Duringthespringof1942,theJapanesewarmachinewasbulldozingitswaythroughtheSouthPacific.Forawhile,theJapaneseseemedinvincible.ThecourseofthewarinthePacificturned,however,whentheUnitedStateswonasmashingdefensivevictoryovertheJapaneseattheBattleofMidwayIslandinJune1942.
TheAmericanvictoryowedalottoTorpedoSquadronEight.Flyingobsoleteandslowtorpedobombers,thesquadronwereliterallyannihilatedbytheJapaneseduringtheirunescortedattackonfourJapaneseaircraftcarriers.Ofthe32aircrew,onlyonemansurvived.Yettheirgallantsacrificewasnotinvain--thesquadrondrewtheJapaneseairpatroldowntolowlevel,allowingAmericandivebombersacompletelyunopposedattackonthefourJapanesecarriers,threeofwhichweresunkinmereminutes.
一九四二年春天，日本的戰爭機器在南太平洋所向披靡，一時似乎無可頡頏。但是，一九四二年六月，美軍在中途島防衞戰中大敗日本，太平洋戰情終告扭轉。
美軍這場勝利，魚雷轟炸機第八中隊功勞不少。他們沒有戰鬥機掩護，駕着落伍緩慢的魚雷轟炸機，轟炸四艘日本航空母艦，結果全遭擊落，三十二個機員，只有一人生還。但英勇的第八中隊並沒有白白犧牲──他們把日本空中巡邏隊引到低空，讓美國的俯衝轟炸機在毫無攔截之下攻擊那四艘日本航空母艦，不過幾分鐘，就炸沉了三艘。