From: Charles.K.Scott@dartmouth.edu (Charles K. Scott)
Subject: Re: WWII -- Why didn't Japan invade Hawaii?
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 01:58:02 GMT


From Charles.K.Scott@dartmouth.edu (Charles K. Scott)



> In article <BvnFvn.KIt@lawday.DaytonOH.NCR.COM> chadwemy@wpi.WPI.EDU (Chad Barret Wemyss) writes:

Though the Japanese had numerical superiority in carriers, they were
short on qualified carrier pilots, due to high losses at Coral Sea. 
Therefore, the 
Americans had no real trouble with the Japanese carriers.  Even though
we lost one carrier, the previously damaged one, we destroyed four of
the Japanese carriers, and damaged the other.  Without adequate air
cover, the amphibious attack on Midway could not have been carried out
with any degree of success, so the main Japanese fleet returned home,
harrassed the whole way by American aircraft. 

I feel it's important to note that at the time, the Navy definately did
not think they'd have no trouble dealing with the Japanese Midway
forces.  That the American forces emerged with the victory is now
considered one of the most amazing and fortuitous series of
happenstances to ever have occured in modern military history.  One
entire flight of diver bombers (from the Hornet) missed the Japanese
fleet completely, never becoming a factor in the battle.  The other two
converged overhead only after one floundered around south of the fleet
and turned North to meet with destiny upon discovering a Japanese
destroyer speeding back to the fleet after engaging an American
submarine. The squadron commander suspected the destroyer was returning
to the fleet, and so wheeled his flight North in the direction the
destroyer was heading.  The bombers achieved concentration of force
only from the purest of good fortune, not astute tactical execution. 
Whats more, the two dive bomber squadrons that attacked, arrived at
their pushover points at almost precisely the same time, divied up the
three carriers in sight to attack amongst themselves  hitting all three
fataly and NEVER SIGHTED EACH OTHER. That the torpedo bombers did draw
the CAP down to sea level leaving the bombers to approach unmolested is
another stroke of good fortune as the Devastators normally flew so
slowly that the dive bombers often had to wait on station in order to
make a coordinated attack (this was the case at Coral Sea, but the
Torpedo planes never did appear in time to make a coordinated attack
and the bombers had to dive when discovered by the CAP)  During Midway
however, the Torpedo planes found the Japanese fleet first and attacked
before the Dive bombers thus setting in motion the events that would
bring about the sinking of the Carriers.  Finally, what are the chances
that all four carriers would be sailing into the wind on steady courses
making perfect targets for the now diving Dauntlesses instead of
maneuvering wildly to throw off the bombers aim? 

No wonder the title for the book "Miracle at Midway".

Also, the Japanese fleet was not "harrassed the whole way by American
aircraft" while returning home.  What actually happened is that the
Japanese withdrew slowly, turning back several times to attempt battle
but could not catch the American fleet which cannily backed off in an
almost prescient fashion under the orders of the now in charge Admiral
Raymond Ames Spruance.  After the two heavy cruisers "Mokuma" and
"Mogami" were caught off Midway and battered (only one of which was
sunk), the Americans never cought sight of the Japanese fleet again.

Corky Scott  



Newsgroups: sci.military