Talk:Japanese destroyer Arashi

Midway air attacks

The Midway statement about who hit what ships is INCORRECT, flat out. It is easy to show that Kaga and Akagi were NOT hit by a/c from the same carrier. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 165.201.140.130 (talk) 14:25, 11 July 2012 (UTC)

The Kaga was hit by SBDs from VB-6 and VS-6, under the command of Wade McClusky. They were flying off the Enterprise. Both groups attacked the Kaga. McClusky inadvertently assigned group targets opposite what was their standard doctrine. McClusky was a fighter pilot before taking over the airgroup and was not as well versed in dive bomber doctrine. The doctine was that the group first to target (VS-6) was supposed to attack the far target (Akagi) while the near target (Kaga) was supposed to be hit by the second group over target (VB-6). Over the radio McClusky ordered VS-6 to attack Kaga, and the result was that both groups dove on the Kaga. Just as he was going in to his dive, VB-6 commander Dick Best noticed they were not going in according to doctrine, and he shallowed out his dive and headed over Akagi, followed by the two aircraft in his section. These three then were the only SBDs that attacked the Akagi, with Dick Best planting the fatal bomb strike. The dive bombers from Yorktown (VB-3) attacked the Soryu. Those from the Hornet (VB-8) missed the Japanese fleet entirely by flying too far to the north of their position (see Parshall and Tully's Shattered Sword, p. 228).Gunbirddriver (talk) 22:10, 17 January 2013 (UTC)

Per McClusky's wiki in regards the doctrine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._Wade_McClusky): "The confused attack order was later explained as a radio error due to multiple people speaking at the same time. McClusky, having been a fighter pilot prior to becoming Air Group Commander and was very familiar with dive bombing doctrine, as was Best. McClusky's decision to lead his squadron in attacking the closer Kaga was in keeping with doctrine that stated it was the commander on the scene that could make the decision as to what target to bomb." 72.2.239.18 (talk) 14:03, 3 June 2022 (UTC)

The death of Ens. Wesley Osmus

The fact that Osmus was killed was evident after the war from reading Adm Chuichi Nagumo's report on the battle. US Navy investigative teams then tracked down surviving crew members from the Arashi in preparation for a war crimes prosecution. It was then learned about Osmus being made to tell of the strength of the US force, and of his being struck with a fire axe and thrown over board. As the captain of the Arashi had died in the war, no hearing was held. Gunbirddriver (talk) 22:07, 17 January 2013 (UTC)