So, Malta is going to be in a tight spot and London is going to need to find a solution in some other place...
Flattops and Flyboys: The Carrier War in the Pacific 1942-44
- Thread starter galveston bay
- Start date
Great update GB. Really looking forward to Japan being ground under here 
As an aside...is there a thread which connects all of these? I'm getting a bit lost figuring out what is happening when simultaneously!
As an aside...is there a thread which connects all of these? I'm getting a bit lost figuring out what is happening when simultaneously!
Great update GB. Really looking forward to Japan being ground under here
As an aside...is there a thread which connects all of these? I'm getting a bit lost figuring out what is happening when simultaneously!
not yet, although I did a summary of events to date at the start of this one
I am planning one though once I finish up the East Indies and Philippines
years ago I had a friend who owned this game
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3044/air-assault-creteinvasion-malta-1942
which might be one of the best of the old style table top wargames (nail biting intense down to the very end of the game). We tried the Malta scenario (switching players after each game). I don't remember the details well but I do know how that turned out
I will probably dig up a copy of the old "Moves" magazine or "General" to see if I can find a play through for some details but otherwise go with the results of those two games.
An invasion of Malta is within the Axis capabilities in the summer of 1942, although don't expect to have much of a parachute force left at the end of it. At least according to that game and a couple other books I have read on Malta over the years.
If Crete was a bloody victory for the Fallschirmjaeger, Malta could be their grave.
Comensurations for your work on this TL, however i still have to nitpick on Akagi and Hiryu's air groups, like i said it's easier to just stick with OTL airgroups, as after the losses in your TL i find hard to believe they will actually DECREASE the numbers of fighters to just 12, regardless of whether the CVLs operate with them. Also on the big CVs usually the air groups were divided into chutais of 9 aircraft.
Imo i would still have Hiryu with 21 A6M, 18 D3A and 18 B5N, and Akagi with 21 A6M, 18 D3A and 27 B5N (or reversed numbers of D3A/B5N). As to the CVLs, you mentioned Zuiho, Shoho and Ryujo but later you mentioned Ryuho with 12 A6M and 12 B5N, i assume you meant Ryujo, which could carry say 21 A6M and 12 B5N?
Imo i would still have Hiryu with 21 A6M, 18 D3A and 18 B5N, and Akagi with 21 A6M, 18 D3A and 27 B5N (or reversed numbers of D3A/B5N). As to the CVLs, you mentioned Zuiho, Shoho and Ryujo but later you mentioned Ryuho with 12 A6M and 12 B5N, i assume you meant Ryujo, which could carry say 21 A6M and 12 B5N?
juggling a bit to keep a reasonable amount of strike aircraft with the 1st Air Fleet for the Southern Operation
They will be revising air groups again once its over
Marshall Island Raid (part 1)
In mid February 1942, the US Pacific Fleet, supported by naval forces from Australia and New Zealand, escort several large convoys to Australia, the Solomon Islands, and New Britain. To cover this move, Nimitz sends Admiral Spruance and his Task Force 16 to raid the Japanese held Marshall Islands
Japanese Forces Marshall Islands February 1942
24th Air Flotilla
NAS Maloelp 24 Mavis, 12 Claude
NAS Yalut 11 Mavis,
NAS Kwajalein 36 Nell, 25 Claude, 11 transport aircraft,
NAS Wake Island 12 float planes
Naval Forces
6 RO class submarines
Gilbert Islands Invasion force (at Kwajalein)
3 CL, 4 DD, 4 gunboats, 4 minesweepers, 1 seaplane tender w 12 floatplanes, 2 large transports, 2 construction battalions, 2 guard companies
garrison forces
various naval guard and engineer battalions and companies spread throughout the area
