kclcmdr
Well-known member
What if an additional USN Carrier TF was available just off Samar on Oct 1944 to render assist & aid to Taffy 3 and WI it was commanded by Admiral Fletcher with three CVs that had survived their OTL demised fate?
What if Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher whom was relieved from duty on Aug 31st 1942 in the battles of the East Solomon on Aug 24–25, 1942 carrier naval battles due to injury & supposed exhaustion and was never ever to commanded another Task Force afterwards was instead given another chance and
circumstances of the sinking of the CV-2 Lexington, CV-5 Yorktown and CV-8 Hornet were badly damaged instead of sinking due to internal explosions & heavily torpedoed & had sank but were towed back to Pearl for evaluation and decided that they had to go back to the Pacific States for full rebuilt and renovations and used sparingly in 1943 as Carrier Training Ships until more Jeep and Escort Carriers were built in sufficient numbers to allow the three, Lexington, Yorktown and Hornet back into active duty in 1944
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latter Oct 1944.
At the incident of the Battle of Samar on Oct 24, 1944...
Admiral Halsey receives a message from Admiral Halsey about the situation of Taffy 3 and where his Taskforce is.
" Where is TaskForce 34? The World Wonders."
" Goddammit... What in hell is Nimitz stating... I... I..."
" Admiral... we got another message from TaskForce 99, sir! "
" WHO? "
" I think this is from Admiral Fletcher's Taskforce, sir!"
" Dammit@!! Fletcher?! Give me that."
Message from Fletcher
" From Fletcher to Halsey, TF99 ready for combat near Taffy3, Flying Strikes against enemy TF. Orders? "
" God Bless Fletcher! Tell him ' From Halsey to Fletcher. Give them HELL. Sink Them. "
" And send one back to Nimitz. " ' Fletcher TF99 Sending Strikes Against Enemy Units near Taffy3. He will give them Hell. ' . "
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present early 1942
USS Lexington before the commencement of the Battle of the Coral Sea...
The Damage Control officer of the Lexington is speaking with one of the surviving damage control crews off the USS BB Oklahoma whom had reported that when three torpedoes had struck'd her & cause her to capsize..
As they were running topside, they had noticed that the explosions had not only ruptured the outer side armoured hull but deformed the inner bulkheads that quite a few of the water mains & steam pipes had ruptured.
Thinking on that... he surmised that if the Imperial Japanese Torpedoes were that more explosive and able to rupture and cause the inner bulkheads to deform and rupture the pipes, that some of the Aviation fuel lines might become damage likewise.
He concurs earlier on that it would be best to empty the Aviation Pipelines during enemy airstrikes and one of the survivors from the Oklahoma thinks it might be best to flood them pipes with a non-explosive air like Carbon Dioxide...
Thus the Lexington and Yorktown, once the Damage Control Officers from both Carriers had confer, implement this Damage Control idea earlier on and thus saves the Lexington from internal explosion due to aviation fuel leaking and becoming a highly combustible explosive once a spark was ignited ..
Admiral Nimitz at Pearl after the Battle of Coral Sea gets the Evaluation that the Yorktown needs three months and the Lexington has to have a full overhaul as her battle damages were more extensive than the Yorktown
Admiral Nimitz tells his Repair crew that they need to get the Yorktown ready in three days as best they can fix her while the crew of the Lexington can be transfer over to help on the rebuilt and the Lexington be sent Stateside for a full overhaul & repairs once the Battle of Midway is concluded.
After the battle of Midway was concluded and the badly Damaged and listing Carrier Yorktown was being towed back to Pearl... the USS DD Hammann is the one to spot IJN Submarine I-168 creeping up on their taskforce and she immediately alerts the taskforce of an enemy Submarine contact and drives toward
I-168 whom dives down to avoid her but is somehow depth charged and blasted into Davy Jones Locker instead of allowing her to fire her torpedoes to sink both Yorktown & Hammann as in OTL..
The Listing & badly damaged CV Yorktown is towed back towards Pearl and Admiral Nimitz gets the damage report that she had suffer hits on her top deck and with the two torpedo hits that ruptured her hull had also flooded her boilers & had badly holed them up from shrapnel damage and she likewise would need to be sent stateside for full repair, refurbishment and modernization.
