Decisive battle at Caroline Islands (WW II)

Not as such. It reflected more the difference between the two men and their style of command. Halsey was much more of a gambler, far more aggressive than Spruance, who always kept the ultimate mission in mind. Spruance had to keep Mitcher on a tight leash (even then he would jump the gun, as he did with the Yamato, launching well before Spruance had decided to use airpower to kill her rather than one lest big gun showdown) while Mitcher had to run to keep up with Halsey.

Both men had great success (it is an open question if Spruance would have sent Washington and South Dakota, with only four destroyers, into the Slot in November of 1942 which turned out to be one of the best tactical decisions of the War), but they were very different.

I want to reply about if Spruance would have sent those ships to the slot in November 1942. Yes he would because the Enterprise was the only carrier avaible and damage at the time and he would have to take that risk if Guadacanal wants to survive.
 

CalBear

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I want to reply about if Spruance would have sent those ships to the slot in November 1942. Yes he would because the Enterprise was the only carrier avaible and damage at the time and he would have to take that risk if Guadacanal wants to survive.
Maybe. It was still an enormous risk, sending them into knife fighting range of a strong IJN force with minimal escort, through waters known to be heavily patrolled by IJN subs, was much more Halsey's style than Spruance's.
 
Maybe. It was still an enormous risk, sending them into knife fighting range of a strong IJN force with minimal escort, through waters known to be heavily patrolled by IJN subs, was much more Halsey's style than Spruance's.

There's a case that's been made that Halsey may have been increasingly out of his depth commanding the vast fast carrier forces at the end of the war. Certainly some of his decisions (Leyte, the hurricane(s)) look problematic. But Halsey was really the best man for the job in the Solomons. It really was his finest moment of the war. You kind of needed a gambler for that situation.
 
Interesting idea. If Japan had left most of the Fleet in Truk and somehow had vectored the Carriers towards Truk, might they have been able to sink some of the US carriers? Granted they will lose several ships, but might they have taken more USN ships with them?
 
Interesting idea. If Japan had left most of the Fleet in Truk and somehow had vectored the Carriers towards Truk, might they have been able to sink some of the US carriers? Granted they will lose several ships, but might they have taken more USN ships with them?

Pretty sure that the Hellcat would frustrate those efforts. At most, they might heavily damage a carrier or sink a destroyer.
 

CalBear

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Interesting idea. If Japan had left most of the Fleet in Truk and somehow had vectored the Carriers towards Truk, might they have been able to sink some of the US carriers? Granted they will lose several ships, but might they have taken more USN ships with them?
Probably not. By that point in the war the JNAF was a shadow of what it had been even a year before. The U.S. carriers were vastly stronger, with better aircraft, good radar and excellent fighter direction. CAP would have been a minimum of 32 aircraft, probably closer to 40.

Any airstrike would be hard-pressed to arrive unobserved, and attempt to sortie from the lagoon would be under observation (U.S. submarines were on patrol outside the lagoon, both hoping to pick off any ships trying to escape the harbor and as "plane guard" to rescue downed aircrews.
 
Probably not. By that point in the war the JNAF was a shadow of what it had been even a year before. The U.S. carriers were vastly stronger, with better aircraft, good radar and excellent fighter direction. CAP would have been a minimum of 32 aircraft, probably closer to 40.

Any airstrike would be hard-pressed to arrive unobserved, and attempt to sortie from the lagoon would be under observation (U.S. submarines were on patrol outside the lagoon, both hoping to pick off any ships trying to escape the harbor and as "plane guard" to rescue downed aircrews.

It was one of Koga's soundest moves to get Combined Fleet out of Truk when he did; his failure, if any, was to fail to get every last ship out.
 
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