Status - John Skinner - USS O'Brien:
O'Brien has been stationed at Pearl Harbor, and is doing patrol and escort duty from there.
O'Brien did some patrolling in the area of French Frigate Shoals, about 560 miles northwest of Oahu and part of the Hawaiian Island chain. The shoals are mostly reef, but some small islands and sandbars are there as well.
At this time, patrols were sent to this area as it had been very recently used for Japanese attacks on Oahu and Pearl Harbor by submarines and seaplanes. These seaplanes met the Japanese submarines for refueling at the French Frigate Shoals reef before the attacks.
After these attacks, Admiral Nimitz kept a permanent presence in the French Frigate Shoals area.
U. S. Navy Task Forces:
- Task Force 17 (Yorktown) remained in the South Pacific area to continue raids and offensive operations.
- Task Force 11 (Lexington) had left the South Pacific and was en route to Pearl Harbor.
- Task Force 16 (Enterprise) was at Pearl Harbor.
- USS Hornet arrived on March 20 at Alameda, CA. Preparations were ongoing for its first mission in the Pacific. This mission was a secret at the time.
More Information:
- Official Navy Chronology, pp. 171-172.
- The First South Pacific Campaign, John B. Lundstrom, pp.58-59.
NEXT POST: MARCH 26TH
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