| U.S. Naval Air Station Midway Island. War Diary. | May 1942 | |
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U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION MIDWAY ISLAND |
| From: 1 May, 1942. | To: 31 May, 1942. |
| Original to files of N.A.S., Midway. |
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| Copies to: | (a) Chief of Naval Operations (Office of Naval Records and Library). (b) Commandant, Fourteenth Naval District. |
Ensign H. H. STUART. A-V(S), U.S.N.R., Historian. |
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U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION MIDWAY ISLAND |
Note: All times are local Midway times. To obtain GCT, add twelve hours.
Special alert assigned 25 April terminated by dispatch from Com 14.
1325 - Four (4) PBY-5A's landed on Eastern Island runway, bearing Admiral C.W. Nimitz, Rear Admiral N.L. Bellinger and party for informal inspection.
1500 - U.S.S. CUTTLEFISH departed.
0600 - Four (4) PBY-5A's departed for Pearl Harbor with inspecting party.
0705 - U.S.S. SILVERSIDES arrived for fuel and fresh water.
1218 - U.S.S. SILVERSIDES departed. She took aboard 1000 gallons fresh water and 333 barrels diesel oil.
Routine.
0642 - U.S.S. POLLACK arrived for fuel and repairs. She delivered 70 sacks of second class mail.
1700 - U.S.S. POLLACK departed. She took aboard 348 barrels of diesel oil and 6 drums Lube oil #9250.
0800 - U.S.S. NASHVILLE Arrived. Her planes, in company with four station aircraft, conducted a search for a plane she lost en-route to Midway on 6 May.
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U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION MIDWAY ISLAND |
1920 - Smoldering fire in Marine Barracks caused by spontaneous combustion of oily rags. No damage.
0425 - Smoldering fire in Contractors galley caused by a short circuit in the field coils of a fan motor. Fire out at 0450. No damage.
0744 - U.S.S. NASHVILLE departed. In backing away from the pier she damaged her rudder and one of her screws on a coral head and is returning to Pearl Harbor for repairs. She took aboard 3773 barrels of fuel oil and 1800 gallons Avgas from the station tanks. At the time of her departure, her lost plane had no been recovered.
1405 - Two PBY-5A's landed on Eastern Island runway.
2110 - SPRAGUE,S.G., Sea1c, USN, shot himself in the left hand while cleaning his .45 automatic in dugout. Treated in sick bay.
0500 - Two PBY-5A's departed.
Routine.
Routine.
0720 - U.S.S. GRAYLING arrived for fuel. She took aboard 261 barrels of diesel oil.
1010 - U.S.S. GRAYLING departed.
0815 - U.S.S. TARPON arrived for fuel. She took aboard 493 barrels of diesel oil
1300 - Gas mask drill held for all naval personnel on board.
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U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION MIDWAY ISLAND |
1500 - U.S.S. TARPON departed.
1530 - Four PBY-5's, under command of Lt.(jg) ADY, USN, arrived for temporary duty. One Aerog3c reported for duty this date.
Daily search plan: Four patrol planes to search sector 180-220 true to a distance of 250 miles for lost plane of U.S.S. NASHVILLE. Results negative.
Daily search plan: Four patrol planes to search sector 220-285 true to a distance of 250 miles for lost plane of U.S.S. NASHVILLE. Results negative.
1700 - U.S.S. SIRIUS and U.S.S. CHANDLER arrived. Transferred to this station this date: 20 rates, 33 non-rates, one Junior Grade Lieutenant.
Daily search plan: Three patrol planes to search 140-180 true and one to search 255-300 true, all to a distance of 250 miles, for lost plane of U.S.S. NASHVILLE. Results negative. Search abandoned.
0930 - Two patrol planes departed to search all islands and reefs within a 400 mile radius of Midway. Results negative.
1100 - U.S.S. CHANDLER departed.
1155 - Two SOC's arrived from U.S.S. NASHVILLE.
1300 - U.S.S. SIRIUS departed.
1615 - U.S.S. NASHVILLE arrived. Transferred this date from this station: 17 rates, 6 non-rates.
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U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION MIDWAY ISLAND |
Dally search plan: VP 23 searched all islands and reefs within a 400 mile radius of Midway.
0555 - U.S.S. NASHVILLE departed. She took aboard 3157 barrels of fuel oil and 1500 gallons Avgas.
1150 - General alarm sounded. Radar reported two unidentified planes.
