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Reading up on the U.S.'s Fast Carrier Task Force of World War II
Posted on 1/4/21 at 8:10 am
Posted on 1/4/21 at 8:10 am
I'm currently reading Ian W. Toll's final book in his Pacific War trilogy entitled Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-45. In the book he describes Task Force 58 (also known as the Fast Carrier Task Force) under the command of Vice-Admiral Marc Mitscher and later Vice-Admiral John S. McCain. This was the most powerful naval force to ever sail the high seas. Nothing like it had ever been seen before and will likely never be seen again.
The force traveled with 17 Essex-class and Independence-class aircraft carriers, six Iowa-class battleships, as well as 13 light and heavy cruisers, and 58 destroyers. The task force had the ability to put 1,100 aircraft into the air in less than 30 minutes. These aircraft were superior to anything the Japanese had, especially the F6F Grumman Hellcat - which could simultaneously be used as a fighter and a dive bomber.
It truly is a wonder the levels of industrialization and ingenuity the United States can reach when its backed into a corner.
The force traveled with 17 Essex-class and Independence-class aircraft carriers, six Iowa-class battleships, as well as 13 light and heavy cruisers, and 58 destroyers. The task force had the ability to put 1,100 aircraft into the air in less than 30 minutes. These aircraft were superior to anything the Japanese had, especially the F6F Grumman Hellcat - which could simultaneously be used as a fighter and a dive bomber.
It truly is a wonder the levels of industrialization and ingenuity the United States can reach when its backed into a corner.
13
Posted on 1/4/21 at 8:14 am to RollTide1987
quote:
It truly is a wonder the levels of industrialization and ingenuity the United States can reach when its backed into a corner.
And yet we can’t conduct a fraud-free election.
Posted on 1/4/21 at 8:24 am to OldHickory
quote:
And yet we can’t conduct a fraud-free election.
Well this is also by design, so it’s another example of ingenuity when backed into a corner.
Posted on 1/4/21 at 8:30 am to RollTide1987
That the Japanese thought they had any chance against the US is pure insanity. My favorite example is the Japanese zero. Most advanced fighter at the start of the asia pacific war. Know how they moved it from the factory to be shipped out? Oxen.
As grain began to be hard to come by in Japan because of the US sub campaign the oxen died and they had no way to move the planes they were producing.
So you have a country using oxen to move planes thinking it could take on the US. Pure insanity
As grain began to be hard to come by in Japan because of the US sub campaign the oxen died and they had no way to move the planes they were producing.
So you have a country using oxen to move planes thinking it could take on the US. Pure insanity
Posted on 1/4/21 at 8:30 am to RollTide1987
quote:
six Iowa-class battleship
6 Iowa were planned, but only 4 were built (NJ, MO, WI, Iowa)
LINK
also, not 17 Essex Class
Posted on 1/4/21 at 8:34 am to geauxtigers87
quote:\
That the Japanese thought they had any chance against the US is pure insanity.
Even Yamamoto knew this. he said "In the first six to twelve months of a war with the United States and Great Britain I will run wild and win victory upon victory. But then, if the war continues after that, I have no expectation of success"
he knew they couldn't match the production vs the US. his only hope was a quick and decisive victory the US pacific fleet to force truce.
Posted on 1/4/21 at 8:52 am to RollTide1987
Posted on 1/4/21 at 8:52 am to tigeraddict
They thought they could hit us hard at PH and cripple us long enough to run amok and capture what they wanted unchallenged. Then they would stop and we would let them keep what they had. They didn’t understand how pissed they made the US and how we would react. It would be an interesting history study to compare the Japanese temperament to the US citizen temperament of the time. Did they not understand us and how we would react?
This post was edited on 1/4/21 at 8:53 am
Posted on 1/4/21 at 9:10 am to RollTide1987
My dad was part of that. He spent most of his time in WWII on the aircraft carrier Intrepid.
Posted on 1/4/21 at 9:19 am to geauxpurple
quote:
My dad was part of that. He spent most of his time in WWII on the aircraft carrier Intrepid.
I visit the Intrepid every time I go to NYC. Incredible museum
Posted on 1/4/21 at 9:22 am to RollTide1987
quote:
The task force had the ability to put 1,100 aircraft into the air in less than 30 minutes.
That I think is the most impressive part.
Posted on 1/4/21 at 9:28 am to CaptainsWafer
quote:
That I think is the most impressive part.
that, and ginning up pilots/crews to fly them effectively, a lot a those kids were farm boys, soda jerks, college students, and any number of other "mundane" things a few months before, sent to war with minimal training and kicked the living shite out of the Japanese, same for the AAC guys
Posted on 1/4/21 at 9:44 am to RollTide1987
Another great book of US carriers vs the Japanese is:
Posted on 1/4/21 at 9:57 am to geauxtigers87
The Nazi war machine wasn’t as advanced as most think either. Their navy and Air Force was shite except for U boats which were pretty effective. Their ground forces still used mostly horses to move artillery and such. The panzer divisions constantly got too far ahead and had to stop and wait on the cavalry to catch up. Japan and Germany were more advanced than the rest of Europe and east Asia. They royally fricked up bringing the US into the war. We had all the oil, iron ore, manufacturing, labor and money to build whatever we wanted unimpeded without fear of attack.
Then we sent it all over there and kicked some arse
Then we sent it all over there and kicked some arse
Posted on 1/4/21 at 9:58 am to bayoubengals88
Never would have guessed that Thailand would have an aircraft carrier
Posted on 1/4/21 at 10:01 am to deltaland
quote:
The Nazi war machine wasn’t as advanced as most think either.
need Darth to chime in on this but, iirc, the Nazis could have been crushed shortly after the Polish invasion but weren't perceived as much of a threat, their push to invade/occupy France? was fueled by dosing up the troops with crack to advance around the clock before there was any resistance
Posted on 1/4/21 at 10:03 am to jbgleason
quote:
They thought they could hit us hard at PH and cripple us long enough to run amok
Didn't PH backfired on the Japanese when there were no US carriers there at the time of the attack?
This post was edited on 1/4/21 at 10:06 am
Posted on 1/4/21 at 10:05 am to deltaland
quote:
Never would have guessed that Thailand would have an aircraft carrier
we're still making F-16s for them baws
Posted on 1/4/21 at 10:05 am to jbgleason
quote:
They didn’t understand how pissed they made the US and how we would react. It would be an interesting history study to compare the Japanese temperament to the US citizen temperament of the time. Did they not understand us and how we would react?
The US didn’t want to get involved before PH and overwhelmingly supported staying out of another major war after WW1. Japs thought they could cripple our Navy and hoped we wouldn’t fight. Boy were they fricking wrong and it led to complete destruction of their empire and leveled 3 of their major cities
Posted on 1/4/21 at 10:06 am to deltaland
quote:
The US didn’t want to get involved before PH
I think Roosevelt did, and I think the Brits were elated at the PH attack
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