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The United States Navy Memorial

Navy Memorial Honoring the Men & Women of the Sea Services

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Hornet

Ship Designation: 
CV-8
Date Lost: 
Thursday, June 4, 1942
The Battle of Midway
Hornet dive bombers missed contact, but 15 planes comprising her Torpedo Squadron 8 found the enemy and pressed home their attacks. They were met by overwhelming fighter opposition about eight miles from three enemy carriers and followed all the way in to be shot down one by one. Ens. George H. Gay, USNR, the only surviving pilot, reached the surface as his plane sunk. He hid under a rubber seat cushion to avoid strafing and witness the greatest carrier battle in history. Of 41 torpedo planes launched by the American carriers, only six returned. Their sacrifices drew enemy fighters away from dive bombers of Enterprise and Yorktown who sank three Japanese carriers with an assist from submarine USS Nautilus. The fourth Japanese carrier, Hiryu, was sunk the following day.

Lost At Sea Log

Number of sailors in this log: 50

Namesort descending Service Branch
Ens Wm. Abercrombie USN
ARM 2c Ross Bibb USN
ARM 1c Kenneth Bunch USN
ARM 3c Max Calkins USN
Lt(jg) George Campbell USN
AM 3c Nelson Carr USN
RM 2c Darwin Clark USN
Ens William Creamer USN
ARM 3c Otway Creasy USN
CRM Horace Dobbs USN
ENS Harold Ellison USN
Ens William Evans USN
AOM 3c Charles Fair USN
Lt Langdon Fieberling USN
ARM 3c George Field USN
ARM 2c Ronald Fisher USN
Ens Oswald Gaynier USN
Lt(jg) John Gray USN
Ens Don Griswold USN
Ens Stephen Groves USN

Pages

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships