Destined for Glory: Dive Bombing, Midway, and the Evolution of Carrier Airpower

The first book to thoroughly document the development of carrier air power in the United States Navy during the interwar years On 4 June 1942, three squadrons of U.S. Navy Dauntless dive bombers destroyed Japan’s carrier force sent to neutralise Midway, changing the course of the war in the Pacific. As Thomas Wildenberg convincingly demonstrates in this book, the key ingredient to the navy’s success at Midway was the planning and training devoted to the tactic of dive bombing over the previous seventeen years. Examining how political, economic, technical, and operational factors influenced the development of carrier airpower between 1925 and 1942, he shows why dive bombing became the navy’s weapon of choice over all other methods of aerial warfare and finally brought to bear to stop the Japanese advance. The title reflects the essence of the story; the development of carrier air power in the U.S. Navy was driven by an unwritten understanding that the years spent on experimentation, training, and innovations were destined to bring success in a future battle. As part of this work, the author introduces newly discovered information showing that the outcome at Midway was actually predicted by naval aviators years before the battle took place. Destined for Glory sheds new light on the navy’s preparations for war, demonstrating beyond a shadow of a doubt the effectiveness of U.S. naval planning before Pearl Harbor.