The Pilot Who Went from Pearl Harbor to Hunting Japanese Submarines

On the morning of December 7, 1941, Lieutenant Clarence Dickinson and his wingman, John McCarthy, launched from the deck of the USS Enterprise in their Dauntless dive bombers. Unaware of the unfolding disaster at Pearl Harbor, they flew straight into the maelstrom of the surprise Japanese attack.

Through smoke, fire, and confusion, the two pilots engaged enemy aircraft, only to be overwhelmed and shot down. McCarthy was lost in the chaos, a blow that seared into Dickinson. Fueled by grief and fury, he wasted no time in turning his sights on the nearest prize, a Japanese submarine, and dove in for the attack.

On December 7, 1941, in the Pacific, Lt. Clarence Dickinson and his wingman, John McCarthy, are ordered to take off from the USS Enterprise and fly their SBD Dauntless dive bombers to Pearl Harbor. As the Dauntless heads to base, hundreds of fighters and bombers from the Imperial Japanese Navy are in the middle of a devastating surprise attack.

Torpedoes pummel battleships as bombs rain on local squadrons before they could even take off. Unbeknownst to the two Dauntlesses, they are flying straight into it.

A dogfight with Zeroes ensues, with the Zeroes opening fire with their 20mm cannons right into Dickenson’s aircraft. It missed him, but with McCarthy below, the Japanese gunfire slams into him instead.

Dickenson catches sight of McCarthy’s aircraft. He’s pouring oil, and then it bursts into flame. He’s relieved to see a parachute bloom, but also horrified to see only one. More Zeroes appear, closing in fast. Dickenson breaks into evasive maneuvers as the Japanese pilots open fire. They manage to take down one Zero.

Then, he hears a blood-curdling scream as the aircraft stops responding to his stick. The aircraft drifts into an uncontrollable spin. He shouts to Miller one last time in a fleeting hope that he’s still alive. With his belts unfastened and his time rapidly running out, he grips the radio cable with both hands and snaps it in two.

Then, he jumps and parachutes to the ground below. He realizes with dread that Miller didn’t make it, and his reassurance to keep him safe was a false promise.

Dickenson manages to get himself to the airbase at Ford Island, where he immediately reports for duty. He didn’t say he was shot down, so the commanding officer orders him to jump Dauntless and scan the ocean for the Japanese fleet. He gladly agrees with vengeance, burning for his lost friend. However, the Japanese planes slip away, leaving just submarines to patrol for American aircraft carriers. Dickenson makes his way back onboard the USS Enterprise and sends aircraft on round-the-clock patrols.

Dickenson is one of the most active scouring the waters around Hawaii with bombs, eager for revenge. Three days after the attack, the Japanese showed up once again. Another Enterprise pilot sees the clear shape of a Japanese submarine on the water’s surface.

The crew of the I-70 submarine scrambles for an emergency dive. On air, the pilot angles down on the attack run while arming his singular 1,000-pound bomb. The divebomber picks up speed as it races down. He then lets the bomb fly and explodes against the submarine’s flank. The Japanese sailors hear a massive explosion. The tanks are damaged, so before they could dive safely, they needed to make repairs.

On deck, another flight of Dauntless airplanes is prepared, among them is Dickenson. They take off. Up above, Dickinson sees a submarine silhouette floating on the waves. He then throws the Dauntless into a dive, and below the Japanese turn their guns to meet his charge. A column of tracers shoots up from the target, headed for the Dauntless.

Bullets zip past the plane’s canopy, narrowly missing the two men, as they plunge headfirst into enemy fire. They manage to score several hits on the target, but the strength of the Dauntless and the pilot’s determination are not to be swayed.

Dickenson releases the bomb. The gunners are instantly blown off the deck, and the ship loses all power. Oil starts to pool on the surface. For a second, it seemed the sub had been damaged, but it survived. It submerges into the waves, disappearing from view. Then, suddenly, a massive ball of bubbles gushes out of the sea- the submarine sank. The I-70 was the first large Japanese ship sunk in the war, and Dickenson has avenged his friend.