How Carriers Fought: Carrier Operations in WWII

by Lars Celander

Overview

A detailed examination of carriers and carrier operations in WWII, looking at the tools behind the major carrier battles and their evolution throughout the war.

In November 1921 the first purpose-built aircraft carrier was launched by the Japanese, followed a year later by the launch of the British Hermes. The conversion of battlecruisers into aircraft carriers after World War I required the consideration of issues including handling aircraft on the flight deck and the techniques of attacking enemy ships, and the evolution of carrier operations was ongoing when World War II broke out. With a focus on the conflict in the Pacific between the U.S. Navy and the imperial Japanese fleet, this title examines how aircraft carriers fought during World War II by first considering all the tools and building blocks of carrier operations, and then discussing the various battles that involved aircraft carriers to explore how carrier operations evolved during war.

Every aspect of carrier operations is covered; from the technology used on the carriers and in aircraft including for navigation and communication, to what life was really like in the cockpit for the pilots. A world of tactical dehydration, amphetamine pills, and illegal smoking is explored, as well as the measures pilots implemented to reduce their risk of death in the event of being hit.

The major carrier battles of the war are considered, from Coral Sea to Leyte Gulf, with a focus on how the tools of carrier operations were employed. At the battle of Midway the debate of concentration vs. dispersion became relevant, as the Japanese decided to divide their forces while the Americans concentrated theirs. How Carriers Fought questions these tactics, exploring which worked best in theory and in practice.
The book concludes with a discussion of how carrier operations changed during the course of the war, as better technology and a better understanding of this new type of warfare allowed for quick advances in how operations were carried out.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612008530
Publisher:	Casemate Publishers
Publication date:	06/10/2020
Pages:	296
Sales rank:	1,067,564
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Lars Celander has had a lifelong interest in naval and military history. With a MSc in Physics, he did his military service as a systems engineer, gaining operational experience of various radars, missiles, guns amongst other things and has worked for several years as a design engineer on radar and radio communication systems. He is trained as a private pilot and is an avid yacht racer. He has written a number of titles including How Carriers Fought.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Glossary viii

Introduction x

Part I Carrier Operations 1

1 Navigation and Communication 2

2 Flight Operations 22

3 Aircraft Carried 44

4 Finding the Enemy 52

5 Detecting Incoming Strikes 65

6 Aerial Attacks 70

7 Defending Against Aerial Attack 87

8 Fighter Direction 101

9 Logistics 109

Part II Carrier Battles of World War II 117

10 Early Scouting and Raiding by Carriers 118

11 Battle of the Coral Sea 123

12 Battle of Midway 134

13 Operation Pedestal 145

14 Battle of the Eastern Solomons 149

15 Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands 158

16 Battle of the Philippine Sea 173

17 Battle of Leyte Gulf 188

18 Carrier Operations in a Larger Context 196

Part III The Art and Evolution of Carrier Operations 203

19 Combat Models 204

20 Concentration vs. Dispersion 209

21 Fighters vs. Bombers 213

22 Battleships vs. Carriers 220

23 Armored Flight Deck vs. Size of Air Group 225

24 Effectiveness of Heavy AA Guns 235

25 World War II Carrier Design Revisited 242

26 The Art of Carrier Operations 248

27 Evolution of Carrier Operations 253

Appendix - Postwar Developments 258

Notes on Sources 270

Bibliography 273

Index 279

Editorial Reviews

"...an engaging and informative work that helps deliver clarity to a topic that is still far more commonly asserted and assumed than it is understood."

Vulcan: The International Journal of the Social History of Military Technology

"...a great introduction to carrier operations during World War II, and should be read by all who want to understand the potential limits of carrier aviation."

PowerShips

"...this book goes well beyond the hobby-horse genre to make a substantial contribution to the literature."

The Nautilus: A Maritime Journal of Literature

"Celander does a good job of examining the various aspects, technology, and training that went into the carrier forces of the major powers during the war..."

The Northern Mariner

"[Celander's] meticulous accounting illuminates the very great risks that naval aviators took and the extreme losses they endured, particularly American pilots during the first two years of the war."

Naval War College Review

"It was interesting to read how logistic support to naval fleets and the ability to replace planes, ships, and manning affected operations and final outcomes."

Air Power History

"[I] never stopped being interested in what the author had to say."

Army Rumour Service

"This book is thoroughly recommended. It inspired all kinds of ideas and reflections whilst also being worthwhile simply as a reminder of the importance of tactical and technical detail for a fully rounded appreciation of why the Pacific War turned out the way it did. […] Whether you are primarily a war-gaming enthusiast or a historian of operations and strategy, there is much here for you."

Naval Review

"...an engaging and informative work that helps deliver clarity to a topic that is still far more commonly asserted and assumed than it is understood."

Vulcan: The International Journal of the Social History of Military Technology - Richard Hamerla