How would this all affect the British request for the Wasp to fly planes to Malta? Would the Wasp be unavailable and would this have a significant impact on the battle of Malta and the interdiction of supplies to Rommel?
How would this all affect the British request for the Wasp to fly planes to Malta?
No. Starting in the summer of 1944 when the IJN was essentially anchored in the western Pacific, she spent a little over one year training carrier borne night fighters out of first Pearl and later San Diego.
She delivered aircraft in the Atlantic, a very different combat environment than the Pacific, and her two combat operations were Torch, where French North Africa didn't present much of a threat, and a two day raid on northern Norway where the Luftwaffe didn't present much of a threat either.
When the US was down to one carrier in the Pacific, there was still no pressure to use Ranger. She's too slow, too small, and too old for combat. She's also too valuable in her actual wartime role; training carrier squadrons.
That isn't my suggestion. That's what actually happened.
The 9 Independence-class light carriers were converted from either previously laid Cleveland-class light cruiser hulls or planned hulls of the same class.
We're not "misscommunicating". You're simply wrong.
What you meant is of no consequence because Victorious didn't leave the yards in Norfolk to begin her service with the USN until January of 1943.
elkarlo, I haven't a clue what that last question asked.
Thought with the Battles of Iwo and Okinawa there was starting to be some anti war movement starting. Am I wrong?Except it wasn't getting more unpopular so there wasn't any chance of the US letting Japan off easy.![]()
Thought with the Battles of Iwo and Okinawa there was starting to be some anti war movement starting. Am I wrong?
Brain glitch - the first time I read the title of this thread, I saw it as the starship Enterprise having been sunk at Pearl Harbour.
Butterflies the size of Mothra
Note that I originally said that the Ranger was used in a non-combatant role in the Pacific.
CV-4 was smallish (though she could embark 86 aircraft, certainly an adequate number for some operations), and her protection though limited, was acceptable for light-to-moderate combat operations. She spent almost 2 years in the Pacific in a non-combat role...
As has been pointed out already, resupplying and reinforcing Malta could have been handled by CVEs...
The Europe-first dictum was violated on numerous occasions (landing-craft come immediately to mind), and was more of a general goal, not a hard and fast rule.
I know that there were plans drawn up to convert the Alaska's to CV's. I think that's a reasonable plan and would certainly make them far more useful that they were historically.