FIGHT FIGHT – Book Recommendation

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Ed

Highest recommendation for Kevin Miller’s (CAPT. USN, Ret) newest novel Fight Fight.
I was going to do a normal “book review”/recommendation but decided to just leverage my comments to Kevin along with  his response instead. fight fightI had done a recommendation on his first book Raven One in a somewhat normal/accepted manner, but this book has some deeper levels for me than just good naval aviation fiction so wanted to add some emphasis. Some bit ago the novel Ghost Fleet on a future war scenario was highly regarded.  The books are similar in some ways, but Kevin’s book strikes home (for me anyway) in a much more personal and directly  relatable way to the overall Blown Slick Future Airpower Analysis series and the sub-series on carrier battles in 1942 around the South and Southwestern Pacific island defense chain set up by the Japanese.

Note: For the 1972 USS Midway war cruise guys of CAG – 5 and particularly the Champs of VA-56, Kevin was a JO (junior officer/nugget aviator) when our own VA-56 Champ Bob Sandy Sanderson had his A-7 command tour.  Kevin later commanded an F/A-18 squadron, and is now heavily involved with the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. He is a genuine expert on the Battle of Midway, often giving talks at the Museum. He has helped me a great deal in the past with current strike fighter aviation and with my current writing on CV’s in ’42.

Fly Navy, the BEST Always Have

——– Original Message ——–

Subject: Fight Fight Thoughts
From: “Ed Beakley”
Date: Thu, September 13, 2018 1:46 pm
To: “Kevin Miller”

Kevin,

Once again you nailed it AND maybe even more importantly at a different context and level.

I’m writing having only read about half, but the points (which you obviously already know) stand out and with minor mods – take away the fiction aspects – should be must reads for many and particularly our Navy seniors – IMHO.

Key things that have struck home:

  1. Use of USS Cape Esperance: I wonder how many readers will understand the ref to such a major night battle during the Guadalcanal campaign. I sure didn’t until I got into my series on carriers in 1942 (am now in midst of finishing off the Guadalcanal pieces.)
  2. The “hurry-up” sailing of Hancock with all the stuff that had to be done took me back immediately to Midway’s midweek about face and sprint back (recovered the unknowing airwing with 45 knots over the deck/ hot seat and mini cruise of 2 traps :) ) to Alameda for a 10 April departure – bypass Hawaii, etc in response to the Easter Offensive. Married on 11 March, there were some overwhelmed families.
  3. The recoveries in the Aleutians, although no CV stuff. really brought back my June-July 1986 test ops out of Adak. Spent 8 hours in an A-6 mostly below 200 ft with multiple tanking from USMC KC-130. With drops we were hanging on the blades for last bit of gas. Only recovery field was 1000 nm away at Elmendorf. WX pretty iffy. Short of VN, “The Great Alaskan Bush Patrol” was the biggest baddest adventure of my career.  I could sure identify with that chapter AND really glad no carrier landings involved.  I’m gonna write that up one day.
  4. The whole issue of land-based air is one of those things needing more current consideration. The study of Guadalcanal has really opened my eyes to its criticality. Right after the Air Sea Battle (ASB) concept came out I had the opportunity to chat a few times with one author – a retired blackshoe captain. Without belaboring, the issue of AF and Navy working together given the South China Sea (SCS) two island chain seemed very important. CNO and AFCOS at the time put together a very interesting brief and paper in 2013 but haven’t seen anything sense.
  5. In same context, I wonder how many folks can visualize the “island” context. For me, it’s like take Guadalcanal and the Solomons issues and then place in a much bigger Pacific. I think you do a great job using the total expanse in your story. Only thought, map would have aided.  I still have to refer to maps with my Guadalcanal writing.  Even there keeping track of who’s where and how far they have to (both sides) go gets messy.
  6. I think you do a great job in highlighting “who’s gotta be in the sandbox.” Guadalcanal reading has given me a much better perspective on “the team” and particularly as noted before with land-based air, BUT also the surface ship side.  Which leads to…
  7. Article in Naval Proceedings by Captain Barney Rubel – USE CARRIERS DIFFERENTLY IN A HIGH END FIGHT. Although he never mentions Guadalcanal,  there were two distinct aspects Adm Fletcher had to deal with.  One he understood well from Coral Sea and Midway, but the support piece and being tied to geography, not so much. Rubel’s thinking makes much sense to me.  It also highlights (though not actually one of his points) why multi-mission a/c are important and from a cost standpoint only real choice we have.  More involved point than space allows but ties back to keeping surface guys safe/viable along with tankers and long range land-based air.
  8. As a history reader Chapter 4 takes me back to the events of June 1914 at Sarajevo. What can I say? Chapter  could be a stand alone!
  9. Chapter 27 on the initial PRC attacks is another stand alone must read.

