Pacific Payback: The Carrier Aviators Who Avenged Pearl Harbor at the Battle of Midway

by Stephen L. Moore

“Deeply researched and well written....By far the most detailed account of USS Enterprise ’s dive-bombers and their decisive role at the Battle of Midway.”*

Sunday, December 7, 1941, dawned clear and bright over the Pacific....

But for the Dauntless dive-bomber crews of the USS Enterprise returning to their home base on Oahu, it was a morning from hell. Flying directly into the Japanese ambush at Pearl Harbor, they lost a third of their squadron and witnessed the heart of America’s Navy broken and smoldering on the oil-slicked waters below.

The next six months, from Pearl Harbor to the Battle of Midway—a dark time during which the Japanese scored victory after victory—this small band of aviators saw almost constant deployment, intense carrier combat, and fearsome casualties. Many were killed by enemy Zero fighters, antiaircraft fire, or deadly crash landings in the Pacific, while others were captured and spent years in POW camps. Yet the Enterprise ’s Dauntless crews would be the first to strike an offensive blow against Japanese installations in the Marshall Islands, would be the first to sink a Japanese warship, and would shepherd the Doolittle Raiders’ bombing of Tokyo.

Not until Midway, though, would Dauntless crews get the chance to settle the score...and change the course of World War II.

Drawing on dozens of new interviews and oral histories, author Stephen L. Moore brings to life inspiring stories of individual sacrifice and bravery—and the sweeping saga of one of America’s greatest triumphs.

INCLUDES PHOTOS

Genres: History, World War II, Nonfiction, War, Military History, Military Fiction, Aviation

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[happy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a pretty good look at the 2 Dauntless equipped squadrons, VB-6 and VS-6, that flew off of the USS Enterprise during the first six months of the US involvement in WW II, Mr. Moore follows the 2 squadrons from the debacle that was Pearl Harbor where they flew right into the middle of the Japanese attack thru to the Battle of Midway. At Pearl Harbor, they were shot at by both sides and lost seven Dauntlesses as well as several air crew. In telling their story the author includes accounts of the Enterprise’s raids on the Marshall Islands, Wake as well as her participation in the Doolittle Raid, where she escorted the Hornet.

The author looks at the personalities that made up the squadrons, both the pilots and the men who flew in the back seats. I felt he captured their personalities and the give and take that goes into making a small unit effective.

Up until the author starts telling the story of the Battle of Midway, he keeps the story tightly focused on Enterprise and her Dauntless squadrons. When he starts telling the story of Midway, the focus expands a bit. While still telling VB-6 and VS-6 story, the author also tells the story of the other carriers and the sacrifice made by other squadrons, esp the torpedo bombers. As any student of Midway knows, they were massacred, but with their sacrifice gave the opportunity for the Daunlesses to have an almost unimpeded bomb runs on the carriers. One of the points he makes is although, the Dive Bombers were successful in destroying the Japanese carriers, they also paid a heavy price. While nowhere near the price the torpedo bombers paid, of the 31 aircraft that left the Enterprise for that first strike only 15 made it back.

Included in the story of Midway is that of air crew that were picked up by the Japanese during the battle. To say fate was unkind to them is an understatement. They were tortured for intel and then dumped back over the side with weights tied to there legs.
Since the author focuses on the story of two squadrons, the bigger picture is not fully explained. The reader will have to go elsewhere to gain that understanding. Also, there are some technical errors that should have been caught in the editing process. Even with this caveats, I found the personal story the men who flew those aircraft compelling and an enjoyable read. This a definite 4 star read.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Battle of Midway was one of the key turning points in the war against Japan, and as such it's had a plethora of books written about it. I've read several, as well as ones concentrating on some of the ships which participated in the battle, and this is the first one I've read which provided a really in-depth account of the dive bomber pilots who scored a major victory for the U.S. Navy.

