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Theodore R Wiebe Signed Naval Art
Theodore R Wiebe
Ted Wiebe joined the USN in 193 8, and was sent to San Diego for training. He served as a crewman on the USS Lexington, and in 1940 he applied for and was accepted for Bombsight and Stabilized Bombing Approach Equipment School. Following graduation he was assigned to Torpedo Squadron Two onboard the Lady Lex. The Lex, along with the Yorktown and Enterprise were based at Pearl Harbor. Fortunately the three American carriers were not in port on December 7 . Wiebe remembers the attack on the Shoho on May 7, 1942. They made their first run on the Shoho from the port side, but their torpedo wasn't released. They came around and made a run on the starboard side of the Japanese carrier. They were right down on the water and closing fast, as the Zeros in the area were preoccupied with S13Ds. They released their torpedo at about 250 yards and executed a climbing right turn over the bow of the Shoho. Later in the War Wiebe served onboard the USS Saratoga under command of the British Eastern Fleet. Wiebe retired from the Navy following the War, and worked for General Dynamics on the Atlas Missile project. He left General Dynamics in 1963 and joined Bank of America. Following a period of running his own business, Ted went to work in the restaurant and bar supply industry from which he retired in 1982. He has been married for 55 years, and currently does volunteer work with the Chula Vista, CA Police Dept. Nelson's awards include the DFC, the Air Medal, and the Presidential Unit Citation.
| Theodore R Wiebe - Signed Naval Art Naval Crew Signatures |
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Scratch One Flat Top by Stan Stokes. The Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo-bomber was the first low-wing, all metal monoplane to see service with the US Navy. Delivered in 1937 about 100 TBDs were in service when the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into WW II. Powered by a 811-HP Pratt and Whitney radial engine, the TBD had a maximum speed of about 200 MPH and a range of about 700 miles. Unfortunately, given the design of the torpedoes used, attacks had to be made at a maximum speed of only about 110 MPH, and at an altitude of no more than 100 feet. This made the Devastator a sitting duck for both enemy fighters or anti-aircraft gunners. The highlight of the TBDs brief battle career in WW II came during the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942. This battle, the first ever waged solely between the aircraft of opposing carrier attack groups, involved air groups from the USS Yorktown and USS Lexington. Three Japanese carriers, the Shokaku, the Zuikaku, and the Shoho were involved. On May 7 the Lexington launched fifty aircraft and the Yorktown another 43. Two squadrons of TBDs were involved in the attack. This massed force located the Shoho around 11:00 AM. SBD Dauntless dive bombers initiated the attack, and were successful at fending off fighter attacks by Zeros during their near vertical dives. The large force of SBDs put several 1000-pounders into the Shoho. Minutes later the Devastators from the Lexington attacked, gaining advantage from the smoke and confusion created by the dive bombers. Coming in low and slow the Devastators put six or seven torpedoes into the Shoho. In Stan Stokes painting the TBD flown by Lt. R. F. Farrington, T.R. Wiebe, and Walter N. Nelson of VT-2 from the USS Lexington is depicted. Several more hits by the Dauntlesses sealed the fate of the Shoho which slipped under the waves while still making a headway of about 20 knots. Witnessing the Shohos final moments, Lt. Cdr. Bob Dixon reported by radio at 11:36 AM the following message, Scratch One Flat Top! Dixon to carrier. Scratch one Flat Top! This was the first loss of a significant ship by the Imperial Navy. It also foretold of an end of the era of surface war ships slugging it out in a gunnery duel within sight of each other. The era of the carrier battle group had begun, with destruction delivered to a distant enemy by carrier based aircraft. Weeks following the Battle of the Coral Sea, at the Battle of Midway, the United States Navy would destroy almost 50% of Japans carriers in a momentous battle. The Navys TBDs would be virtually wiped-out at Midway, and would be replaced in front-line service by TBF Avengers and SB2C Helldivers for the balance of the War. |
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