Admiral Nimitz orders that both Lexington & Yorktown be towed back to the Pacific stateside Dock Naval Facilities for full repairs & rebuilt and is pleased that he will have two Aircraft Carriers available within the next six to nine months once they are fully overhauled.
As the Pacific war progress... in the Battle of Santa Cruz 26th Oct of 42, the USS CV Hornet is hit badly by three bombs and two torpedoes hits but was able to avoid the two IJN dive bombers from crashing unto her deck by the AAA fire of her taskforce..
Admiral Halsey is then able to order the USS Hornet out of the region and be towed away back to Pearl.
The Lexington and Yorktown won't be fully repaired & ready until the end of December at the earliest of 1943 and thus this leaves the damaged battle-worn USS CV Enterprise, the repair (again) CV Saratoga and CV Wasp as the only Carriers available in the Pacific among with a few Escort Carriers for ASW duties...
Admiral Nimitz sees the level of damages that the USS Hornet had suffered and orders her stateside for full repair, overhaul & modernization that will take at least six months minimal to get her back into battle trim...
He waits for the Lexington and Yorktown to be re-floated and go back on sea trials with a mostly green crew with a leaven of veterans from the battle Coral Sea, Midway & the Solomon Slot to teach the new crew the ropes while the six to eight newly activated air squadrons are trained likewise by some of the olde air veterans...
With the Lexington, Yorktown and Hornet not getting sunk and instead getting repaired at the Pacific Stateside naval docks... This reduces the need to divert precious Naval Steel from other projects & pour them into only the Essex Carriers & their Escorts while slowing down or delaying other builds of the Fast Battleships & Heavy Cruisers at the slipways waiting for hulls plate steel & other material.
President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill on Dec 1942 have a frank talk about borrowing the HMS CV Victorious for a loan in the Pacific Theater until the Lexington & Yorktown can be ready ...
Admiral King is reluctant to accept the CV Victorious but is under orders from President Roosevelt to accept the loan until USS Lexington and Yorktown can be ready in early 1943 or until USS CV Enterprise can reach Pearl for repairs & rebuilt...
Thus the HMS CV Victorious becomes the USN CV Robin after being refurnished at Norfolk & Pearl to handle the heavier USN Aircraft and given 20mm & 40mm AAA among with American Liaison officers to help...
But the accident rates with the TBDs on the USS CV Robin forces the carrier to become a Fighter Carrier with limited SBD & TBD on her deck from March to Ausgust of 1943 while the Lexington & Hornet joins up with her later in the year on training exercises with the Robin to keep IJN Intel from knowing the true nature of the USN Carrier Fleet status...
As the USN CV Robin is relieved from Pacific Duties on Sept 1943... the USS CV Enterprise, Saratoga & Wasp takes over while the still training Lexington & Yorktown head back towards Pearl for further refitting and training as a Taskforce.
The USS CV Hornet is fully repaired as joins up her sister ships in training at Pearl so that the pool of fighter, bomber and torpedo pilots are trained and ready for further conflicts in the South and Central Pacific....
As the Essex Class Carriers among with the Jeep & Escort Carriers are now rolling off the slipways in 1943 & 1944 in huge numbers... the need for Lexington, Yorktown and Hornet as Training ships becomes less acceptable to both Admiral Nimitz & Admiral King and the influx of more escort & logistical ships will allow another Carrier Taskforce to be form up...
Admiral Nimitz has finally convince Admiral King to reluctantly allow Admiral Fletcher, whom had been sideline as the Commanding Naval officer in Alaska due to rumors that he did poorly in the beginning battle of Guadalcanal where five allied cruisers were wrecked & the last battle at Santa Cruz here the Hornet was also wrecked... to resume command as an Admiral of a Carrier Fleet that will be form around the Lexington, Yorktown and Hornet...
Admiral Nimitz recalls Admiral Fletcher to Pearl for a new assignment and asks him whether he can resume commanding a Carrier Taskforce..
