Mitscher at Midway

I just read "The Magnificent Mitscher". Talk of this controversy does not stick out in my memory too much, other than the Admiral being very bothered about his squadron being totally destroyed.

I am just getting started reading about the Pacific commanders, but what I can gather about Mitscher is that he seemed to care about his flyers in a uniquely special way (like him switching on the running lights of the entire fleet at nightfall during (the Marianas action?) to get his fighters landed.

Too bad he was such a reserve fighter and destroyed his documents. Would be interesting to get more into his head.

Any other good books about the Task Force 38/58 commanders? I have read along with "Mitscher" "A Leader Born", and also I am about to start Arleigh Bruke by Potter.

 

It might be considered better. Ring had rotated out of a non combat assignment not long before, and had not yet caught up in flying hours in his squadrons aircraft. They were a new model that he had not flown at all until he joined the squadron. Of course one could say Ring was deficient for not completely familarizing himself with his aircraft, but I dont know the circumstances between him joining the squadron and the attack.

If I remember correctly the Hornets strike group failed to locate the targets in two of three missions during the Midway battle. If correct then it suggests a trend rather than a one time mistake.

 

None of this seems especially surprising to me, as Hornet had only commissioned some eight months prior. Of all the major fleet units in the U.S. Navy her crew had the least experience working together. After her October commissioning she trained for a couple of months before being sent back to the yard for a weapons refit, and I think a repaint into her wartime camouflage. After that she trained for another month before departing Norfolk for Alameda. I presume some training went on during her two week transit, but after that she took aboard B-25s for the Doolittle Raid, rendering any further flight ops impossible until the bombers were off the deck nearly a month later.

Thus between October 20 and April 18 she had, at best, five months for flight training, and some part of that would have been consumed by shore leave and the yard period. Further, the initial part of that was in outmoded types, as Hornet received biplane dive bombers (I presume SBUs) immediately after commissioning. Even assuming a very rigorous training schedule, Hornet would have been quite green.

By the time of their first carrier to carrier battles at Coral Sea and Midway Lexington, Yorktown, and Enterprise had all conducted strikes on Japanese shipping and shore positions: experience which no doubt proved invaluable. Hornet never had time for any of that. Her fliers at Midway were completely untested. It's little wonder they didn't achieve the results of the other two airgroups.

Some final notes: I do not wish to disparage Hornet's crew. I merely wish to point out that the deck was stacked against them. Further, this should in no way be construed as a comment on any member of Hornet's crew in particular: only the crew as a whole. It boils down to this. Midway wasn't quite Hornet's maiden voyage, but it was very very close. From everything I've heard it takes a while for a crew to gel. By the time of the Solomons campaign Hornet and her crew comported themselves quite admirably.

 

I think this is a valid explanation for at least some of Hornet's problems at Midway. Mistakes happen. What bothers me is when officers try to cover up their mistakes instead of willingly being open about them and trying to use them as learning opportunities instead of trying to safeguard their careers. Mrazek, if I'm not mistaken, alleges that Mitscher's and Ring's cover up may have cost two fighter pilot's their lives.

 

Certainly the mistakes cost lives and lost opportunities. But the unfortunate truth is that the learning curve in warfare is particularly brutal. Just like the rest of warfare. Mrazek's book is on my to do list, actually. May have to see about moving it up.

 

I don't recall where I heard, read, or saw this next quote but it stuck with me. "Armed conflict is a particularly harsh educator. She gives the tests and examinations first, and the instuctions later."