Flattops and Flyboys: The Carrier War in the Pacific 1942-44

[galveston bay]

authors notes: No significant changes in Europe except that Hercules is approved for now.

Burma is going worse for the Allies, although not hugely so, but still worse.

Stilwell is commander US Army Hawaii and the Central Pacific (historically General Richardson). He will be heading to the South Pacific soon as Eisenhower needs a field army commander. No one yet has the thankless job Stilwell had in China in World War II, Chennault will likely end up with a bigger role. Bremerton will spend a considerable time organizing an airlift to China.

The South Pacific will soon be the primary seat of the action for the next few months

The Doolittle Raid will be happening in April while the Japanese hammer the eastern coast of India with their carriers

Also the Aleutians campaign, a miserable costly experience for both sides, is coming in the summer

 

[ThatStrategyGuy]

The loss of airpower in Burma will hurt, although some of the increased American experience in airborne supply might rub off on the British, which could help them later on when they go back on the offensive. And maybe China will end up with an American (or other allied, although that's unlikely) commander that people can actually stand to work with

 

[sloreck]

Japan, while doing a little better in Burma, has already taken losses and spent time it cannot afford. This starts the decline sooner although details are yet to emerge. Their plans for taking Ocean and Naauru as well as going beyond to cut the USA off from Australia to bring on the "decisive battle" are so much moonshine. In Europe, i expect that Hercules will not come off. Eager for the next installment.

 

[High Plains Drifter]

Burma is going worse for the Allies, although not hugely so, but still worse.

With Malaya having gone better for the Brits, and I mean more than just getting a whole lot of men who OTL would have been captured out better, I am having a hard time imaging how the first 3 months of the Burma campaign could have gone better, even just a little, for the IJA.

Did Burma get stiffed allied men and material that they otherwise got OTL?

Was the IJA able to get the same level of men and materials as OTL? OTL a Malaya campaign detailed division got shipped into Rangoon. Was that still able to happen in any way that impacted the drive into central Burma?

 

[galveston bay]

With Malaya having gone better for the Brits, and I mean more than just getting a whole lot of men who OTL would have been captured out better, I am having a hard time imaging how the first 3 months of the Burma campaign could have gone better, even just a little, for the IJA.

Did Burma get stiffed allied men and material that they otherwise got OTL?

Was the IJA able to get the same level of men and materials as OTL? OTL a Malaya campaign detailed division got shipped into Rangoon. Was that still able to happen in any way that impacted the drive into central Burma?

A squadron of the AVG (Flying Tigers) and RAF squadron shot to pieces Japanese air attacks on Rangoon, reducing them to the level of harassment only. There is no AVG (it was in the Philippines training when the war started), so Rangoon gets hammered far harder, reducing the level of supply and support to Burma Corps. None of the troops evacuated from Malaya are ready for combat before May at the very earliest, so they are not available to help out. Basically same forces but the Japanese have air dominance almost instantly, which affects the ability of the British to resist effectively. Thus Rangoon is effectively neutralized over two weeks before it fell historically. Thus somewhat worse for the British.

None of this is going to improve the ability of the Japanese to invade India, which they couldn't do in OTL. Monsoon season will bring the the Japanese advance to an end in any event. Basically nothing ever happened in Burma that was particularly decisive except for the availability of the Burma Road to be used. If the Japanese had managed to conquer Assam/Bengal then there would have been no airlift to China. If the British had held Burma then the Chinese would have been better supported (whether that would have matter depends on who you ask). But in the scheme of things, Burma was a sideshow for everyone.

So it will get only limited attention from me except for how it affects other events.

 

[Oldbill]

"March 12
General Chennault arrives in China and begins the initial organization of what will eventually become the US 14th Air Force and a new iteration of the Nationalist Chinese Air Force. The US 10th Air Force is formed in India (with Brereton wearing a duel hat "

I think you meant "dual" vice duel. Excellent update as always!

 

[Kurt_Steiner]

Dark clouds are gathering over India, even darker than IOTL.

 

[Butchpfd]

Japanese revenge
Spruance and Sherman are discussing launching another strike and sending the heavy cruisers in to conduct a bombardment when the I17, after many hours of trying to regain contact with the American fleet manages a firing solution and sends 6 torpedoes into the formation around the Enterprise. The Enterprise is saved by alert lookouts and excellent ship-handling but the heavy cruiser Portland is less fortunate, as two of the torpedoes hit her amidships, wiping out her engineering spaces (and many of the crewmen in them) and leaving her sinking. She goes down in 14 minutes, taking 312 men with her and leaving over 900 men in the water to be picked up by destroyers. Aggressive counterattacks by American bombers and destroyers force the I17 away, but she escapes unscathed.

