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Comment Board Trivia | by Nea | 2002-06-10 00:00:31 |
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Um, Ze Battle of Midway? | by Frogboy | 2002-06-10 07:15:14 |
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Phillipine Sea? | by Illiad | 2002-06-10 10:50:25 |
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Sorry, you're both wrong | by Schol-R-LEA;2 | 2002-06-10 11:05:18 |
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The Marianas Turkey Shoot | by nix | 2002-06-10 17:54:15 |
| Correct. |
by Schol-R-LEA;2 |
2002-06-10 18:46:21 |
It specifically refers to the air conflict on 19 June 1944, in which US Navy pilots downed over 300 Japanese pilots, for fewer than 30 US losses - a ratio of 10 to 1.
If I understand correctly, the main Japanese carrier group, having just replaced the majority of their pilots and planes, had left port early with the intention of sinking a US carrier group while they were occupied with the land-based fighter groups flying from the Carolines and other nearby islands. However, the US attack unexpectedly swung west towards Marianas, placing them out of reach of all the island fighter groups except for the one on Guam, which was already undermanned. Furthermore, it now meant that the bulk of the pilots in the battle would be novices who had been rushed through flight school so that they could join the carrier group when it sailed.
Worst of all for the Japanese, the US task force's radar sighted the first wave well in advance of the attack, and were able to field a force of veteran pilots against the green Japanese aviators, who were routed in one of the most lopsided air battles in history. To add insult to injury, two of the Japanese carriers were attacked by US submarines that night, sinking one and crippling another. The practical result was that the Imperial Navy's air arm was effectively taken out of the war. |
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