VT-8
Encyclopedia
Torpedo Squadron 8 was a United States Navy
squadron of World War II
torpedo bomber
s assigned initially to the Air Group operating from the aircraft carrier
USS Hornet
(CV-8), until after her loss in October 1942 during the Battle of Santa Cruz Island. The squadron joined the ship shortly after its commissioning in October 1941.
After the Battle of Midway
, the squadron was assigned to operate the remainder of the war from the USS Saratoga (CV-3)
, and later, while she was undergoing repairs, for a time flew from Henderson Field
on Guadalcanal
, where they continued to team with other fleet elements protecting the lower Solomon Islands and aiding the defense of Guadalcanal during the long battle of attrition phase in the long months before the Japanese gave up the fight in the battle of Guadalcanal, evacuated their survivors, and that base was deemed as fully secured.
on 4 June 1942. Flying the obsolete Douglas
TBD Devastator
s, Commander John C. Waldron
's 15 planes were all shot down during their unescorted torpedo attack on Japan
ese aircraft carriers. The squadron did not destroy any enemy aircraft with their defensive rear .30-caliber machine guns, nor did they damage any of the Japanese carriers.
Only one member of Torpedo Squadron 8 who flew from Hornet on that day survived in the action, Ensign George Gay. Ensign Gay was rescued the day following the battle. Torpedo 8 was afterwards awarded the American Presidential Unit Citation
.
Torpedo 8 was the first squadron equipped with Grumman's new TBF-1 Avenger
, a bigger, faster, longer-ranged replacement for the TBD. When Hornet sailed to the Pacific, a detachment of the squadron under the command of Lt. Harold "Swede" Larson remained in Norfolk, Virginia to receive the first shipment of the new aircraft. Larson's detachment arrived at Pearl Harbor the day after Hornet sailed for Midway. Six of the squadron's Avengers were flown to Midway under the command of Lt. Langdon Fieberling to participate in the battle. Attacking without fighter cover, five of the Avengers were shot down, with only Ensign Albert K. Earnest and CDR (then Radioman 2/c) Harry Ferrier surviving.
A list of the fallen:
Pilots of VT-8's Avenger detachment lost:
VT-8's losses have been attributed to several causes. Hornet's CAG, Stanhope C. Ring, elected to keep the group's fighter escort at high altitude in order to cover the dive bombers and to give the Wildcats an altitude advantage. This decision was supported by Admiral Marc Mitscher
, commanding officer of the Hornet at the time of the battle. Ring subsequently led the group on an incorrect heading which resulted in the failure of the dive bombers to make contact with the Japanese fleet. Commander Waldron made repeated attempts to take over the formation by radio before leading VT-8 off on his own. Waldron's initiative coupled with Ring's faulty tactics led to VT-8 attacking the Japanese force without fighter or dive bomber support. It is important to note, however, that all of the carrier-based torpedo squadrons suffered heavily in the battle, including VT-3, which attacked with fighter escort.
Larson's detachment of VT-8 that remained at Pearl Harbor was loaded aboard the USS Saratoga
when the carrier was sent to reinforce the forces at Midway. They were later transferred to Hornet where they learned of the loss of their comrades. The detachment became the nucleus of the reconstituted squadron and was reassigned to the Saratoga.
, assisting in the sinking of the light carrier Ryūjō
. When the Saratoga was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, the squadron was assigned to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, where it served as part of the Cactus Air Force
. It fought there to the point where all aircraft were disabled, and then operated as a single-aircraft unit as a plane at a time was put back into service by salvaging parts (often themselves damaged) from other planes. VT-8 pilots and air crew also participated in the ground defense of Henderson Field, assisting to fend off Japanese infantry attacks on 24–26 October 1942. The squadron's last official mission was flown on Nov. 15, 1942, helping to finish off transports from the last major Japanese convoy to the island. After leaving Guadalcanal and returning to the United States, the squadron was disbanded.
