Midway 2019 - 'This is for Pearl' Hiryu Attack - 4K UHD

Buy Midway & watch it on the biggest screen you can - - The dive bombing of Hiryu on the afternoon of June 4th was in some cases the most interesting. This scene is quite accurate, particularly in relation where final bombs hit the carrier - along the front near the rising sun cirlce. Dick Best's hit also makes him the first and only american to hit two different enemy carriers in battle.

Enterprise launched her remaining 11 dive bombers and a further 14 of Yorktown's Bombing 3 under overall command of Lt. Gallaher. The aircraft in VS6, VB6, and VB3 were armed with a mix of 500lb and 1000lb bombs although it appears that they may have been mixed even in the respective squadrons. Really unsure of the reason but it might have been because of the orphans from Yorktown. Whatever the reason we cannot assume all hits were 1000lb and there is no record to say who was armed with what. I just put down the most likely cases.

The second part of the attack that is interesting is that Gallaher dove first leading VS6 down. He assigned Shumway and VB3 to attack the nearby Battleship. Best with VB6 brought up the rear of the Enterprise squadron with only 3 aircraft again because the 4th had turned back with engine trouble. Gallaher also meant for Best to follow him on the attack on Hiryu in all likelihood. There is some thought that Shumway seeing that Gallaher and several more of his squadron missed Hiryu switched his attack from the Battleship to Hiryu. But it is entirely likely that Shumway only used that as a convenient excuse. I don't think he was happy with letting Enterprise attack the carrier while his group was assigned to attack a Battleship given what Hiryu had done to Yorktown. At any rate he jumped into the attack cutting Best and his two wingman off from making their dive. The second time in the day that had happened to Best. This ultimately cost Weber his life as he was shot down by the CAP when trying to reform with Best.

Both Enterprise and Yorktown claim the first hit, Jaccard for VS6 and Shumway for VB3. Given that the blast blew the elevator against Hiryu's bridge that most likely was a 1000lb bomb giving the edge to Shumway. However, Jaccard with VS6 would normally have carried a 500lb bomb but may well have been carrying a 1000lb. Shumway wth Bombing 3 and Best with Bombing 6 most likely had 1000lb bombs. For some reason Kleiss was one of the last to dive and had the 4th hit. Exactly why he was one of the last to dive probably comes down to Shumway jumping the attack on Hiryu when he saw most of VS6 miss and Kleiss was cut off by Shumway like Best.

Source:

Attack