Starting with the attack on Pearl Harbor and ending with the Battle of Midway, this book takes the reader aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6) as she carries the war to the Japanese. Up until the invasion of Guadalcanal in August, 1942, virtually all offensive actions carried out against Japan were conducted by the U.S. Navy, with the aircraft carriers doing the lion's share. This book provides a great look into the lives of those who flew SBD Dauntless dive bombers from the Enterprise, and provides lots of personal recollections as well, both of pilots and of the brave men who manned the rearward-firing guns protecting the planes.

This book continues the present trend of capturing the stories of those who participated in battle, and does it wonderfully. Moore weaves together the stories of dozens of individuals into a narrative which oftentimes puts you right into the cockpit with them. I definitely recommend this for anyone who wants a more personal view of the Battle of Midway.

[C.H. Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

After having read Shattered Sword, this book gave me another comprehensive look at the Battle of Midway from the perspective of the Dauntless dive bomber pilots flying off the Enterprise, the Yorktown, and the Hornet.

Exhaustively researched and well written, the book humanized the great cost of that battle, particularly among US fliers and gunners. I had no idea as to the dramatic losses the US experienced in its aircraft and aircrews, until I read this book.

I am giving it 4 instead of 5 stars simply because of the staggering amount of detail the author included about each pilot and gunner named. At first it was a little off-putting, and broke the flow of the account, but once they started getting chewed up in the battle, I understood why Moore included so much personal detail. He was bringing these men to life, once again, on the pages of his book.

Highly recommended--especially if you are wanting another look at what really happened at Midway.

[Pete Welter · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Pacific Payback" dives deep into the role of the carrier-based Dauntless dive bomber pilots role in the Battle of Midway in WW II. If you want a detailed account of these men - where they came from, the dangers they faced, their backgrounds, their training, and a detailed account of the experience of flying these missions, then this book is for you.


My only minus would be the detail was often too much, especially plethora of names tossed about. There were some who definitely played a major part, but the book sometimes bogged down with minutiae about every single pilot or gunner involved, sometimes feeling like the author was trying to show off his prodigious research and so much telling a story.

Still, even though I've ready my share of accounts of the battle, I learned from this book. The missions that were flown before Midway I hadn't heard much about, and I was surprised at how unorganized and chaotic these missions often were, even from the start.

For WW II in the Pacific history buffs, recommended. If you aren't deeply into the war but if you want to understand the bigger picture, I'd grab a more broad history of the battle.

[Jeff Rosendahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another disappointing WWII book for me. Stephen Moore tells the stories of the dive bomber pilots from Enterprise, Yorktown, and Hornet who sank 4 Japanese carriers during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Certainly it's a story that deserves telling, but I didn't like how Moore plain out got facts wrong, wrote some paragraphs that simply didn't make any sense, jumped around from character to character within paragraphs (making it very confusing to read), and really never answered "why" questions. I would have liked to have seen more analysis and less talk of which plane and which pilot got jumped by Zeros during their dive and what they thought of it. Not to take anything away from the courage of these men, or the other fliers off the carriers, but the US won the Battle of Midway partially by good luck. Several times in this book, Moore raises an issue where people acted poorly, but then never explores those issues, instead talking about the next person in line.

[Julian Douglass · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book to get into the more personal details of some of the first raids on the Japanese in the beginning of the Pacific campaign. I think Mr. Moore sometimes got too caught up in the personal details of the flyers and not enough of the battles. Overall, this is a great book for military historians who are interested in this type of stuff. I like to read these for the more personal stories of the troops, but not a lot more. They can get a little too bogged down in the minor details but then again, the people who read these books are fans of these kinds of histories and get excited for that.

[Mark Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel bad giving this book such a mediocre review, since I will admit that it is not a book I would normally read or enjoy anyway. I read it because my partner's grandfather recommended it--he likes reading about World War II and anything about planes, so unsurprisingly he enjoyed it. I didn't love it (or even really like it). I didn't hate it, but again I went in with a real sense that this was not a book meant for me. The military acronyms and unit numbers, the long lists of names, the precise details about flying altitudes and bombing runs...it was just too much to keep track of (especially via audiobook).

