USS Hornet CV-8
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June 4, 1942: 09:00 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcats of VF-8 prepare to take off of the USS Hornet CV-8 during the
Battle of Midway.



June 4, 1942: 09:00 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcats of VF-8 prepare to take off of the USS Hornet CV-8 during the
Battle of Midway. (Note: The forward aircraft (F-9) was piloted by Ens. Charles M. Kelly Jr. His plane ran out of
fuel and ditched in the ocean. Ens. Kelly's body was never found.



June 4, 1942: 09:00 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcats of VF-8 prepare to take off of the USS Hornet CV-8 during the
Battle of Midway.



June 4, 1942: Two torpedo bombers from Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) seen taking off from USS Hornet CV-8.
Lieutenant Stephen Jurika (seen in flight suit) was a TBD torpedo pilot by training, before he became the Air Intel Officer on Hornet. He knew many of the guys in VT-8, most of whom came over from VT-3 when he was on Saratoga. Jurika really wanted to get into the fight at Midway so, unlike every other member of the ship's crew who dressed in battle gear (flash shirts, helmets, etc.) he dressed in his pilot's uniform (as you can see from the photo). In his oral history at USNI he states unequivocally that if any VT-8 pilot had an issue (illness, nerves, whatever), he planned to take their place in the attack.
(Photo courtesy of Bob Fish, USS Hornet CV-12 Museum)



June 4, 1942: This dramatic photo taken by the Hornet's photographer Bill Gibson shows all fifteen aircraft of
Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8 ) en route to the Battle of Midway, none of these planes returned and only one man,
Ens. George H. Gay was rescued. Ens. Gay was the only American to witness the destruction of the Japanese
Fleet during the battle. Several F-4F fighters from VF-8 can be seen above in the distance.



June 4, 1942: A SBD Dauntless (8-B-11) from VB-8 seen on the flight deck of the USS Hornet CV-8 during the Battle of Midway possibly refueling.





Special thanks to Fred Branyan for his assistance in providing information and most of the photographs for
these pages. Without Fred's help these pages would not be possible.


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Page published Oct. 7, 2007