ISBN:
1472834739
Title: Wade McClusky and the Battle of Midway Pdf
Author: David Rigby
Published Date: 2019-05-21
Page: 320
“A thoroughly good read.” ―Aeroplane Monthly"This is an essential read for anyone interested in Midway or naval aviation." - NYMAS Review"Rigby tells an exciting tale with action coming in right away in the first chapters." - New York Journal of Books"I found the narrative engaging, especially the exceptional detail in which the author sets up the various engagements and the unexpected difficulties with radio communication, drawing me deeper into every chapter. I became completely invested in this ambitious yet modest officer, pilot, and commander. This book is truly the story of the right man being in the right place at the right time, ultimately bringing about the victory of the Battle of Midway." - Flight Journal"[Rigby’s] biography provides fresh perspective on one of history’s most famous battles." - Aviation HistoryDavid Rigby is a historian and the author of Allied Master Strategists: The Combined Chiefs of Staff in World War II (Naval Institute Press, 2012), which was awarded the 2012 John Lyman Book Prize in U.S. Naval History and No Substitute for Victory: Successful American Military Strategies from the Revolutionary War to the Present Day (Carrel Books, 2014). He lives in Acton, Massachusetts. The story of the man who won the battle of Midway and avenged Pearl Harbor for the United States.During the Battle of Midway in June 1942, US Navy dive bomber pilot Wade McClusky proved himself to be one of the greatest pilots and combat leaders in American history, but his story has never been told-until now. It was Wade McClusky who remained calm when the Japanese fleet was not where it was expected to be. It was he who made the counterintuitive choice to then search to the north instead of to the south. It was also McClusky who took the calculated risk of continuing to search even though his bombers were low on fuel and may not have enough to make it back to the Enterprise. His ability to remain calm under enormous pressure played a huge role in the US Navy winning this decisive victory that turned the tide of war in the Pacific. This book is the story of exactly the right man being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. Wade McClusky was that man and this is his story.
Worthy subject, but reads like a hagiography I'll be the first to agree that Wade McClusky was long overdue for a biography. The leader of the dive bomber squadrons from the USS Enterprise during the Battle of Midway, it was McClusky and his pilots who destroyed two Japanese aircraft carriers in just 5 minutes. Were it not for his dogged pursuit of the enemy fleet in the face of several setbacks, it seems likely that the Enterprise's planes would have missed their targets entirely -- quite likely resulting in an American defeat.Thus, it's hard to overstate how important McClusky's contribution to America's victory was. And yet, talented though he certainly was, this book makes him out to be the greatest aviator in the history of aviation. The author keeps on reminding the reader how skillful he (McClusky) was, and how brave, and how resourceful, and how diligent, and did I mention that he was skillful? The author certainly mentioned it . . . over and over and over again.Regarding the fateful attack on the morning of June 4, 1942, the author (repeatedly) hammers home two key points. The first was that it was only due to McClusky's amazing leadership skills that he was able to place his squadrons over the Japanese fleet. To be sure, he was indeed a tremendous leader; and he applied every ounce of his skill to solving the numerous problems that bedeviled his flight. In short, he did everything right, and it's possible (as the author asserts) that no one could have done it any better than he did. HOWEVER, the book glosses over an absolutely vital detail: for all of McClusky's undoubted skill, he still would not have found the Japanese fleet except for the miraculously lucky break of just so happening to stumble upon the destroyer Arashi, which was racing towards the carrier force and pointed the way like a giant arrow. Crossing paths with the Arashi was the result of a long chain of events on both the American and Japanese sides, that had to happen in exactly the order they did and at the times that they did. Had any part of this chain not happened, or even happened a few minutes earlier or later than they did, McClusky would not have chanced upon his unwitting guide . . . and he almost certainly would have missed the Japanese fleet entirely.None of this takes away from McClusky's skill or bravery; and indeed, he very wisely exploited the astonishing gift that Fortune dropped into his lap. But the way the author writes it, the implication is that it was McClusky's skill, all by itself, that led him to the enemy. The Arashi is mentioned, but it's implied that seeing her was mere confirmation of the path that McClusky had already chosen to follow -- instead of the necessary and essential event that led him to his rendezvous with destiny.The author's other main point actually contradicted itself: (1) McClusky did indeed correctly follow doctrine for assigning targets to his squadrons; and (2) it didn't matter anyway, because the end result was that both targets (the carriers Kaga and Akagi) were destroyed. My take on it is that someone messed up, either McClusky or one of his subordinate section leaders. Why else would over 30 planes attack the Kaga but only a small handful (3 or 4 or 5, depending on who you believe) go after the Akagi? But I tend to place this more on the lines of "nobody's perfect." Anyone can slip up, especially in the heat of combat. And even if it was McClusky who erred, by no means does this mean that he wasn't a great leader who made an indispensable contribution to America's victory; it just means that he may have made a mistake, like anyone else is prone to do. (Whoever did err, the consequences could have been dire; only one bomb hit was scored on the Akagi. It was enough to knock her out; but it was a very, very close shave indeed.) But the author is very, very adamant that, whoever may have made a mistake, there's no way that it could have been Wade McClusky.Naturally, the book devotes considerable attention to McClusky's actions on June 4, 1942, this being arguably the pinnacle of his entire life. But as a biography, it covers the rest of his life as well. Near the end is a touching story: an aging McClusky, now retired from the military, playing a Battle of Midway board game with his son -- and he keeps on losing, because he (playing the American side) insists on re-fighting the battle exactly as he did in real life, while his son (playing the Japanese side) learns from the mistakes that they made in real life and fights their fleet in ways that earn them victory in the game, and probably would have in real life as well.All in all, I enjoyed this book and I'm glad that I read it. I just would have preferred the author to be a bit more impartial. Wade McClusky's accomplishments during the Battle of Midway will forever enshrine him as a true American hero. It wasn't necessary to make him sound like perfection personified.McClusky - one of America's all-time greatest military heroes Why wasn’t this book written 50 years ago? Thank you, David Rigby, for finally writing a book about one of America’s all-time greatest military heroes! Had it not been for Wade McClusky’s leadership, it’s questionable if the United States could have stopped Japan from invading our homeland in World War II. Who else but McClusky could have instilled the confidence of his squadron to follow him into the abyss, knowing that there wasn’t enough fuel to get back? Who else but McClusky could have determined, single-handedly, to correctly guess where the enemy was?Bottom line: There were a lot of military heroes in WWII, and throughout the ages. But no single hero had more of an effect on the outcome of an entire war, and the future of Western Civilization, than Wade McClusky. Rigby does an outstanding job of detailing on how McClusky changed the course of the war. There is certainly enough evidence to award McClusky his deserved Medal of Honor.McClusky is finally being recognized for his bravery, courage and leadership. (The Buffalo NY Naval Park recently dedicated a bronze sculpture of his likeness.) This book documents a critically important moment in the war and will be used for generations by scholars and historians, and American patriots, as a go-to source to learn more about a man who played a huge part in the Battle of Midway. June 4, 1942, was an amazing, and some would say miraculous, day in American history, and fortunately for the United States, McClusky was the driving force in determining its outcome.Very Interesting WW2 Story The book doubles as a biography and an analysis of the Battle of Midway from the point of view of Wade McClusky. Considerable attention is paid to disputing convincingly some historians' views that McClusky bungled certain aspects at Midway. Highly recommended.
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