[ARC5] YE-ZB at Midway

[Hubert Miller]

I don't at all believe this incident reinforces any point about hand signaling, unless you're talking about Japanese fighter planes.
This sounds to me more like an equipment breakdown.
-Hue Miller

>I happen to have a book entitled "The Wildcat in WWII", by Barrett Tillman. It discussed the problem as being predominantly attributed to "inadequate training" in the use of the YE-ZB homing system. The squadron CO couldn't pick up the signal, so an Ensign John McInerney "throttled to the front, tapping his earphones and patting his head in the "I have the lead" signal." It states he had the signal from the Hornet, and tried to show the way, but it was too late. One by one, they ran out of fuel. Two of the ten VF-8 pilots perished, including one who crashed attempting a downwind landing.

Reinforces that at that point in the war, most plane to plane communication was through hand signals.

Does this explanation match that of "From the Flight Deck"?
Dave Rossetti
410-279-0226 mobile

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