This painting depicts Lcdr. Dick Best, in his SBD (off the USS Enterprise) getting the first and fatal hit on the Japanese carrier Akagi in the morning of 4 June 1942.  The US Navy destroyed four enemy carriers that day,  primarily with Douglas SBD dive bombers, and also shot down a multitude of the enemy's best trained pilots.  As a result, the American victory at Midway changed the course of the war in favor of the Allies. This is one of a series of paintings by R.G. that depicts the "Battle of Midway".  As is the case with this painting, they depict scenes that are based on actual interviews with pilots that directly involved in this historic battle. This series of paintings accurately captures the ferocity of the battle and the heroic actions of our naval pilots that was never recorded on film.

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