Fletcher, relieved that he is getting a second change and with the Lexington, Yorktown and Hornet available to form a new Carrier Taskforce... He accepts the command offer and places his Admiral Flag on board the Hornet in 44
He gets command of the newly formed Task Force 99 where the USS CV Lexington, CV Yorktown & CV Hornet in June of 1944.
Admiral Fletcher's Task Force also gets the two Large Heavy Cruisers Alaska & Guam as him main Battle gunships eventhough they only carried 12in Guns in three triple turrets.
Fleshing out his Taskforce are about three Baltimore CAs, three Atlanta CLAAs and two dozen of Fletchers & Sumners & others...
By late August... His Taskforce is ready and is order towards the Philippines to join up with Admiral Halsey's Fleet and leaves Pearl..
By the Early morning of Oct 24, 1944...
Admiral Fletcher's Taskforce 99 reaches the vicinity of Samar at the US Naval formation defending the beaches ..
They are entering the Samar region when they hear the frantic calls that an Imperial Japanese naval force has been sighted near Taffy 3 and headed toward the Invasion beachhead.
Admiral Fletcher, alarmed & alert, orders his taskforce at flank speed towards Samar and ready their strike planes for an immediate launch against the enemy naval squadron or fleet threatening Taffy 3 & the Beachhead.
He receives numerous message decrypts from Taffy 3 and even receives the message from Admiral Nimitz asking where was Taskforce 34.
Knowing Admiral Halsey's Temper and temperament... as he watches his flight desk on the Hornet among with Lexington & Yorktown amass a formiable strikeforce on each deck... he orders a message off to Halsey
" From Fletcher to Halsey, TF99 ready for combat near Taffy 3, Flying Strikes against enemy TF. Orders? "
He receives a heart-forth response from Halsey and also picks up the one from Halsey to Nimitz..
' From Halsey to Fletcher. Give them HELL. Sink Them. '
From Halsey to Nimitz ' Fletcher TF99 Sending Strikes Against Enemy Units near Taffy 3. He will give them Hell. '
Will Fletcher's three Carrier strike planes among with Taffy 3's own strike planes cause more devastation and mayhem & even the odds??
What if Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher whom was relieved from duty on Aug 31st 1942 in the battles of the East Solomon on Aug 24–25, 1942 carrier naval battles due to injury & supposed exhaustion and was never ever to commanded another Task Force afterwards was instead given another chance and
circumstances of the sinking of the CV-2 Lexington, CV-5 Yorktown and CV-8 Hornet were badly damaged instead of sinking due to internal explosions & heavily torpedoed & had sank but were towed back to Pearl for evaluation and decided that they had to go back to the Pacific States for full rebuilt and renovations and used sparingly in 1943 as Carrier Training Ships until more Jeep and Escort Carriers were built in sufficient numbers to allow the three, Lexington, Yorktown and Hornet back into active duty in 1944
-------
=======
latter Oct 1944.
At the incident of the Battle of Samar on Oct 24, 1944...
Admiral Halsey receives a message from Admiral Halsey about the situation of Taffy 3 and where his Taskforce is.
" Where is TaskForce 34? The World Wonders."
" Goddammit... What in hell is Nimitz stating... I... I..."
" Admiral... we got another message from TaskForce 99, sir! "
" WHO? "
" I think this is from Admiral Fletcher's Taskforce, sir!"
" Dammit@!! Fletcher?! Give me that."
Message from Fletcher
" From Fletcher to Halsey, TF99 ready for combat near Taffy3, Flying Strikes against enemy TF. Orders? "
" God Bless Fletcher! Tell him ' From Halsey to Fletcher. Give them HELL. Sink Them. "
" And send one back to Nimitz. " ' Fletcher TF99 Sending Strikes Against Enemy Units near Taffy3. He will give them Hell. ' . "
------
======
present early 1942
USS Lexington before the commencement of the Battle of the Coral Sea...
The Damage Control officer of the Lexington is speaking with one of the surviving damage control crews off the USS BB Oklahoma whom had reported that when three torpedoes had struck'd her & cause her to capsize..
