Status - John Skinner - USS O'Brien:
On June 18th, O'Brien was at Pago Pago, preparing to sail for Pearl Harbor on June 19th.
The formal restructuring of the Navy Task Forces in the Pacific was announced on June 16th, as seen below in the Task Force list. For each task force, a destroyer squadron was assigned. Destroyer Squadron 2 (of which O'Brien was a part) was assigned as escorts to Task Force 17 (Hornet). This is likely the reason that O'Brien was recalled from escort duty at Pago Pago.
The Navy had determined that the next action was probably in the South Pacific. With 4 carriers, the plan was to have 2 carriers in the South Pacific at any one time, those being relieved by the other 2 at specified intervals. O'Brien had intensive anti-submarine training in early 1941 while in the Atlantic, and also had anti-aircraft batteries upgraded recently, and so was valuable to a task force.
U. S. Navy Task Forces:
- Task Force 17 (Hornet) formed with new re-organization Hornet, Enterprise and Saratoga had returned to Pearl Harbor.
- Task Force 16 (Enterprise) formed with new re-organization. Hornet, Enterprise and Saratoga had returned to Pearl Harbor.
- Task Force 11 (Saratoga) formed with new re-organization. Hornet, Enterprise and Saratoga had returned to Pearl Harbor.
- Task Force 18 (Wasp) formed with new re-organization. Wasp and escorts were approaching San Diego, arriving on the 19th.
More Information:
- Official Navy Chronology, pp. 217-220.
- The First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign, John B. Lundstrom, pp 3-10.
- Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 257-259.
NEXT POST: JUNE 22ND
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