at Norfolk (Virginia), in November 1943. After training in the Caribbean
and passing through the Panama Canal
, VT-8 left Intrepid at Pearl Harbor
in January 1944. Here, VT-8 was assigned to the Bunker Hill
, in March 1944. VT-8 attacked Palau
, Yap
, Ulithi
, and Woleai
on 30 March and 1 April 1944. Truk
, Satawan
, Ponape
, and Hollandia
on New Guinea
were attacked a month later. CVG-8 then took part in the Marianas Campaign between 12 June and 10 August 1944. VT-8 flew sorties in the Battle of the Philippine Sea
and the Battle of Leyte Gulf
. The Western Carolines were attacked in September, Okinawa, Luzón
, and Formosa
were attacked in October and November 1944. For this deployment on Bunker Hill
, Carrier Air Group 8 (CVG-8) was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation
.
In June 1945, VT-8 trained with the USS Saratoga, but the did not deploy. Together with CVG-8, VT-8 was disestablished after the end of World War II.
's novel, War and Remembrance
pays tribute to Torpedo 8, whose pilots he called "the soul of America in action."
Robert Mrazek, A Dawn Like Thunder, 2008, chronicles the victories of Torpedo Squadron 8, in the Battle of Midway
and Guadalcanal Campaign
.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
squadron of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
s assigned initially to the Air Group operating from the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
USS Hornet
USS Hornet (CV-8)
USS Hornet CV-8, the seventh ship to carry the name Hornet, was a of the United States Navy. During World War II in the Pacific Theater, she launched the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and participated in the Battle of Midway and the Buin-Faisi-Tonolai Raid...
(CV-8), until after her loss in October 1942 during the Battle of Santa Cruz Island. The squadron joined the ship shortly after its commissioning in October 1941.
After the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
, the squadron was assigned to operate the remainder of the war from the USS Saratoga (CV-3)
USS Saratoga (CV-3)
USS Saratoga was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the fifth ship to bear her name. She was commissioned one month earlier than her sister and class leader, , which is the third actually commissioned after and Saratoga...
, and later, while she was undergoing repairs, for a time flew from Henderson Field
Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)
Henderson Field is a former military airfield on Guadacanal, Solomon Islands during World War II. Today it is Honiara International Airport.-Japanese construction:...
on Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, where they continued to team with other fleet elements protecting the lower Solomon Islands and aiding the defense of Guadalcanal during the long battle of attrition phase in the long months before the Japanese gave up the fight in the battle of Guadalcanal, evacuated their survivors, and that base was deemed as fully secured.
Midway
VT-8's first and best-known combat mission came during the Battle of MidwayBattle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
on 4 June 1942. Flying the obsolete Douglas
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
TBD Devastator
TBD Devastator
The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, first flying in 1935 and entering service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the USN and possibly for any navy in the world...
s, Commander John C. Waldron
John C. Waldron
John Charles Waldron was a United States Navy aviator who led a squadron of torpedo bombers in World War II...
's 15 planes were all shot down during their unescorted torpedo attack on Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese aircraft carriers. The squadron did not destroy any enemy aircraft with their defensive rear .30-caliber machine guns, nor did they damage any of the Japanese carriers.
Only one member of Torpedo Squadron 8 who flew from Hornet on that day survived in the action, Ensign George Gay. Ensign Gay was rescued the day following the battle. Torpedo 8 was afterwards awarded the American Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation (US)
The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
.
Torpedo 8 was the first squadron equipped with Grumman's new TBF-1 Avenger
TBF Avenger
The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world....
, a bigger, faster, longer-ranged replacement for the TBD. When Hornet sailed to the Pacific, a detachment of the squadron under the command of Lt. Harold "Swede" Larson remained in Norfolk, Virginia to receive the first shipment of the new aircraft. Larson's detachment arrived at Pearl Harbor the day after Hornet sailed for Midway. Six of the squadron's Avengers were flown to Midway under the command of Lt. Langdon Fieberling to participate in the battle. Attacking without fighter cover, five of the Avengers were shot down, with only Ensign Albert K. Earnest and CDR (then Radioman 2/c) Harry Ferrier surviving.
A list of the fallen:
- Lt. Commander John C. WaldronJohn C. WaldronJohn Charles Waldron was a United States Navy aviator who led a squadron of torpedo bombers in World War II...
