The Story of the WWII Pilot Who Destroyed Two Aircraft Carriers

Among the WWII heroes was a pilot named Richard Halsey Best. His story stands out because, in June 1942, in the vast waters of the Pacific Ocean, he did something no one had done before or since. Richard Best played a key role in a critical battle, managing to sink not just one but two enemy aircraft carriers in a single day. This achievement was unheard of then and remains unparalleled in military history.

The Rise of a WWII Aviation Hero

Born in New Jersey in 1910, Best graduated with honors from the Naval Academy in 1932. He was a man who understood the seas and the skies. After college, he spent two years on the USS Richmond, a light cruiser, before transferring to various roles within the U.S. Navy that enhanced his flying skills. As the world’s political climate heated up, Best realized that his talents would be most valuable as a dive bomber pilot. Once he made this switch, his career, and soon his legend, would take off in ways he never imagined.

By 1940, Best was assigned to the USS Enterprise, one of the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carriers. He quickly rose through the ranks to become a squadron commander. Then, on December 7, 1941, the day the war reached America’s shores with the attack on Pearl Harbor, Best found himself preparing for a conflict he had sensed was coming. Over the next several months, he flew several missions, but his most significant moment was yet to come.

The Battle of Midway in June 1942 was a turning point in the war in the Pacific. The U.S. fleet, including Best and his dive bomber squadron on the USS Enterprise, was tasked with stopping the advancing Japanese Navy, which was planning to capture Midway Island. On the morning of June 4, 1942, after a patrol plane spotted the enemy fleet, Best and other pilots took to the skies in their SBD Dauntless dive bombers.

A Day of Valor: Best’s Decisive Strikes at Midway

Amidst confusion and fierce enemy resistance, Best showed remarkable skill and bravery. He led his squadron in an attack on two of the Japanese fleet’s aircraft carriers, the Kaga and the Akagi. Despite the chaos of battle and the risk of running out of fuel, Best and his fellow pilots pressed their attack. Best’s bomb hit the Akagi directly, setting off a series of explosions that doomed the ship. Later that same day, he attacked and significantly damaged a third carrier, the Hiryu, contributing to its sinking as well.

Remarkably, Best achieved all of this in just one day of fighting, a feat that significantly shifted the balance of power in the Pacific in favor of the United States. However, this incredible success came at a personal cost. After his missions, Best suffered from the effects of inhaling toxic gases from a faulty oxygen system in his plane, combined with previously contracted tuberculosis. This severely affected his health, ending his flying career.

Best would spend the remaining war years in hospitals, battling his health issues, before being medically retired from the Navy. After the war, he lived quietly in Santa Monica, California, working for the Douglas Aircraft Corporation. He passed away in 2001 at the age of 91, leaving behind a legacy of courage, skill, and determination.