There are still 200 American civilian captives on Wake Island doing labor
US Forces
Task Force 16 (Vice Admiral Spruance)(Rear Admiral Kinkaid is screen commander) (Chief of Staff to Spruance and air commander is Rear Admiral Frederick Sherman, former commander of USS Lexington)
CV Yorktown, Enterprise CA Northhampton, Portland, CL Helena, Phoenix, Brooklyn, Savannah, DD Jarvis, Mugford, Bagley, Cummings, Farragut, Monaghan, Blach, Maury,
Solomons / Bismarks Convoys (Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher in overall command)
CV Wasp, Ranger (also ferrying 72 P40E, 36 Wildcat, 36 Dauntless from US 59th Fighter Group and Carrier Air Group 2 which is mixed USN/USMC along with their regular air groups), plus 4 US and 2 Australian heavy cruisers, 1 New Zealand light cruiser, 7 US light cruisers, 20 US destroyers, numerous tankers, transports, and several other support ships, all carrying another 300 P40E, ground elements of 59th Pursuit Group, replacement aviation personnel, 2 engineer groups, 7th Marine Regiment, several Army coast defense battalions, several Army antiaircraft battalions, 24th Infantry Regiment (Colored), several other support units to Australia, New Guinea, New Britain and Tulagi. Included with this are a submarine tender (Fulton)(to Rabaul) and seaplane tenders Pocomoke (to Tulagi) and Albemarle (to Tulagi) supporting PATWING 8 and PATWING 9. Also arriving are 2 motor torpedo boat squadrons to be based out of Rabaul
Upon the arrival of these two patrol wings the battered and exhausted survivors of PATWING 10 are sent to Fiji to rest and recover and perform less demanding patrols in this area.
Japanese Forces Marshall Islands February 1942
24th Air Flotilla
NAS Maloelp 24 Mavis, 12 Claude
NAS Yalut 11 Mavis,
NAS Kwajalein 36 Nell, 25 Claude, 11 transport aircraft,
NAS Wake Island 12 float planes
Naval Forces
6 RO class submarines
Gilbert Islands Invasion force (at Kwajalein)
3 CL, 4 DD, 4 gunboats, 4 minesweepers, 1 seaplane tender w 12 floatplanes, 2 large transports, 2 construction battalions, 2 guard companies
garrison forces
various naval guard and engineer battalions and companies spread throughout the area
There are still 200 American civilian captives on Wake Island doing labor
US Forces
Task Force 16 (Vice Admiral Spruance)(Rear Admiral Kinkaid is screen commander) (Chief of Staff to Spruance and air commander is Rear Admiral Frederick Sherman, former commander of USS Lexington)
CV Yorktown, Enterprise CA Northhampton, Portland, CL Helena, Phoenix, Brooklyn, Savannah, DD Jarvis, Mugford, Bagley, Cummings, Farragut, Monaghan, Blach, Maury,
Solomons / Bismarks Convoys (Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher in overall command)
CV Wasp, Ranger (also ferrying 72 P40E, 36 Wildcat, 36 Dauntless from US 59th Fighter Group and Carrier Air Group 2 which is mixed USN/USMC along with their regular air groups), plus 4 US and 2 Australian heavy cruisers, 1 New Zealand light cruiser, 7 US light cruisers, 20 US destroyers, numerous tankers, transports, and several other support ships, all carrying another 300 P40E, ground elements of 59th Pursuit Group, replacement aviation personnel, 2 engineer groups, 7th Marine Regiment, several Army coast defense battalions, several Army antiaircraft battalions, 24th Infantry Regiment (Colored), several other support units to Australia, New Guinea, New Britain and Tulagi. Included with this are a submarine tender (Fulton)(to Rabaul) and seaplane tenders Pocomoke (to Tulagi) and Albemarle (to Tulagi) supporting PATWING 8 and PATWING 9. Also arriving are 2 motor torpedo boat squadrons to be based out of Rabaul
Upon the arrival of these two patrol wings the battered and exhausted survivors of PATWING 10 are sent to Fiji to rest and recover and perform less demanding patrols in this area.
