Midway Page #7

pilots will crash into the sea!

They're running out of fuel, Admiral.

Alright.

Wait until we've recovered

all our airborne aircraft.

While they are landing on the deck,

rearm our bomber with torpedoes.

Then we'll attack the enemy carrier.

That's the last of our scouts, Sir.

Tell Eliot to launch all we've got.

- Aye-aye, Sir.

Pilots, man your planes!

Admiral, all aircraft now on board.

Tomonaga?

- He was the last to touch down.

I want to close range on the enemy

carrier. Steer northeast. Full speed!

From Admiral Nagumo:

"Enemy force composed of

1 carrier, 5 cruisers, 5 destroyers,

sighted 250 miles from Midway.

We are headed for it. "

Dne carrier?

Close to Midway. Not Pearl Harbor!

Admiral Nagumo will simply destroy it

a few days earlier than planned.

Dh, thanks, Matt.

I'd give my retirement pay

to know what Nagumo's doing.

The same thing we are, Admiral,

sweating it out.

Skipper!

I see it.

What'd I tell you, Huntington?

The skipper can smell them out.

See if you can raise Bombing 8

and Fighting 8. They must be near.

Better coordinate the attack.

- Yes, Sir.

Red Fox 8 Leader to Badger 8 Leader!

Red Fox 8 Leader to Badger 8 Leader!

Do you read me?

DK, we can't wait all day.

You better get ready, Dobs.

Red Fox Leader to Kits,

we're going in!

Divisions 2 and 4, take the carrier.

Divisions 1 and 3, ram the escorts.

And stay together as long as you can.

I say again:
Stay in tight!

Admiral, enemy torpedo bombers

off port quarter!

They're coming in

without fighter protection.

Mindless suicide!

Perhaps.

But it's an effective technique.

We can't attack their carrier

while we're busy dodging them.

They're using up all our fighters.

Bandits, 11 o'clock! Look out!

Two of them. Shoot, shoot!

This is Kit 6, I got 3 of them

on my tail. Somebody help me!

Below you, bandits! No, no!

Dh God damn! No!

Stay in formation!

Get in. Close up, you idiots!

They'll jump us to pieces!

I'm hit, I'm hit! Dh, Jesus!

Dobs, behind you! Bandits behind you!

Look out!

Huntington, coming in at 10 o'clock!

Huntington!

Huntington, are you dead?

Follow me.

Waldron, get your nose up!

Pull up, pull up!

What happened?

- Dne of our torpedo groups attacked.

Yeah, but which one?

What the hell happened?

Casualty report, Sir:

Dne of our fighters took a minor hit,

no shipboard damage, no casualties.

A whole squadron. 15 brave crews.

Torpedo 3 going in at 1,500 feet.

Bombing 3 and Fighting 3 at 1,900.

15 minutes to target.

Who's coordinating the attack?

- Max Leslie. He's leading Bombing 3.

Helen Leader to Helen group:

Time to arm your bombs.

I say again:
Arm bombs!

God damn it!

Don't touch

that damned electric arming switch!

Use manual control!

Too late, Commander. Mine dropped.

- Mine dropped too.

Rotten gadget! Who the hell

invented the electric arming switch?

Yamamoto, who else? Now what?

Should we drop spitballs on the Japs?

Alright, knock it off.

The rest, use manual control!

Helen Leader, out.

Skipper, look at Chili Bean over here!

I feel them!

Hope he's right.

Bertha 3 Leader to Mabel 3 Leader,

Bertha 3 Leader to Mabel 3 Leader:

Japs on the horizon!

I got 3...

Sweet Jesus, I got 4 Jap carriers!

Holy hell, we hit the jackpot!

Yes, sky watch?

- Enemy torpedo planes! - How many?

Two separate groups.

Bertha 3 Leader to Mabel 3 Leader:

How's about it? You boys ready?

Damn right, we're ready!

Let's go, we're running out of fuel!

Roger. Bertha 3 Leader to Small Fry:

Concentrate on the closest flattop.

Push in close and get hits!

I count 12

coming in from starboard, Admiral.

14 from port side, Sir!

All these can't be from one carrier.

They must be coming from Midway.

- Dr a second carrier.

We've heard nothing from scout 4 since

it sighted the one enemy carrier.

Soryu should send out its scout plane.

We must make certain

of what we're up against.

See to it immediately.

- Yes, Sir.

Lining up to jump us, Thach.

About 12 Japs.

We're right above them.

Mabel 3 to Hustlers: Break 'em up!

Score 1 for Commander Thach!

Bogy! Comin' in on you, 3 of 'em!

That a boy, Tom!

Run that bastard into the drink!

Ramos, 2 o'clock!

Nice shootin'!

More comin' in at 1 o'clock!

You got him! Nice goin'!

Mabel 3 Leader to Hustler Tom:

3 bandits at 12 o'clock divin' on you!

Roll out, Tom! Dive, dive!

We've quashed all of their attacks,

and not one torpedo has come close.

Sacrifice themselves like samurai,

these Americans.

That last attack pulled our entire

fighter cover down to sea level.

Now they're looking for survivors.

We have no fighter umbrella over us?

- No, Sir.

We're trying to recall them,

get them back up to patrol altitude.

How many fighters are standing by

to cover our attack on that carrier?

Barely enough to do the job.

They're American carriers,

no doubt about it, Yorktown class.

Get through

to Nagumo's flagship. Be quick!

Why are you waiting?

The transmitter isn't working.

We're not sending out any signal!

What's it look like down there?

A Jap destroyer!

Going someplace

in one hell of a hurry.

DK, follow it. See where it leads us.

Commander McClusky, look at

the fuel gauge. We have to turn back.

I know, I know.

The last two attacks were made

by over 50 torpedo planes. 50!

There is more than one

enemy carrier nearby. There must be!

Admiral. - Genda, why hasn't

the Soryu's scout plane reported?

We don't know. It should have sighted

the American ships 10 minutes ago.

Sir, all the bombers

are rearmed and ready.

Signal all carriers:

Launch immediately!

There they are, dead ahead.

Sweet mother, look at them!

Huey, the whole Jap navy!

- Pipe down till I report contact!

Raven Leader to Mother Goose:

Have them in sight.

4 enemy carriers.

I say again:
4 enemy carriers.

Helen Leader to Mabel and Bertha!

Come in Bertha, come in Mabel!

This is Helen Leader. We have contact.

Come in Bertha, come in Mabel!

I'm sorry, Commander Leslie,

Torpedo 3 and Fighting 3 don't answer.

Keep trying. We're supposed to

coordinate our attack.

Either their navigation is fouled up

or this is the wrong rendezvous point.

Keep trying, damn it!

Mabel Leader, come in!

Raven Leader to flock: They're turning

into the wind, preparing to launch.

I don't see any Jap fighters, Sir.

Let's not wait for 'em! Fall in!

It's no use. Commander Massey

and Commander Thach don't answer.

DK, hang on. We're going in.

Sir, we don't have a bomb! - We can

draw some heat off the guys that do.

This is Helen Leader. Concentrate

on that big bastard up forward.

Commander McClusky, they've got

bombs all over their flight deck!

Bull's eye!

Scratch one flattop! Caught him cold!

Raven Leader to Raven 6.

I got a hit, Commander McClusky.

Bring it home, girls, bring it home!

Bull's eye!

Commander, I got a hit!

Look at that bastard burn!

Beautiful, Helen 3, dead center!

We caught 'em flat-footed!

No fighters and a deck full of bombs!

Sweet Mary, how did we get so lucky?

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