Екінші дүниежүзілік соғыстағы 8-ші торпедалық эскадрильяның тарихы

Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT 8) was a United States Navy squadron of World War II torpedo bombers. VT 8 was assigned initially to the air group of the aircraft carrier Hornet, joining the ship shortly after her commissioning in October 1941. After heavy losses in the Battle of Midway, VT 8 was assigned to Saratoga. When Saratoga was disabled on 31 August, VT 8 was transferred to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, operating there until November 1942. Due to heavy cumulative losses on Guadalcanal, VT 8 was then withdrawn and disbanded. A second VT 8 was established in 1943, and served on Bunker Hill until the end of the war.

VT 8's first and best known combat mission came during the Battle of Midway on 4 June 1942. Flying obsolete Douglas TBD Devastators, 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 Gay. Gay was rescued the day following the battle. VT 8 was afterwards awarded the American Presidential Unit Citation. Just prior to the Battle of Midway, the reconstituted VT 8 was the first squadron equipped with the new 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 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. Hornets CAG, Commander Stanhope C. Ring, kept the group's fighter escort at high altitude in order to cover the dive bombers and to give the Wildcats an altitude advantage. This decision was supported by Admiral Marc Mitscher, then commanding officer of Hornet. 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. Here, VT 8 was assigned to Bunker Hill, in March 1944. VT 8 attacked Palau, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai on 30 March and 1 April 1944. Truk, Satawan, Ponape, and Hollandia on New Guinea were attacked a month later. CVG 8 then took part in the Marianas Campaign between 12 June and 10 August 1944. VT 8 flew sorties in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The Western Carolines were attacked in September, Okinawa, Luzon, and Formosa were attacked in October and November 1944. For this deployment on Bunker Hill, CVG 8 was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation. In June 1945, VT 8 trained with USS Saratoga, but they did not deploy. CVG 8 (including VT 8) was disestablished after the end of the war.

Torpedo Eight earned two Presidential Unit Citations: one for Midway and one for Guadalcanal. Its members also earned more than fifty medals for valor in combat.