On 4 June 1942, B-26s 40-1391 and 40-1424 departed Midway to attack a Japanese task force reported 180 miles from Midway on a bearing of 380 degrees. This flight was accompanied by two B-26 airplanes of the 38th Bombardment Group. B-26 40-1424 and one ship from the 38th Group were not observed after the formation split to make individual torpedo runs on the aircraft carriers, of which there are believe to have been four. Lt. Muri, pilot of 40-1391 flew directly over his carrier and ran through the fleet, then made a wide sweeping turn to the left heading toward Sand Island, Midway. Captain Collins, pilot of one of the ships from the 38th Bombardment Group and leader of the flight, made his run on the same carrier. Lt. Muri tried to join the formation on the other side of the carrier but Capt. Collins' ship was climbing fast into the cloud cover at 1900 feet. Too many Zeros came at Lt. Muri, so he dove to ten feet above the water and stayed there.

    On landing at Sand Island, Midway, the left tire was flat, hydraulic pressure was zero, ship rolled to a stop and was left where it stopped. Capt. Collins' ship was hit by a 20 mm cannon shell in the wheel well so when he came in to land, the nose wheel would not extend. He then landed with main wheels down and nose wheel sagging about one quarter down. All crew members but the pilot were in the tail and the ship could have been stopped with the nose wheel in the air except that the runway was not long enough, so the nose had to be dropped to keep the ship from rolling on out to the sea. Brake pressure was zero. B-26 1391 had over 500 bullet holes.

    It is believed that the other ships from the 408th Squadron and 38th Bomb Group were shot down by A/A or Navy Zeros or combination of both as they have been unheard from since.

    All men who returned to Midway from this flight were awarded as indicated. The crews were:

• Pilot Lt. James P. Muri*
• Co-pilot Lt. Pren L. Moore*
• Navigator Lt. William W. Moore*
• Bombardier Lt. Russell Johnson*
• Gunners S/Sgt. John J. Gogoj**
• Cpl. Frank L. Melo Jr**
• Pfc. Earl D. Ashley**

• Pilot Lt. Herbert C. Mayes*
• Co-pilot Lt. Garrett M. McAllister*
• Navigator Lr. (illegible)*
• Bombardier Lt. Gerald J. Barnicle*
• Gunners S/Sgt. Salvadore Battaglio*
• Pvt. Benjamin F. Huffsticker*
• Pvt. Roy W. Walters*.

From History of the 22nd Bomb Group (H) dated 21 December 1943 (declassified). For a more detailed and exciting version of the B-26s in the Battle of Midway, see Chapter 18, "The Other Midway" in THE RAGGED RUGGED WARRIORS by Martin Caiden (1966).