You’ve highlighted with fiction all the reasons I began the Blown Slick Future Airpower Analysis series and certainly the why of the 1942 CV history with Battle of Guadalcanal as a key.Ghost Fleet

Some time ago Ghost Fleet was a highly touted think piece work of fiction on a future war. A good read BUT for me you’ve topped it. Will be doing some recommendations to the folks.  Great job.

Fly Navy, the Best Always Have

Boris

——– Response Message ——–

From: Kevin Miller
Sent: Friday, September 14, 2018 11:11 AM
To: Ed Beakley
Subject: RE: Fight Fight Thoughts

Wow, Boris, thank you very much. Before I forget, Barney Rubel was a DH [Ed Beakley] (Department Head) in VA-86 when I was with Sandy in VA-82. Later in my career Barney was my CO when I was a DH. We are still in touch, and yes, his article is thought provoking.

Glad you are finding/enjoying the historic similarities from previous conflicts, the Pacific War in particular. My goal is to entertain and inform, in that order.

Thank you for spreading the world. A growing number of retired flag influencers have found me, and comparison to Ghost Fleet is high praise. Hope you enjoy the rest.

V/R,

Kevin

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Remembered Sky: A Naval Aviator Lies in State

Posted on August 31, 2018 by Ed

 You Only Live Twice

“My fellow Americans, whom I have gratefully served for 60 years, and especially my fellow Arizonians, thank you for the privilege of serving you and for the rewarding life that service in uniform and in public office has allowed me to lead. I’ve tried to serve our country honorably…” John Sidney McCain III

Navy Wings

A Naval Aviator lies in state  today – since 1852 only 30 people have done so before him. Yet social media continues to extrapolate their dislike and even hatred backwards to his military career, no matter the truth of those times – found in ample sources. You “only live twice” from the James Bond movie seems an appropriate description and vehicle for discussion of the certain elements in the first life of John McCain and the truth out there for those are interested in truth vs. politics. What follows addresses three issues wrongly stated: Continue reading →

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1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 11 – Guadalcanal – Admin

Posted on August 23, 2018 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13 Part 11

Between the lines

At Guadalcanal, so distant on the ear, a naval legacy continued, and by their example in that bitter campaign the long shadows of their American quality reach right on up to the present.

Neptune’s Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal, James D. Hornfischer

Bridge_off_USS_Wasp_(CV-7),_August_1942

Lieutenant Commander Wallace M. Beakley, Commander Wasp Air Group, debrief of operations over Tulagi on the bridge wing of the USS Wasp (CV-7), during operations off Guadalcanal on 7 August 1942 after eight hours airborne. Present are (from left to right) Wasp Commanding Officer Captain Forrest P. Sherman, (wearing helmet), Rear Admiral Leigh Noyes, Commander Task Group 61.1 (facing camera), and CWAG Beakley.

