Quote:
Originally Posted by copeab
Actually, things could have turned out quite differently had a single Japanese plane not suffered mechanical problems.
The floatplane that eventually first spotted the US forces was delayed a few hours because it needed repairs. Had it been launched on time, the Japanese could have gotten in a first strike well before the US.
Such are the things the fates of armies (and fleets) depend on.
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No, actually, if
Tone #4 had launched on time, he wouldn't have seen anything. He was both out of sector (and cutting his route short) and behind schedule when he found the
Yorktown. (
Shattered Sword, pp.146-8) PO Amari was only about half an hour late in launching, but that's still not good.
Chikuma's #1 plane should have spotted TF17, but must have been over the clouds.