The Dive Bomber They Thought Was a Joke — Until It Sank Their Entire Fleet

Ad:🔒Remove your personal information from the web at https://joindeleteme.com/DARKSKIES and use code DARKSKIES for 20% off 🙌 DeleteMe international Plans: https://international.joindeleteme.com June 4, 1942. It’s the height of the Pacific War, and Admiral Chuichi Nagumo stands on Akagi’s bridge. Below him stretches the pride of Japan’s navy, four aircraft carriers that struck Pearl Harbor just months earlier, now slicing through open water toward Midway Atoll. The plan is simple: crush the island’s defenses, then lure out and destroy what’s left of America’s carriers. So far, everything is going according to plan. For over two hours, wave after wave of American aircraft hurl themselves at the fleet. Brave, but hopeless against the enemy fighters. Back on Akagi’s flight deck, ground crews scramble to arm the next strike. Victory feels close. Above, Zero fighters twist through the clouds, shredding every formation of American torpedo planes. On Akagi’s deck, crews rush to load the next strike. Just as the last torpedo bombers limp away over the waves, high above the formation, breaking out of the blinding sun, dozens of aircraft with screaming engines fall from the sky in near-vertical dives. The Japanese carriers are wide open. Their decks are packed with fueled and armed planes. Zeros scramble for altitude after chasing the torpedo planes to sea level; they’re too late. American dive bombers lock on to their targets, and at fifteen hundred feet, the bay doors finally swing open. The “Slow But Deadlys” have arrived. --- Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between. As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.