Midway hero recounts harrowing flight 70 years ago

[Tallpine]

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/midway-hero-recounts-harrowing-flight-years-ago/article_26f486b0-6e7e-5edb-8a37-88acd2637715.html

After launching his torpedo at the Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi, Muri pulled up on the yoke, banked and flew the plane the length of the Akagi’s flight deck, right past a giant Japanese battle flag adorned with the rising sun.

Muri figured that flying low and fast over the Akagi would save him because he would be long gone by the time the Japanese antiaircraft gunners brought their guns to bear. He also joked that he probably could have touched down if he had lowered his landing gear.

[lee n. field]

The attack that Muri participated in did little damage. But American Navy dive bombers later found the Japanese fleet, sinking four Japanese carriers and destroying hundreds of planes.

I wonder if any Japanese are still alive, that remember the crazy American flier.

[MechAg94]

I recall seeing an interview with one of the flyers who said he was flying at wave height after a bombing run and the Japanese cruisers were firing their heavy guns at him throwing up columns of water in front of him.  He said it was pretty close until he got further away. 

[Hawkmoon]

He said it was pretty close until he got further away. 

Was the intentional?

[freakazoid]

Was the intentional?

[French G.]

Two accounts stand out to me in a similar vein, during the battle of the Leyte Gulf one pilot flew inverted past the bridge of a heavy cruiser and emptied his service revolver. The pilots were armed for close air support ashore and yet attacked a Japanese battle line with light bombs, strafing runs and numerous dummy passes just to harrass the ships and protect their own rather vunerable home on fleeing escort carriers.

In the same engagement the 1300 ton DE-413 USS Samuel B. Roberts pressed an attack on the 15,000ton heavy cruiser Chokai. The crew found out by accident they had moved in closed enough (about 2 miles) that the cruiser could not depress their main battery enough to hit them. Facing 10 8 inch guns to it's two 5" mounts the Robert still launched its 3 torpedos, scoring a hit, then continued the duel at a range close enough to employ her secondary anti-aircraft batteries on the cruiser to great effect. The Chikuma dropped out of line, soon after hit by an aerial bomb, abandoned to out of control fire and then sank. The Roberts managed to damaged another cruiser before being hit by 14" shells from a battleship and sinking. Amazingly over half the crew survived.

Sometimes I think all the balls got used up back then.