The original intent of the Year of the Carrier series was to post discussions on the anniversaries of the major events – Doolittle/Hornet raid and the four ’42 carrier battles. While Hornet’s raid, Coral Sea and Midway battles were time span and focus relatively straight forward, Guadalcanal covers six months with a lot more areas and types of conflict. As such, several aspects of air operations need to be put forward throughout the remainder of the series with some addressed prior to discussion of the third major carrier battle – Battle of the Eastern Solomons . Therefore that will cause a delay in the 24-25 August anniversary post  .

Here are the anticipated areas of discussion:

  • how new this  all really was
  • Midway didn’t mean we had all the answers for carrier aviation or its support roles, particularly when tied to a “box” defined by staying close to an invasion/occupation site which created  significantly different requirements from open ocean ops
  • perspectives – looking at the overall campaign in light of carrier capabilities and limitations and then the flip side of the coin…
  • … looking at CV ops in light of need to support the land campaign
  • the effort by both U.S. and Japanese commands to protect their carriers
  • flight deck operations for multiple mission types and with multiple carriers
  • criticality of land based air
  • negative aspects throughout the overall campaign on both sides of  intelligence, reconnaissance and communications
  • given that neither side knew where the other was, it was a constant game of blind-man’s bluff
  • CAS was a new animal and comms were completely non-supportive
  • night aviation was really sketchy and Japanese sea forces were a lot better prepared for night

The plan is to cover these elements in the following parts:

12) First days air support

13) Henderson Field, Cactus Air Force and Operations

14) Battle of the Eastern Solomons and aftermath

15) Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands

16) Conclusion – Thinking on carrier operations as driven by the Guadalcanal Campaign

And on a personal aside

Exploration of the Guadalcanal Campaign has provided insight into the career of a distant relative – VADM William Morris Beakley. When I joined the Navy through NROTC, my Dad related that we had a distant relative who had been a naval officer in WW II but that was all he knew. Several years later, while at Pt Mugu, my boss LCDR Patterson asked if I were related to the admiral and shared a couple of items. Then when I joined VA-56 on the USS Midway, I saw Captain Beakley’s name on the listing of commanding officers on a brass plate on the quarterdeck.  Remember this was well before “Google Search.”

With this effort I found multiple references to his time as the airwing commander on the USS Wasp and was finally able to fill in some blanks on his career. He had previously been CO of VF-5 flying F-4F Wildcats. Shown in the picture above, he had just  directed and controlled all carrier air strikes on Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tanambogo and would receive a Navy Cross. When the Wasp was torpedoed he had to swim for his life.C7F

He went on to serve on the staff of Admiral Nimitz, was the eighth commanding officer of USS Midway (still a straight deck), serve as Commander Seventh Fleet, and on the staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff where under President Kennedy he was instrumental in the stand-up of the Navy SEAL program.

While I cannot directly trace the family tree, what was initially striking and remains so, is that if his picture were placed with my Dad Bill and his two brothers Ben and Glen, the likeliness is undeniable.

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1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 10 – Guadalcanal Campaign Major Events Overview

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13 Part 10

Watchtower

Guadalcanal is no longer merely a name of an island in Japanese military history. It is the name of the graveyard of the Japanese army.

—Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi, IJA
Commander, 35th Infantry Brigade at Guadalcanal

As noted in Part #9, unlike Midway which was almost entirely a carrier vs. carrier battle, the fight to gain and hold Guadalcanal was a land, sea, land-based air, and sea-based air six month give and take. Each element was dependent on the other and the equality of the Japanese and American carrier airpower played a major part in neither side gaining

LandSeaAir

lasting superiority and drove how each side chose to attack and defend. It was one thing to defend Midway operating in open ocean; being closely tied to the geography of the island and surrounding waters to provide air support was a whole other thing. With intelligence far inferior to that during Midway, staying in one general area exposed the carriers to submarine, land and sea based attack. There was much to be learned – at the expense of all participants.

