Midway - the aftermath.
With the obvious presence of a Japanese submarine threat in the area, it was decided that the remaining ships of the US Task Force and Force Z would meet north of Hawaii, to allow the remaining carriers to give the maximum antisubmarine protection, and just in case the Japanese had the resources left for any sort of further attack. There is a certain amount of delicate negotiation about who is in command, and Vice-Admiral Lyster, as the senior officer, is officially in charge of the combined force. Since no offensive operations are planned until after the return to Hawaii, this is not seen as an operational problem.
The news of the defeat of the Japanese fleet is still a secret, although the rumours circulating in Pearl Harbor are reaching massive proportions (and growing continually less accurate as time goes on.). Nimitz has reported to Washington and Singapore that the Japanese have been halted, but that a detailed appraisal will have to wait until the ships return and the respective commanders report the action in detail. Ship losses are being kept a secret until a full casualty list is compiled.
The combined force takes some time to reach Pearl Harbor, as the damage to a number of ships limits the speed to 10 knots. The arrival of two tugs on the following day helps; the slowest ship, the badly damage French cruiser Gloire, is taken under tow with an escort of four US destroyers while the rest of the ships are able to increase speed to 16 knots. There is also considerable discussion between Lyster and Spruance over the issue of what order the ships will enter harbour. Each Admiral trying to give the other the honour! In the end a decision is made; after the time-honoured method of tossing a coin, the fleet will be led in by HMS Audacious, with the ships following in alternate order.
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 6th June. Office of Admiral Nimitz, US Pacific fleet commander.
“So, they finally came to a decision, Admiral?”
Nimitz nodded to Admiral Halsey - still not recovered from his skin condition, but allowed out for the ships return due to protestations and the plea from his doctors to give them a rest from them.
“It took them longer to decide what order to arrive in than it did for them to sink the Japanese. Not to mention the reports I got.” Nimitz waved two sheets of paper at the amused Halsey. “These arrived with one of the planes that landed this morning. Spruance summed the whole operation up in half a page. Lyster was positively eloquent in comparison, his report lasts almost 3/4 of a page. How the hell am I going to report to Washington and London, I have both of them breathing down my neck and this is all I have to go on!!”
Halsey, refused permission to lead the US force due to being in hospital, seemed remarkably unconcerned. “You’re the boss, Roosevelt and Churchill are your problem, I’m just a simple fighting Admiral.” The look Nimitz gave him in return rather promised an early return to the hospital, but fortunately his aide entered the room to announce that the lead ships were entering the main channel. The two admirals headed for the window, binoculars in hand.
“That’s a bloody huge carrier, Admiral.”
Nimitz just nodded, his own eyes looking over the Audacious.
“Sir, what’s that on the British carriers masthead?”
Nimitz frowned at his aides odd question, then as he focussed on the said masthead broke into a chuckle. Halsey looked at him, then took his own look.
“Look at the Enterprise, Halsey - it looks like Spruance has copied the British tradition too.” He turned to his aide, who was still looking terribly puzzled at the sight of the two lead carriers each with a broom lashed to the masthead.
“It signifies that the fleet has swept the ocean clear of the enemy, Lieutenant. A rather fitting sentiment, I think.”
The losses on both sides took some time to evaluate - in particular as the Japanese seemed to be refusing to mention that anything other than a minor action had taken place.
The USN had lost two fleet carriers sunk, and the USS Yorktown would be in dock for some 6-9 months
The RN had lost one fleet carrier, and the battleships KGV and Anson damaged. KGV would take some two months to fix at Singapore, but Anson’s more severe underwater damage would need some five months, and it was decided this would be best dome in San Francisco. The cruiser Glasgow would require major reconstruction; the Royal Navy were not sure if it was worth it, but the Americans insisted on doing the work as a show of solidarity after the British aid in the action.
The French had lost two destroyers, and the battleship Richelieu would require some two months work. This would be done at Singapore, although it would have been somewhat easier in a US dock, as the ship might be required, and the shell damage would not prevent her fighting at close to her full capacity. Although the heavily damage Gloire had also arrived safely, the damage was considered too great and she was declared a TCL.
