July 12, 1942 - Sunday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS O'Brien:

O'Brien had joined Task Force 17 at  Pearl Harbor.

Operation Watchtower

There was frenzied activity going on to assemble the invasion force for the Solomons.  The Army had no troops available as all its resources were being absorbed into Operation Torch (the initial invasion of North Africa).  Marine forces would have to be gathered from various South Pacific locations.  These marines would need replacements soon, and those needed to be found as well.  Ground based air forces from MacArthur would need to be coordinated.  The scramble to find forces would lead to the operation being informally known as "Operation Shoestring".

U. S. Navy Task Forces:

• Task Force 17 (Hornet) was at Pearl Harbor (until July 13).  Hornet was having some refitting done, mostly radar installations.
  
• Task Force 16 (Enterprise) would sail on July 15th for the South Pacific.
  
• Task Force 11 (Saratoga) sailed on July 7th for the South Pacific and a rendezvous with Wasp.
  
• Task Force 18 (Wasp) was heading for the South Pacific (initial destination Tonga), escorting transports with Marine forces that would  be part of the invasion of Guadalcanal (Operation Watchtower).
  

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 229-231.
  
•  The First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign,  John B. Lundstrom, pp 19-27-.
• Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 261-266.
  

 

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