Editing VT-8 (section)

==Midway==
VT-8's first and best-known combat mission came during the [[Battle of Midway]] on 4 June 1942. Flying obsolete [[Douglas TBD Devastator]]s, all of Lieutenant Commander [[John C. Waldron]]'s fifteen planes were shot down during their unescorted torpedo attack on [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] aircraft carriers. The squadron failed to damage any Japanese carriers or destroy enemy aircraft.

Only one member of VT-8 who flew from ''Hornet'' on that day survived in the action, Ensign [[George H. Gay Jr.|George Gay]]. Gay was rescued the day following the battle. VT-8 was afterwards awarded the American [[Presidential Unit Citation (US)|Presidential Unit Citation]].

Just prior to the Battle of Midway, the reconstituted VT-8 was the first squadron equipped with the new [[Grumman TBF Avenger|Grumman TBF-1 Avenger]], a bigger, faster, longer-ranged replacement for the TBD. When ''Hornet'' sailed to the Pacific, a detachment of the squadron under the command of Lieutenant Harold "Swede" Larsen remained in [[Norfolk, Virginia]] to receive the first shipment of the new aircraft. Larsen's detachment arrived at [[Pearl Harbor]] the day after ''Hornet'' sailed for [[Midway Island]]. Six of the squadron's Avengers were flown to Midway under the command of Lieutenant [[Langdon K. Fieberling]] to participate in the battle. These planes were the first Navy aircraft to attack the Japanese fleet that day. They attacked without [[Fighter aircraft|fighter]] cover, and five of the Avengers were shot down, with only Ensign Albert K. Earnest and Radioman 2nd Class Harry Ferrier surviving, on a badly shot-up plane with damaged controls and landing gear, and a dead rear-gunner.

VT-8's losses have been attributed to several causes. ''Hornet''{{'}}s [[Carrier air wing#Organization|CAG]], Commander Stanhope C. Ring, kept the group's fighter escort at high altitude in order to cover the [[dive bomber]]s and to give the [[Grumman Wildcat|Wildcats]] an altitude advantage. This decision was supported by Admiral [[Marc Mitscher]], then commanding officer of '' Hornet''.<ref name="Mrazek">Mrazek, R, ''A Dawn Like Thunder''</ref> The Wildcats' deployment was ultimately of no consequence, however, as Ring led the group on an incorrect heading, so the dive bombers never made contact with the Japanese fleet. Commander Waldron made repeated attempts to take over the formation by radio before leading VT-8 off on his own.<ref name="Mrazek"/> Waldron's initiative coupled with Ring's faulty tactics led to VT-8 attacking the Japanese force without fighter or dive bomber support. It is important to note, however, that all of the carrier-based torpedo squadrons suffered heavily in the battle, including [[VA-35 (U.S. Navy)|VT-3]], which attacked with fighter escort.{{Citation needed|date=February 2019}}

Larsen's detachment of VT-8 that remained at Pearl Harbor was loaded aboard {{USS|Saratoga|CV-3|6}} when she was sent to reinforce the forces at Midway. They were later transferred to ''Hornet'' where they learned of the loss of their comrades. VT-8 was reconstituted with this detachment as nucleus and was reassigned to ''Saratoga''.