While I probably would have absorbed more facts about the battle of Midway through Wikipedia, there are some important things I have gained from this book. Number one is a renewed admiration for the soldiers in World War II, especially naval pilots. Talk about a scary (and deadly) job. These guys piloted planes over open ocean, had to hope they had enough fuel to make it to their targets and make it back, even just find the enemy ships and their own carriers when they returned, accurately hit a moving target while defending oneself from anti-aircraft guns and enemy planes... Oh and if you crash, get hit, or run out of fuel, you either die instantly upon hitting the water, get sucked down into the depths and drown in your plane, or escape and bob in the open ocean praying for another plane to come rescue you (or even find you!). Absolutely terrifying. These men really deserve a lot of respect for doing what can only be called a really horrifying task.

[Steven Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read of the events that stopped the Japanese Empire from building their Empire on the shores of Hawaii and the Pacific Coast of America.
The men you read about are known to anyone that follows Battle 360 or Dogfights on the History Channel, Bruno Gaido, Dusty Kleiss, Wade McCluskey and many others mentioned in that series will be recognized by readers of this book.
It is well written, easy to read and hard as hell to put down.
If anyone ever wonders what the mettle of America is, have them read this book.

[Patrick Wikstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr Moore brought this little slice of WWII to life. Completely focused on the build up and the minutiae of aircrews, ship crews, and the blow by blow details of the Midway Battle. We learn a whole lot about the Douglas “Dauntless” Dive Bomber that with its robust construction and self sealing gas tanks often finished their missions just simply riddled with holes. Maybe a bit too much personal details of the US participants for me but the author comes right out and proclaims this book a tribute to these men and their services. So I guess its just about perfect.

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moore provides a detailed study of Scouting 6 and Bombing 6, the dive bomber squadrons assigned to USS _Enterprise_ for the early part of WWII. He follows their exploit from Pearl Harbor to June 1942, then delves deeply into the experiences of pilots and radio operator-gunners in the pivotal Battle of Midway. (The other squadrons participating in the battle get attention during the battle, but not before.) Moore uses a variety of sources but oral histories and interviews are at the heart of his research.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been familiar with the stories of Pearl Harbor and Midway since grade school, but never much considered what was going on in naval aviation just prior to and during the attack on Pearl Harbor and what the carriers and dive bombers were up to in the weeks and months immediately afterward, during the initial probing counterattacks. This book fills the gap, with tales of the early battles and the amazing pilots who fought them.

[Bob Grove · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book touched on carrier attack piolets from the time of Pearl Harbor to the close of the battle of Midway. The author discusses the men in the attack squadrons and their experiences as naval aviators at this point in history. I know of no other book on this period of the war in the Pacific that takes this approach. The author did not discuss recent scholarship on the Japanese side of the battle, so the book received a four.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A detailed examination of the men who flew the planes that destroyed four Japanese carriers in the battle of Midway. Although, many books are written about the battle, none tell the story from the pilots and radio/gunner's viewpoint. Because of the excellent research, the men come to life. Dropping bombs on a moving ship is no easy task when the antiaircraft fire is coming fast and furious. Highly recommended.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give the book a 4 for the information it has but I found the writing so confusing it deterred from the story. The author jumps from plane to plane and back again for no obvious reason. If the author stuck with one plane at a time or all the planes in one timeline it would be less confusing. But if you like lots of detailed information you may give this book a try.

[Larry Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read as an audio book. Found fairly easy to follow, great reader.

[Hud (Bob) Huddleston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unless these guys were family members, a bit too much minutiae for the type of book I like.

[Ned T. Kindler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book on the Battle of Midway. If you like WW ll history, this is a good read.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Details from the battle that I had never encountered in any of the dozens of books I've read on the subject.

[Bob McNamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly solid re-telling of the US Navy's SBD dive bombers during the early Pacific War, with emphasis on Midway. There are better efforts out there but this is worth adding to the library.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating insight into America's victory at the Battle of Midway.

