RE: Historical events turn into movies
June 29, 2023 at 12:45 pm
(This post was last modified: June 29, 2023 at 12:54 pm by Anomalocaris.)
Yes, Halsey decided to leave the 7th fleet to go after the Japanese carriers long after the Japanese carriers have become a total strategic irrelevance, mainly because he wanted to match Spruance’s score at Midway when Japanese carriers were all important, and he failed to ensure even that the appropriate staff work was done to keep relevant commands informed.
And this wasn’t his last exhibition of total lack of strategic perspective embarrassing in such a senior officer
He learned nothing and then repeated the same mistake in 1945 when he led the 3rd fleet on a wild goose chase after the shadow of 2 remaining Japanese battleships in Indochina long after any surviving Japanese battleships have also become total strategic irrelevancy, while forgoing the opportunity to destroy one of the last few major Japanese convoys from the Indochina and Dutch East indies , upon which Japan war industry depended to strengthen anti-invasion defenses of the home islands.
To say thing of taking his command through the middle of damaging typhoons without strategic necessity on 2 separate occassions, resulting casualties to his fleet greater than the Japanese were able to inflict in any major sea battle.
That Halsey should have been given his 5th star while Spruance was denied his just goes to show how much more Important self promotion and having friends in congress is compared to flawless competence and consistently unerring strategic judgements
And this wasn’t his last exhibition of total lack of strategic perspective embarrassing in such a senior officer
He learned nothing and then repeated the same mistake in 1945 when he led the 3rd fleet on a wild goose chase after the shadow of 2 remaining Japanese battleships in Indochina long after any surviving Japanese battleships have also become total strategic irrelevancy, while forgoing the opportunity to destroy one of the last few major Japanese convoys from the Indochina and Dutch East indies , upon which Japan war industry depended to strengthen anti-invasion defenses of the home islands.
To say thing of taking his command through the middle of damaging typhoons without strategic necessity on 2 separate occassions, resulting casualties to his fleet greater than the Japanese were able to inflict in any major sea battle.
That Halsey should have been given his 5th star while Spruance was denied his just goes to show how much more Important self promotion and having friends in congress is compared to flawless competence and consistently unerring strategic judgements