Marianas Turkey Shoot
Admiral Raymond Spruance
Vice Admiral Marc A Mitscher
Flagship Indianapolis
US 7 Carriers Task Force 58
16 total carriers
With 925 planes at his disposal
w
Against 5 Japanese Carriers
9 total Japanese Carriers with 450 planes
| | CV | CVL | BB | CA | CL | DD | SS | Total |
| USN | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 68 | 27 | 138 |
| IJN | 5 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 23 | 19 | 69 |
CV: Fleet Carrier CVL: Light Carrier BB: Battleship CA: Heavy Cruiser CL: Light Cruisers DD: Destroyers SS: Submarines
The Hellcat outperformed the Wildcat in many ways and was a much better match against the Japanese Zero. It had a 2,000 horsepower radial Pratt & Witney engine that practically doubled the 1,200 horsepower engine of its predecessor the F4F Wildcat. This Hellcats massive R-2800-10 Double Wasp Radial engine gave it a max speed of 375mph and a range of 1,090 miles which was an improvement over the Wildcats max speed of 330mph and range of 845 miles. “By V-J day the Hellcat produced more aces than any American aircraft and claimed some 5,200 kills for 270 losses in aerial combat: a nineteen-to-one win-loss ration over Japanese aircraft.”
Ozawa had two advantages the trade winds that allowed him greater range and ability to launch his airplanes
Admiral Spruance stayed put close to the island for support of the landings.
Turning the lights on
Decision to send plans out over 300 miles on the 20th of June.
Japanese Inexperienced pilots. The plan was to coordinate multiple wave attacks from the carriers in coordination with Japanese land based airplanes from the island based airbase in Guam. This failed to work effectively for the American pilots destroyed many of the land based planes before they were even a factor.
June 19th 1944
- Wave one of Japanese planes attack and are intercepted by American Hellcats that shoot down 35 rendering the first Japanese wave completely ineffective.
- Taiho Sunk by sub It was a new Japanese submarine that was poorly constructed for it was not ventilated well and the collected fumes and vapors spread throughout the ship and ignited causing it to meet its demise. It had a lack of good fire control. Contrast with the American Essex carrier.
Look back to the Amercian’s ability to repair carrier decks in Midway.
9:05am
The American submarine Albacore fires off 6 torpedoes at the Japanese carrier Taiho mortally wounding it. Due to the damage inflicted the Taiho sinks at 16:28.
12:20pm
Shokaku is heavily damaged by a torpedo attack from the US submarine Cavalla. Captain Herman J Kossler. The bulkheads flood and fires ignite the airplane fuel. Fuel vapors leak throughout the ship and three and a half hours later those fumes ignite resulting in the total destruction of the flattop and it sinks. Three destroyers locate the submarine and hunt it for 3 hours. A record number of depth charges are dropped however the sub miraculously escapes.
Only one Peal Harbor carrier remaining the Zycokcko
- Raid 2 ends in disaster for the Japanese when they launch 373 planes and the American Hellcats shoot down over 200 and
The Japanese are now down two carriers.
The Hellcat was built tough. When Claude Plant was hit several times he landed his plane back on the Essex and to his surprise found that his plane was riddled with 150 holes that included a whole in each blade of his propeller and the plane was still stable enough to fly back and land on the carrier.
June 20th 1944
US carriers decide to chase the fleeing Japanese carriers and launch a risky retaliatory strike that covers over 300 miles and puts them in a risky position of having to recover their planes at night.
Hiyro is sunk by US dive Bombers and torpedo bombers
Many of the toperodos miss their respected targets
The US lost 99 planes of the 216 committed 82 of which that were lost trying to find the carriers
Night landing recovery. The Carriers lit up their lights and turned on their search lights as beacons. The destroyers followed suit and it looked like a lit up carnival. The scene was mass confusion as pilots running on fumes panicked and tried to land. Many had to ditch in the ocean and float in their rafts. The recovery on the carriers at night with no moonlight was difficult and there were some deadly crashes that hampered the process.
Gunners shot down 19 approaching Japanese planes in defense of the American carrier.
The fighter pilot concept changed from 1915 in World War I where they were individual hunters but for the US Navy fighter pilots utilized teamwork. Four plane formations two shooters and two wingman to protect the back of the aggressors. In the Turkey Shoot Pilots were raking up 6-7-8 or 9 kills in one day.
- The Marianas Turkey Shoot namesake origin.
It got its name when after the fighting on board the Lexington Lieutenant Junior Grade Zeigael Neff made a comparison to hunting back home in Missouri as he reminisced about the four Japanese planes he shot down that day and the unbeliviable amount the tally reached and he said that the victory and said, “It was just like an old-time turkey shoot”The comparison caught on and spread throughout the carrier and it stuck. The American engagement and victory would be forever known in history as the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot.
Kenneth Munson. The Pocket Encyclopedia of World Aircraft in Color Fighters 1939-45 Attack and Training Aircraft. (Deventer: Blandford Press Ltd., 1969),25.
