Eisenhower in the Pacific: Part 1 The Shoestring Warriors of Luzon
- Thread starter galveston bay
- Start date
In early 1942 the Army ordered that any bomber capable of carrying a torpedo undergo dropping trials. The B-26 was only used twice to drop torpedoes: at Midway and the Aleutians Operation, although the RAF used a few of theirs in torpedo operations as well. The A-20 was tried but IIRC range was considered too short. The B-25 did well but for some reason never carried torpedoes into combat.
I know B-29s dropped a lot of mines towards the end of the War. I think B-24s were utilized as well.
If you are carrying guided bombs, like the Fritz-X then a heavy bomber standing off at some distance and altitude for maritime attack makes great sense. OTL the USAF has had exercises/plans for B-52s to carry a significant load of Harpoons or other anti-shipping missiles. By the time the US had early guided bombs the surface naval threat was pretty much gone. Using "dumb bombs" didn't work.
Most of the aerial mining was carried on by B-29's against Japan later in the war. Mines in WWII are heavy/bulky, even now they are somewhat heavy as you need a significant explosive load.
Most of the aerial mining was carried on by B-29's against Japan later in the war. Mines in WWII are heavy/bulky, even now they are somewhat heavy as you need a significant explosive load.
The folks that flew B-17s, and even today those that fly large aircraft at low level dropping stuff on forest fires, were highly experienced pilots who did significant practice/training to do this safely. Could B-17's do this, yes with a lot of practice. Would the risk be higheer than with B-25's yes. Is this the best use of B-17's, no. Letting go a full load of bombs against one target is overkill, and if you are going to make several attack runs this is pretty risky.
That was done more often than most people realize, both with torpedoes and bombs by USN and RAAF PBY crews.
Several Patrol squadrons were used in the 'Kiska Blitz' after the Japanese invasion on the Aleutians in 1942.
From Wiki:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VP-3
- 6–13 June 1942: Japanese forces landed 1,250 men on the island of Kiska, in the Aleutians, on the 6th. On the 7th a second force began occupying Attu Island, also in the Aleutian island chain. Lieutenant Litsey of VP-41 was the first to spot the enemy troops on Kiska and the Japanese task force assembled in the bay. On 11 June 1942, Commander Patrol Wing 4 received a message from Commander in Chief Pacific which said, "bomb the enemy out of Kiska." Following unsuccessful missions by USAAF B-17s and B-24s, aircraft available from VPs 41, 42, 43 and 51 commenced continuous bombing missions against targets in Kiska harbor from 11 to 13 June. These missions became known as the "Kiska Blitz." During these bombing strikes the aircraft were serviced by USS Gillis at Nazan Bay, Atka Island. Efforts to use the PBYs as horizontal bombers dropping their bombs from above the clouds proved futile. Pilots began attacking singly, approaching from a direction that provided the best cloud cover. When they were over the harbor the Catalinas were put into a dive and bombs released at appropriate time. The flak was intense. A pullout was initiated at between 500 and 1,500 feet, and the plane immediately again sought cover in the clouds. The raids continued until Gillis ran out of bombs and fuel. During the "Blitz" Lieutenant William N. Thies was awarded the Navy Cross for attacking enemy shipping, scoring a confirmed hit on a large enemy transport. Ensign James T. Hildebrand, Jr., was also awarded the Navy Cross for his participation in all-night aerial patrols and bombing attacks on enemy ships in Kiska harbor.
Patwing 10 (the PBYs) is patrolling the approaches to northern Luzon, where Japanese fleets are about to invade Aparri and Viggan, and what is considered the main likely invasion site, which is Lingayen. The B17s (all 6 of them) are patrolling in the direction of Palau around Mindanao, while the remaining patrol capable aircraft (B18s, B10s and the float planes) are patrolling the central Philippines
There is a lot of water to watch and in the north three approaches (north, west and east) while in the central and southern islands both east and south must be patrolled. So the PBYs are doing their primary job.. scouting.... and they are supporting the submarines (which are achieving exactly nothing at this time but are still supposed to be the primary striking force).
it is indeed.
There is also the rather sad problem of the USN having lost most of its spare torpedoes when Cavite got leveled which limits the option of torpedo armed Catalinas
Read "Thousand Mile War" by Brian Garfield. Its one of the best overviews of the Aleutians war. They were at the end of a supply line so they used anything and everything they could get their hands on.
I have read that one... worst place on the planet to fight a war in World War II.. especially as aircrew
The Battle of Albay Gulf: A Stream of Fire in Torpedo Water
Night Action
It is the second meeting of the Japanese and American Navies of the Pacific War, a mere 24 hours after the Battle of Kure (described in detail in Battle at Dawn). The American force is arranged with the five destroyers in a line abreast ahead 2,000 yards ahead of the American cruisers and cover a line 8,000 yards across. Behind them in line ahead is the Houston, Louisville and Boise. The Boise is the only American ship with radar, carrying an SC1 set aboard which can pick up aircraft at 120 miles, a large ship at 20 miles and a destroyer at 6 miles. The Houston was due to get a CXAM set but delays in shipping space meant that the set planned for her is aboard a ship of the Pensacola Convoy (as are the crewmen to operate it).
The Americans at first spotted at 2300 hours by a Japanese floatplane from the Nachi, which sends a sighting report. The Japanese Cover Force is steaming on a converging course at 30 knots, while the Americans, uncertain as to whether the Japanese Invasion Fleet escorts will meet them in open water or are remaining close to their charges, are steaming at 18 knots. Meanwhile the Japanese escorts, 4 destroyers and the cruiser Ashigara, have formed a line and are running a race track pattern at the entrance of Albay Gulf.
