 Three U.S. airmen , Ensign Wesley Osmus , a pilot from Yorktown , Ensign Frank O 'Flaherty , a pilot from Enterprise and Aviation Machinist 's Mate B. F. ( or B. P. ) Bruno Gaido , the radioman @-@ gunner of O 'Flaherty 's SBD , were captured by the Japanese during the battle . Osmus was held on Arashi ; O 'Flaherty and Gaido on the cruiser Nagara ( or destroyer Makigumo , sources vary ) ; all three were interrogated , and then killed by being tied to water @-@ filled kerosene cans and thrown overboard to drown . The report filed by Nagumo tersely states of Ensign Osmus , " He died on 6 June and was buried at sea " ; O 'Flaherty and Gaido 's fates were not mentioned in Nagumo 's report . The execution of Ensign Wesley Osmus in this manner was apparently ordered by Arashi 's captain , Watanabe Yasumasa . Had Watanabe survived the war ( he died in December 1943 ) , he would have likely been tried as a war criminal . 
