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Midway did offer one or two minor advnatages to the Japanese, but the real draw was that it was hoped the USN would come out and fight for it. The Japanese were hoping for total annhilation of the pacific fleet, not just its carriers
Postulate for the masses just how you, the strategic arm of IJN, would cause any disruption to US initiatives by taking Midway?
What about going right from there to Pearl? They had the horses for it.Postulate for the masses just how you, the strategic arm of IJN, would cause any disruption to US initiatives by taking Midway?
What about going right from there to Pearl? They had the horses for it.
Here is some fecal debris fromTake a look at the shallow water/atoll surrounding Midway and ask yourself a.) how you would build up Wake and b.) why?
Midway was a cinch. They were already having their mail forwarded to there. And look at the battleships they brought to the dance in the main force, which wasn't even the striking force. They weren't contemplating just awaiting a carrier battle, not when they brought everything they had in the barn. They were planning on their two other big carriers, too, but for the fact of one of them having been badly hit, and the other one having lost its air group. They were bringing in their two best air groups, the cream of their crop, to this dance. At Coral Sea, they stood off the best we had to a draw, with only a mediocre air group. I know what the historians say, but in the aftermath, they leave a big, gaping hole. If the Japanese were planning on going for Pearl, they had the battleships in the main force to do it, but they needed Midway off their back. I'm saying, fill in that big, gaping hole with, Pearl was still the jugular, and they brought too much to Midway, way too much, for just a carrier dance. That's why that main force turned back, too, it was useless after the striking force was finished off.So by sending Betty's on 2600 mile (round trip) missions into the waiting arms of Wildcats, P40s, and Lightnings is going to end good for the IJN aircrews?
While the intelligence suggested the Japanese were going for Midway, Emmons, who, like many others, understood little of Rochefort's work, knew the Japanese had the capability to go for Hawaii. His bombers go under CINCPAC control, in effect, leaving him with nothing at Hawaii, he, not Nimitz, takes the blast from the War Department for that. Midway was intelligence winning out over capability.Any scenario projection that doesn't take into account real logistics capability and intelligence is IMO fundamentally based on fantasy.
So, there seems to be multiple possible alternate outcomes of the battle that might be in play here:
1. What is the scenario for a tactical defeat which would be defined by an exchange of one for one.
2. What is the scenario for a tactical catastrophic defeat which would be defined by an exchange of two for one, or worse and currently being discussed.
3. The consequences of the loss of Midway itself and also currently being discussed.
Parsifal,
Thanks for delving so deep in the Pacific war for us (or me). My question is who recognized, and when, that the Allies were getting the upper hand? It seems so easy in retrospect looking back through the lens of history that it should have been obvious, however that could just be projection on my part.
Cheers,
Biff
This, in its obvious simplicity, is an elegant and succint way of defining the propblem.
In relation to your point 1, I assume you are saying a 1 for 1 exchange rate is an American tactical defeat.
If ther was an Ozawa, rather than a Nagumo in charge, it is conceivable that Akagi might have avoided the initial carnage. With two carriers surviving to opening rounds, the Japanese counterattack may well have caused the loss or incapacitation of two US carriers, and from there a withdrawal by the USN rather than a further exposure to more attacks. Its all conjecture of course, but the nature of the Japanese air airm is that it would derive more from its attacking stance, not that it would minimise losses. a more air minded fleet commander such as Ozawa, may have seen the IJN more aware of its surroundings. Ozawa never was caught short by his searches in the same way as Nagumo was.
So, the most likley (IMO) tactical scenario is the loss of two carriers for two carriers, or tywo IJN for one USN carrier lost and one damaged, a withdrawal by the USN and then loss of the atoll to the surface attack.
In relation to your point 2, a loss of two US carriers for one IJN carrier is lengthening the odds considerably, but I still see this as a strategic US victory. It depends on the aircrew losses for the Japanese really. Say Enterprise survives, that means, if the assault on Guadacanal is delayed by one month, the makes their landings with Saratoga, Wasp, and the big E. If Torch is delayed by a month, you can add Ranger, Chenango, Suwannee and Santee to the available carriers. In this scenario, the Japanese victory has gained them one months freedom of action (maybe a bit more, or a bit less) , but not a great deal else. again the real issue are what the aircrew losses for the japanese are, not the number of carriers they lose.
There is a permutation of this scenario, and that is that the Japanese discover the USN, destroy it, and lose no carriers and no significant numbers of aircrew. this is THE nightmare scenario, the one likley to lead to major changes in the history timeline. 3 US carriers, plus a lot of surface warships, to say under 100 Japanese aircrew lost. That would have been an earth shattering, history changing result
in relation to your point 3, Midway offered some real advantages to whover controlled it, but not earth shattering. it was always about the fleets and the losses either side might suffer one way ofr the other in my opinion
Actually the outcome of the Midway battle did lose the USN the immediate use of two CVs. Hornet performed so badly at Midway it was apparently deemed to be in need of training and so would not be available for the next operation: Watchtower.
5) Relinquish the initiative and go over the defensive, return some air groups to the training schools, and see the decisive battle as the Americans began their counteroffensive, expected in 1944-5in the marshalls and or the Marianas. Nagano strongly favoured this approach and almost had the argument in the bag. Yammaoto strongly opposed such "defeatist" attitude, and worked tirelessly to discredit it. Nagano and Yammamoto hated each other, so more than a little, the debate was personal and bitter. This option almost won the day however, except that in April the USN delivered the Doolittle raid, which sent the Japanese high command loopy over concerns for the emperors personal safety.
6) For the above reason (the Doolittle raid), Yammamoto was able to establish that the Nagano plan was dangerous to the emperor, and given all the other possibilities had been rejected or deferred for one reason or another came up with the Midway plan (actually the planning was already well under way by the April raid) . there were two permutations considered initially, the capture of the island of Palmyra and secondly the capture of Midway. midway was chosen because there were more facilities alreary built on the island, and this would place the security of Oahu at risk as it would allow almost imediate surveillance to begin.