Pascal_slith -> RE: Replacing Kimmel (2/13/2010 11:33:27 PM)
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ORIGINAL: msieving1 quote:
ORIGINAL: spence Admiral Pye was in tactical command of the Wake Relief expedition. Kimmel was not in a position to materially effect what Pye did in a battle: particularly the world's first carrier battle (had it happened). A correction of the history here: Fletcher was in tactical command of the Wake operation. The relief was approved by Kimmel, and Fletcher's TF 14 (Saratoga) left Pearl Harbor on 16 December. (The plan also included TF 11 under V Adm Brown in Lexington making a diversionary strike on the Marshall Islands, and TF 8 with the AV Tangier carrying supplies and reinforcements for Wake.) Kimmel was relieved of command on 17 December, and Pye replaced him temporarily as CINCPAC, until Nimitz arrived on 31 December. Fletcher, in what was to become a bit of a pattern, delayed his advance to Wake to refuel, and Wake fell before he could arrive. Pye could have ordered Fletcher to hurry, but he was aware of the risks and his own caretaker status, and didn't want to have to greet Nimitz with the news that he'd gotten one of Nimitz's carriers sunk. There really isn't a place in the game for commanders like Nimitz or Yamamoto. Their roles are held by the player. The seagoing fleet commands, like 3rd Fleet and 5th Fleet, were in real live task force organizations. What would be nice is if the game could handle a heirarchical task force sttructure. For example, the organization for the Operation Flintlock had V Adm Spruance commanding 5th Fleet as a TF, with TF 58, the Fast Carrier Force commanded by R Adm Mitscher subordinate to Spruance, and Task Groups (TG) 58.1, 58.2, 58.3, and 58.4 comanded by R Adm Reeves, Montgomery, Sherman, and Ginder respectively subordinate to TF 58. And then there were subordinate Task Group Units (TGU) under the TGs, for the battleship or cruiser escorts and the destroyers. The game only recognizes the TG level, so Mitscher and Spruance, as well as the escort commanders, are irrelevant. The game includes a vast number of commanders, but not the positions that they filled. You chronological facts are correct. There is much more debate and nuance about Fletcher's actions than you seem to imply. I strongly recommend reading 'Black Shoe Carrier Admiral' by John Lundstrom. Essentially, Fletcher has been very short changed by quite a few people that were never there or based their judgements on heresay.
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