June 14, 1942 - Sunday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS O'Brien:

On June 14th, O'Brien was at Pago Pago, and would remain there until leaving for Pearl Harbor on June 19th.

There was a relatively quiet period after the battle at Midway.  The Japanese fleet returned to home waters for a time.  US Navy and Army commands discussed their next steps.  Air group losses on the carriers needed to be replaced; the carrier torpedo groups at Midway had been almost completely wiped out.  Newly formed  torpedo groups also got the new Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers, a major upgrade over the obsolete Douglas Devastators.

U. S. Navy Task Forces:

• Task Force 17 (Hornet) Hornet, Enterprise, and Saratoga moved north toward the Aleutians to counter some reported Japanese activity there.  The operation was soon canceled and all three carriers returned to Pearl Harbor.
  
• Task Force 16 (Enterprise) (see above).
• Task Force 11 (Saratoga) - (see above).
• Task Force 18 (Wasp) transited the Panama Canal on the 11th and was sailing for San Diego.
  

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 215-217.
  
•  The First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign,  John B. Lundstrom, pp 3-10.
  

 

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