Josh was 18 when he left Belle Vernon.
He probably never expected to get medals. Or even the Medal of Honor.
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He probably never expected to get medals. Or even the Medal of Honor.
Three in the first fight, I don't recall if he got any during the second wave.
Agreed on the planes, but according to Shattered Sword not on the pilots - one of the things I learned was those losses were not bad, and planes lost were replaceable in reasonable time.
The killer at Midway was the carriers of course and also critically the "pit crews" to service the aircraft.
Here its a plane-pilot loss, at least so far . . .
Well, at least Kimmel and Short (General, not Admiral) are going to have better endings to their careers than OTL; granted, Pearl was still attacked, but, while still awful, it wasn't as bad as OTL (and they weren't caught by surprise), so they'll end their careers somewhat better ITTL. They're still going to be relieved; they were in charge at Pearl Harbor, and someone has to take the fall for that, but they'll have better reputations ITTL...
I am not so sure they either deserve or will be relieved. They implemented the War Warning. They were on alert with the radar operating and sighting the incoming raid. They did not have enough fighters to defeat the attack but they were not responsible for the number of fighters they had. They used what they had pretty well.
It was discussed earlier, here, I believe, that at Midway, the losses of the plane handlers ,and deck munitions crews,hurt almost as bad as pilot loss.you can cadre out people for new carrier Deck crews, but if you lose complete crews there is no cadre to pull from. Back yo training from scratch with a much small at cadre pool.
Which is another reason Jaroschek must get proper acknowledgement.
Lots of times - but this is an egregious case.
Also:
When the combined survivor guilt and command responsibility sink in, Jaroschek may commit suicide. His reckless and unauthorized decision to engage a vastly superior enemy force got four men killed. He won't be court martialled, but he will be told he screwed up, and possibly made to write the letters to family.
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Thing is, that IIRC, japanese doctrine didn't even realize that ground crews were important. Not just the IJN but IJA too did typically nothing to evacuate such 'second' line troops from exposed positions, or send them on the slowest transport - so a whenever airfield / carrier was lost they'd typically lose all ground crews. For IJN it was worse because it really didn't like mix and matching crews from different ships - this applied to pilots too - so competent ground crews might sit around uselessly on drydocked carrier doing nothing.
The most notorious example of this: At Coral Sea, Shokaku was damaged and Zuikaku lost a large number of her air group. Instead of putting Shokaku's air group on Zuikaku for Midway, both carriers sat in Japan, useless.
Story 0904
December 7, 1941 Marsa Al Brega, Libya
Silence fell over the small port again. Artillery was quiet for the first time in two weeks. There were no bombers looking for an exposed cluster of artillery men or trucks poorly hidden. Men were no longer screaming. Curses in half a dozen languages were the only sounds. Engineers were busy mapping minefields and either dis-arming demolition charges or clearing the successful after effects of Italian demolition teams. The Italian defenders had held the port and the Commonwealth advance for far longer than anyone thought that they could have. The fighting was not intense as there was no urgent need to take the city or to deny it to the enemy.
Some prisoners were already in trucks and heading to the rear but most would be taken off to Alexandria and then to Haifa or Mombassa by coastal shipping once the harbor had been cleared.
All was quiet on the desert front.
Silence fell over the small port again. Artillery was quiet for the first time in two weeks. There were no bombers looking for an exposed cluster of artillery men or trucks poorly hidden. Men were no longer screaming. Curses in half a dozen languages were the only sounds. Engineers were busy mapping minefields and either dis-arming demolition charges or clearing the successful after effects of Italian demolition teams. The Italian defenders had held the port and the Commonwealth advance for far longer than anyone thought that they could have. The fighting was not intense as there was no urgent need to take the city or to deny it to the enemy.
Some prisoners were already in trucks and heading to the rear but most would be taken off to Alexandria and then to Haifa or Mombassa by coastal shipping once the harbor had been cleared.
All was quiet on the desert front.
Story 0905
December 7, 1941 0805 Wake Island
The ten Marine Wildcats were vectored onto the obvious air raid. The dawn patrol of two Wildcats attacked first. The first pass damaged the last plane in the right hand Vic and as the Marine fighters curled around for another attack eighteen miles from the airfield, the rest of the squadron was sighted. The Japanese raid commander in the lead Nell wiggled his wings and called for his entire force to drop their bombs and head to the deck. Within seconds, the Nells started to accelerate. Six Wildcats followed them for the next thirty miles as the bombers never rose more than one hundred feet from the sea. Two were shot down but a Marine crashed from making a too aggressive pass. The four surviving bombers all had some damage, one would never fly again once the crew nursed her home to Kwajalean but they had achieved their mission.
Even as the Marine fighters were chasing the diversionary raid, the main raid of twenty four Nells descended to an attack altitude of 1,500 feet. No fighters were waiting for them as the anti-aircraft gunners spotted them with less than two minutes worth of warning. The heavier 3 inch guns barely had time to swivel and engage. The lighter machine guns moved faster and spat bullets skyward. Tight bomb patterns were almost guaranteed as they had a perfect run in with almost no disruption until the last minute. Discipline held as they entered the anti-aircraft envelope and the airfield became a dust storm.
