Max Leslie


Maxwell Franklin Leslie was a naval aviator in the United States Navy during World War II. He is credited with playing a major part in the Battle of Midway.

Early life

Born in Seattle, Washington, on 24 October 1902, Leslie attended the University of Washington before entering the United States Naval Academy in 1922, graduating in 1926, the same class as Wade McClusky.

Naval career

Leslie was commissioned ensign in 1926, and received flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola in 1929. He qualified as a naval aviator in 1930. When the United State entered World War II, he was executive officer of Bombing Squadron 3 aboard. He flew with his squadron off, while escorting on the Doolittle Raid.

Battle of Midway

Leslie was in command of VB-3, operating off during Midway. Following the Japanese destroyer that had been counterattacking, Leslie and Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky, from Enterprise, managed to arrive above the Japanese task force at the precise moment its combat air patrol had been drawn down to the deck to repel Yorktowns torpedo bombers, and at the moment of the First Air Fleet's maximum vulnerability. With the Japanese Zeros too low to be effective, the SBD Dauntlesses of McClusky's squadron of 20 dive bombers and Max Leslie's squadron of 17 dive bombers poured down through the miraculously open sky to unload their bombs on the Japanese carriers, their hangar decks cluttered with confused ranks of recovered and warming up aircraft, snaking fuel hoses, and stacks of munitions from the various rearmament operations. Leslie himself did not have a bomb as it was accidentally released via a faulty electrical arming switch. Nevertheless, he also dived with the rest of the SBDs, strafing carrier decks.
In just five minutes, Enterprises Scouting Squadron Six and Bombing Squadron Six destroyed two Japanese fleet carriers. was abandoned at 1700 and sank at 1925. was abandoned just after Kaga went down, and was scuttled before dawn June 5. Attacking nearly simultaneously with McClusky's SBDs,Yorktown's VB-3, led by Leslie, inflicted heavy damage on, and she also sank that evening. Leslie and his wingman Lt P.A. Holmberg returned to Yorktown, but as Yorktown was under attack by Japanese planes and their fuel was exhausted, they ditched near the cruiser. Leslie, Holmberg, and their gunners were rescued by one of the cruiser's whaleboats.
A single carrier,, which was ten miles to the north of the other three carriers, escaped damage the morning of June 4, but was sunk on June 5. For heroism at the battle, Leslie was awarded the Navy Cross.
Leslie continued to serve overseas during World War II:
fromtorankpositionship/station
May 1940December 1941LT/LCDRXO Bombing Squadron 3NAS North Island
December 1941February 1942LCDRXO Bombing Squadron 3
February 1942April 1942LCDRCO Bombing Squadron 3NAS Kaneohe Bay
April 1942June 1942LCDRCO Bombing Squadron 3
June 1942November 1942CDRCommander, Enterprise Air Group
November 1942January 1943CDRstaffNAS Jacksonville
January 1943March 1943CDRCONAS Daytona Beach
March 1943November 1943CDRCONaval Air Gunnery School, Hollywood, Florida
November 1943April 1944CDRstudentArmy and Navy Staff College
April 1944June 1944CDRinstructorCommand and General Staff College
June 1944August 1944CAPTOperations OfficerComAirForWestCarolines
August 1944December 1944CAPTOperations Officer, 2nd MAWNaval Operating Base Espiritu Santo
December 1944August 1945CAPTOIC Air Support ControlComPhibForPac
August 1945September 1945CAPTCO Air Support Control 8ComPhibForPac

Later career and awards

Leslie spent the rest of his career after the war in various ships and shore stations and retired in 1956. In addition to the Navy Cross, he was presented the Bronze Star Medal with combat "V" and the Navy Commendation Ribbon, the Presidential Unit Citation to Enterprise, American Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clasp, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
Leslie died in San Diego, California, on 26 September 1985.

In popular culture

Leslie was depicted by Monte Markham in the 1976 film Midway.