Calculated Risk-Prepping for Midway, with special guest Jon Parshall
Talking Points:
- Sit Rep late May 1942
- What does the Pacific War look like right now?
- Any major changes?
- Doolittle Raid
- What is the reasoning behind the raid?
- What happens (briefly)
- What effects does the Doolittle Raid have…
- On the targets (actual combat results of the raid)
- On US plans and ops
- US CVs high-tail it after launch to get back to Pearl
- On Japanese plans and ops…
- Japanese Plans
- Because of the Doolittle Raid and the CV raids of Feb and March, what are the Japanese thinking at this time?
- What is Yamamoto’s conceived plan for the Midway Operation?
- What is the reasoning behind the plan…the ultimate goal
- Why is the plan so complex and so reliant on timing
- Literally everything had to go exactly according to plan for the Japanese plan to work as Yamamoto had it in his head
- Do you think that at this time the Japanese had brushed off the US as a second or even third-rate adversary?
- Was there a situational arrogance on the part of the Japanese?
- Why? Why not?
- Aside from Shokaku and Zuikaku not being able to take part in Midway, did Coral Sea and the efforts of the US CV pilots not kick off a light bulb in the collective Japanese heads in regard to the USN Nav Av prowess and abilities?
- Code Breaking
- We have already done an episode on HYPO, but this period is really where they shine…
- Intel effects on Coral Sea
- “AF” and HYPO’s role in figuring out the target is indeed Midway
- Let’s talk briefly on the whole AF water condenser myth, the reality, of course, was to convince DC, not the Japanese.
- King is barely convinced and allows Nimitz to do what he needs/wants to do
- US Preparations for battle
- Nimitz throws everything but the kitchen sink at Midway
- What units are on Midway
- What forces does Nimitz send to Midway?
- Nimitz pays the atoll a visit before the battle
- While Midway’s defenses are, on paper, strong…are they really?
- Why not?
- What are the aces up Nimitz’s sleeve?
- CV6, CV5, and CV8
- Talk about the combat experience of Enterprise Air Group, Yorktown Air Group and Hornet Air Group
- Who are the CAGs for each AG?
- McClusky
- Leslie
- Ring
- One of Nimitz’s Aces, CV5, is damaged…
- The 72 hour repair myth
- Japanese Preparations for battle
- What forces do the Japanese plan to send to the fight?
- Who are the aviators aboard the CVs?
- Just how good are these people?
- Japanese attack on the Aleutians
- The myth is that this was supposed to be a diversion…
- Of course it was not…but what exactly was it and why was it executed at this time?
- What were the goals of the Aleutians Op?
- US Plans for the Ambush
- What does the intel from HYPO and Layton tell Nimitz?
- What does he want to do?
- Point Luck
- How will he and the US CVs go about ambushing Kido Butai?
- Midway’s role…
- The US CVs depart Pearl…
- Before CV6 leaves, Nimitz attends an awards ceremony on May 27 aboard The Big E. He hands out decorations for Pearl Harbor and the carrier raids
- In handing a DFC to VF-6 pilot Roger Mehle, Nimitz tells him “I think you’ll have a chance to win yourself another medal in the next several days.”
- That very day, May 27, Nimitz executed OpPlan 29-42 which declared a state of “Fleet opposed Invasion”
- Nimitz’s OpPlan was devastatingly accurate
- A testament to HYPO and Layton’s diligence
- Night of June 3
- Aboard Midway
- Last minute preparations
- Bill Brooks
- Bert Earnest
- Leon Williamson
- Aboard the US CVs
- Sleepless night
- Dusty Kleiss
- Bud Merrill
- Fred Bergeron
- Don Hoff
The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War
enOctober 18, 2022