DOUG HODGES - BATTLE OF MIDWAY
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Doug Hodges was the speaker at the March 3 meeting of Emmaus Rotary Club. His topic was the Battle of Midway – turning point of World War II in the Pacific.
Doug is a former Navy aviator and is currently a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in Lancaster. He has a keen interest in military history – particularly naval history which was evident from all of the information he shared with us.
Doug described the long odds that US forces faced in the Pacific after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and subsequent losses in Guam and Corregidor. The Japanese had far more ships than the US. And, in addition to superior numbers in airplanes, the Japanese planes were faster and more maneuverable than US planes giving the enemy a
decided edge in aerial combat.
Doug described the very secure method used by the Japanese to send coded messages. Without the aid of computers, the US military managed to break the Japanese code on ten to fifteen percent of all messages. With this limited information, the intelligence officer successfully predicted the time, direction and distance from which the Japanese would attack Midway Island within five minutes, five radials and five miles. With this intelligence advantage and unparalleled bravery by American sailors, pilots and marines, the outgunned US forces handed the Japanese a pivotal defeat in the battle for the Pacific.