OneManGang
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Tennessee vs The Maxims vs Georgia
For the second time in as many weeks we fans were treated to another picture of the day: As Jauan Jennings lay on the turf of Sanford Stadium receiving the accolades of his team mates, Butch Jones ran from the sidelines cheering and waving his arms. Then he stopped and dropped to one knee, bowing his head as he wept.
Later, after everyone had left, a Knoxville TV reporter found him walking out to look once again at the spot where Vol History was made.
Verily, Coach Butch Jones gets it.
******
On May 27, 1942 the second most powerful carrier strike force in ever seen to that time (the first was the six carriers of the Pearl Harbor strike force) raised anchor and sailed majestically out of the anchorage at Hashirojima. The four carriers, Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu and Soryu were the mailed fist of Kido Butai, the mobile strike force of the Imperial Japanese Navy. They were the Varsity: the professionals. Counting Pearl Harbor, this force (with the addition of the sister ships Zuikaku and Shokaku) had sunk or seriously damaged three aircraft carriers, nine battleships and battlecruisers and a host of smaller vessels. They had swept all air opposition before them and had suffered but the loss of a hundred or so planes and one light carrier sunk at the Battle of Coral Sea. Coral Sea also saw significant damage to Zuikaku and the decimation of Shokakus air group at the hands of Americas First Teamers from the carriers Yorktown (CV-5) and Lexington (CV-2). Japans flyboys had sent Lexington to the bottom and seriously damaged Yorktown. The destination for this array was the tiny island of Midway about 500 miles west of Pearl Harbor. Commanding the Japanese carrier force was Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, who had also led the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Back at Pearl Harbor, concern was the watchword for the day for the U.S. Navy. The striking power of the US Pacific Fleet rested on the teakwood decks of two carriers and in the pilots of the Wildcats, Devastators and Dauntlesses that flew from them. USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Hornet (CV-8) were readying for sea when Yorktown limped in on 30 May. She was severely damaged and most estimates put her repair time at months. However, the Commander of the Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester Nimitz, went to the drydock with his Chief of the Yard and told him to get her ready in 48 hours. The Chief saluted and said, Yes, sir. Two days later, the drydock flooded and Yorktown steamed out, ready for operations.
Even with three carriers though, the Americans were sorely out numbered and out gunned. Escorting the carriers were three cruisers and a few destroyers.
American codebreakers discerned from increased Japanese radio traffic that something big was up. However there was intense disagreement as to where the force was heading. Midway and the Aleutians were the two places that came to mind. To settle the dispute, a ruse was devised. An uncoded message was sent from Midway that the islands desalinization plant was not working. Dutifully, a few days later a Japanese message was decoded stating that AF was low on fresh water.
Midway it was.
Nimitz could now bet his ace against the Japanese Navys full house.
The wager was the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Nimitz positioned his carriers north and east of the likely Japanese route and waited. Search planes were launched from the carriers of both sides and from Midway itself. Both fleets searched for each other on the morning of 4 June 1942.
The Japanese launched their first strike against the island, creating a hell on earth for the defenders as 150 or so Japanese planes strafed and bombed. At the same time, Midways planes had also located the Strike Force and attacked. Un-coordinated attacks left the Marine and Navy planes easy pickings for the agile and heavily armed A6M2 Zero fighters protecting the carriers. Attack after attack was shot to ribbons, four of five TBF Avenger torpedo bombers went down along with most of the Dauntlesses and Vindicator dive bombers and two of the four B-26s. The crew of one of the B-26s tried to count the holes in their plane after its return. They gave up counting a third of the way around the plane when the count reached 400. Fifteen B-17s then tried their luck from 25,000 ft. Net result from all these attacks and sacrifices: zero hits.
It was at this point that Nagumo made a serious error. His scout planes reported American ships in the vicinity but failed to state whether there were carriers or not. Nagumo had given orders to begin arming for a second strike on Midway but now faced a dilemma. Should he launch what he had ready appropriately armed or not in a effort to quickly attack the Americans or stop the re-re-arm the strike for attacking enemy warships? Nagumo chose the latter. The general purpose bombs were to be taken off the planes and replaced with armor-piercing bombs and torpedoes. The process would take 45 minutes to an hour.
During that period, the Japanese carriers would be vulnerable.
