Scratch One Flattop Frame 2.

[Wagger]

II/JG27 was assigned the task of scouting for our forces to find and report the enemy carrier forces.  Now as a scout force our mission is to go out before the strike force and find the enemy and report it.  This includes the enemy carrier force and the fighter protection.  In the orders it stated we were to scout for the CV task forces.

1)  Plan did not specify that the scouts should precede the main force.  There  should be a time delay between when the scouts are sent out and the main force.  The scouts mission is to identify the enemy task force and report its location to the strike force.  The scout force should also report any enemy fighters assigned to protect the task force.  This allows the strike force to make adjustments to the direction of the attack and timing of the attack.

2) The scouts can also have had a contingency plan.  It could have been used as a distraction for the enemy fighter cover.  It could have been used as a diversion to draw away enemy fighter cover or to draw it down to the deck so that dive bombers would be able to come in unmolested. 

3)  Because we were not allowed to take off prior to the main strike force we were unable to accomplish our mission.

4)  For future operations remember that scouting units are used to insure that the commander has the intelligence required to accomplish his mission.  If the scouts are not out front and preforming the mission of providing the commander with vital information required then they serve no purpose.  It is important to use your assets wisely.  Remember to send your scouts out first.  My opinion for this last mission scouts should have been sent out in front of the main strike force and carried ordinance so that if the the importunity had presented it self they could have made a strike after making the report of the task force. One or two planes could have been held back to insure the strike forces were guided in.  One other options would be to hold back after reporting Task force to watch for fighter cover and join the main strike force once they arrive.  Every aircraft counts.

[ImADot]

All valid points, but I'm not sure what your intent in posting is. Are you saying the CiC needs to spell out the obvious use of scouts, or the squad CO's need to brief their members better? Or perhaps are you asking for the CM's to allow scouting forces to take off before everyone else can?

It sounds more like poor planning and everyone flying like in the MA at full throttle all the time...

[gyrene81]

it was just a minor bad call in the planning. assigning the dirt slowest aircraft to scouting duties works in real life but not in the fso. we would have needed at least a 5 minute head start and the strike teams would still have caught up to us before we found the cv we were looking for. unfortunately the cic wasn't around to approve a change of aircraft so...

i suppose i could have been my normal a-hole jarhead self and just reassigned the proper planes to my squad without asking but...no big deal, poop happens.


on another note, anyone ever successfully land on the back of a cruiser after the carrier has been sunk?    i tried it last night but slid off when the cruiser made a turn.

[ImADot]

on another note, anyone ever successfully land on the back of a cruiser after the carrier has been sunk?    i tried it last night but slid off when the cruiser made a turn.

I was pilot-wounded in a F4f and after making a couple more kills, and the area was cleared (of both enemy planes and all ships except one destroyer) I made a great landing by stalling onto the back of that destroyer, just to bounce off the middle and ditch in the ocean. 

[saltee]

I'll bet the Deck Division of both vessels loved you two for the mess you made.  "Scrape, scrape, repaint, scrape...those damn airdales!"   

[branch37]

on another note, anyone ever successfully land on the back of a cruiser after the carrier has been sunk?    i tried it last night but slid off when the cruiser made a turn.

It counts it as a ditch   

[Wagger]

The intent of posting was to serve as a AAR (After Action Review) from my perspective.  It is just bringing up areas that could use some improvement.  It was not meant as an assault on the CIC.  It would not hurt for the CIC to go into more detail, but then if you are going to put your faith in your unit Co's then hopefully they will be more specific in their orders and in coordinating with other units that they will be working with.  I know it can be difficult seeing most have other jobs and lives but if no effort is put into the operations then it will not change.

Other than the above at least the members of my squadron got a good laugh out of leatherneck trying to land on the Cruiser.  I think someone forgot to tell him that the cruiser did not have a helo pad and he was not a Helicopter.  Leave it to a marine to try the impossible and think it might work.