Category Archives: Year of the Carrier

Sub series for air power analysis – Blown Slick
Examines the Pacific air war in 1942 and questions relationship for consideration of the current AirSeaBattle construct and China’s two island chain defense

1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 21 – Guadalcanal – Enterprise, Cactus and the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (1)

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13 Part 21 On the morning of 13 November 1942, Marine aircraft of the “Cactus Air Force” attacked and caused the destruction of the Japanese battleship Hiei off Savo Island.  F4F Wildcat fighters of Marine squadron VMF-121, … Continue reading →

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1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 20 – Guadalcanal – Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands: Discussion

Posted on November 17, 2019 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13 Part 20 (2/2) Who won? As the two navies carrier battle groups retreated from the fourth and last carrier battle of 1942, the Japanese by multiple metrics could be judged to have won the day. Both … Continue reading →

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1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 19 – Guadalcanal – Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands

Posted on October 24, 2019 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13 Part 19 (1/2) On the morning of 26 October, during the attack on the Enterprise,  Task Force 61 Commander Admial Thomas Kinkaid remarked with pardonable hyperbole to AP correspondent Eugene Burns: “You’re seeing the greatest carrier … Continue reading →

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1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 18 – Guadalcanal -Battle of the Eastern Solomons Conclusions (3/3)

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13 Part 18 (3/3) The Eastern Solomons became the most intensively studied carrier action yet… Despite intensive analysis, the battle as a whole remained a mystery.  Lundstrom Blindman’s Bluff (3) – An Empty Sea After the final … Continue reading →

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1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 17 – Guadalcanal -Battle of the Eastern Solomons Continued (2/3)

Posted on August 21, 2019 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13 Part 17 (2/3) To say the least we were in a bad predicament. All of our attack planes were committed on missions with the main enemy force still unlocated and his planes coming in to attack … Continue reading →

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1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 16 – Guadalcanal – Battle of the Eastern Solomons (1/3)

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13 Part 16 (1/3) Thus begins the day of 23 August, 1942 – Battle of the Eastern Solomons [24–25 August 1942] At breakfast Fletcher read a special Cincpac Ultra message advising that the “Orange striking force” of two … Continue reading →

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1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 15 – Guadalcanal, From the Start, A New and Different Context; Cactus (4/4)

Posted on August 1, 2019 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13 Part 15 (4/4)  “…the only place on Earth where you could stand up to your knees in mud and still get dust in your eyes.” Marion Carl First Marine Ace by Roy Grinnell. Capt. Marion Carl over … Continue reading →

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1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 14 – Guadalcanal, From the Start, A New and Different Context; CV Withdrawal (3/4)

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Ed

Blown Slick Series #13 Part 14 (3/4) “It is true, Marines will take a pounding until their own air gets established (about ten days or so), but they can dig in, hole up, and wait. Extra losses are a localized … Continue reading →

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1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 13 – Guadalcanal, From the Start, A New and Different Context; Problems (2/4)

Posted on July 23, 2019 by Ed

 Blown Slick Series #13 Part 13 (2/4) 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 … Continue reading →

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1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier; Part 12 – Guadalcanal, From the Start, A New and Different Context; First Day Overview (1/4)

Posted on July 23, 2019 by Ed

RS Note: With the close of Chapter 2 of the Testimony of Pilot series, this posts continues with the 1942- The Year of the Aircraft Carrier series picking up with the story of the initial attack on Guadalcanal 7-8 August, 1942. Given the … Continue reading →

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