Kenny, with respect to how carriers conducted flight ops during this period, I did some digging through my old issues of "The Hook" and I hit paydirt on the second one!!!! Back in the Winter 1979 issue, there's an article by RADM James "Jig Dog" Ramage, who was CO of VB 10 on the Enterprise in 1944. There's a great description of how the strikes were conducted. They even had a name, the "Mitscher Shampoo" to describe it. Included in the article is a reprint of the op order for the strikes conducted by C.T.G.58.3, which at that time consisted of Enterprise, with CVG-10, Lexington (CV-16) with CVG-16, Princeton (CV-L23) with CVG-27, and San Jacinto (CVL-30), with CVG-51.
The Enterprise had VF-10 with approx 32 F6F, VB-10 with 21 SBD, and VT-10 with 14 TBM/TBF. Lexington's group had about the same composition, except the squadrons each had a few more planes. BOTH carriers also had a 3-4 plane night fighter detachment, Enterprise with F4Us from VFN-101 and Lexington with F6Fs from VFN-76. The light carriers each had 24 F6Fs and approx 9 TBM.
Ramage describes how the task force would make a fast night approach to the target island, and launch a "massive" fighter sweep to hit the island at dawn. This would be followed by an escorted bomber/torpedo plane attack. Both the task group as well as the area over the target would have a combat air patrol over head.
The strikes were "deckload" strikes, and Ramage states that most of the time 6 of these strikes were scheduled from each deck each day. When you do the math you see that each aircraft probably flew three sorties, and I suspect since they always had more pilots than planes, pilots swapped out some.
Here's what the Op order says:
1. CVs will make a Deckload Launch of 16 VF, 12 VB, and 9VT. (my note: that's nominally half of each squadron at full strength) Second Deckload Launch about 30 minutes later as Second Wave consisting of 16 VF, remaining VB and VT.
2. VT from one CVL will augment FIrst Wave. Arming for VT one half with torpedos, one half with four 500 lb (bombs), for VB one half with 1000lb General Purpose (bombs) and one half with 500 lb (bombs)
3. Later strikes will use (bombs) if targets justify. Lexington Group Commander Coordinate First Wave Attack, Enterprise Second. Priority of targets Carriers, Battleships, Cruisers, Destroyers.
4. General plan of attack. Straffing attack by VF, followed by Dive Bombing, followed by VF straffing. VT make Glide and/or Torpedo attack under the cover and diversion of any of the aforementioned attacks.
Typical "Op Order" language, which when coupled with good training and leadership leads to an effective attack.
Tom
(me doing the happy gator dance)
