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2008-04-20 Home Front: WoT

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Posted by Steve White 2008-04-20 00:03|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 History channel is running a great series on the "Big E" - the carrier Enterprise during WWII. The series uses interviews, file footage, and computer graphics to chronicle the history and heroism of the men who served on the Enterprise. At one point early in the war, the ship was the sole remaining carrier in the US fleet. The series is called "Battle 360".

Posted by DMFD 2008-04-20 08:58|| 2008-04-20 08:58|| Front Page Top

#2 From CV6.org

Enterprise entered World War II on the morning of December 7, 1941, when her scout planes encountered the Japanese squadrons attacking Pearl Harbor. Not until May 14, 1945, when a Kamikaze attack off Kyushu, Japan, left a gaping hole in her flight deck, was she forced to leave the war.

Of the more than twenty major actions of the Pacific War, Enterprise engaged in all but two. Her planes and guns downed 911 enemy planes; her bombers sank 71 ships, and damaged or destroyed 192 more. Her presence inspired both pride and fear: pride in her still unmatched combat record, and fear in the knowledge that Enterprise and hard fighting were never far apart.

The most decorated ship of the Second World War, Enterprise changed the very course of a war she seemed to have been expressly created for.

Posted by George Smiley 2008-04-20 09:11|| 2008-04-20 09:11|| Front Page Top

#3 Home Base to Strike Force! Attack! I say again, ATTACK!

Wilco, Captain Brown, just as soon as I find the bastards.

Commander McClusky, sir! Surface ship at ten oclock! Appears to be a single destroyer, sir.

VB-6, were turning to port to follow that ships wake. Should point us right at the Japanese carriers.

1030
Bomber flight, I have multiple ships on the horizon, bearing 354. God! What a mess! Theyre in total disarray, going every which way.

Commander McClusky, sir! I see three carriers among all those ships.

Roger. OK, people, this is what well do. Lt. Best, take VB-6 down on the starboard carrier. Lt. Gallaher, Im leading VS-6 down on the other one. Well leave the third carrier for the next pass.

Aye, aye, sir. Wilco, sir.

Sir! Where are the enemy fighters?

I dont see em, either, Lieutenant. Get ready for our bombing run.

Commander, Lt. Henry. I have what looks like our planes making a low-level attack against the carrier to port. Enemy Zeroes are after our guys! Oh, God! Our guys are getting slaughtered!

R-roger, Lieutenant. Theres nothing we can do for them. Were near the push-over point for our dive.

Aye, aye, sir.

Lt. Best, there is aircraft debris scattered all on one side of our target! Our torpedo bombers must have been wiped out on their launch run!

Roger. Proceed with push-over. Here we go!

Yahoo! Didja see that xplosion! Right on the ol meatball!

Yay! Put mine among all them parked bombers an fuel lines! Wow! What a fire!

Easterman! You got a Zero on your tail! Break right! Tat-tat-tat! Gotim!

Enemy fighters comin outta the sun at three oclock high!

Strike force leader to bombers! Scatter! Rendezvous at the Enterprise. Our jobs done here.

Aye, aye, Commander.

Yes, sir! Soon as I get away from these Japs!

I got a Zero on my tail! Somebody help meAr-ar-gh!

1040
Base, this is Bomber Strike Leader. It is my pleasure to report that VS-6 and VB-6 have successfully hit the Kaga and Akagi. VB-3 has bombed Soryu. All three carriers are burning fiercely.

Posted by George Smiley 2008-04-20 09:30|| 2008-04-20 09:30|| Front Page Top

#4 There will always be an Enterprise in the USSN.

Posted by George Smiley 2008-04-20 09:32|| 2008-04-20 09:32|| Front Page Top

#5 It might be a bit Iain M Banks but could you yanks name a carrier "Comparative Advantage"? It's such an awesome name for a ship.

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2008-04-20 17:05|| 2008-04-20 17:05|| Front Page Top

#6 We must bear in mind that even in the budding "Carrier/Air Navy", serious ideological and technological competition existed between the "Torpedo Admirals" versus the "Bomber/Dive Bomber Admirals", wid the latter also being further segmented into those whom favored the USN taking charge of any and all US land-based coastal patrol- and attack bombers from the US Army Air Corp [USAAF/USAF] - "Torpedo Attack" as a Carrier- and Naval Community-Ideo was generally held to be the elder and more, true "Navy", "Decisive", and "Knightly/
Chivalric" than the "Bomber/Dive Bomber" Carrier-Navy communities-ideos. THINK "LIGHT" versus "HEAVY".

By the time of Pearl Harbor, the issue was decided as the USN was already recognizing that dedicated Dive-Bombers and Multipurpose Attack Bombers were cheaper and more effective agz enemy shipping than Torpedo Attack per se. AT MIDWAY, US torpedo squadrons were unfortunate enough to not only come up agz Japanese fleet fighter air cover but also enemy aircraft including fighters returning from their Midway strike, and also not counting Japanese fighters taking off from their own carriers in opposition.

IIRC, E.G. FUCHIDA > WALDRON'S TORPEDO-8 [USS HORNET]ATTACK AND DESTRUCTION > Fuchida estimated that at least 50-100 Japanese fighters/planes engaged the 15 TBDS of Torpedo 8 during its attack run.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2008-04-20 22:38|| 2008-04-20 22:38|| Front Page Top

#7 Herman Wouk's "War and Remembrance" deals with the Battle of Midway (and much of the rest of the Pacific war) exceptionally well. Another excellent account of the WWII escipades of the USS Enterprise is "The Big E", by Cdr Edward P. Stafford, USN. I've got both books (and a half-dozen others).

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2008-04-20 23:13|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2008-04-20 23:13|| Front Page Top

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