LCDR John S. Thach wearing M-450 helmet, AN6530 goggles and inflatable life vest, 1942LCDR Thach with 7 kill markings (one out of frame) on his F4F (still from The Battle of Midway by John Ford)
In early 1940, Thach was placed in command of Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3). There he met a young ensign just out of flight school, Edward O'Hare, later a Medal of Honor recipient. Thach made O'Hare his wingman and taught him everything he knew. At the United States Navy fleet gunnery competition at the end of 1940, eight of the 16VF-3 pilots qualified for the gunnery "E"award ("excellence").
Later Thach developed a fighter combat tactic known as the Thach Weave.[1] This tactic enabled American fighter aircraft to hold their own against the more maneuverable Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the primary Imperial Japanese Navy fighter aircraft.
Lieutenant Commander Thach and VF-3 flew from USSSaratoga in the early part of World War II, and was assigned to USSYorktown during the Battle of Midway in June 1942.[3] On the morning of June 4, Thach led a six-plane sortie from VF-3, escorting twelve Douglas TBD Devastators of VT-3 led by Lieutenant Commander Lance Massey from Yorktown, when they discovered the main Japanese carrier fleet. They were immediately attacked by 15 to 20Japanese fighters. Thach decided to use his namesake maneuver, marking its first combat usage. Although outnumbered and outmaneuvered, Thach managed to shoot down three Zeros and a wingman accounted for another, at the cost of one Grumman F4F Wildcat.[4][5]
Thach (right) teaches new pilots.
After Midway, Thach was assigned to instruct other pilots in combat tactics. The United States Navy pulled its best combat pilots out of action to train newer pilots, while the Japanese kept their best pilots in combat. As the war progressed, the Japanese Navy lost their experienced pilots due to attrition and had no well-trained replacements, while the United States was able to improve the general fighting ability of their own personnel. When the Japanese resorted to the feared Kamikazesuicide attacks, Thach developed the "big blue blanket" system to provide an adequate defense.
In 1958 and 1959, Thach was placed in command of an antisubmarine development unit, "Task Group Alpha", with the aircraft carrier Valley Forge(CVS-45) serving as his flagship.[1] He subsequently appeared on the cover of Time magazine on September1, 1958, for his contributions to anti-submarine warfare (ASW),[7] which was a primary focus at the time in the ongoing Cold War. An annual award was later established in his name for presentation to the top ASW squadron in the navy.
Thach was promoted to vice admiral in 1960[6] and served as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air in the Pentagon,[8] where he presided over development of the A-7 Corsair II, among other naval aviation programs. As Commander in Chief, United States Naval Forces Europe, starting in 1965, he pinned on his fourth star as a full admiral, retiring from the Navy in May 1967 from that position.[9]
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