VF-3 F4F-4s, Midway Escort Mission

[hawkeye2an]

A bit late to the party, only found the thread when searching for info on one of my hometown's heroes Milton Tootle IV. Newspapers at the time claimed he shot down a torpedo plane and saved his ship. Of course his ship was the Yorktown so? He did get the Navy Cross. Not sure how much research the artist did into the number. He says he never met the pilot and the painting was a surprise to Tootle, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[R Leonard]

For the record, Milt Tootle, whom I knew, was assigned F4F-4 bn 5080 #18. During the Battle of Midway, however, he flew bn 5152 #7; he was shot down by friendly AA fire and later recovered in the vicinity of the task force. ENS George Hopper was flying #18 when he was shot down, probably friendly AA fire, and killed; his assigned plane was #16 bn 5143 which Tom Cheek flew in the morning strike escort and suffered a barrier crash upon return. Tootle was, indeed, credited with downing a Japanese torpedo plane.

Only Thach in # 1 bn 5171, Leonard in #13 bn 5244, Barnes DC in #17 bn 5142, and Bass in #22 bn 5050 flew the planes to which they were actually assigned.

Tootle, who was TAD in Lexington's VF-2 at Coral Sea - he was detailed to VF-42, but never made the connection until arrival at Pearl Harbor after that action - went on to serve in VF-72, NATC, VF-10, and VBF-10 as well as the ComAirLant staff before the war ended.

 

[hawkeye2an]

For the record, Milt Tootle, whom I knew, was assigned F4F-4 bn 5080 #18. During the Battle of Midway, however, he flew bn 5152 #7; he was shot down by friendly AA fire and later recovered in the vicinity of the task force. ENS George Hopper was flying #18 when he was shot down, probably friendly AA fire, and killed; his assigned plane was #16 bn 5143 which Tom Cheek flew in the morning strike escort and suffered a barrier crash upon return. Tootle was, indeed, credited with downing a Japanese torpedo plane.

Only Thach in # 1 bn 5171, Leonard in #13 bn 5244, Barnes DC in #17 bn 5142, and Bass in #22 bn 5050 flew the planes to which they were actually assigned.

Tootle, who was TAD in Lexington's VF-2 at Coral Sea - he was detailed to VF-42, but never made the connection until arrival at Pearl Harbor after that action - went on to serve in VF-72, NATC, VF-10, and VBF-10 as well as the ComAirLant staff before the war ended.

Thank you so much for the info on his service before and after Midway. I will add it to my Tootle file.