Last Mission of the Devastators
By John Greaves

This image depicts the last combat mission of the Douglas TBD-1 Devastator, June 6, 1942. LT Robert E. Laub (pilot) and William Colquitt Humphrey, Jr., ARM1c (gunner) in T-4 (BuNo 0350) led ENS Jamie S. Morris and David R. Butler, ARM2c in T-3 (BuNo 0279) and MACH Harry A. Mueller and Ronald W. Graetz, ARM3c in T-5 (BuNo 0368), all survivors of Torpedo 6 from Enterprise, on a mission to attack the retreating Japanese heavy cruisers Mogami and Mikuma. Laub was told by RADM Raymond Spruance that if they encountered any resistance whatsoever that they were not to press an attack and bring the "pickles" back home. The image shows the flight trying to make an approach against the Japanese force, but receiving some close anti-aircraft fire, which led them after a few tries to return to Enterprise without dropping their torpedoes. SBDs are in the background diving on the already damaged cruisers and their escorts.

The original work was presented to Ronald Graetz, the gunner of T-5 on June 6, 1942, by John Greaves.

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