While this series is focused on airpower and the sub-series on examining that first year of war in the Pacific and the emergence, growth, and operational use of the aircraft carrier, it is crucial to the endeavor to  comprehend the total land-sea-air conflict environment if one is to really appreciate the 1942 need for the capability of carrier airpower to be recognized and applied effectively. That particularly requires recognizing the limitations imposed by the threat environment, along with the emerging requirements to support expeditionary warfare (best example, close-air-support communications and coordination was non-existent and was not yet part of navy pilot training). Operational learning in this emerging warfare environment was also critical in regard to preparation for support of the planned operations of 1943-45 along the pathway to Japan itself. Indeed carrier aviation in 1945 would barely resemble that of ’42. Although somewhat lengthy, context and brief reference are necessary. Continued below are abbreviated summaries of the main battles of the Operation Watchtower campaign.

The Battles of Guadalcanal -

Continue reading →

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1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 9 – Guadalcanal Introduction

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13 Part 9

On Land, on Sea, in the Air

9 February, 1943

Major General Alexander Patch, USA, Commander, U.S. Forces on Guadalcanal to Vice Admiral William Halsey, Jr., USN, Commander, South Pacific Area, 
TOTAL AND COMPLETE DEFEAT OF JAPANESE FORCES ON GUADALCANAL EFFECTED 1625 TODAY . … AM HAPPY TO REPORT THIS KIND OF COMPLIANCE WITH YOUR ORDERS . … ‘ TOKYO EXPRESS ’ NO LONGER HAS TERMINUS ON GUADALCANAL .

Under extreme secrecy, on the nights of 1, 4, and 7 February 1943, the Japanese had completely fooled the ground and sea commanders, pilots, ships and PT boats of the U.S. South Pacific Forces and evacuated the 10,652  remaining of 36,000 soldiers from Guadalcanal.  Operation KE was  indeed a Pacific  Dunkirk. The Guadalcanal Campaign was over.

Guadalcanal2

This series is about the introduction of the aircraft carrier into naval warfare in the four 1942  carrier vs. carrier battles.  Two of those battles – The Battle of the Eastern Solomons and The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands – were part of the Guadalcanal campaign. Tactically similar in many ways to the Coral Sea and Midway battles, the multi-faceted warfare context (land, sea, and both sea and land-based air) created a much different dynamic than the earlier battles. While this discussion of the Guadalcanal battles will not go into any great detail on the land and sea contests, the story of the carriers cannot be told without the broader context.

The battle for Guadalcanal had been a very close run thing. Continue reading →

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1942 – The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 8 – Midway Trilogy Epilogue

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13 Part 8

Decisive victory? Depends on how you look

… a fundamental transformation in naval power had just taken place. Carriers usurped the prime strategic role of battleships in that their principal opponents were their enemy counterparts, and they should only to be committed to battle in the proper circumstances .. 

Black Shoe Carrier Admiral: Frank Jack Fletcher at Coral Sea, Midway & Guadalcanal , Lundstrom, John B..

0. Carrier Warfare

Today, seventy six years after the battle, Midway still has its paradoxes and conundrums; Continue reading →

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1942 – The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 7 – Midway Trilogy (3 of 3)

Posted on June 17, 2018 by Ed

 Blown Slick Series #13 Part 7

 “what did Midway really mean?” 

 “An aircraft carrier is a noble thing. It lacks almost everything that seems to denote nobility, yet deep nobility is there. A carrier has no poise. It has   no  grace. It is top-heavy and lop-sided. It has the lines of a cow. It doesn’t cut through the water like a cruiser, knifing romantically along… It just plows… Yet a carrier is a ferocious thing, and out of its heritage of action has grown nobility. I believe that every Navy in the world has it as its No. 1 priority the destruction of enemy carriers. That’s a precarious honor, but it’s a proud one.” Ernie Pyle, 1945

Midway books2

On 13 June USS Enterprise returned to Pearl Harbor. Thus began the celebration, but also, evaluation of the battle operations, the impact on both US and Japanese capabilities and next steps, and of most importance, the beginning of planning to leverage the victory. And so…