[Danny Mcalister · Rating 5 out of 5]

fi shend reading it tonight 10 out 10

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

On December 7, 1941, Douglas Dauntless SBD dive-bomber crews flying ahead of the U.S.S. Enterprise (which didn't enter port until December 8) blundered into the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. They suffered heavy losses of planes & pilots from both the Japanese and friendly fire from nervous antiaircraft gunners. This book is the story of how these crews, along with aircrews from the Yorktown & Hornet (and flyers reassigned from the Saratoga, which was being repaired) got their revenge on the Japanese. They made strikes on Wake, Marcus, the Marshall Islands & New Guinea and fought in the Battle of the Coral Sea before the Battle of Midway. At Midway they sank 4 carriers that launched the attack on Pearl Harbor.

This book is a quick read. You learn a lot about the pilots and their radiomen/gunners and the Dauntless. You hear more about Admiral Halsey (a favorite of the pilots) than you do about Admirals Spruance or Fletcher. There are charts listing all of the air crews in each strike and their fates. The book also has a number of squadron and individual photos.

I highly recommend this book.

[Blake Baehner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pacific Payback, and I hate to say this because it’s used as a selling point for so many WWII books these days, is a Band of Brothers style take on the bombing and scouting squadrons that played the decisive role in wrecking Japanese naval air power at Midway and decisively turning the tide of war against the Japanese. Nevertheless, I found it to be quite the page turner.

It should be noted that this is not a comprehensive study of the Battle as a whole but instead focused primarily on US carrier aircrews. You learn the backstories of many of them including some crew of the USS Enterprise that flew into Pearl Harbor on the day of the attack. This makes it all the more satisfying when some of these same pilots contribute to the destruction of Kido Butai.

Overall, the account is solid and very well researched. I don’t have much negative to say about it. This is definitely a must read for anyone wanting to understand the sacrifices made by the men of the US navy during the first crucial six months of the Pacific War.

[Kyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has lots of good detail from a personal history perspective of the battle of midway, but there are too many individuals as subjects, and they mostly run together and don't stand out. The writing is OK at best, and a little jingoistic, and there are some technical/factual and editing issues.
It's also a bit weak on context, especially in the months intervening between Pearl Harbor and Midway. I'm not familiar enough with the Midway bibliography to say, but the book is probably still worth reading if it is unique in its coverage of some of the personal stories, but I'd put it way down the list otherwise. All in all, I was very disappointed by the book, as it missed opportunities to be a rich account of pre-war and early war naval aviation, but really just scratched the surface.

[Craig Fiebig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Battle of Midway introduced me to the history of the Second World War. I purchased this book on a whim, interested by the author's approach of focusing narrowly on the experiences of the individual flight crews. While deeply researched and often interesting the book was largely a recap of earlier works. If you've read a little this book is a great introduction; if you've read deeply then this work serves as an interesting review but you're unlikely to learn much that is new.

[Tom Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a real first account of heroes in action this is a book for you. Set 6 months after the devastating cowardly attack on Pearl Harbor this is an excellent account of the payback by naval aviators from the aircraft carriers Enterprise, Yorktown and Hornet. Loved the way this book was written, it is very informative and well worth the read.

[Matthew Reedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoroughly researched account of our Navy's aerial contribution to the battle of Midway. Author makes it easy to vision yourself behind the stick of the Dauntless SBD or seated rear of the pilot behind the twin 30 caliber guns trying to survive AA fire, stubborn Zero attacks, and worse of all: insufficient fuel to make it back to their carriers.

[A.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moore's history focused on the SBU Dauntless dive bomber crews in early 1942 is a worthwhile look into the personalities, stories and triumphs of a small, but war-changing cadre of aviators. If you want to understand how near a run the Battle of Midway was, and how much it actually cost, then your should add this work to your library.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most interesting read. I found out much about VB-6 and VB-6 and the early Pacific Theater battles that I never new before. A must read for those interested in the early battles of World War II and US naval aviation.

[Bill Zappone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about the Navy dive bombers and their stories from Pearl Harbor to the battle of Midway. Exerts from the pilots logs, letters and interviews made it very interesting. I recommend the book.