Wade McClusky and the Battle of Midway

by David Rigby

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472848239
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	11/24/2020
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	631,371
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

David 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 Massachusetts, USA.

Table of Contents

Preface 9

1 June 4, 1942 - The Search Begins 13

2 Background of a Battle - and of a Leader 19

3 The McCluskys of Buffalo 50

4 Annapolis and a Navy in Transition 57

5 Naval Aviator 77

6 The 1930s - Origins of a Troubleshooter 95

7 Fighting Six 107

8 Commander, Air Group Six 136

9 Last Minute Preparations 148

10 June 4, 1942 - Take-off 156

11 June 4, 1942 - North or South? 162

12 June 4, 1942 - The Attack 166

13 June 4, 1942 - Escape, A Shot-up Airplane, and Two Gallons of Gasoline 220

14 June 4, 1942 - The Afternoon Attack 229

15 June 5, 1942 - McClusky Versus Browning 239

16 McClusky and Historians 256

17 The Midwar Period - Training Pilots and a Desk Washington 274

18 CVE 58 286

19 The End of the War and the Transition to Peace 316

20 Postwar 323

Appendix A Annapolis Class of 1926 Alumni at Midway 351

Appendix B Wade McClusky Navy Cross Citation 359

Bibliography 360

Acknowledgments 375

Index 376

Editorial Reviews

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 a fresh perspective on one of history's most famous battles.” —Aviation History

“This is a sweeping history, but the author is well-equipped to tell it, having written a number of aviation titles previously. This new work continues his tradition of engaging storytelling, in-depth research, and an ability to make a broad subject accessible and relatable to the reader. The book admirably compiles the history of the Far East Air Forces into one useful volume.” —Military Heritage

From the Publisher