Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Big B

One point of note that has bearing on this game regarding the 1st Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (11/13/42), is that many historians have written for years that it was a confused action that led to a blundering of forces becoming unintentionally entangled in opposing formations.
This is not true at all.

Admiral Callaghan is well documented as regarding his orders (prior to engagement) as a suicide mission, and subsequently deliberately corrected course twice during the early stages of the engagement to ensure knifing through the known Japanese formation at point blank range.

His reasoning was that his two Heavy Cruisers stood no chance against two known Japanese Battleships - unless they closed to 0 range - to assure damage on the Japanese battleships.

Unfortunately, this has been taken as a clue by many that night actions were always confused uncoordinated affairs that could go down unintentionally to ramming range.
This is historically untrue - and a bit of a dis-service to the men that participated in that particular surface action.

Equally untrue, but has acquired the status of "urban knowledge" is the fact that the San Francisco confused the Atlanta for an enemy ship and fired into her.

The truth is that upon a second course correction ordered by Callaghan, the Atlanta with a smaller turning radius than the San Francisco, and the next ship in line and ahead of the San Francisco, turned sharper and drifted into the San Francisco's field of fire while she was engaging the Japanese Battleship Hei...with the result of her rounds drifting into the Atlanta. That was unfortunate friendly fire - but not confusion of targets per-say...

My point being - that unlike WitP/AE, surface actions were not confused point blank affairs. Confusing - as all battles are - yes. Unintentionally drifting to ramming range - you won't find one in the Pacific.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Apollo11


One bit of promising news is that HBO have green-lit Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks to make their third epic mini-series, this one called ‘Masters of the Sky’ which will be about the 8th Air-Force over Western Europe in WW2.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

quote:

ORIGINAL: Big B

One point of note that has bearing on this game regarding the 1st Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (11/13/42), is that many historians have written for years that it was a confused action that led to a blundering of forces becoming unintentionally entangled in opposing formations.
This is not true at all.

Admiral Callaghan is well documented as regarding his orders (prior to engagement) as a suicide mission, and subsequently deliberately corrected course twice during the early stages of the engagement to ensure knifing through the known Japanese formation at point blank range.

His reasoning was that his two Heavy Cruisers stood no chance against two known Japanese Battleships - unless they closed to 0 range - to assure damage on the Japanese battleships.

Unfortunately, this has been taken as a clue by many that night actions were always confused uncoordinated affairs that could go down unintentionally to ramming range.
This is historically untrue - and a bit of a dis-service to the men that participated in that particular surface action.

Equally untrue, but has acquired the status of "urban knowledge" is the fact that the San Francisco confused the Atlanta for an enemy ship and fired into her.

The truth is that upon a second course correction ordered by Callaghan, the Atlanta with a smaller turning radius than the San Francisco, and the next ship in line and ahead of the San Francisco, turned sharper and drifted into the San Francisco's field of fire while she was engaging the Japanese Battleship Hei...with the result of her rounds drifting into the Atlanta. That was unfortunate friendly fire - but not confusion of targets per-say...

My point being - that unlike WitP/AE, surface actions were not confused point blank affairs. Confusing - as all battles are - yes. Unintentionally drifting to ramming range - you won't find one in the Pacific.

I never knew any of this, but I find it eminently plausible. I always wondered why this action was so 'confused'. Thanks for the education

quote:

ORIGINAL: blueatoll

I'm voting for the USS Patterson. 13 Battle Stars, at Pearl, 1st days of Guadalcanal, at Savo Island (strange ships entering harbor call was from Patterson), convoy duty, the Marianas, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Leyte Gulf, Saipan, Palua, Yap.

It might be interesting to see the war from the perspective of a small fry who did a heavy lifting job.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Big B
Admiral Callaghan is well documented as regarding his orders (prior to engagement) as a suicide mission, and subsequently deliberately corrected course twice during the early stages of the engagement to ensure knifing through the known Japanese formation at point blank range.

His reasoning was that his two Heavy Cruisers stood no chance against two known Japanese Battleships - unless they closed to 0 range - to assure damage on the Japanese battleships.