Norman Kleiss, the only diver bomber pilot to hit three Japanese ships with bombs during the Battle of Midway
Norman Kleiss, the only diver bomber pilot to hit three Japanese ships with bombs during the Battle of Midway Norman J. "Dusty" Kleiss (7 March 1916 - 22 April 2016) was a dive bomber pilot in the US Navy during WWII, and the only pilot to hit three Japanese ships with bombs during the Battle of Midway. . Between 4 and 6 June 1942, Kleiss fought in the Battle of Midway. On the morning of 4 June, he accompanied Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers led by Enterprise's air group commander, Lieutenant Commander C. Wade McClusky. They were to find the Japanese carrier task force led by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. After several hours of searching, the group spotted a lone Japanese destroyer, Arashi, and changed direction to follow it. In a few minutes, the pilots caught sight of the main body of the Japanese fleet. At least four pilots from Kleiss's squadron and accompanying squadron "Bombing Six" scored direct hits. Dusty Kleiss was the second pilot to score a h...