[I]Yorktown[/I] is sunk in the Coral Sea

[HMS Warspite]

Agreed on the A/A - it was a negligible quantity.

Re - scout planes. Nagumo had plenty, (IJN doctrine called for up to 10% of carrier aircraft being used for scouting, meaning two dozen) Nagumo' staff just chose to use them for attack instead. His choice.

Re - presence of battleships. That's a fuzzier question, because if Yamato is present then Yamamoto's staff will be in the loop for the drama of the morning of the 4th. First off, Nagumo cannot countermand his standing order to maintain a naval reserve at 0715 because Yamamoto is right there, meaning that the armaments crisis cannot occur. Second, Yamaguchi's recommendation signals are being read in realtime by Nagumo's commander, meaning that Yamaguchi's suggestions may be ordered by Yamamoto to be implemented.

The Main Body of the Midway attack force under Yamamoto's direct command was there to be used in the classical way, the IJN always had been training for, the battleship vs battleship (or in the case of the Miodway operation: the remaining USN surface ships). For this reason, teh Yamato was accompanied by the other two largest battleships of the IJN, which would not have been needed, if the Combined Fleet had not expected to use them the way they had been constrcuted for in the first place, thereby saving fuel and resources.

 

[phx1138]

Re - scout planes. Nagumo had plenty, (IJN doctrine called for up to 10% of carrier aircraft being used for scouting, meaning two dozen) Nagumo' staff just chose to use them for attack instead. His choice.

Wilmott disagrees with you.

Re - presence of battleships. That's a fuzzier question, because if Yamato is present then Yamamoto's staff will be in the loop for the drama of the morning of the 4th. First off, Nagumo cannot countermand his standing order to maintain a naval reserve at 0715 because Yamamoto is right there, meaning that the armaments crisis cannot occur. Second, Yamaguchi's recommendation signals are being read in realtime by Nagumo's commander, meaning that Yamaguchi's suggestions may be ordered by Yamamoto to be implemented.

And how is Yamato keeping up with Nagumo's carriers when the fight starts? There's a reason she's not in company...

That Yamamoto was at sea, & not ashore, didn't help Nagumo, either: aboard Yamato, he couldn't be certain Nagumo picked up the message about the absence of Fletcher's carriers. Ashore, it would have made no difference if he re-radiated it.

The Main Body of the Midway attack force under Yamamoto's direct command was there to be used in the classical way, the IJN always had been training for, the battleship vs battleship (or in the case of the Miodway operation: the remaining USN surface ships). For this reason, teh Yamato was accompanied by the other two largest battleships of the IJN, which would not have been needed, if the Combined Fleet had not expected to use them the way they had been constrcuted for in the first place, thereby saving fuel and resources.

And Warspite has hit on another really good reason to leave them home (besides being too slow, which Nimitz had the sense to see was reason enough): they're burning precious oil Japan cannot afford to waste.

 

[Glenn239]

Wilmott disagrees with you.

Willmott says a lot of things. Nagumo could have used more aircraft for searching if he’d wanted to. The search pattern he used was his choice, his style (actually, Genda's style with his rubber stamp), and he signed off on it.

And how is Yamato keeping up with Nagumo's carriers when the fight starts?

Someone asked what happens should the battleships be kept with Nagumo, not how they’d keep formation during air operations. If Yamamoto actually accompanied Nagumo then during air operations one presumes he would either fall slightly behind and then catch up as the strike force meandered between base course and a heading into the wind, or he would detach and ‘charge’ the enemy when contact was first reported between 0730/0800.

And Warspite has hit on another really good reason to leave them home (besides being too slow, which Nimitz had the sense to see was reason enough ): they're burning precious oil Japan cannot afford to waste.

Well, the one thing that is certain is that Yamamoto did not employ his battleships effectively at Midway.