Commanders and Command Decisions: The Impact on Naval Combat in the Solomon Islands, November 1942
Abstract
The number of United States sailors killed approached the figures lost to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor nearly a year before and represented nearly forty percent of the US force. Nearly a third of the 7OO survivors from the sunken ships that managed to make their way to the island of Guadalcanal that morning were wounded. These numbers reflected the "barroom bawl" nature of the fight that the United States commander allowed to take place at such close ranges as to make the danger of collisions and the point-blank gunfire between ships from the two enemy forces make a shambles of any tactical formations or controls. As a result, the United States Navy was without a coherent surface strike force of cruisers and destroyers at a vital turning point in the Guadalcanal Campaign.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 18, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA427566
Entities
People
- David C. Fuquea
Organizations
- Naval War College