cpdeyoung
Posts: 5326
Joined: 7/17/2007 From: South Carolina, USA Status: offline
|
October 13th, 1941 Baldwin Hanson, Military analyst, New York Tribune Let's discuss why we are so hesitant to tell much about the naval war. The oceans cloak movement very effectively. It is often sloppy humans who reveal locations and we must not contribute to this. Here is what we can say. First, the Japanese have a lot of carriers. USN submarines attacked two carrier groups in the Atlantic and estimates are that there were sixteen carriers. This is almost certainly an over estimate. It is improbable they could have so many, but clearly they have a lot. Japanese carriers are reported off Singapore, near Wake Island, near Baja California, spies saw them in the Panama Canal. Second, German U-boats under Japanese command hold the strait between New Guinea and Australia. Australia itself has been invaded in multiple places, all in the north. Japanese ASW operations range across the Pacific. Kagerō class destroyers, B1 class submarines, and H6K4 flying boats range far where submarine activity is detected. The IJN has publicly committed to keeping the sea lanes open. The distances in the Pacific are huge. Room enough for a big fight.
|