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Liveblogging World War II: February 17, 1945: Tokyo Raids (Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality...)

CV6.org: Tokyo Raids: February 16 - 17, 1945: As a night carrier, Enterprise's primary role during the daylight hours was to provide Combat Air Patrol for the Task Force. Night Air Group 90, however, was then at the cutting edge of electronic warfare, and launched several secret missions, as well as dusk and night strikes. At 0400 February 16, two hours before the other carriers launched their first strikes, Enterprise launched an 'RCM' mission. RCM stood for Radar Counter-Measure, and the single, specially-modified TBM Avenger's mission was to confuse Japanese radar installations, disrupting the enemy's ability to intercept the morning strikes and guess TF 58's intentions. At dawn, TF 58, just 60 miles off the coast of Honshu, and 120 miles southeast of Tokyo, launched its first fighter sweeps into heavily overcast skies. Concentrating on the airfields around Tokyo, these strikes met little opposition, except for the planes from TG 58.2 (carriers Lexington CV-16 and Hancock CV-19), which encountered approximately 100 Japanese interceptors. As would be the case throughout the raids, the enemy seemed reluctant to tangle too closely with the American fighters. The Hellcats knocked down forty of the enemy planes. Despite Mitscher's urging to focus on teamwork, some inexperienced pilots broke away to pursue the Japanese, leading to greater American losses than were probably necessary.
#Liveblogging-World-War-II - bradford-delong.com

Liveblogging World War II: February 17, 1945: Tokyo Raids (Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality...)

CV6.org: Tokyo Raids: February 16 - 17, 1945: As a night carrier, Enterprise's primary role during the daylight hours was to provide Combat Air Patrol for the Task Force. Night Air Group 90, however, was then at the cutting edge of electronic warfare, and launched several secret missions, as well as dusk and night strikes. At 0400 February 16, two hours before the other carriers launched their first strikes, Enterprise launched an 'RCM' mission. RCM stood for Radar Counter-Measure, and the single, specially-modified TBM Avenger's mission was to confuse Japanese radar installations, disrupting the enemy's ability to intercept the morning strikes and guess TF 58's intentions. At dawn, TF 58, just 60 miles off the coast of Honshu, and 120 miles southeast of Tokyo, launched its first fighter sweeps into heavily overcast skies. Concentrating on the airfields around Tokyo, these strikes met little opposition, except for the planes from TG 58.2 (carriers Lexington CV-16 and Hancock CV-19), which encountered approximately 100 Japanese interceptors. As would be the case throughout the raids, the enemy seemed reluctant to tangle too closely with the American fighters. The Hellcats knocked down forty of the enemy planes. Despite Mitscher's urging to focus on teamwork, some inexperienced pilots broke away to pursue the Japanese, leading to greater American losses than were probably necessary.
#Liveblogging-World-War-II - bradford-delong.com

Liveblogging World War II: February 16, 1945: Tokyo Raids (Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality...)

CV6.org: Tokyo Raids: February 16 - 17, 1945: On return from supporting the Lingayen Bay landings on Luzon, Philippines, and operations in the South China Sea, Enterprise and the other units of Task Force 38 entered Ulithi Atoll on January 25-26, 1945. All hands were ready to let off steam, following several months of operations in support of MacArthur's liberation of the Philippines. While the fleet replenished and underwent repair, men were given leave for a few hours at a time. For enlisted men, much of this time was spent on Mog Mog, drinking beer, swimming and idling on the beach - an uncommon luxury in a war often fought on beaches. Mog Mog, however, generally didn't make a favorable impression on its visitors. Though it was 'a great change in routine' (Arnold Olson), John MacGlashing, in his history of Enterprise's Night Air Group 90, notes 'During the beach parties on Ulithi the enlisted personnel voted unanimously that the trip to the beach was not worth the limit of three (3) beers.' E. Rex Mitchell was underwhelmed as well: 'The beer was only cool the day I went ashore but I drank my ration of three bottles, up from the previous two olive drab cans.' (The Big E and Me)
#Liveblogging-World-War-II - bradford-delong.com