Comments by "" (@VersusARCH) on "Admiral Spruance - Masterminding Midway to Taking Tarawa" video.

Lack of air search radar on the Japanese side combined with improper radio set magnetic shielding in the Zero fighters was decisive. Otherwise, the mostly unescorted US bombers would have been savaged by the Japanese CAP. Lack of air search radar was also the reason why the Japanese escort ships were spread out (to provide early warning) and too far to contribute to the carrier's AAA. Of course, something as simple as a sufficient cloud cover could completely ruin such an early warning system (which is what happened at Midway).
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@PeteOtton They all had radios but they were next to useless due to static (caused by interference by Zero's engine ignition magnetos and the general magnetic conditions in the Pacific) as they were improperly shielded. Some pilots of Tainan Kokutai including Saburo Sakai went so far to remove the radio sets altogether considering it a dead weight. Whether there were such instances in the Zero carrier air groups I don't know (I think it's unlikely, due to tighter control of a ship environment and theoretical importance of radios to carrier operations).
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What would have happened had he failed? The Japanese would have taken Washington had he failed? Essex, Fletcher, Gato, Hellcat and Avenger swarms would not have materialized? USA would have ran out of strategic materials?
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