Meanwhile, American carrier scout planes had found the Japanese at the same time and the three American carriers turned into the wind to launch strikes. The TBD Devastator torpedo planes went first. The heavily laden planes were in reality out-dated and scheduled for replacement by the much more capable Avengers. After the torpeckers went the Douglas SBD Dauntless dive-bombers and, finally, Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters to fly top cover. Each air group made its way toward the Japanese fleet more or less independent of the others. There was a cloud bank between the high-flying fighters and the lower torpedo bombers. Fighting 8 (VF-8) and Torpedo 8 (VT-8) from the USS Hornet became hopelessly separated as did Enterprises VF-6 and VT-6. The Dauntlesses became separated from both other types and went on.
Despite the speed advantages of the fighters and the SBDs , it was the TBDs that attacked the Japanese carriers first.
The run in was a massacre.
Torpedo 8s path to the Strike Force was marked by plumes of oily smoke, each marking the spot where a TBD had cartwheeled into the sea under Japanese guns. All FIFTEEN planes were shot down. Only one man, Ensign George Gay, survived. Torpedo Six had a similar fate, losing 13 of 14 planes and crews, Torpedo 5 lost 11 of 14. The annihilation of the torpedo bombers was nearly complete.
Not one torpedo scored.
The torpedo bombers suffering, though, was not in vain. The attacks by the three squadrons had drawn the attention of every Zero fighter aloft. The Zeros had dived down to the deck to slaughter the TBDs.
Just as the last torpecker limped away, a lookout on board Kaga pointed skyward and shouted, HELLDIVERS!!
The SBDs of Bombing 6 and Bombing 5 had found the Strike force and were screeching down in near vertical dives from 17,500 ft.
Within minutes three of the Japanese carriers were flaming wrecks.
Nimitz's Hail Mary pass had worked beyond anyone's estimation. The fourth Japanese flattop, Hiryu had been hidden by a squall and her planes later achieved a measure of revenge and fatally damaged Yorktown. Hiryu was found the next day and dispatched to Davey Jones.
It was as complete a victory as anyone could imagine.
Two years later, in June of 1944, the Japanese would again send out their carriers to battle the Americans. This time though, there were SEVENTEEN American carriers to greet them.
But that is another tale.
****
Tennessee's Steely-eyed Missile Man, Joshua Dobbs, earned himself a page in Vol lore Saturday alongside Doug Atkins, Floyd Miley, Jeff Hall and others who snatched victroy from the very jaws of defeat with last-second heroics that will be replayed for decades and passed down to generations of Vol fans yet unborn.
So how did the team do compared to the Maxims?
1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
Both teams made more than enough mistakes to get eaten several times over. Once again, it was the timing of those mistakes that were the key. There were two penalties against Georgia that set Tennessee up in position to take that now legendary final shot to the end zone. Both were unforced errors. Kids in Midget leagues are taught to keep their helmets on when on the field and to hold up long enough for the kicker to hit the ball before racing downfield in coverage.
2. Play for and make the breaks. When one comes your way SCORE!
This Maxim speaks to mind-set. After the game, several Tennessee players stated there was no panic on the sideline after the Dawgs' late touchdown. They just knew.
It's the difference between the merely competitive and winners.
3. If at first the game or the breaks go against you, dont let up PUT ON MORE STEAM!
Joshua Dobbs.
4. Protect our kickers, our quarterback, our lead and our ballgame.
There is still a great many things to be concerned about regarding Tennessee's offensive line. However, they did well enough.
5. Ball! Oskie! Cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle THIS IS THE WINNING EDGE.
Way, way, way too many yards after initial contact for Georgia running backs. I understand the notion of ripping the ball out, BUT the primary focus HAS GOT to be getting the ball carrier on the ground. It's time for Coach Shoops to point that out to his charges.
6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made.
Daniels didn't have his best outing punting the ball. However, Evan Berry's return of the final Georgia kickoff set up the winning pass. Well done, young man,
7. Carry the fight to Georgia and keep it there for sixty minutes.
Time expired while the ball was in the air.
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Tennessee seems determined to keep cardiologists in demand this year in the Volunteer State.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Joshua Dobbs doesn't do anything exceptionally well on the football field [/FONT]
except WIN!
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]That one trait puts the gaudy stats of others to shame.[/FONT]
Brick by Brick, Baby!
MAXOMG
Suggested Reading:
Hugh Bicheno, Midway
Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully, Shattered Sword
Gordon W. Prange, Miracle at Midway
© 2016
Keeping Your Stories Alive
Dauntless dive-bombers over the Japanese fleet during the Battle of Midway (US Navy)
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