Calculated Risk-Prepping for Midway, with special guest Jon Parshall

Talking Points:

• Sit Rep late May 1942
• What does the Pacific War look like right now?
• Any major changes?
• Doolittle Raid
• What is the reasoning behind the raid?
• What happens (briefly)
• What effects does the Doolittle Raid have…
• On the targets (actual combat results of the raid)
• On US plans and ops
• US CVs high-tail it after launch to get back to Pearl
• On Japanese plans and ops…

• Japanese Plans
• Because of the Doolittle Raid and the CV raids of Feb and March, what are the Japanese thinking at this time?
• What is Yamamoto’s conceived plan for the Midway Operation?
• What is the reasoning behind the plan…the ultimate goal
• Why is the plan so complex and so reliant on timing
• Literally everything had to go exactly according to plan for the Japanese plan to work as Yamamoto had it in his head
• Do you think that at this time the Japanese had brushed off the US as a second or even third-rate adversary?
• Was there a situational arrogance on the part of the Japanese?
• Why? Why not?
• Aside from Shokaku and Zuikaku not being able to take part in Midway, did Coral Sea and the efforts of the US CV pilots not kick off a light bulb in the collective Japanese heads in regard to the USN Nav Av prowess and abilities?

• Code Breaking
• We have already done an episode on HYPO, but this period is really where they shine…
• Intel effects on Coral Sea
• “AF” and HYPO’s role in figuring out the target is indeed Midway
• Let’s talk briefly on the whole AF water condenser myth, the reality, of course, was to convince DC, not the Japanese.
• King is barely convinced and allows Nimitz to do what he needs/wants to do

• US Preparations for battle
• Nimitz throws everything but the kitchen sink at Midway
• What units are on Midway
• What forces does Nimitz send to Midway?
• Nimitz pays the atoll a visit before the battle
• While Midway’s defenses are, on paper, strong…are they really?
• Why not?
• What are the aces up Nimitz’s sleeve?
• CV6, CV5, and CV8
• Talk about the combat experience of Enterprise Air Group, Yorktown Air Group and Hornet Air Group
• Who are the CAGs for each AG?
• McClusky
• Leslie
• Ring
• One of Nimitz’s Aces, CV5, is damaged…
• The 72 hour repair myth

• Japanese Preparations for battle
• What forces do the Japanese plan to send to the fight?
• Who are the aviators aboard the CVs?
• Just how good are these people?
• Japanese attack on the Aleutians
• The myth is that this was supposed to be a diversion…
• Of course it was not…but what exactly was it and why was it executed at this time?
• What were the goals of the Aleutians Op?

• US Plans for the Ambush
• What does the intel from HYPO and Layton tell Nimitz?
• What does he want to do?
• Point Luck
• How will he and the US CVs go about ambushing Kido Butai?
• Midway’s role…
• The US CVs depart Pearl…
• Before CV6 leaves, Nimitz attends an awards ceremony on May 27 aboard The Big E. He hands out decorations for Pearl Harbor and the carrier raids
• In handing a DFC to VF-6 pilot Roger Mehle, Nimitz tells him “I think you’ll have a chance to win yourself another medal in the next several days.”
• That very day, May 27, Nimitz executed OpPlan 29-42 which declared a state of “Fleet opposed Invasion”
• Nimitz’s OpPlan was devastatingly accurate
• A testament to HYPO and Layton’s diligence

• Night of June 3
• Aboard Midway
• Last minute preparations
• Bill Brooks
• Bert Earnest
• Leon Williamson
• Aboard the US CVs
• Sleepless night
• Dusty Kleiss
• Bud Merrill
• Fred Bergeron
• Don Hoff