Bob Sanders: Planes played big part in World War II

We were talking about, you’ll remember, essential books that must be kept near at hand. One mentioned but not discussed was “The Ragged, Rugged Warriors,” by Martin Caidin.

It covers a short but very important time in a very troubled area. We were new in the business of World War II. South Pacific, Pearl Harbor to Midway.

Caidin tells about Pearl, exactly how many planes of what types attacked — dive bombers, high level bombers, torpedo planes and fighters ... and how lucky we were that our carriers were not in port ... and how lucky we were to win at Midway. Midway was one of those history-changing moments, like Stalingrad and D-Day.

Listen to these numbers from Caidin:

Six Avengers, our new torpedo planes, attacked. Five shot down. Not a scratch inflicted on an enemy ship.

Four B-26 medium bombers were jury-rigged to carry torpedoes. went in. Two came back. No hits.

Twenty-eight Vindicators and Dauntlesses tried. 12 shot down. Not even close.

There were 24 Wildcats on Midway. Zeroes shot down 14.

Five more Devastators attacked. Every one shot down. Not a feather ruffled.

Twenty-six more attacked. Twenty shot down. Nothing even close.

But ... one of the biggest “buts” in warfare: The Japanese guns were all depressed to shoot at torpedo planes. A squadron of Dauntless dive bombers from the Enterprise, flying high at 17,000 feet, over that huge ocean, just happened to spot the Japanese fleet ... and in a very short time, three carriers were sunk, a fourth a little bit later.

We lost the Yorktown, but Cousin Charlie was there on his destroyer, the Russell, to take on its survivors.

The Japanese navy would never be the same again.

You know how I love and admire the Flying Tigers (the American Volunteer Group). Nothing mythical about them except most people think they were in Asia, fighting all alone, for years before we got in the war. Nope. They fought their first battle Dec. 20, 1941, and were disbanded July 4, 1942,in existence slightly over six months. But what a six months.

With early model P-40s the British had rejected, and never more than 55 flyable planes at one time, they shot down 286 planes and lost nine in air battles.

The Chinese were very persnickity about confirmations, since they had to pay a bonus for each kill.

Reason for their success? The tactics taught by their leader, Gen. Claire Chenault.

The British sent over some Hurricanes and Spitfires, the fighters that saved Britain during “their finest hour.” We’ll show the blighters a thing or two, they said. The Zeroes ate ‘em up. They wouldn’t listen to Chenault.

And Caidin tells us about Colin Kelly. He was a hero, but not in the way we heard. And about the two worst planes, the P-39 and the Brewster Buffalo, and, and, and ...

Bob Sanders is a longtime radio personality with WAUD in Auburn and writes a weekly column for the Opelika-Auburn News.