authors notes: Small scale maps for the Central and South Pacific that include the entire area under discussion are huge (in every respect) so posting smaller maps for the reader
The Japanese did not call their Navy airfields Naval Air Stations, but NAS is a good short hand for them
Note the reinforcements that have reached the Pacific
Found a great source on US Navy Patrol Wings in World War 2
https://www.history.navy.mil/conten...-aviation-squadrons-volume-2/pdfs/Appen13.pdf
Distances
Pearl Harbor to Majuro 1978 nautical miles
Majuro to Kwajalein 238 nautical miles 274 air miles
Kwajalein to Tarawa 352 nautical miles 406 air miles
Majuro to Wake Island 779 nautical miles 897 air miles
Majuro to Rabaul 1700 nautical miles
Rabaul to Pearl Harbor 3313 nautical miles
Rabaul to Brisbane 1391 nautical miles
The Japanese did not call their Navy airfields Naval Air Stations, but NAS is a good short hand for them
Note the reinforcements that have reached the Pacific
Found a great source on US Navy Patrol Wings in World War 2
https://www.history.navy.mil/conten...-aviation-squadrons-volume-2/pdfs/Appen13.pdf
Distances
Pearl Harbor to Majuro 1978 nautical miles
Majuro to Kwajalein 238 nautical miles 274 air miles
Kwajalein to Tarawa 352 nautical miles 406 air miles
Majuro to Wake Island 779 nautical miles 897 air miles
Majuro to Rabaul 1700 nautical miles
Rabaul to Pearl Harbor 3313 nautical miles
Rabaul to Brisbane 1391 nautical miles
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Marshall Islands Raid (part 2)
The Marshall Islands Raid: The First American Carrier Offensive
The American fleet assembles at Pearl Harbor over the course of early and mid February, leaving on February 22, with Task Force 17 leading the way. Aggressive American antisubmarine patrols have sunk 2 I-Boats in the last few weeks after the Saratoga was torpedoed, and the American task forces and convoys leave Hawaiian waters unmolested. Although at extreme range from any Japanese aircraft from the eastern Mandates (Marshall Island) the possibility of Japanese naval forces in the area being in position to sortie and interfere with reinforcement convoys heading to Rabaul leads Nimitz and Spruance to decide that a raid to potentially knock the Japanese off base is desirable. It is also an opportunity to see what the Japanese actually have in the way of strength in that island chain, which under War Plan Orange has been a primary target under American planning for decades.
Spruance has orders to hit Majuro and Kwajalein and then to retire to Midway before returning home. Admiral Frank Fletcher, with his two carriers and escorts will cover the convoy heading to Rabaul, fly off aircraft being transported, and then return to American Samoa where the the Ranger is to return to the Atlantic via Panama. Fletcher will then return to California as additional reinforcements are scheduled for the South Pacific.
Meanwhile Admiral Inoue has the directive calling for him to secure the Gilbert Islands, which will provide an advanced base for the Marshall Islands. While he is still busy conducting the 2nd Phase Offensive in the eastern Dutch East Indies he has assigned Rear Admiral Kajioka, conqueror of Wake Island (after two attempts) the mission and orders to set up a seaplane base at Makin and place construction and base troops ashore at Tarawa to begin construction of an airfield. This small fleet is to leave Kwajalein on March 1 as repairs have been completed on the cruisers Katori and Kashima which both suffered damage in the second attempt on Wake Island. The 24th Air Flotilla was also in need of additional aircraft to replace bomber losses suffered at Wake Island. Those replacements had been scheduled earlier but had been redirected south after heavier than expected losses in the fighting around Malaya and Luzon,. Those aircraft replacements only arrive in mid February. Rear Admiral Goto, commander of the 24th, is trying to also get A6M fighters to replace the A5Ms he was promised, but again losses in other operations have prevented the timely allocation of new aircraft for what is viewed at least for now a secondary theater. He is promised those new fighters sometime in April.
Movement to contact
The American carrier task force refuels 100 miles northwest of Howland on February 26, and that night begin the approach to Majuro (750 nautical miles to the northwest) at 18 knots to conserve fuel. Just out of range of Japanese patrols out of Majuro, which in any event are patrolling in the direction of Midway or south toward the Gilbert Islands, the Japanese fail to spot the American ships as they refuel.