As they were running topside, they had noticed that the explosions had not only ruptured the outer side armoured hull but deformed the inner bulkheads that quite a few of the water mains & steam pipes had ruptured.
Thinking on that... he surmised that if the Imperial Japanese Torpedoes were that more explosive and able to rupture and cause the inner bulkheads to deform and rupture the pipes, that some of the Aviation fuel lines might become damage likewise.
He concurs earlier on that it would be best to empty the Aviation Pipelines during enemy airstrikes and one of the survivors from the Oklahoma thinks it might be best to flood them pipes with a non-explosive air like Carbon Dioxide...
Thus the Lexington and Yorktown, once the Damage Control Officers from both Carriers had confer, implement this Damage Control idea earlier on and thus saves the Lexington from internal explosion due to aviation fuel leaking and becoming a highly combustible explosive once a spark was ignited ..
Admiral Nimitz at Pearl after the Battle of Coral Sea gets the Evaluation that the Yorktown needs three months and the Lexington has to have a full overhaul as her battle damages were more extensive than the Yorktown
Admiral Nimitz tells his Repair crew that they need to get the Yorktown ready in three days as best they can fix her while the crew of the Lexington can be transfer over to help on the rebuilt and the Lexington be sent Stateside for a full overhaul & repairs once the Battle of Midway is concluded.
After the battle of Midway was concluded and the badly Damaged and listing Carrier Yorktown was being towed back to Pearl... the USS DD Hammann is the one to spot IJN Submarine I-168 creeping up on their taskforce and she immediately alerts the taskforce of an enemy Submarine contact and drives toward
I-168 whom dives down to avoid her but is somehow depth charged and blasted into Davy Jones Locker instead of allowing her to fire her torpedoes to sink both Yorktown & Hammann as in OTL..
The Listing & badly damaged CV Yorktown is towed back towards Pearl and Admiral Nimitz gets the damage report that she had suffer hits on her top deck and with the two torpedo hits that ruptured her hull had also flooded her boilers & had badly holed them up from shrapnel damage and she likewise would need to be sent stateside for full repair, refurbishment and modernization.
Admiral Nimitz orders that both Lexington & Yorktown be towed back to the Pacific stateside Dock Naval Facilities for full repairs & rebuilt and is pleased that he will have two Aircraft Carriers available within the next six to nine months once they are fully overhauled.
As the Pacific war progress... in the Battle of Santa Cruz 26th Oct of 42, the USS CV Hornet is hit badly by three bombs and two torpedoes hits but was able to avoid the two IJN dive bombers from crashing unto her deck by the AAA fire of her taskforce..
Admiral Halsey is then able to order the USS Hornet out of the region and be towed away back to Pearl.
The Lexington and Yorktown won't be fully repaired & ready until the end of December at the earliest of 1943 and thus this leaves the damaged battle-worn USS CV Enterprise, the repair (again) CV Saratoga and CV Wasp as the only Carriers available in the Pacific among with a few Escort Carriers for ASW duties...
Admiral Nimitz sees the level of damages that the USS Hornet had suffered and orders her stateside for full repair, overhaul & modernization that will take at least six months minimal to get her back into battle trim...
He waits for the Lexington and Yorktown to be re-floated and go back on sea trials with a mostly green crew with a leaven of veterans from the battle Coral Sea, Midway & the Solomon Slot to teach the new crew the ropes while the six to eight newly activated air squadrons are trained likewise by some of the olde air veterans...
With the Lexington, Yorktown and Hornet not getting sunk and instead getting repaired at the Pacific Stateside naval docks... This reduces the need to divert precious Naval Steel from other projects & pour them into only the Essex Carriers & their Escorts while slowing down or delaying other builds of the Fast Battleships & Heavy Cruisers at the slipways waiting for hulls plate steel & other material.
President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill on Dec 1942 have a frank talk about borrowing the HMS CV Victorious for a loan in the Pacific Theater until the Lexington & Yorktown can be ready ...
Admiral King is reluctant to accept the CV Victorious but is under orders from President Roosevelt to accept the loan until USS Lexington and Yorktown can be ready in early 1943 or until USS CV Enterprise can reach Pearl for repairs & rebuilt...