Sobered by the abrupt loss of a major warship, Spruance orders a retirement once the survivors are rescued and by nightfall the Americans are in full retreat south toward the Gilbert Islands (still in Allied hands, although still undefended).

In all the Raid on the Marshal Islands has cost the Americans one heavy cruiser, over 50 aircraft, and over 300 sailors and airmen lost. In exchange the Japanese have suffered serious damage to their base at Kwajalein, 2 submarines sunk, the 24th Air Flotilla is wrecked and unfit for action, and 3 important support ships lost. Unknown to the Americans is that the planned invasion of the Gilbert Islands has to be postponed as the bulk of the assigned sealift has been sunk. Although the loss was higher than expected, the US Navy considers the action valuable experience earned, albeit painfully.

View attachment 338459

The USS Portland in better days
(source: http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/033/04033.htm)[/QUOTE]
Interesting photo of the Portland.. as it appears to have been take prior to the 1936-38 refit of the Northampton, Pensacola and Portland class cruisers. During these refits the 5"/25 cal were fitted with splintershields, some 1.1" AA were added and the two tripple torpedo tubes on these cruisers were removed. You can see the open port location just below the aft pair of 5"/25

 

[Bob in Pittsburgh]

Excellent story. I look forward to more.

 

[hzn5pk]

Will be interesting to see if Ike can stop the Japanese at Rabaul. That is to stop the Japanese steam roller with Rabaul being the Guadalcanal ITTL.

Doolittle raid may effect Japanese planning some. The raid should have similar results, go down close to as OTL.

And the Germans and Italians are planning Operation Hercules, oh my, we shall see if it is successful.

 

[galveston bay]

Will be interesting to see if Ike can stop the Japanese at Rabaul. That is to stop the Japanese steam roller with Rabaul being the Guadalcanal ITTL.

Doolittle raid may effect Japanese planning some. The raid should have similar results, go down close to as OTL.

And the Germans and Italians are planning Operation Hercules, oh my, we shall see if it is successful.

The Bismarks Campaign will indeed be a major battle

Doolittle is about ready for the draft stage, as well as the Indian Ocean Raid

Still deciding if I will write a "Hercules" story as part of this time line or simply refer to it and present it with the War in Europe story line (next year)

 

[jotto]

The Bismarks Campaign will indeed be a major battle

Doolittle is about ready for the draft stage, as well as the Indian Ocean Raid

Still deciding if I will write a "Hercules" story as part of this time line or simply refer to it and present it with the War in Europe story line (next year)

Awesome a War in Europe series as well! Excellent! I love the Pacific stories, can't wait for Europe as well! Wonderful job!

 

[galveston bay]

The Doolittle Raid and Raid on Wake Island

Special Aviation Project One
In January 1942, at the direction of the President, Admiral Stark (Chief of Naval Operations) and General Hap Arnold (Commander US Army Air Force) work on a plan to strike Japan with Army bombers from an aircraft carrier. Lieutenant Colonel Doolittle, a US aviation pioneer (and skilled engineer) is assigned to head the mission. Over the next 3 months a special squadron of 24 B25 Mitchell is formed and specially trained and equipped. The aircraft carrier Hornet, commanded by a very experienced Naval Aviator Marc Mitcher, is assigned as the mission ship. On April 1, the Hornet is in San Francisco where it loads 16 of the aircraft aboard before steaming west into the Pacific with orders to link up with Task Force 16 north of Hawaii.

(practicing take offs at Elgin Airfield 1942)

B25s being loaded aboard the USS Hornet


US Forces assigned to operations April 1942
Task Force 16 (Vice Admiral Raymond Spruance, Commander Battle Force Pacific)
CV Enterprise (Flag w Spruance and R Adm Sherman) Yorktown (R Adm Murray, Commander CV Div 2), Hornet (mission ship)
each carrier has 48 Wildcat (2 USN squadrons, 1 USMC squadron or 2 USMC squadrons, 1 USN squadron), 30 Dauntless ((2 USN squadrons)


As of April 1941 the USN Torpedo Bomber squadrons are still equipped with TBD Devastator's and are being reequipped and retrained with the new TBF Avenger as they become available. All are on the East or Gulf Coast conducting antisubmarine patrols while they retrain. The first squadron will not be available for fleet service in June 1942 and will join the CV Saratoga at that time.

Escorts (R Adm Kincaid, screen commander)
CA Indianapolis, Quincy CL Philadelphia, Savannah, CLA San Diego, San Juan plus Destroyer Squadron 16 w Benson, Mayo, Madison, Lansdale, Jones, Hughes, Laffey, Fitch, Forrest,


Support (R Adm Bowman)
CVE Long Island DD (old) Rodgers, Belknap, Lawrence, Hopkins AO Neosho, Platte, Sabine, Guadalupe, Sabine, Kaskaskia, Neches, Kankakee

Meanwhile, Task Force 17 is given the mission of escorting the newly arrived destroyer transports (APD) of Transport Squadron 12 along with various support ships to the Solomon Islands where US forces plan to establish a naval station at Tulagi and build an airfield on nearby Guadalcanal which will support convoys, air transport aircraft and aircraft being ferried from islands further to the southeast and east on their way to Rabaul, as well as providing a base for air and sea patrols to watch for Japanese activity from the northwest.