The damage done to the IJN was far more serious. Four of their five fleet carriers had been sunk, and Shokaku, the only survivor, would require the best part of 9 months to repair. Three of the four light carriers were at the bottom of the Pacific, and Junyo would be four months in dock. The Japanese carrier force was effectively eliminated as a threat for some time. Worse was the loss of the experienced (and irreplaceable) carrier pilots. With the losses from the air actions and the men lost in the carrier sinkings, some 85% of the pilots had been lost, with no immediate hope of replacements (and even then, not of the quality of the med lost). While the allies had taken crew losses, they were much lighter and the USN and FAA replacement programs were well able to cover the losses.
The IJN had also lost two battleships, four heavy cruisers, five destroyers and three transports, but it was the loss of the carriers and their aviators that was to damage the capabilities of the IJN the most. In a similar situation, the allies might have transferred pilots from the USAAF or the RAF to take the load, but the political infighting between the Japanese Army and Navy made this a practical impossibility. While the analysts expected that the Japanese would try and rebuild their carrier capacity with new fleet carriers and merchant conversions, the pilot pool would be much more difficult to reconstruct. Since the US Essex class carriers were expected in service next year, and the RN had more Audacious class under construction, it was felt the Japanese carrier threat was now much past its high point.
Consideration was given to the need for a carrier force in the mid-pacific. The USS Wasp was now at Singapore, and with the likelihood of a Japanese carrier offensive in the near future highly unlikely, it was decided to bring her forward where, with the USS Enterprise, she would form the US striking force for the next few months. Due to the temporary shortage of heavy escorts, the US Pacific fleet received another RN ship on loan until new US construction could replace her - HMS Hood had finally finished working up after her US refit, and would accompany the USS Enterprise. The rest of Force Z would be returning to Singapore once the immediate battle damage had been fixed. As most of the Bulwark’s air group had survived the loss of the ship, Somerville and Lyster agreed to leave a squadron of SeaLance (crewed by aircrew from the Bulwark) to allow the USN to train with a radar-equipped plane, and to give them that capability while the Avenger was modified to carry the ASV set. Trials had already been carried out on this, but the experience of Midway had made Nimitz and his Admirals true believers in the usefulness of an onboard radar plane.
With the obvious presence of a Japanese submarine threat in the area, it was decided that the remaining ships of the US Task Force and Force Z would meet north of Hawaii, to allow the remaining carriers to give the maximum antisubmarine protection, and just in case the Japanese had the resources left for any sort of further attack. There is a certain amount of delicate negotiation about who is in command, and Vice-Admiral Lyster, as the senior officer, is officially in charge of the combined force. Since no offensive operations are planned until after the return to Hawaii, this is not seen as an operational problem.
The news of the defeat of the Japanese fleet is still a secret, although the rumours circulating in Pearl Harbor are reaching massive proportions (and growing continually less accurate as time goes on.). Nimitz has reported to Washington and Singapore that the Japanese have been halted, but that a detailed appraisal will have to wait until the ships return and the respective commanders report the action in detail. Ship losses are being kept a secret until a full casualty list is compiled.
The combined force takes some time to reach Pearl Harbor, as the damage to a number of ships limits the speed to 10 knots. The arrival of two tugs on the following day helps; the slowest ship, the badly damage French cruiser Gloire, is taken under tow with an escort of four US destroyers while the rest of the ships are able to increase speed to 16 knots. There is also considerable discussion between Lyster and Spruance over the issue of what order the ships will enter harbour. Each Admiral trying to give the other the honour! In the end a decision is made; after the time-honoured method of tossing a coin, the fleet will be led in by HMS Audacious, with the ships following in alternate order.
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 6th June. Office of Admiral Nimitz, US Pacific fleet commander.
“So, they finally came to a decision, Admiral?”
Nimitz nodded to Admiral Halsey - still not recovered from his skin condition, but allowed out for the ships return due to protestations and the plea from his doctors to give them a rest from them.
“It took them longer to decide what order to arrive in than it did for them to sink the Japanese. Not to mention the reports I got.” Nimitz waved two sheets of paper at the amused Halsey. “These arrived with one of the planes that landed this morning. Spruance summed the whole operation up in half a page. Lyster was positively eloquent in comparison, his report lasts almost 3/4 of a page. How the hell am I going to report to Washington and London, I have both of them breathing down my neck and this is all I have to go on!!”
