August 1, 1942 - Saturday - 80 years ago today

 Status - John Skinner - USS O'Brien: 

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

Operation Watchtower  .

 Invasion practice continues at Koro Island.  Useful practice is conducted for all operations except landings, as the island's coral reef prevents almost all landing boats from getting ashore.  Commanders are continuing to plan the details of the invasion operations.  Admiral Ghormley, in overall command, reaches the area on August 1st and enters his flagship, USS Argonne.

U. S. Navy Task Forces:

• Task Force 17 (Hornet) was at Pearl Harbor.  Extensive training was being done during this time.
  
• Combined Task Force 61 was at Koro Island near Fiji, practicing for the invasion of the southern Solomon Islands.
  
• Task Force 16 (Enterprise) -> TF 61
  
• Task Force 11 (Saratoga) -> TF 61
• Task Force 18 (Wasp) -> TF 61

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 236-237.
  
•  The First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign,  John B. Lundstrom, pp 27-30.
• Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 280-282.
• Neptune's Inferno, The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal, James D. Hornfischer, pp. 32-39.
  

 

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