- Lt. Raymond A. Moore
- Lt. James C. Owens, Jr.James C. Owens, Jr.James C. Owens, Jr. born in Batavia, New York, he was a naval aviator. He was appointed Naval Aviation Cadet, USNR, 3 September 1935....
- Lt.(jg) George M. Campbell
- Lt.(jg) John P. Gray
- Lt.(jg) Jeff D. Woodson
- Ens. William W. AbercrombieWilliam AbercrombieEnsign William Warner Abercrombie, USN was a United States Navy officer and Naval Aviator during World War II, who received the Navy Cross posthumously for his actions at the Battle of Midway.-Biography:...
- Ens. William W. Creamer
- Ens. Harold J. EllisonHarold John EllisonHarold John Ellison , was a naval aviator and member of Torpedo Squadron 8, the whole of which was lost during the Battle of Midway.-Naval career:...
- Ens. William R. Evans
- Ens. Henry R. Kenyon
- Ens. Ulvert M. MooreUlvert M. MooreUlvert Mathew Moore was a U.S. Naval aviator during World War II, who died in the Battle of Midway.Moore was born on 26 August 1917 at Williamson, West Virginia. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve on 15 October 1940 at Washington, D.C., and served as a seaman 2d class until appointed an aviation...
- Ens. Grant W. Teats
- Robert B. Miles, Aviation Pilot 1c
- Horace F. Dobbs, Chief Radioman
- Amelio Maffei, Radioman 1
- Tom H. Pettry, Radioman 1
- Otway D. Creasy, Jr. Radioman 2
- Ross H. Bibb, Jr., Radioman 2
- Darwin L. Clark, Radioman 2
- Ronald J. Fisher, Radioman 2
- Hollis Martin, Radioman 2
- Bernerd P. Phelps Radioman 2
- Aswell L. Picou, Seaman 2
- Francis S. Polston, Seaman 2
- Max A. Calkins, Radioman 3
- George A. Field, Radioman 3
- Robert K. HuntingtonRobert Kingsbury HuntingtonRobert Kingsbury Huntington , was a naval aircrewman and member of Torpedo Squadron 8 . Along with his entire squadron, Huntington was shot down during the Battle of Midway, on 4–5 June 1942....
, Radioman 3 - William F. Sawhill, Radioman 3
Pilots of VT-8's Avenger detachment lost:
- Lt. Langdon K. Fieberling, Commanding
- Ensign O.J. Gaynier
- Ensign V.A. Lewis
- Ensign C. E. Brannon
- AMM1c D. D. Woodside
VT-8's losses have been attributed to several causes. Hornet's CAG, Stanhope C. Ring, elected to keep the group's fighter escort at high altitude in order to cover the dive bombers and to give the Wildcats an altitude advantage. This decision was supported by Admiral Marc Mitscher
Marc Mitscher
Admiral Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific in the latter half of World War II.-Early life and career:...
, commanding officer of the Hornet at the time of the battle. Ring subsequently led the group on an incorrect heading which resulted in the failure of the dive bombers to make contact with the Japanese fleet. Commander Waldron made repeated attempts to take over the formation by radio before leading VT-8 off on his own. Waldron's initiative coupled with Ring's faulty tactics led to VT-8 attacking the Japanese force without fighter or dive bomber support. It is important to note, however, that all of the carrier-based torpedo squadrons suffered heavily in the battle, including VT-3, which attacked with fighter escort.
Larson's detachment of VT-8 that remained at Pearl Harbor was loaded aboard the USS Saratoga
USS Saratoga (CV-3)
USS Saratoga was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the fifth ship to bear her name. She was commissioned one month earlier than her sister and class leader, , which is the third actually commissioned after and Saratoga...
when the carrier was sent to reinforce the forces at Midway. They were later transferred to Hornet where they learned of the loss of their comrades. The detachment became the nucleus of the reconstituted squadron and was reassigned to the Saratoga.
South Pacific
VT-8 flew from Saratoga during the initial stages of the Battle of Guadalcanal and participated in the Battle of the Eastern SolomonsBattle of the Eastern Solomons
The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign...