1210 - Secure from alert sounded.
1300 - Two PBY-5's arrived, bearing Major General Upshur, Brigadier General Pickett, and party.
1619 - Fire reported in scrap lumber pile near hangar. Reported out at 1629. No damage.
1830 - U.S.S. SICARD arrived for fuel and further orders. She took aboard 1746 barrels of fuel oil.
2015 - Call to arms sounded. Condition one set. No developements ensued.
Daily search plan: VP 23 to search all islands and reefs to within a 400 mile radius from Midway.
Daily search plan: VP 23 to search all islands and reefs to within a 400 mile radius from Midway.
0530 - Two PBY's departed for Johnston Island, bearing Major General Upshur and party.
0900 - 375,00 gallons of gas in main gas bank destroyed by explosion, lost fuel in sixteen out of thirty one tanks. No injuries to personnel. Cause: Explosion of demolition system caused by error in final electrical hook-up.
VP 44 arrived.
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U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION MIDWAY ISLAND |
Daily search plan: VP 23 to search all islands and reefs to within a 400 mile radius from Midway.
Daily search plan: VP 23 to search all islands and reefs to within a 400 mile radius from Midway. Eleven planes of VP 44 to search sector 245 to 350 true to distance of 600 miles.
Daily search plan: VP 23 to search all islands and reefs to within a 400 mile radius from Midway.
0800 - U.S.S. ST. LOUIS and U.S.S. CASE arrive.
1000 - PY-25 (CRYSTAL) arrived.
1730 - U.S.S. ST. LOUIS and U.S.S. CASE departed. Both were fueled to 95% capacity.
Daily search plan: VP 23 to search all islands and reefs to within a 400 mile radius from Midway.
0630 - One patrol plane of VP 44 reported sighting a submarine at periscope depth bearing 103 at 140 miles, while covering the approach of the U.S.S. KITTYHAWK.
1245 - One Army B-17 arrived, bearing Major General Tinker, Commanding General of the 7th Air Force, and Major Warner of the Army Air Corps who will remain with Marine Air Group 22 to act as liaison officer between the 7th Bomber Command and Commanding Officer, N.A.S. Midway.
1815 - U.S.S. KITTYHAWK and U.S.S. GWIN arrived. The KITTYHAWK delivered 19 SBD's and 7 F4F's to the station to replace the SB2U3's now in use and to augment the fighter squadron.
Daily search plan: VP 23 to search all islands and reefs to within a 400 mile radius from Midway. Eleven planes VP 44 to search sector 245 to 350 true to a distance of 600 miles.
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U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION MIDWAY ISLAND |
0720 - One Army B-17 departed for Pearl Harbor, bearing General Tinker on return.
Daily search plan: VP23 to search all islands and reefs to within a 400 mile radius of Midway. Twelve planes of VP 44 to search sector 235 to 355 true to 600 miles.
1615 - U.S.S. GRENADIER arrived for fuel and provisions.
Daily search plan: VP 23 to search all islands and reefs to within a 400 mile radius from Midway. Eleven planes of VP 44 to search sector 225 to 355 true to 600 miles.
0500 - U.S.S. KITTYHAWK, U.S.S. GWIN, U.S.S. SICARD departed.
0850 - One submarine reported at 24-31 N 177-51 E, course NE speed 18. Submarine apparently did not sight reporting aircraft.
1000 - U.S.S. BALLARD and eleven PT boats of PT Squadron One arrived.
1115 - One Army B-17 arrived from Pearl Harbor,
1240 - One submarine bearing 287 true at 455 miles, course 200 speed 18, crash dove when sighted by friendly aircraft.
1315 - Four Army B-26's with Army crews arrived from Pearl.
1330 - U.S.S. BALLARD departed.
1350 - One Army B-17 departed.
1400 - Four PBY-5's of VP 11 arrived, bearing Commander Logan C. Ramsey, four other officers and four enlisted radiomen, all for temporary duty at this station. They arrived by order of the Commander Naval Air Base Defense.
1430 - Eight PBY-5's of VP 23 arrived, completing that squadron.
1500 - YP's 284, 290, 345, and 350 arrived for orders.
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U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION MIDWAY ISLAND |
1630 - U.S.S. GRENADIER departed.
Patrol planes reported contacts.
War diary for the remainder of May and up to and including 7 June, is contained in enclosed Action Report of The Battle of Midway.
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