Thus the HMS CV Victorious becomes the USN CV Robin after being refurnished at Norfolk & Pearl to handle the heavier USN Aircraft and given 20mm & 40mm AAA among with American Liaison officers to help...
But the accident rates with the TBDs on the USS CV Robin forces the carrier to become a Fighter Carrier with limited SBD & TBD on her deck from March to Ausgust of 1943 while the Lexington & Hornet joins up with her later in the year on training exercises with the Robin to keep IJN Intel from knowing the true nature of the USN Carrier Fleet status...
As the USN CV Robin is relieved from Pacific Duties on Sept 1943... the USS CV Enterprise, Saratoga & Wasp takes over while the still training Lexington & Yorktown head back towards Pearl for further refitting and training as a Taskforce.
The USS CV Hornet is fully repaired as joins up her sister ships in training at Pearl so that the pool of fighter, bomber and torpedo pilots are trained and ready for further conflicts in the South and Central Pacific....
As the Essex Class Carriers among with the Jeep & Escort Carriers are now rolling off the slipways in 1943 & 1944 in huge numbers... the need for Lexington, Yorktown and Hornet as Training ships becomes less acceptable to both Admiral Nimitz & Admiral King and the influx of more escort & logistical ships will allow another Carrier Taskforce to be form up...
Admiral Nimitz has finally convince Admiral King to reluctantly allow Admiral Fletcher, whom had been sideline as the Commanding Naval officer in Alaska due to rumors that he did poorly in the beginning battle of Guadalcanal where five allied cruisers were wrecked & the last battle at Santa Cruz here the Hornet was also wrecked... to resume command as an Admiral of a Carrier Fleet that will be form around the Lexington, Yorktown and Hornet...
Admiral Nimitz recalls Admiral Fletcher to Pearl for a new assignment and asks him whether he can resume commanding a Carrier Taskforce..
Fletcher, relieved that he is getting a second change and with the Lexington, Yorktown and Hornet available to form a new Carrier Taskforce... He accepts the command offer and places his Admiral Flag on board the Hornet in 44
He gets command of the newly formed Task Force 99 where the USS CV Lexington, CV Yorktown & CV Hornet in June of 1944.
Admiral Fletcher's Task Force also gets the two Large Heavy Cruisers Alaska & Guam as him main Battle gunships eventhough they only carried 12in Guns in three triple turrets.
Fleshing out his Taskforce are about three Baltimore CAs, three Atlanta CLAAs and two dozen of Fletchers & Sumners & others...
By late August... His Taskforce is ready and is order towards the Philippines to join up with Admiral Halsey's Fleet and leaves Pearl..
By the Early morning of Oct 24, 1944...
Admiral Fletcher's Taskforce 99 reaches the vicinity of Samar at the US Naval formation defending the beaches ..
They are entering the Samar region when they hear the frantic calls that an Imperial Japanese naval force has been sighted near Taffy 3 and headed toward the Invasion beachhead.
Admiral Fletcher, alarmed & alert, orders his taskforce at flank speed towards Samar and ready their strike planes for an immediate launch against the enemy naval squadron or fleet threatening Taffy 3 & the Beachhead.
He receives numerous message decrypts from Taffy 3 and even receives the message from Admiral Nimitz asking where was Taskforce 34.
Knowing Admiral Halsey's Temper and temperament... as he watches his flight desk on the Hornet among with Lexington & Yorktown amass a formiable strikeforce on each deck... he orders a message off to Halsey
" From Fletcher to Halsey, TF99 ready for combat near Taffy 3, Flying Strikes against enemy TF. Orders? "
He receives a heart-forth response from Halsey and also picks up the one from Halsey to Nimitz..
' From Halsey to Fletcher. Give them HELL. Sink Them. '
From Halsey to Nimitz ' Fletcher TF99 Sending Strikes Against Enemy Units near Taffy 3. He will give them Hell. '
Will Fletcher's three Carrier strike planes among with Taffy 3's own strike planes cause more devastation and mayhem & even the odds??