Comments by "" (@BobSmith-dk8nw) on "HMS Illustrious - Guide 048 (Human Voice)" video.

A few things ... First off - I was aware of the Victorious's working with Saratoga though not aware that the Admiral went to such lengths to move aircraft back and forth between the two ships. The reason you don't hear about Victorious being with the US Fleet is - there were no carrier battles while it was there. The same fighting that had reduced the US to one carrier in the Pacific had reduced the number of Japanese Carriers as well - and they had committed their carrier air groups to the Air Campaign against Guadalcanal, basing them in Rabaul. Both sides had bloodied the other and each was hesitant to lose the last carriers they had. The US began to resume major carrier operations once the Essex class carriers began to come on line but the Japanese never did. They expended the air groups assigned to Rabaul - and never recovered from that either. The USN could have transferred the Ranger to the Pacific as it had the Wasp - but didn't and the Victorious was sent instead. As to various nations tooting their own horn - yes - every nation has them - and the Americans doing that have absolutely NOTHING on the Anglophiles ... .
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