1943
  • By the end of January, the situation of the ships had improved with the increase production of fast carriers.  At this time five task forces could be put into action.
  • Task Force 18 consisted of three heavy cruisers, three light cruisers, two escort carriers carrying 29 fighters, eight dive bombers, and 24 torpedo bombers, and eight destroyers.
  • Jan. 14-24--The Casablanca Conference.
  • Limited the Pacific war because it was declared that the Allied forces will not join the Pacific until Germany was defeated.
  • It was further established the Pacific fleet should concentrate its forces to advance westward in the Central Pacific.
  • This decision favored Nimitz because he felt Japan's major weakness was the Central Pacific.  The decision created strains in interservice relations because MacArthur believed the best way to invade Japan was through the South Pacific.
  • April -- Operation Cartwheel  plan emerged. 
  • Admiral Nimitz was made theater commander for the whole Pacific.
  • General MacArthur took charge of the South-West Pacific Area.
  • June 30--The operation was expedited.
  • Although, carriers where still a relatively new innovation and where primarily used for amphibious support, Nimitz understood its important role as an offensive

    •   weapon in the Pacific.                                                                                           Operation Cartwheel
    (Keegan,"The Second World War")
  • Some merchant ships where converted to aircraft carriers, later called "jeep" carriers.  These ships increased America's defensive potential.
  • The light carriers of the Independence Class, converted from fast cruisers, could embark up to fifty ships and increase speed over 30 knots.
  • The Essex class carriers where heavily armored with 5-inch and 40- and 20-mm antiaircraft guns.  This type of carrier could embark up to 100 airplanes and was as fast as the light carrier.
  • Nimitz now contemplated the strategy of taking a giant's leap between the stepping-stones MacArthur wanted to secure.  This seemed as a very risky strategy at first because it could stretch the Navy to a breaking-point.  He was now contemplating this strategy because he saw the effectiveness of his 'fast carrier task forces.'
  • When Nimitz was preparing his Admirals to take Kwajalein, he decided to use his carriers to knock out Japanese airpower in the eastern Marshalls.
  • Nov. 21--He saw how difficult and costly it was to have successive amphibious assault on heavily fortified islands, such as in Tarawa.  By noon of the next day, the battle was secured and won by the United States amphibious forces.  Over 1000 Marines were dead and 2000 were wounded.
  • Captain James Steele prepared a report called "A Hundred Mistakes Made at Tarawa."2

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