, assisting in the sinking of the light carrier Ryūjō
Japanese aircraft carrier Ryujo
Ryūjō was a light aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was laid down by Mitsubishi at Yokohama in 1929, launched in 1931 and commissioned on 9 May 1933. Her final design resulted in a top-heavy unstable vessel and within a year she was back at Kure Naval Yard for modification...
. When the Saratoga was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, the squadron was assigned to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, where it served as part of the Cactus Air Force
Cactus Air Force
Cactus Air Force refers to the ensemble of Allied air power assigned to the island of Guadalcanal from August 1942 until December 1942 during the early stages of the Guadalcanal Campaign, particularly those operating from Henderson Field...
. It fought there to the point where all aircraft were disabled, and then operated as a single-aircraft unit as a plane at a time was put back into service by salvaging parts (often themselves damaged) from other planes. VT-8 pilots and air crew also participated in the ground defense of Henderson Field, assisting to fend off Japanese infantry attacks on 24–26 October 1942. The squadron's last official mission was flown on Nov. 15, 1942, helping to finish off transports from the last major Japanese convoy to the island. After leaving Guadalcanal and returning to the United States, the squadron was disbanded.
Central Pacific
A new Torpedo Squadron 8 was established in 1943 as part of the new Carrier Air Group 8 (CVG-8). It was assigned to the newly commissioned aircraft carrier IntrepidUSS Intrepid (CV-11)
USS Intrepid , also known as The Fighting "I", is one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. She is the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in August 1943, Intrepid participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, most notably the Battle...
at Norfolk (Virginia), in November 1943. After training in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and passing through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, VT-8 left Intrepid at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
in January 1944. Here, VT-8 was assigned to the Bunker Hill
USS Bunker Hill (CV-17)
USS Bunker Hill was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the second US Navy ship to bear the name, was named for the Battle of Bunker Hill. Bunker Hill was commissioned in May 1943, and served in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning...
, in March 1944. VT-8 attacked Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
, Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
, Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
, and Woleai
Woleai
Woleai is a coral atoll of twenty-two islands in the eastern Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia and is located approximately west-northwest of Ifalik and northeast of Eauripik...
on 30 March and 1 April 1944. Truk
Chuuk
Chuuk — formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus — is an island group in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia , along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's...
, Satawan
Satawan
Satawan Atoll is part of the Mortlock Islands in the Caroline Islands, administratively part of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Captain James Mortlock discovered two sets of islands on 19 and 27 November 1795. Confusingly, both were later called Mortlock Islands...
, Ponape
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
, and Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
on New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
were attacked a month later. CVG-8 then took part in the Marianas Campaign between 12 June and 10 August 1944. VT-8 flew sorties in the Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
and the Battle of Leyte Gulf
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...
. The Western Carolines were attacked in September, Okinawa, Luzón
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, and Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
were attacked in October and November 1944. For this deployment on Bunker Hill
USS Bunker Hill (CV-17)
USS Bunker Hill was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the second US Navy ship to bear the name, was named for the Battle of Bunker Hill. Bunker Hill was commissioned in May 1943, and served in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning...
, Carrier Air Group 8 (CVG-8) was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
.
In June 1945, VT-8 trained with the USS Saratoga, but the did not deploy. Together with CVG-8, VT-8 was disestablished after the end of World War II.
Awards
Torpedo Eight won two Presidential Unit Citations, one for Midway, and the other for Guadalcanal. Its members also won more than fifty medals for valor in combat.Literature
Herman WoukHerman Wouk
Herman Wouk is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author of novels including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.-Biography:...
's novel, War and Remembrance
War and Remembrance
War and Remembrance is a novel by Herman Wouk, published in 1978, which is the sequel to The Winds of War. It continues the story of the extended Henry family and the Jastrow family starting on 15 December 1941 and ending on 6 August 1945. This novel was adapted into a mini-series presented on...
pays tribute to Torpedo 8, whose pilots he called "the soul of America in action."
Robert Mrazek, A Dawn Like Thunder, 2008, chronicles the victories of Torpedo Squadron 8, in the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
and Guadalcanal Campaign
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
.