As the dust settled, visibility was still atrocious as the dust was replaced by thick gasoline smoke. Three of the islands six fuel trucks were burning. More importantly eleven Dauntless dive bombers were at least damaged if not wrecked. Mechanics would be able to pick their way through the skeletons and perform shade tree surgery to cobble together flyable craft from the debris but the fires would keep them away from that morbid task until mid-afternoon. Two of the attackers were brought down. One deliberately crashed into a moored PBY while the other skidded outside of the reef. Two of the aircrew were seen to enter the sea but almost no effort was made to launch a surf boat to rescue them.
Thirty minutes later, the ten Wildcats who had been led on a wild goose chase circled the island. Six landed and four stayed high to guard against any more low level raiders. New tactics would be needed as Wake still had her shield but her sword had been broken.
The ten Marine Wildcats were vectored onto the obvious air raid. The dawn patrol of two Wildcats attacked first. The first pass damaged the last plane in the right hand Vic and as the Marine fighters curled around for another attack eighteen miles from the airfield, the rest of the squadron was sighted. The Japanese raid commander in the lead Nell wiggled his wings and called for his entire force to drop their bombs and head to the deck. Within seconds, the Nells started to accelerate. Six Wildcats followed them for the next thirty miles as the bombers never rose more than one hundred feet from the sea. Two were shot down but a Marine crashed from making a too aggressive pass. The four surviving bombers all had some damage, one would never fly again once the crew nursed her home to Kwajalean but they had achieved their mission.
Even as the Marine fighters were chasing the diversionary raid, the main raid of twenty four Nells descended to an attack altitude of 1,500 feet. No fighters were waiting for them as the anti-aircraft gunners spotted them with less than two minutes worth of warning. The heavier 3 inch guns barely had time to swivel and engage. The lighter machine guns moved faster and spat bullets skyward. Tight bomb patterns were almost guaranteed as they had a perfect run in with almost no disruption until the last minute. Discipline held as they entered the anti-aircraft envelope and the airfield became a dust storm.
As the dust settled, visibility was still atrocious as the dust was replaced by thick gasoline smoke. Three of the islands six fuel trucks were burning. More importantly eleven Dauntless dive bombers were at least damaged if not wrecked. Mechanics would be able to pick their way through the skeletons and perform shade tree surgery to cobble together flyable craft from the debris but the fires would keep them away from that morbid task until mid-afternoon. Two of the attackers were brought down. One deliberately crashed into a moored PBY while the other skidded outside of the reef. Two of the aircrew were seen to enter the sea but almost no effort was made to launch a surf boat to rescue them.
Thirty minutes later, the ten Wildcats who had been led on a wild goose chase circled the island. Six landed and four stayed high to guard against any more low level raiders. New tactics would be needed as Wake still had her shield but her sword had been broken.
He is claiming and actually got 2 in the first sortie.
During the second sortie he is claiming 1.5 and actually just had .5 Zeros
With Japanese fleet in worse shape off the bat could the USN try a resupply run to Wake ?
Story 0906
December 7, 1941 1045 Honolulu Time aboard USS Arizona
Admiral Kidd looked across the harbor one more time. Oklahoma had just turned turtle twenty minutes ago. California had been split in two. Her bow had taken an hour to sink. West Virginia was in bad shape with a 16 degree list that had been 22 degrees before counterflooding reduced it. She also was billowing smoke from an oil fire. That and other fires in the harbor produced a funereal pyre reaching 10,000 feet into the air.
Arizona had not been hit during the second wave, several near misses sprung leaks and damaged her propellers, but she was in fighting trim if the enemy would oblige her by rounding Diamond Head. Tennessee, and Maryland could join Nevada as wounded but fit for combat in the next three hours. Pennsylvania had been bombed in dry dock and the two destroyers with her had exploded. Detroit had been bombed and would need time in the dockyards while Vestal beached herself. The heavy cruiser San Francisco had just finished extinguishing a series of small fires that were started when an Army 37mm anti-aircraft battery accidentally fired into her.
Most of the ships had raised enoough steam to actually make it out to sea. A division of destroyers had already gone down the channel to hunt for submarines that most likely were waiting for the fleet to sortie. Mine sweepers were getting ready to sanitize a channel for the fleet to enter or exit the harbor. As the Admiral finished looking over the disaster, he removed his steel helmet with his soft cover for the first time since the air raid sirens had sounded just a few hours ago and made his way down from the bridge to get on a liberty launch so that he could confer with Admiral Kimmel ashore.
Admiral Kidd looked across the harbor one more time. Oklahoma had just turned turtle twenty minutes ago. California had been split in two. Her bow had taken an hour to sink. West Virginia was in bad shape with a 16 degree list that had been 22 degrees before counterflooding reduced it. She also was billowing smoke from an oil fire. That and other fires in the harbor produced a funereal pyre reaching 10,000 feet into the air.
