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Bloody Santa Cruz. Good day for the Japs, they more or less finished off the American carriers; sunk the Hornet and badly damaged the Enterprise. But the Japanese navy didn't have the landing craft needed to take back Henderson field. US Marines held out, against all odds, and totally on their own. The Enterprise returned as fast as she could, with nothing more than a deck, her elevators still not repaired. At that point, she was not able to go into battle, but what she did was launch planes that landed at Henderson field... and brought much needed supplies. Those planes included SBD Dauntlesses, which then took out the 9 troop transports the Japs had sent to take back their airstrip. The transports had already arrived, but rough seas had kept them from landing... it was a bloody miracle that we held onto Henderson field.
Japan really only had two new heavy weight aircraft carriers for the war; the Shokaku and the Zuikaku, both of which were damaged at the battle of the Coral Sea and went in for repairs, and were being repaired at Tokyo when the Japanese attacked Midway without them. America had three new heavy weight carriers for the war; the Enterprise, Hornet, and Lexington. The Lexington was badly damaged at Coral Sea also and put in for repairs at Pearl Harbor, but was sent out to the battle of Midway with about 100 dock workers and materials to finish the deck at sea. This turned out fortunate because the Lexington was damaged early in the battle but they were able to repair the deck again during the battle and the Lexington kept fighting. Finally, when the only carrier left for the japs, the Hiryu, launched all their remaining planes after the Lexington a 2nd time, they sunk the Lexington.
While Shokaku and Zuikaku were still repairing, the Enterprise and the Hornet bolted for Guadalcanal and launched a surprise raid that took the outpost airfield the japs had built to operate from and cut off Australia. This was the real turning point of the war. The Shokaku and Zuikaku then returned to battle against the Enterprise and the Hornet and took back control of the Solomons, albeit, they were not able to land enough marines to take back Henderson field, because they lacked troop transports. But the Zuikaku and the Shokaku managed to sink the Hornet and damage the Enterprise, so they won the day at Santa Cruz.
The Hornet sunk in deep waters... it was an amazing find. click on this link and watch the video; CBS was onboard doing a documentary on the search for the Hornet when suddenly they found the ship on their first attempt. They linked the ship's discovery with the last surviving crew member of the Hornet and they actually put a clear picture of his gun mount on the screen... amazing stuff.
Wreckage of World War II aircraft carrier USS Hornet discovered
Japan really only had two new heavy weight aircraft carriers for the war; the Shokaku and the Zuikaku, both of which were damaged at the battle of the Coral Sea and went in for repairs, and were being repaired at Tokyo when the Japanese attacked Midway without them. America had three new heavy weight carriers for the war; the Enterprise, Hornet, and Lexington. The Lexington was badly damaged at Coral Sea also and put in for repairs at Pearl Harbor, but was sent out to the battle of Midway with about 100 dock workers and materials to finish the deck at sea. This turned out fortunate because the Lexington was damaged early in the battle but they were able to repair the deck again during the battle and the Lexington kept fighting. Finally, when the only carrier left for the japs, the Hiryu, launched all their remaining planes after the Lexington a 2nd time, they sunk the Lexington.
While Shokaku and Zuikaku were still repairing, the Enterprise and the Hornet bolted for Guadalcanal and launched a surprise raid that took the outpost airfield the japs had built to operate from and cut off Australia. This was the real turning point of the war. The Shokaku and Zuikaku then returned to battle against the Enterprise and the Hornet and took back control of the Solomons, albeit, they were not able to land enough marines to take back Henderson field, because they lacked troop transports. But the Zuikaku and the Shokaku managed to sink the Hornet and damage the Enterprise, so they won the day at Santa Cruz.
The Hornet sunk in deep waters... it was an amazing find. click on this link and watch the video; CBS was onboard doing a documentary on the search for the Hornet when suddenly they found the ship on their first attempt. They linked the ship's discovery with the last surviving crew member of the Hornet and they actually put a clear picture of his gun mount on the screen... amazing stuff.
Wreckage of World War II aircraft carrier USS Hornet discovered
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