Comments by "John Burns" (@johnburns4017) on "Midway: Why the US won? Determination? Superior Ships? Damage Control?" video.

  1. Somerville did send out a task group to find the Japanese fleet, but failed. If the Japanese fleet sinks a lot of British ships they could not follow up with any land invasion. Just reducing the large British fleets compliment. They had to get back as they were running out of fuel. The Japanese fleet's sail into the Indian Ocean was a waste of time achieving nothing, with no firm war progressing objective, but risking valuable ships.... and they could have lost a lot if matters went slightly against them, as you pointed out it could have. Their carriers had wooden decks like the US carriers. The Japanese fleet should have only been used in attacking other threatening ships and/or support land operations. The British did not go sailing off Italy within range of land based planes for fun. Carrier HMS Hermes (WW1 era) was used for carrying planes rather than an attack ship. It was sunk with no operational planes to retaliate.
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  2. The flight deck crews on US and British carriers were very efficient in getting planes up and down quickly. When a wave of planes took off on a Japanese carrier the crew would wave them off. The crew on US carriers would be working hard to get planes up and down, preparing for the next wave. The efficiency and procedures of the US carrier crews made a difference. That efficiency took years of experience to get right.
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