OT: Reading material help

[L0ckAndL0ad]

Hello!

I'm wondering if anyone can help me out with finding a good reading material for a game design project I'm working on.

Topic: Task Force / Task Group commander's perspective After Action Reports (preferably USN post WW2, but ANY nation and time frame will do at this point)

Details I'm looking for: TF/TG Commander <-> subordinates relationship dynamic. Anything portraying chain of command back-and-forth, communications, boundaries, limits of command, delegation of duties, handing off certain types of tasks in certain situations, etc. Basically, I want to know HOW IT FEELS to be a TF/TG commander on a flag ship. How commander deals with subordinates (and superiors, but that's of minor concerns now), including flag ship captain. How does the command of the TG/TF looks like while being on a ship where you're not a captain.

NOTE! Due to my current location and international sanctions, I'm unable to buy 99% stuff on-line, so it must be openly available source, like ibiblio.org/hyperwar/

I was offered to read "One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander" by Admiral Sandy Woodward, but unfortunately I can't access it because I'm blocked from all the international transactions, stuff such as PayPal and online markets. So yeah, at this point, I would welcome ANYTHING that comes close to the topic, because I'm getting desperate. The closest thing I read so far is Honor Harrington series, but that's just (decent) sci-fi and won't do well I need some good non-fiction.

I did read most of the USN stuff on Hyperwar couple of years back, but it mostly describes combat events as they unfold, and very rarely the low level details that I'm looking for.

Thank you!

[L0ckAndL0ad]

Yeah, okay, let's try something else.

Does anybody know where to find the following WW2 USN documents: PAC-10 ("Pacific Fleet Tactical Orders and Doctrine", 1943) and FastCar TFI-1 (Marc Mitscher's special task force instructions, May 1944)? They both were mentioned in the famous Thomas C. Hone's article in Naval War College Review, Winter 2013, Vol. 66, No. 1. But I can't find even a snippet from them.

[Fishbed]

Oh well, it seems we're in the same boat here, all the way down to the current location and international sanctions
A good way to access battle report is Fold3 - and it's free for the first two weeks or so, so you can really check if there's something of interest. Naturally, this has to be declassified, it means that WW2 contents is largely dominant, but there must be some Korea and Vietnam-era stuff there.

Alas, for the actual relationship dynamic beyond what is said on air proper and recorded as such, nothing beats research and interviews. That's how people like Lundstrom got all the actual flavor for their books, that differentiate their work from mere textual research. I suppose you have it already, but if not don't forget to check Black Shoe Carrier Admiral from the same author.

By the way, for other related questions, check your PM box in a few minutes from now [;)]

Cheers

[Dili]

try to check archive.org too

[Buckrock]

I've not seen PAC 10 or FastCar TFI-1 while using Fold3 but have come across a few examples there in the past of USN WWII Operational Plans and Task Force/Group orders and instructions, the last mentioned often being issued pre-mission as a temporary modification to the relevant PAC 10 sections. While these aren't the official PAC 10 instructions, they tend to be written with the same structure and form and are on the same subjects, so you may get a limited idea of what the original looked like. I'd also seen a few reports where some specific change was being recommended by a TF commander to CINCPAC in regard to the official Pacific Fleet instructions.

That was about it for my experience with Fold3.

[obvert]

This is the Book Thread. It's been a while since I decided to organise and update. Maybe I'll do another Christmas organisational post soon. We'll see if time allows.

Book Thread: Updated

[L0ckAndL0ad]

Woah! You're all being really helpful!

Thank you!