CVE air groups???

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Covered by air search based on Nevea or one of the nearby islands (an AV) I have bombed the burgeoning shipping center around Tulagi/Lunga getting away with twice against PBEM opponents (and as often as I want against the AI). One time my flyboys caught a bunch of APs, MSWs and PC/PGs and pretty much sank the lot. The other time was much more rewarding - Yamato bombed and torpedoed and sent to the yards for 4 months, Nagato severely damaged and sent to the yards for ? but a long time, 2 CAs severely damaged and 2 CLs sunk. What's also important is that the air search picked up the Nip CVs lying in wait on two other occasions allowing me to abort the planned raid.
I would also like to add that there are lots of little islands in the Santa Cruz group that would serve as a seaplane base. The best defense against cruiser/DD/SS raiders is to stock a couple of them with a few hundred supplies and then move the AV around a bit (rotating the PBY squadrons in and out of Luganville). Every so often once can send a CV TF up that way as cover and maybe slap Mr Nippons hand while he's trying to get into the cookie jar.[:D]

[crsutton]

[quote]ORIGINAL: sdj420


I have a book called "The Campaign For Guadalcanal" by Jack Coggins and on page 56 it has a side view drawing of the LI and tech specs underneath with the following entry: "Aircraft: twenty-one".

However, in the text just 3 lines below the illustration is: "USS Long Island, ex-motorship Mormacmail, the Navy's first escort carrier, was even then leaving Suva, carrying a load of thirty-five fighters and dive bombers."


The LI was never used as a carrier during the Guadacanal campaign. Her only use was as a plane ferry. The term "load" is most likely referring to just that. That is, a load of planes to be delivered to a specific location. The LI was used operationally as a carrier during the Midway campaign but that was her last hurrah as a carrier.