Task Force 17 (R Adm Fletcher)(escort commander Rear Admiral Theobald)
CV Wasp,, CA Northhampton, Chicago, CL Helena, Brooklyn, CLA Atlanta, Juneau, Destroyer Squadron 17 w Sims, Anderson, Hughes, Hamman, Mustin, Russell, O'Brien, Walke, Morris,


Task Force 19 (Commodore George Hussey)
DMS Perry, Trever, Wasmuth, Zane, AE Pyro, AO Cayuma, Kanawha, AVD Williamson, McFarland (AVD is a converted 4 stack destroyer now serving as a seaplane tender, a DMS is a converted 4 stack destroyer still acting as a minewarfare vessel but retains its sonar and depth charge racks), PG Niagara (gunboat) APD (converted 4 stack destroyer transports) Manley, Colhoun, Gregory, Little, Mckean, Stringham AV Tangier carrying 4th Marine Defense Battalion, 6th Marine Defense Battalion, 810th Aviation Engineer Battalion, detachment from 1st Naval Construction Battalion

 

[galveston bay]

authors note
A superb detailed account of the Doolittle Raid can be found here
http://www.doolittleraider.com/first_joint_action.htm#_Toc510516193

One reason the Royal Navy is overstretched (see "Rising Sun in a Tropical Sea") is because the entire US Navy carrier force is in the Pacific at the moment.

Pictures are from Navsource or from the Film "Thirty Seconds over Tokyo" from this site
http://nzpetesmatteshot.blogspot.com/2011/03/

The serious losses of cruisers (4 heavy cruisers sunk since the war started in December) has forced to shuffling of escorts and the hurried deployment of the anti aircraft cruisers to the Pacific. They were also rushed into service and have some crew training issues that are being resolved on the go.

Note that the fleet oilers are important enough to rate an escort carrier to defend them. They are pretty much the entire fast oiler fleet (more are coming next year, a lot more). The other oilers and tankers are too slow to work with the carriers.

 

[Athelstane]

One reason the Royal Navy is overstretched (see "Rising Sun in a Tropical Sea") is because the entire US Navy carrier force is in the Pacific at the moment.

Which is an entirely understandable - and nearly inevitable - development. Japan has the most powerful and dangerous navy on the board, and Admiral King (and most of the USN leadership) had an almost monomania on the subject. There's an enormous impulse to exact some payback.

It's also almost certainly a very big mistake.

But in this Alt-history as in our timeline, there was a consistent overestimation of Japanese capabilities after Pearl Harbor. It was hard to appreciate that Japan had reached the limits of its logistical reach, and indeed its planned Outer Perimeter. Germany was the real threat; what was needed in the Pacific in 1942 and even into much of 1943 was just enough presence to deal with any IJN raids and to assure local constituencies (especially the ANZACs and the restive peoples of Raj) that Washington and London still had their backs.

Great work so far, Galveston. Looking forward to the next updates.

 

[mattep74]

The Doolittle raid OTL was becauce they needed a morale boost. But IITL the morale among the US population have to be higher. They have not lost that many ships to the Japanese and have inflicted heavy casualities among the Japanese, so why the need for it?

 

[Guardian54]

They want to bait the Japanese into holding a ton of resources back for defense of the Home Islands.

On the other hand, knowing what we know, it is better to not do such a thing to make Japan bleed its merchant shipping even more by running materials both ways more, thus making the final step easier (by the time the Japanese grind to a halt in shipping, the Home Islands are already besieged enough that they can't fortify significantly due to lack of held-back resources).

 

[Oldbill]

A minimal footnote, the USCG landed many of the Marines in OTL at Guadalcanal, and within a couple of weeks set up an NOB there, remaining throughout the fighting.

 

[galveston bay]

A minimal footnote, the USCG landed many of the Marines in OTL at Guadalcanal, and within a couple of weeks set up an NOB there, remaining throughout the fighting.

chuckle, don't worry I will make sure the Coast Guard isn't forgotten!

 

[galveston bay]

The Doolittle raid OTL was becauce they needed a morale boost. But IITL the morale among the US population have to be higher. They have not lost that many ships to the Japanese and have inflicted heavy casualities among the Japanese, so why the need for it?

Although the US is doing better than OTL, there is still the perception that the Allies are in danger of losing the war.

Plus there is a definite desire to hit Japan back as soon as possible.