World War II US Fast Carrier Task Force Tactics 1943-45

As late as 1941, the US Navy had considered the carrier as a promising but vulnerable supporting weapon for battleships, but by late 1943 it was the battleships that played the support role in a dominant, carrier-centered task force. Carrier aircraft... Read more

As late as 1941, the US Navy had considered the carrier as a promising but vulnerable supporting weapon for battleships, but by late 1943 it was the battleships that played the support role in a dominant, carrier-centered task force. Carrier aircraft had overtaken battleships in the delivery of ship-killing ordnance, at much longer ranges; a uniquely effective mobile logistics system enabled multi-carrier task groups to sustain months-long campaigns across thousands of sea miles; and radar, together with improved antiaircraft ammunition, had virtually eliminated the risks to carriers from enemy surface ships and conventional air strikes. The crown jewel of the US Navy was the Fast Carrier Task Force, consisting of modern carriers embarking large numbers of improved fighters and bombers, escorted by fast battleships, cruisers, and destroyers, all coordinated by new technologies and tactics. Illustrated with wartime photos and new tactical diagrams, this book explains the operational methods of this supreme instrument for command of the seas and the new breed of sailors that manned it. Book jacket. Less