Halsey, refused permission to lead the US force due to being in hospital, seemed remarkably unconcerned. “You’re the boss, Roosevelt and Churchill are your problem, I’m just a simple fighting Admiral.” The look Nimitz gave him in return rather promised an early return to the hospital, but fortunately his aide entered the room to announce that the lead ships were entering the main channel. The two admirals headed for the window, binoculars in hand.
“That’s a bloody huge carrier, Admiral.”
Nimitz just nodded, his own eyes looking over the Audacious.
“Sir, what’s that on the British carriers masthead?”
Nimitz frowned at his aides odd question, then as he focussed on the said masthead broke into a chuckle. Halsey looked at him, then took his own look.
“Look at the Enterprise, Halsey - it looks like Spruance has copied the British tradition too.” He turned to his aide, who was still looking terribly puzzled at the sight of the two lead carriers each with a broom lashed to the masthead.
“It signifies that the fleet has swept the ocean clear of the enemy, Lieutenant. A rather fitting sentiment, I think.”
The losses on both sides took some time to evaluate - in particular as the Japanese seemed to be refusing to mention that anything other than a minor action had taken place.
The USN had lost two fleet carriers sunk, and the USS Yorktown would be in dock for some 6-9 months
The RN had lost one fleet carrier, and the battleships KGV and Anson damaged. KGV would take some two months to fix at Singapore, but Anson’s more severe underwater damage would need some five months, and it was decided this would be best dome in San Francisco. The cruiser Glasgow would require major reconstruction; the Royal Navy were not sure if it was worth it, but the Americans insisted on doing the work as a show of solidarity after the British aid in the action.
The French had lost two destroyers, and the battleship Richelieu would require some two months work. This would be done at Singapore, although it would have been somewhat easier in a US dock, as the ship might be required, and the shell damage would not prevent her fighting at close to her full capacity. Although the heavily damage Gloire had also arrived safely, the damage was considered too great and she was declared a TCL.
The damage done to the IJN was far more serious. Four of their five fleet carriers had been sunk, and Shokaku, the only survivor, would require the best part of 9 months to repair. Three of the four light carriers were at the bottom of the Pacific, and Junyo would be four months in dock. The Japanese carrier force was effectively eliminated as a threat for some time. Worse was the loss of the experienced (and irreplaceable) carrier pilots. With the losses from the air actions and the men lost in the carrier sinkings, some 85% of the pilots had been lost, with no immediate hope of replacements (and even then, not of the quality of the med lost). While the allies had taken crew losses, they were much lighter and the USN and FAA replacement programs were well able to cover the losses.
The IJN had also lost two battleships, four heavy cruisers, five destroyers and three transports, but it was the loss of the carriers and their aviators that was to damage the capabilities of the IJN the most. In a similar situation, the allies might have transferred pilots from the USAAF or the RAF to take the load, but the political infighting between the Japanese Army and Navy made this a practical impossibility. While the analysts expected that the Japanese would try and rebuild their carrier capacity with new fleet carriers and merchant conversions, the pilot pool would be much more difficult to reconstruct. Since the US Essex class carriers were expected in service next year, and the RN had more Audacious class under construction, it was felt the Japanese carrier threat was now much past its high point.
Consideration was given to the need for a carrier force in the mid-pacific. The USS Wasp was now at Singapore, and with the likelihood of a Japanese carrier offensive in the near future highly unlikely, it was decided to bring her forward where, with the USS Enterprise, she would form the US striking force for the next few months. Due to the temporary shortage of heavy escorts, the US Pacific fleet received another RN ship on loan until new US construction could replace her - HMS Hood had finally finished working up after her US refit, and would accompany the USS Enterprise. The rest of Force Z would be returning to Singapore once the immediate battle damage had been fixed. As most of the Bulwark’s air group had survived the loss of the ship, Somerville and Lyster agreed to leave a squadron of SeaLance (crewed by aircrew from the Bulwark) to allow the USN to train with a radar-equipped plane, and to give them that capability while the Avenger was modified to carry the ASV set. Trials had already been carried out on this, but the experience of Midway had made Nimitz and his Admirals true believers in the usefulness of an onboard radar plane.
