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Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 1:43 pm
by Dili

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 2:14 pm
by dr.hal
Thanks Dili, great catch. Reading the "comments" it is clear that the controversy still hits people hard! Hal

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 2:22 pm
by USSAmerica
Great article. Thanks for posting, Dili.

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 3:13 pm
by SuluSea
Thought provoking article, thanks for posting it. [:)]

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 3:20 pm
by ilovestrategy
Dang. I still learn something new.

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:01 pm
by Alekks
Interesting read. If the account is accurate, Mitscher did face a dilemma when writing up his report.

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:18 pm
by Commander Stormwolf

Truth is the first casualty in war,

only believe the day a war begins, and the day a war ends

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:39 pm
by Apollo11
Hi all,

Interesting...


Leo "Apollo11"

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:44 pm
by Nikademus
Symonds Midway book is a good one. I'd recommend it as it gives a more detailed accounting of the US side of the battle.

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:16 pm
by oldman45
It makes perfect sense why Mitscher would write his report the way he did. Assuming the author is correct.

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:29 pm
by danlongman
I am presuming from my years of lurking there are at least 2 people on here who might be considered experts
on the Pacific War and USN Ops therein. I has a question: to wit "What is/was the Magnetic Deviation Error at Midway in June 1942?"
Right here right now it is 21 degrees East.
cheers

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:36 pm
by treespider
ORIGINAL: danlongman

I am presuming from my years of lurking there are at least 2 people on here who might be considered experts
on the Pacific War and USN Ops therein. I has a question: to wit "What is/was the Magnetic Deviation Error at Midway in June 1942?"
Right here right now it is 21 degrees East.
cheers
The magnetic variation was 7 degrees east.

Midway Roundtable

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:56 pm
by danlongman
Thank you. Even today modern Jet liners make occasional embarassing errors with that.
However that is not big enough to add anything to the discussion.
I have been involved in incidents where Pilots made very clear errors between Magnetic and True
(if the glove fits) and just plain lied about it. Like accidentally calling your teacher "Mommy".
cheers

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 7:52 pm
by mikkey
interesting article, thanks for sharing Dili

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 5:33 am
by warspite1
Thanks Dili - that was a very interesting article. So if that is true then either way the brave Waldron was doomed...he found the Japanese and perished but had he failed to find them and survived he would have been charged with mutiny....

RE: Mitscher and the mystery of Midway

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 7:17 am
by spence
One can read Admiral Mitscher's report itself in the raw and compare it to the reports of many of the other commanders (ships, squadrons, task forces and surviving flyers from the nearly wiped out torpedo squadrons) in their official after action reports at:

http://www.midway42.org/reports.html

(this page is just the index with clickable links to the AARs)