Obituaries

Continued from Page 58 vital intelligence regarding the movement and strength of the Japanese attack force.

Knowing the relative strength of the Japanese fleet heading toward Midway Island, American Pacific Fleet Adm.Chester Nimitz scrambled to get as many carriers into position as possible. The Yorktown, damaged in the Battle of the Coral Sea, was hurriedly repaired at Pearl Harbor and sent to join the carriers Enterprise and Hornet. On Midway, the United States beefed up its total aircraft on the island to 124.

With four carriers under his command, Adm. Nagumo sent his aircraft to attack the airfield on Midway on June 3, 1942. As his aircraft were underway, an American search plane spotted his carriers. American Adm. Frank Fletcher ordered an immediate attack on the Japanese carrier fleet.

After his planes arrived back from their attack on Midway, the returning pilots encouraged Nagumo to go back for a second strike. Unaware of any American fleet in the area and mindful of his failure to order a third strike that could have destroyed Pearl Harbor’s port facilities back in December 1941, Nagumo ordered his planes to prepare to return to Midway.

As his planes were being rearmed and refueled, a Japanese reconnaissance plane spotted the American fleet and its three carriers. Dithering for 15 minutes, Nagumo finally ordered that his planes be refitted with torpedoes and armored piercing bombs to attack the fleet.

As the Japanese planes were being rearmed on top of the carrier decks, American torpedo bombers came in low to attack the carriers. Slow moving and without fighter protection, the American planes were cut to pieces without scoring one hit.

Just as the last of the torpedo bombers were finished off, dive bombers from the Enterprise arrived overhead. The “Big E,,” out to sea on maneuvers at the time, was one of the carriers Nagumo hoped to destroy during his attack on Pearl Harbor. With the decks of the Japanese ships covered in ordinance from the changeover and the air cover low defending against the torpedo planes, the dive bombers came in relatively unopposed.

Within minutes, the Japanese carriers Kaga and Akagi were aflame as the dive bombers ignited the refueled planes and ammunition. Seventeen more dive bombers arrived from the Yorktown. These planes put three 1000-pound bombs into the Japanese carrier Soryu, turning it into a flaming wreck.

With only one carrier remaining, Adm. Nagumo launched an attack on the American fleet. Following the American aircraft home, the Japanese bombers put three bombs and two torpedoes into the Yorktown. The remaining Japanese carrier, the Hiryu, was sunk by 24 American dive bombers.

While the Yorktown’s crew was trying to save it, a Japanese submarine launched several torpedoes into it causing it to roll over and sink. In the same attack, an American destroyer was also hit by a torpedo and sunk.

The last of the air attacks occurred on June 6, when planes from the Hornet and Enterprise attacked and sank the Japanese heavy cruiser Mikuma. The attack also damaged two Japanese destroyers and a cruiser.

After losing four carriers, one cruiser, 248 aircraft and more than 3,000 dead, Adm. Nagumo and the remnants of his First Air Fleet were forced to retreat to the relative safety of Japan’s home waters. The missing carriers from Pearl Harbor were instrumental in bringing about Nagumo’s first defeat.

The Battle of Midway was considered the turning point of the war in the Pacific. Losing only one carrier and one destroyer, the United States decisively defeated the Japanese Navy. All four Japanese carriers that were sunk at Midway took part in the attack on Hawaii. It only took seven months for the “sleeping giant” to awaken and avenge the Japanese destruction of the battleships at Pearl Harbor.

Next week: Tobruk Captured

ELIZABETH JEANNE O’NEILL Frankford

Elizabeth “Betty” Jeanne O’Neill, age 74, of Frankford, died Saturday, May 28, 2022 at home. She was born in Baltimore and was the daughter of the late Frederick and Shirley (Jones) Fischer. Betty grew up in the Edmonson Village area of Baltimore City and attended St. Bernadine’s Parochial School. She attended and graduated from the Institute of Notre Dame (IND) in Baltimore City.

Betty had been an administrative assistant with Howard County and Wicomico County before her retirement. She was a member of the Ocean City Elks Club and Queen of the Red Hats. She was a member of St. Luke/ St. Andrew Catholic Church and was a greeter and usher at St. Andrew Catholic Church during the summer months.

Betty is survived by her daughters, Jennifer Chase and Betsy Hall, and husband, Dave; her “first and last love,” Kenny Kuyawa; her three grandchildren, Riley, Brycen and Keira Hall; a sister, Christy Hitchens; her step-daughters, Nancy Peach and Barbara O’Neill; and step-grandchildren, Kole Peach and Sorcha, Marsali and Devlin Higgins-O’Neill.

She was preceded in death by her son, Ronnie Chase Jr. A viewing was held on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, at Bishop-Hastings Funeral Home in Selbyville. A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Thursday, June 2 at St. Luke Catholic Church in Ocean City with Father Paul Jennings officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to: Team Gleason Foundation, P.O. Box 24493, New Orleans, Louisiana 70184 Elizabeth O’Neill (teamgleason.org/donate) which assists people with ALS with the latest equipment and technology for their use. Condolences may be sent by visiting www.bishophastingsfh.com.