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| USMC VMSB-241  Ford June 4, 1942 |
Pilot Captain Richard E. Fleming (MIA / KIA) Saint Paul, MN Gunner PFC George A. Toms, 315281 (MIA / KIA) Philadelphia, PA MIA June 5, 1942 Aircraft History Built by Vought. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as SB2U-2 Vindicator bureau number 2088. Wartime History Assigned to Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 241 (VMSB-241). Squadron number 2 on the fuselage in white. On June 4, 1942 at the start of the Battle of Midway took off from Midway Airfield piloted by 2nd Lt. George T. Lumpkin with gunner Toms armed with a bomb on a mission to dive bomb Japanese aircraft carriers off Midway Atoll. From the ground, their take off was filmed in color by director John Ford and the footage later appeared in The Battle of Midway (1942). The formation was led by Major Benjamin W. Norris and proceeded to where the Japanese aircraft carriers and arrived after the SBD Dauntless dive bombers. Arriving over the opposite end of the Japanese fleet, the Vindicators made shallow glide bombing attacks against Battleship Haruna and claim several near misses but fail to cause any damage. Returning, Vindicators were intercepted by Zeros with one shot down. Separated, this Vindicator spotted an SBD Dauntless and followed it back to Midway Atoll and landed safely at Midway Airfield. Mission History On June 5, 1942 at 6:30am took off from Midway Airfield piloted by Captain Richard E. Fleming with gunner PFC George A. Toms on a mission to bomb "two enemy battleships [sic cruisers] (one crippled) bearing 268° , 170 miles". The formation included six SBDs led by Captain Marshall A. Tyler and six SB2Us led by Captain Richard E. Fleming that quickly spotted a large oil slick and followed to it to the warships. The SBDs made dive bombing attacks from 10,000' targeting Mogami and scored six near misses. The SB2Us glide bombing attacks from 4,000' targeting Mikuma. This plane is hit by anti-aircraft fire and caught fire, dropped his bomb and crashed into the sea. When this plane fails to return, it was listed as Missing In Action (MIA). For his actions, Fleming earned the Medal of Honor, posthumously. Afterwards, a photograph of damaged Mikuma taken in the afternoon of June 6, 192 after the cruiser was bombed by SBDs shows wreckage atop the no. 4 turret that was claimed to be the wreckage of Fleming's SB2U crashed upside down. This is incorrect and is in fact, wreckage from the cruiser's mainmast. Memorials Both crew were officially declared dead a year and a day later on June 6, 1943. Both are memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing. Fleming and Toms on court 4. Fleming earned the Medal of Honor, posthumously and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at section F-1 Site 111. Toms earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. References Some sources list Fleming as lost piloting SB2U-2 2053 Navy Serial Number Search Results - Vought SB2U-2 2088 The Battle of Midway (1942) directed by John Ford includes footage of this SB2U taking off on June 4, 1942 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Richard E. Fleming FindAGrave - Capt Richard Eugene Fleming (photos, courts of the missing photos) FindAGrave - Richard Eugene Fleming (photo, memorial marker photos) Missing Marines - Richard Eugene Fleming American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - George A. Toms FindAGrave - PFC George Albert Toms (photo, courts of the missing photo) Missing Marines - George Albert Toms History of Marine Corps in World War II (1952) pages 48 (photo 35), 58-62 (June 4-5, 1942 map), 465 (VMSB-241 squadron summary) Marines At Midway (1948) pages 19, Strikes by Marine Air Group 22 (map), 40 (photo) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated January 15, 2024 |
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