“what did Midway really mean?”  Continue reading →

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1942 – The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 6 – Midway Trilogy (2 of 3)

Posted on June 10, 2018 by Ed

 Blown Slick Series #13 Part 6

Into the Shredder

The Battle of Coral Sea had provided the first hints that the Japanese high-water mark had been reached, but it was the Battle of Midway that put up the sign for all to see. Midway also marked the gateway to the attritional war that would be fought in the Solomons, a campaign that would irreparably ruin the Japanese Navy by destroying its elite naval aviation cadres and wrecking its surface forces beyond redemption. Midway didn’t produce these consequences by itself, but it created the circumstances whereby the Japanese Navy would be fed into the shredder. *

midway-battle

The Japanese had the overall numbers, they had the experience, they had the initiative, and for all practical purposes they decimated three torpedo squadrons and annihilated the Army Air Corps, Marine, and Navy attackers  from the island. So why did they lose? Continue reading →

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1942 – The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 5 – Midway Trilogy (1 of 3)

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13 Part 5

 Paradox and Redemption: 4 to 7 June 1942               The Battle of Midway 

Among the many gems is a reminder to all who study mankind’s self-inflicted cataclysm: “Yet the overwhelming reality during the war…is that nobody knew how it would go.” Winds of War/War and Remembrance, Herman Wouk

Before the battle was joined there was  no way the Japanese could have lost it…once it began, there was no way they could have won it. The Barrier and the Javelin, H.P. Willmott

Battle_of_Midway

The Battle of Midway occurred six months after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. Under overall command in the Pacific of Admiral Chester Nimitz, Admirals Frank Jack Fletcher, and Raymond A. Spruance – neither a naval aviator – defeated an attacking fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy under Admirals Isoroku Yamamoto, Chuichi Nagumo, and Nobutake Kondo near Midway Atoll, in the second only battle of aircraft carriers vs. aircraft carriers. Inflicting the loss of all four IJN carriers, the U.S. victory is arguably the most well known, researched, scrutinized and written about  naval battle in history. Military historian John Keegan called it “the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare.”

Indeed, in the “common wisdom,” the battle has not only been considered the decisive battle of the Pacific war, it has evoked the words/terms miracle, incredible, tide-turning, and no right to win. As noted in 2005 in the much heralded book and basis for much of the re-thinking of the battle,   Shattered Sword,

the defining moment will always be the devastating and seemingly last-minute attack of American dive bombers against the Japanese carrier force at 1020 … hurling down from the heavens to drop their bombs on helpless Japanese  carriers, their decks packed with aircraft just moments away from taking off

Continue reading →

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Memorial Day 2018 – Remembering Smokey

Posted on May 27, 2018 by Ed

Smokey2Remembrance days can be illustrated by stories of war and sacrifice, of great and decisive battles, or of the bravery of whole units who “stood fast” in the face of a massive threat, or most certainly by the above and beyond courage of a single warrior who determined “this will not be allowed on my watch.”  Most often that act is not so much in context of winning a battle, but rather in giving up of life to save one’s comrades.  But memory of all can also be elicited by memory of one, one who chose to be there, to be with those, who like him most certainly loved country, but also resonated with those friends who liked being around others who understood the idea of service at its deepest level, and gave it willingly, joyfully – for love of country most certainly, but also for love of the game. Smokey Tolbert was one of those.  Smokey was my squadron-mate and my great friend. He died over North Vietnam the sixth of November 1972.

“For love of the game” might seem an odd or even inappropriate usage for a day we honor our fallen comrades in arms, but for any who have followed this website over the years, you know I do not take days like Memorial Day, Independence Day or Veterans Day lightly. Service under fire is always about love of those “in the foxhole with you.”  “Love of the game” here reflects those relationships and that service to fellow warriors. I hope you will agree that this denotes and reflects most highly on the very heart of the serviceman when called “under the fire.” Continue reading →

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