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Description

• Aboard the Japanese CVs
• What is the morning looking like at this point aboard the CVs?
• What are the Japanese briefed about?
• When do they launch?
• Who is the strike leader?
• Talk about the flight into Midway…
• Aboard the American CVs
• Reveille for US aircrews is at 0300, breakfast at 0400, ready rooms shortly after that
• Talk about the anticipation in the ready rooms
• Nervous energy

• Aboard Midway island
• Search planes take off around 0415
• Americans prepare for the battle they know is coming today
• Planes fueled and armed
• Bert Earnest and his two dollar bill

• At 0545 a search plane sees the incoming strike and radios “Many Planes Heading Midway”

• PBY search planes sight Japanese CVs at 0552

• Because of incoming aircraft and CV sighting, Midway scrambles damn near everything with wings by 0600

• Japanese Midway strike
• Give us the run-down of the Japanese attack on the island and the aerial encounters with the American fighters
• Bill Brooks and his Brewster engage Japanese as they come into the island around 0616
• What are the effects of the Japanese strike on the island?
• Who decides another strike is needed?
• Why?
• When does Nagumo get word of another strike being needed?
• Take us through his decision making here

• Aboard the American CVs
• 0645 Pilots Man Your Planes!
• Dusty Kleiss
• Don Hoff
• Spruance on orders from Fletcher decides to launch at 0700
• CV6 launches and orbits the TF awaiting CV5 and her birds
• US CV strike launch is discombobulated and unorganized 
• (clusterfuck is a good term but we shouldn’t say that)
• “Proceed on mission assigned” flashed to McClusky
• Hornet’s strike
• Stanhope Ring versus John Waldron

• As the American CVs strike is being launched, the first attackers from Midway see the Japanese CVs…
• Bert Earnest and Harry Ferrier in 8-T-1 attack Hiryu
• The B26s attack Akagi at almost the same time
• Talk about the near miss by the B26 on Akagi’s bridge
• 0800 VMSB-241 attacks Japanese fleet
• Japanese CAP proves to be incredibly deadly to these attacks

• While the Midway based aircraft are attacking the fleet, the Japanese are also attacked by a submarine 
• Talk about the effects that the Nautilus attack on the fleet have as far as timing is concerned, and what do the Japanese do 
• Nautilus’ attack, while not successful, is HUGE when it comes to the events that soon follow
• Arashi…

• Around 0840 the American attacks cease
• Talk about Nagumo’s timetable…
• What does it look like inside the hangar decks of the Japanese CVs right now?
• US VT attacks on Kido Butai
• VT8 and VT6 shortly afterwards

• Let’s once and for all dispel the George Gay myth…

• The Flight to Nowhere
• Where the hell is HAG?
• What happens to them?
• Could they have helped?
• Tease the cover up by Mitscher for Ring to be discussed at length in the next episode

• EAG flight and McClusky’s decision
• Talk about what is happening in the air right now 
• What is McClusky thinking
• What is happening to the SBD formation?
• McClusky’s decision to continue the search
• Seeing Arashi…
• Set up the attack of EAG on Kaga and Akagi from Japanese and US sides
• What is going on aboard the Japanese CVs right now?
• PLANES ON THE FLIGHT DECKS MYTH!
• Flash warning to Kaga
• McClusky breaks doctrine and attacks Kaga

• Attack on Kaga and Akagi
• Earl Gallaher
• Dusty Kleiss
• Don Hoff
• Aboard Kaga
• Briefly discuss attacks on Soryu
• Talk about the damage done to Kaga, Akagi and Soryu
• Just how bad is it?

• Discuss the Hiryu strikes on CV5

• Afternoon strike on Hiryu
• Lots of AAA this time and CAP
• Dusty Kleiss
• Don Hoff

• Wrap up June 4 and tease the next episode
• Japanese losses
• US losses