The next morning at 0917 hours radar aboard the Enterprise picks up a Mavis as it approaches, and 4 American Wildcats from VF5 intercept and blast the Japanese aircraft out of the sky, but not before it gets off a report of enemy fighters and a partial position report. Admiral Goto is informed a few minutes later at his headquarters at Kwajalein, while American signals intelligence (based at Midway and passed by cable to Pearl Harbor) picks up a sharp increase in Japanese message traffic in the Marshall Islands. Admiral Sherman, air commander, orders increased readiness for his fighters, with 8 in the air at all times, another 24 spotted for immediate takeoff and the rest being serviced below. Meanwhile the SBDs of his two scout squadrons are searching ahead and two from SB5 spot the RO 61 only 65 miles from the fleet and attack the enemy submarine, scoring a hit with a 500 pound bomb that sends her to the bottom. None of the crew are ever seen again.
The Japanese meanwhile have been preparing a response. Only 29 of the Nells are combat ready and a strike is organized with 12 torpedo aircraft and 17 level bombers. They take off at 1200 hours, winging their way toward the last reported position of the lost scout plane. The Americans pick up the inbound strike 3 hours later on radar, and 8 patrolling Wildcats of VF3 led by Lieutenant Commander Jimmy Thach move to intercept the level bombers (which are the first spotted) while both carriers launch their 24 ready fighters led by Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare, commander of VF42. Thach and his command hit the level bombers, downing 5 (3 shot down by Thach) but during this radar picks up the approaching low flying torpedo bombers and O'Hare and his fighters are directed to deal with the torpedo bombers. The 12 Nell torpedo bombers are overwhelmed by 24 American fighters and every one of them is shot down as they approach the fleet, with Butch O'Hare getting 5 of them. The surviving level bombers manage to drop their bombs, trying for hits on the Yorktown, but superb ship handling by Captain Elliot Buckmaster dodges them all.
Both Thach and O'Hare would receive the Navy Cross for this action. The surviving 14 Nell level bombers flee the scene, but only 11 manage to reach home as 2 ditch near Majuro and another crashes on landing killing its crew. Admiral Got orders his ground crews to get the rest the bombers airworthy but is painfully aware that he will have only around a dozen for the next day.
The American fleet assembles at Pearl Harbor over the course of early and mid February, leaving on February 22, with Task Force 17 leading the way. Aggressive American antisubmarine patrols have sunk 2 I-Boats in the last few weeks after the Saratoga was torpedoed, and the American task forces and convoys leave Hawaiian waters unmolested. Although at extreme range from any Japanese aircraft from the eastern Mandates (Marshall Island) the possibility of Japanese naval forces in the area being in position to sortie and interfere with reinforcement convoys heading to Rabaul leads Nimitz and Spruance to decide that a raid to potentially knock the Japanese off base is desirable. It is also an opportunity to see what the Japanese actually have in the way of strength in that island chain, which under War Plan Orange has been a primary target under American planning for decades.
Spruance has orders to hit Majuro and Kwajalein and then to retire to Midway before returning home. Admiral Frank Fletcher, with his two carriers and escorts will cover the convoy heading to Rabaul, fly off aircraft being transported, and then return to American Samoa where the the Ranger is to return to the Atlantic via Panama. Fletcher will then return to California as additional reinforcements are scheduled for the South Pacific.
