LCDR C. Wade McClusky's
Douglas SBD-3 "Dauntless"
Commander, Enterprise Air Group
By Ken Durling

This Accurate Miniatures 1/48th scale SBD-3 has been built to depict the plane flown by LCDR C. Wade McClusky, Commander, Enterprise Air Group (CEAG) on June 4, 1942. McClusky, flying GC (BuNo 4618), along with his gunner, W. G. Chochalousek, led the morning strike from Enterprise, comprised of 10 F4F-4s from Fighting 6, 17 SBD-3s from Scouting 6, 15 SBD-2, -3s from Bombing 6 and 14 TBD-1s from Torpedo 6, on Kido Butai. McClusky was originally slated to lead 37 SBD's. However, three planes from VB-6, B-4 (BuNo 4640 flown by LT L. A. Smith), B-10 (BuNo 4561 flown by LT H. P. Lanham) and B-17 (BuNo 2185, an SBD-2 flown by ENS A. L. Rausch), and one from VS-6, S-13 (BuNo 03234 flown by LT F. A. Patriarca), were struck before launch. Additionally, one plane from VS-6, S-9 (BuNo 4616 flown by ENS E. E. Rodenburg), aborted 90 miles from Task Force 16 with engine trouble.

Due to a long delay in the launch of the TBDs and F4Fs, McClusky's 32 SBDs were ordered to "Proceed on assigned mission." Instead of the entire air group departing and attacking as one, McClusky would attack Kido Butai alone.

After a long search that used up more than half the SBD's fuel, McClusky finally spotted a Japanese ship, a "cruiser" heading northeast at high speed. Surmising the "cruiser" was a go-between from the Invasion Group to the south and the Carrier Striking Force to the north, McClusky adjusted his course to that of the Japanese vessel. The spotting of this Japanese ship, actually the destroyer Arashi, fresh from her unsuccessful depth charging of Nautilus, was just the break the United States needed to turn the tide of the battle. McClusky's SBDs, along with 17 SBD from Yorktown's Bombing 3 and Torpedo 3, were the United States last hope to hit the Japanese carriers first. Other piece-meal strikes from Midway and the other carriers had not struck a single Japanese ship in return for their horrible losses. The final three attacks by TBDs of Torpedo 8, Torpedo 6 and Torpedo 3 (to begin around 1015 and end around 1035) had, however, at terrible cost, brought the deadly A6M2 Zeroes on Combat Air Patrol (CAP) down to the wave tops, clearing the way for the SBD's to follow.

Spotting Kido Butai at about 1000, McClusky made ready to deploy his forces. About this time, one of his planes ran out of fuel. B-8 (BuNo 2105, a SBD-2) flown by ENS T. F. Schneider, had to run on a full rich mixture to keep up with the others, increasing the consumption of fuel by his engine. McClusky was down to 31 attackers. Undaunted, at 1020, with the attack by Torpedo 3 still underway, in nearly perfect, yet totally unplanned, coordination, McClusky and his charges pushed over on Kaga. McClusky, personally leading 28 SBD's of VS-6 and VB-6, was the first to drop his bomb (in this, his first combat mission in a dive bomber, being the commanding office of Fighting 6 before becoming CEAG), scoring a near miss on Kaga. The following 27 SBD's scored at least four, possibly as many as ten, direct hits on Kaga, setting afire her fueled and loaded strike group, which was getting ready to launch in a matter of moments to hit the US carriers. The remaining three SBD's from Enterprise's VB-6 struck Akagi, hitting her twice, and, like on Kaga, inducing multiple explosions amongst her fueled and armed air group. A similar fate fell on Soryu, with Yorktown's VB-3 hitting her three times. In all, three of the four Japanese fleet carriers at Midway were out of commission in a short five minute span, all to sink either later that evening or the next morning. McClusky's brave decision to continue to search beyond the point of a safe return was one of the most important decisions of the battle, perhaps the war. As it was, the fourth Japanese carrier, Hiryu, launched two air strikes that would disable Yorktown before she, too, was destroyed by SBD's from Enterprise and Yorktown late in the afternoon of June 4. Had McClusky not found the Japanese carriers, it is easy to imagine the destruction wrought on Yorktown being repeated on Enterprise and Hornet.

On pull out, a Zero on CAP slashed at McClusky's plane. Hit in the left shoulder, McClusky jinked his plane while Chochalousek fired back. In addition to shooting down the attacking Zero, Chochalousek also holed the tail of HIS OWN SBD! Thinking in error that the tail fin was narrower than the width of his twin .30 caliber machine guns, Chochalousek fired at the Zero when it was directly behind the SBD. In the process, he accounted for many of the 55 bullet holes in the plane!

Continuing his pullout towards Midway, McClusky began to assemble his planes and head for home. Upon reaching Point Option, McClusky found empty seas instead of Task Force 16. Breaking radio silence, McClusky got the position of Enterprise and headed for her. Initially he entered the landing pattern for Yorktown, before heading for Enterprise. Ignoring a wave-off, McClusky touched down at 1150, with only a few gallons of gas to spare. After reporting to RADM Raymond Spruance, McClusky was hurried off to sick bay for treatment of his wounds, which would ground him for the rest of the action. For his courage and leadership, C. Wade McClusky was awarded the Navy Cross.

In addition to using the Accurate Miniatures Kit, Ken installed a KMC R-1820 engine, the twin .30 from an Accurate Miniatures SBD-5, and many other scratch built and separate accessories on his award winning model.

In addition to the above account, the following was written by RADM C. Wade McClusky in 1964.

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