Arizona had not been hit during the second wave, several near misses sprung leaks and damaged her propellers, but she was in fighting trim if the enemy would oblige her by rounding Diamond Head. Tennessee, and Maryland could join Nevada as wounded but fit for combat in the next three hours. Pennsylvania had been bombed in dry dock and the two destroyers with her had exploded. Detroit had been bombed and would need time in the dockyards while Vestal beached herself. The heavy cruiser San Francisco had just finished extinguishing a series of small fires that were started when an Army 37mm anti-aircraft battery accidentally fired into her.
Most of the ships had raised enoough steam to actually make it out to sea. A division of destroyers had already gone down the channel to hunt for submarines that most likely were waiting for the fleet to sortie. Mine sweepers were getting ready to sanitize a channel for the fleet to enter or exit the harbor. As the Admiral finished looking over the disaster, he removed his steel helmet with his soft cover for the first time since the air raid sirens had sounded just a few hours ago and made his way down from the bridge to get on a liberty launch so that he could confer with Admiral Kimmel ashore.
Story 0907
December 8, 1941 0553 Clark Field, Luzon
Three B-17s accelerated down the concrete runways. A dozen pursuit pilots watched the big bombers amble forward as they sat in their cockpits waiting for their order to take off and patrol the skies of Central Luzon. The bombers were running light with only cameras as their warload. They would overfly Formosa's southern harbors and airfields and see what was coming their way once light broke.
Three B-17s accelerated down the concrete runways. A dozen pursuit pilots watched the big bombers amble forward as they sat in their cockpits waiting for their order to take off and patrol the skies of Central Luzon. The bombers were running light with only cameras as their warload. They would overfly Formosa's southern harbors and airfields and see what was coming their way once light broke.
Story 0907
December 7, 1941 1158 South of Pearl Harbor
USS Minneapolis and three old destroyer conversions had been at sea when the harbor was raided. Since the word had gone out, they had been ordered to head north and then to return to Pearl and then to rendezvous with the carriers and now they were ordered to head to a point 20 miles south of Pearl and await further orders. The three destroyers were in a demi-lune escort position in front of the heavy cruiser as they steamed at 25 knots. The formation had been zig-zagging every twenty to thirty minutes. Normally, this would be enough unless the cruiser was to run over a submarine.
A periscope popped through the waves for three seconds and then slid back down. A look-out had glanced slightly to the right of where the periscope had been and his eyes were focused over the disturbance as well. Four torpedo tracks however were quickly seen thirteen hundred yards from the heavy cruiser. Her captain ordered a hard turn within seconds of being alerted to the danger. It was a race between the rudder biting hard enough to turn the cruiser and the four torpedoes. The race was a draw. Three torpedoes went by while one exploded forty five feet from the cruiser's stern. The cruiser shuddered to a stop and damage control teams were scrambling to contain the flooding and restore some power to the ship.
Two destroyers chased down the torpedo tracks and depth charges were soon rolling off their stern seeking retribution. The last destroyer came along aside to render assistance. By mid-afternoon, a fleet tug had arrived from Pearl and began the short and slow journey bringing the wounded cruiser back to a drydock. Her war would not resume for another year.
USS Minneapolis and three old destroyer conversions had been at sea when the harbor was raided. Since the word had gone out, they had been ordered to head north and then to return to Pearl and then to rendezvous with the carriers and now they were ordered to head to a point 20 miles south of Pearl and await further orders. The three destroyers were in a demi-lune escort position in front of the heavy cruiser as they steamed at 25 knots. The formation had been zig-zagging every twenty to thirty minutes. Normally, this would be enough unless the cruiser was to run over a submarine.
A periscope popped through the waves for three seconds and then slid back down. A look-out had glanced slightly to the right of where the periscope had been and his eyes were focused over the disturbance as well. Four torpedo tracks however were quickly seen thirteen hundred yards from the heavy cruiser. Her captain ordered a hard turn within seconds of being alerted to the danger. It was a race between the rudder biting hard enough to turn the cruiser and the four torpedoes. The race was a draw. Three torpedoes went by while one exploded forty five feet from the cruiser's stern. The cruiser shuddered to a stop and damage control teams were scrambling to contain the flooding and restore some power to the ship.
Two destroyers chased down the torpedo tracks and depth charges were soon rolling off their stern seeking retribution. The last destroyer came along aside to render assistance. By mid-afternoon, a fleet tug had arrived from Pearl and began the short and slow journey bringing the wounded cruiser back to a drydock. Her war would not resume for another year.
And on top of that the plane and munition handling was awkward, manual, and laborious based on basic Japanese carrier design and equipment. Not just the basic training lost, but the practice, familiarity, and cohesion of working together, and then trying to replace that from a smaller pool of those skills.
All this slows down their speed in launching strikes and/or defending themselves where speed is a matter of survival, much like with tank on tank: first to shoot has a better chance of winning.
That was what I was referring to, the crack deck and munitions crew of the Japanese carriers at Midway, got excellent turn-arounds from 7 December to Midway. After that, from everything I have read, the for the most part Japanese carrier operations were never matched.
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