Meanwhile Admiral Inoue has the directive calling for him to secure the Gilbert Islands, which will provide an advanced base for the Marshall Islands. While he is still busy conducting the 2nd Phase Offensive in the eastern Dutch East Indies he has assigned Rear Admiral Kajioka, conqueror of Wake Island (after two attempts) the mission and orders to set up a seaplane base at Makin and place construction and base troops ashore at Tarawa to begin construction of an airfield. This small fleet is to leave Kwajalein on March 1 as repairs have been completed on the cruisers Katori and Kashima which both suffered damage in the second attempt on Wake Island. The 24th Air Flotilla was also in need of additional aircraft to replace bomber losses suffered at Wake Island. Those replacements had been scheduled earlier but had been redirected south after heavier than expected losses in the fighting around Malaya and Luzon,. Those aircraft replacements only arrive in mid February. Rear Admiral Goto, commander of the 24th, is trying to also get A6M fighters to replace the A5Ms he was promised, but again losses in other operations have prevented the timely allocation of new aircraft for what is viewed at least for now a secondary theater. He is promised those new fighters sometime in April.
Movement to contact
The American carrier task force refuels 100 miles northwest of Howland on February 26, and that night begin the approach to Majuro (750 nautical miles to the northwest) at 18 knots to conserve fuel. Just out of range of Japanese patrols out of Majuro, which in any event are patrolling in the direction of Midway or south toward the Gilbert Islands, the Japanese fail to spot the American ships as they refuel.
The next morning at 0917 hours radar aboard the Enterprise picks up a Mavis as it approaches, and 4 American Wildcats from VF5 intercept and blast the Japanese aircraft out of the sky, but not before it gets off a report of enemy fighters and a partial position report. Admiral Goto is informed a few minutes later at his headquarters at Kwajalein, while American signals intelligence (based at Midway and passed by cable to Pearl Harbor) picks up a sharp increase in Japanese message traffic in the Marshall Islands. Admiral Sherman, air commander, orders increased readiness for his fighters, with 8 in the air at all times, another 24 spotted for immediate takeoff and the rest being serviced below. Meanwhile the SBDs of his two scout squadrons are searching ahead and two from SB5 spot the RO 61 only 65 miles from the fleet and attack the enemy submarine, scoring a hit with a 500 pound bomb that sends her to the bottom. None of the crew are ever seen again.
The Japanese meanwhile have been preparing a response. Only 29 of the Nells are combat ready and a strike is organized with 12 torpedo aircraft and 17 level bombers. They take off at 1200 hours, winging their way toward the last reported position of the lost scout plane. The Americans pick up the inbound strike 3 hours later on radar, and 8 patrolling Wildcats of VF3 led by Lieutenant Commander Jimmy Thach move to intercept the level bombers (which are the first spotted) while both carriers launch their 24 ready fighters led by Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare, commander of VF42. Thach and his command hit the level bombers, downing 5 (3 shot down by Thach) but during this radar picks up the approaching low flying torpedo bombers and O'Hare and his fighters are directed to deal with the torpedo bombers. The 12 Nell torpedo bombers are overwhelmed by 24 American fighters and every one of them is shot down as they approach the fleet, with Butch O'Hare getting 5 of them. The surviving level bombers manage to drop their bombs, trying for hits on the Yorktown, but superb ship handling by Captain Elliot Buckmaster dodges them all.
Both Thach and O'Hare would receive the Navy Cross for this action. The surviving 14 Nell level bombers flee the scene, but only 11 manage to reach home as 2 ditch near Majuro and another crashes on landing killing its crew. Admiral Got orders his ground crews to get the rest the bombers airworthy but is painfully aware that he will have only around a dozen for the next day.
authors note: Painting from this site
http://www.tailsthroughtime.com/2010/12/when-america-needed-hero-butch-ohare.html
OTL Butch O'Hare shot down 5 Betty bombers and damaged another in a superb action flying alone. He will appear again. Thach and he were close friends. Thach too will appear again.
a bit larger scale map to help readers figure out where everything is
http://www.tailsthroughtime.com/2010/12/when-america-needed-hero-butch-ohare.html
OTL Butch O'Hare shot down 5 Betty bombers and damaged another in a superb action flying alone. He will appear again. Thach and he were close friends. Thach too will appear again.
a bit larger scale map to help readers figure out where everything is
Both were very important to American Naval Aviation so they deserve to be remembered.
actually no he did not. He did magnificently but in line with almost all air combat reports his claim was double what he achieved.