robdab2
Banned
Bill Cameron, you replied,
There is another slight possibility however. The IJN possessed a number of seaplane tenders before the war. Among others, the Nisshin was completed in 1937 and carried 20 seaplanes. The Chitose-class were completed pre-war also. While they carried 30 aircraft after their wartime conversion to aircraft carriers, I don't know how many seaplanes they carried before that conversion.
An attack led by a few seaplane tenders and covered by a few cruisers might be plausible. Such a force would still require an oiler, or oilers, would greatly risk detection well before reaching a launch point, and would still divert assets from Japan's other, far more important, planned operations.
I see that you DID read my, "Even better would be using an IJN seaplane carrier instead so as not to weaken the KB's Pearl Harbor strike force." from my posting #25 earlier in this thread.
P.S. One of my books states that the Chitose-class carried 24 seaplanes prior to conversion. I can't vouch for the accuracy of that however.
Quite true but that can be changed fairly easily if so desired.
There is another slight possibility however. The IJN possessed a number of seaplane tenders before the war. Among others, the Nisshin was completed in 1937 and carried 20 seaplanes. The Chitose-class were completed pre-war also. While they carried 30 aircraft after their wartime conversion to aircraft carriers, I don't know how many seaplanes they carried before that conversion.
An attack led by a few seaplane tenders and covered by a few cruisers might be plausible. Such a force would still require an oiler, or oilers, would greatly risk detection well before reaching a launch point, and would still divert assets from Japan's other, far more important, planned operations.
I see that you DID read my, "Even better would be using an IJN seaplane carrier instead so as not to weaken the KB's Pearl Harbor strike force." from my posting #25 earlier in this thread.
P.S. One of my books states that the Chitose-class carried 24 seaplanes prior to conversion. I can't vouch for the accuracy of that however.
Quite true but that can be changed fairly easily if so desired.