80 years ago this morning, 15 TBDs launched from the deck of the USS Hornet to attack the fleet of Kido Butai. Led by John C. Waldron, all 15 aircraft were lost, with only 1 of the 30 men on that mission surviving. These men knew their aircraft were obsolete and had little chance of surviving a direct attack, yet they all did their duty and 29 made the ultimate sacrifice. Director John Ford created a tribute video to these brave men:
On the morning of June 4th, 1942, this is what the balance of naval power in the Pacific looked like just prior to the Battle of Midway. This truly reinforces how incredible the American victory over the Japanese was at Midway.
This is the final outcome of the battle, truly an astounding feat:
