No call letters were sent.

Maybe he was jumped

by enemy fighters.

Damn it! How many carriers?

What course? What speed?

Those Japs

will never find us in this soup.

And we'll never find their carriers

unless we break into the clear.

Damn it!

I should've risked going straight in.

Nothin'. We've lost 'em!

Lieutenant, they're behind us!

I see 2 carriers and a battleship.

Send it!

- Aye-aye, Sir.

"Fletcher to Spruance. Second

sighting reported, Strawberry-5:

2 enemy carriers, battleship.

Bearing:
Midway, 320 degrees.

Distance:
180 miles.

Course:
135 degrees.

Speed:
25 knots. "

Came right out of the slot

where Nimitz figured.

"Proceed southwesterly,

attack enemy carriers.

Will follow as soon as

search planes recovered. Fletcher. "

Signal "Ahoy", Captain Browning.

To battle stations.

Get the control tower.

Andy, Major Parks get his fighters up?

All 23. The SBDs are ready to go.

Get 'em airborne.

- Yes, Sir.

Captain, we've got

Major Parks' frequency.

Rainbow Leader.

Below us, 10 o'clock.

I see 'em, Kirk.

Alright, everybody.

Let's see how many

we can drop on the first pass.

Two bogies under you!

Got one! Look at that Jap bastard!

Get him off me!

Dn your tail!

Comin' in on you!

I'm hit, Rainbow Leader!

My God! Mayday, mayday!

Look out, Rainbow! Dn your tail!

Comin' in on you! Three of 'em!

Look at that Jap bastard!

My God, they got Major Parks!

Look out! Two bogies, four o'clock!

Rainbow Leader, come in!

This is Noah's Ark.

Report please!

What is your condition? Report!

Good God!

Give me the tower.

Andy, they blew

right through Parks' fighters!

Get your people under shelter!

Jesus!

Come on!

Attack in squadron order!

God, they creamed us!

- But we're not out of action yet.

Dur landing strip's still operational.

Tomonaga

is asking for a second strike.

Sir, this report is a great victory.

We've lost only 7 planes.

We've destroyed 40 enemy aircraft,

in the air and on the ground.

But the pilots you chose

did not destroy the airstrip.

We have 93 planes and our best pilots

waiting on our flight decks.

The entire force should be sent now.

The entire force? Dur planes are armed

with torpedoes on Genda's advice.

Hardly suitable for bombing

an airstrip. Correct, Commander?

They should be immediately

rearmed with bombs below deck.

We must make certain

that Midway can mount no air attacks.

Lieutenant Tomonaga's request

is also a warning.

Midway is still a threat to us.

So are the American carriers.

If they are nearby, yes.

But after 2 hours,

our scouts have reported nothing.

You're forgetting, scout number 4

was a half-hour late taking off.

It will not reach it's maximum

search range for another hour.

Tomonaga's planes

will be returning soon.

They can be quickly refueled

and rearmed for sea action.

In case our scouts

sight any enemy ships.

Admiral?

Very well.

Drder our torpedo bombers

to be rearmed with contact bombs.

As soon as they are ready,

we will launch a 2nd strike on Midway.

57 planes on the line, Sir.

The Hornet will probably

launch about the same number.

What's the enemy carriers' position?

- 135 miles, Sir.

If we launch immediately,

do our pilots have enough fuel?

Yes, Sir. If the weather holds,

they navigate perfectly and

aren't over the target too long.

If we launch now, we might

catch Nagumo like a sitting duck.

If we wait, it will give him time

to refuel and reload.

Sir, the PBY reported only 2 carriers.

I know.

- Intelligence says he has 4.

If those other 2 suddenly pop up...

- Then we'd be sitting ducks.

But we have 2 certain targets

135 miles away that don't expect it.

Let's get Enterprise

and Hornet turned into the wind.

It's from Admiral Spruance.

Enterprise and Hornet are launching

every aircraft they've got.

Air controller reports our strike

force will be over the deck in 1 hour.

Just the time we need to finish

arming our bombers for the 2nd strike.

Your confidence

is most reassuring, Kusaka.

Dur scouts report no enemy carriers.

They've started their homeward leg.

All except scout number 4.

10 enemy ships sighted.

Bearing:
010 degrees. Distance: 240

miles from Midway. Speed: 20 knots.

Which scout radioed the contact?

- Number 4, Sir.

How far along are we on rearming?

- Almost half, Sir.

Drder it halted.

Radio scout 4 to ascertain

ship types and maintain contact.

Friendlies, Sir.

Dur search planes returning.

They'll be on board

in under 15 minutes.

Have Captain Buckmaster see to it.

Dur planes from Enterprise and Hornet

should hit the Jap carriers in 1 hour.

They're not on the same course?

We're counting on it, Admiral.

Nagumo has to hold course

until he recovers his planes.

240 degrees puts our people on him

with unfueled aircraft on his decks.

I don't see our fighters, Sir.

They should've caught up to us by now.

And where's Bombing 8?

With Fighting 8.

They took off together.

Ain't they supposed to be with us?

Red Fox Leader to Kit 3.

Red Fox Leader to Kit 3!

Either my compass is fouled up,

or we're not heading 240.

There's nothing out there.

I know where the Japs are, Mr. Gay.

Will you tell us, Sir?

I figure they moved east

since we launched, away from Midway.

Roger. - What good's our orders,

if the skipper's gonna lead us off?

I don't like it.

Take it easy.

If anybody can find the Japs,

Waldron can. He's part Sioux Indian!

Sir, another message from scout 4.

3 additional enemy ships sighted, 250

miles from Midway. Speed: 20 knots.

Apparently 2 cruisers,

a carrier believed to be the Yorktown.

Impossible. The Yorktown was

virtually destroyed at Coral Sea.

They can't have repaired her

and brought her here in 10 days.

We must assume they have!

If it is it,

we must destroy her at once.

I see.

Suddenly, the threat

from Midway's bombers seems

less to you than when you urged me

to rearm our planes with bombs!

Admiral, Midway must wait.

We should rearm our bombers

and attack that carrier.

Back to torpedoes again?

More wasted time! - Tomonaga,

this is Genda. Do you read me?

Lieutenant Tomonaga,

this is Commander Genda.

Do you read me?

- I read you, Sir. - Report please.

Request permission to land. My pilots

report almost empty fuel tanks.

Some have taken anti-aircraft hits.

Urgent we land immediately, Sir.

Do I have permission?

Admiral Yamaguchi advises

that we attack the enemy carrier and

launch our bombers at once,

however they're armed.

While we're launching, Sir, Tomonaga's

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