IT WAS JUST after 10 a.m., June 4, 1942, and Air Group Commander C. Wade McClusky Jr. had a tough decision on his hands. The group of dive-bombers he was leading was searching for a large Japanese carrier group known to be nearby. The formation was low on fuel and they still had no idea where the enemy might be.
Then the clouds over the Pacific momentarily parted, and McClusky spotted the wake of an enemy destroyer racing away at high speed. It was the Arashi. The Air Group Commander presumed the vessel was headed back to the Japanese fleet. Despite his perilous fuel situation, McClusky decided to give chase. It may well have been the most important decision of the entire Pacific War.
