VT-8

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) was a United States Navy squadron of torpedo bombers assigned to the Air Group operating from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8). The squadron joined the ship shortly after commissioning in October 1941 and remained in the Pacific following her sinking in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in October 1942.

VT-8's first combat was the Battle of Midway (4 July 1942). Flying Douglas TBD Devastators, Commander John C. Waldron's 15 planes were all shot down executing an unescorted torpedo attack against four Japanese aircraft carriers. They did not destroy any enemy aircraft with their rear-facing .30-caliber machine guns or any enemy carriers with their torpedoes during this battle.

All members of Torpedo 8 who flew from the Hornet involved in the action perished with the exception of Ensign George Gay. There was a detachment of six TBF Avengers who flew from Midway Island with two survivors, Ensign Albert K. Earnest and CDR (then Radioman 2/c) Harry Ferrier. Torpedo 8 was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (US).

A list of the fallen:

Lt. Commander [[john c. waldron]
Lt. Raymond A. Moore
Lt. James C. Owens, Jr.
Lt.(jg) George M. Campbell
Lt.(jg) John P. Gray
Lt.(jg) Jeff D. Woodson
Ens. William W. Abercrombie
Ens. William W. Creamer
Ens. Harold J. Ellison
Ens. William R. Evans
Ens. Henry R. Kenyon
Ens. Ulvert M. Moore
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. Huntington, Radioman 3
William F. Sawhill, Radioman 3

[See Herman Wouk's novel, "War and Rembrance," for a fine tribute to Torpedo 8, whose pilots he called "the soul of America in action."]

Failure of the Hornet's captain and air group commander to provide proper coordination led to the disaster^{[citation needed]}, though in fairness, VT-3 from Yorktown (CV-5) and VT-6 from Enterprise (CV-6) fared little better. Of all 41 torpedo planes which sortied that day, only 5 survived. However, it is believed^{[citation needed]} that the act of drawing away the Japanese Zero fighters allowed a subsequent wave of dive bombers to cause the sinking of three enemy carriers.

Torpedo 8 was the first squadron equipped with Grumman's new TBF-1 Avenger, a bigger, faster, longer-ranged replacement for the TBD. Six Avengers flew from Midway during the Battle of Midway, but only one returned to base.

Subsequently VT-8 fully re-equipped with TBFs and served as part of the Cactus Air Force during the Battle of Guadalcanal. They also flew other battles of the Solomon Islands campaign before being disestablished.