Status - John Skinner:
By the 9th, the crew of the O'Brien had probably reached the west coast and were each en route to their homes for the month of liberty they had received before reporting to their next assignment.
Some time after the torpedoing of the O'Brien, the Navy had sent word to the sailors' families that the ship had been lost with all hands. This was not corrected for several days; but finally, to the great relief of the families, all were confirmed alive. John was no doubt happy to return home, it having been almost 3 years since he had left for the Navy; and happy also to confirm that as with Mark Twain, reports of his death had been greatly exaggerated.
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Enterprise, still incompletely repaired at Noumea, left on the night of the 9th for the Guadalcanal area. Its protective air cover could no longer be spared over the island. At Pearl Harbor, the repaired Saratoga was preparing to sail next day.
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Operation TORCH
For some time there had been difficulty getting armaments and supplies to the South Pacific. On the 8th it became clear why; as the first large scale allied invasion was conducted in North Africa with landings at Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers. The Allies being as yet unprepared to invade into western Europe, had decided to open this front in Africa as an alternative.
U. S. Navy Task Forces:
- Task Force
16 (Enterprise) was still at Noumea for temporary repairs to Enterprise, until late on the 9th.
- Saratoga prepared to sail from Pearl Harbor on on the 10th, repairs having been completed.
- Combined
Task Force 61 was at Noumea until sailing for the Guadalcanal area.
- Task Force 16 (Enterprise) -> TF 61
More Information:
- Official Navy Chronology, pp. 273-275.
- The First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign, John B. Lundstrom, pp 460-472.
- The Struggle for Guadalcanal, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 224-226.
- Neptune's Inferno, The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal, James D. Hornfischer, pp. 237-245.
NEXT POST: NOVEMBER 13TH
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