Upon receiving the sighting report, the carrier Ryujo and 3 destroyers break off to the west north west so that they will be in strike range in the morning but well away from the likely shooting.
Admiral Glassford has classified the enemy as Bandit 1 (Invasion fleet), and Bandit 2 (carrier fleet), while his force is call sign Ranger (named after a ship commanded by John Paul Jones). He is unaware that both Bandit groups have subdivided.
Bandit 2 is closing fast, with 4 destroyers in an arc 4,000 yards relative to the light cruiser Jintsu, with the two heavy cruisers 3,000 yards behind the Jintsu and 1,000 yards apart (with the Nachi in the lead).
Bandit 1 has all 6 of its destroyers in line ahead in a race track pattern across the entrance of the gulf, with the Ashigara near the transports, support ships and damaged Nagara providing distant fire support. Several Japanese float planes are aloft, patrolling the entrance of the Gulf as well as actively searching for the Americans. The Boise has them on radar but has orders to hold fire.
However at 0130 hours, the Boise picks up the approaching destroyers and Bandit 1 and signals Glassford aboard the Houston that the enemy is approaching from the west north west and closing fast. The Admiral orders his three cruisers to turn and engage in line ahead while the destroyers are to attempt to enter the gulf and engage Bandit One with torpedoes.
Bandit Two versus the American cruisers
At 0145, the American cruisers open fire with the Houston engaging the Shiokaze, the Louisville engages the Hayashio and the Boise engaging the Kuroshi. The American ships light up the Japanese with searchlights and starshells and then a blizzard of 6 inch rounds, firing at a rate of 5 rounds a minute from all 15 of the heavy guns of the Boise, and in the first 5 minutes at least 20 of these shells blast the Kuroshi into wreckage that explodes into a fireball without even getting off a shot. The Houston and Louisville do not have the awesome rate of fire of the Brooklyn class cruiser but they still score numerous hits and both of their targets are quickly forced to sheer off, afire and heavily damaged. However this spectacular light show illuminates the Americans and the other Japanese destroyers and the cruiser Jintsu make an emergency turn due south and launch every torpedo they have. The Houston meanwhile has accelerated to 32 knots and is outside of the spread, while the Boise misses as she is behind the torpedo spread. Most of the Japanese torpedoes miss but 2 score, gutting the Louisville and knocking out her boilers and thus her power. She also is set ablaze and is a perfect target for the two Japanese heavy cruisers which make their turn to the south and open fire at 15,000 yards with their 20 eight inch guns, quickly scoring hit after hit. Within a few minutes the Louisville is ablaze from end to end and is sinking. The Boise is forced to dodge her, which saves her from a second torpedo spread by the Japanese heavy cruisers.
lost at Albay Gulf, the heavy cruiser Louisville
Having silenced the Louisville, the Japanese shift their fire, with the Nachi, Jintsu and remaining destroyer shooting at the Houston while the Myoko opens up on the Boise. The Boise leads a charmed life, dodging the heavy 8 inch salvos while having an excellent target solution on the Jintsu shift her fire to her, and again a fire hose of shells blasts a Japanese ship into burning wreckage, silencing all of the guns on the Jintsu, killing everyone on her bridge and blasting her superstructure into wreckage. Aflame, the Jintsu sheers out of line but as damaged as she is, her hull integrity is untouched and she is able to fleet due east. The Houston is less lucky however. She scores several hits on the Nachi, smashing her after superstructure and wiping out the crews of most of her anti-aircraft guns, but she takes several hits herself, one of which wipes out her after turret and forces Captain Rooks to flood the aft magazine to avoid catastrophe.
However just as things are looking particularly grim, a rain squall arrives and both sides lose sight of one another. Glassford orders a withdrawal, having lost one of his cruisers and achieved his goal of drawing off Bandit Two. By the time the Japanese discover the American cruisers again it is 0500 and the American ships are miles to the south fleeing through the San Bernardino Strait.
The Americans have lost the Lousville and over 500 dead aboard her, as well as 100 men aboard the Houston but sent three Japanese destroyers to the bottom and reduced another light cruiser to a wreck that will require months of repairs. The Nachi too will need at least a few weeks in the yard for repairs of her own, and over 600 Japanese sailors are dead or missing. But there are no shipyards between Singapore (already under air attack) and Pearl Harbor for the Houston, and her damage is serious enough to require major repairs.
Ambush at Albay Gulf
Meanwhile the destroyers Paul Jones, Stewart, Bulmer, Barker, Parrott are steaming at high speed toward the enemy invasion fleet. They are under close observation however by Japanese float planes and as the Americans approach Bandit One the Japanese open fire with a full spread of torpedoes. Again most of the torpedoes miss but two hit the Stewart which explodes and sinks almost immediately, taking with her all but 20 of her crew as the first torpedo hits her bow and blows it off and a second hits her amidships as she is whipped to the port side by the blast of the first torpedo.
The Japanese have effectively crossed the American 'T' and now open fire with a blizzard of 5 inch rounds with the Ashigara steaming up to support and opening fire with her forward two 8 inch turrets. Most of the shells miss as the American destroyers frantically make emergency turns and launch their own fish and then laying smoke, flee at their best speed, but the Parrott takes numerous hits and slowed sufficiently that she is soon far behind the remaining American destroyers. Only one of the American torpedoes hits, inflicting serious damage to the destroyer Tokitsukaze,that knocks out her power and boiler room. The Japanese pursue the Parrott and quickly score more hits that by 0445 leave her drifting and out of control. Her crew abandons ship and many of the 94 survivors make their way ashore and rescue by friendly Filipinos.
Morning December 11
The Ryujo launches a strike at first light with 11 Kate torpedo bombers and 3 Claude fighters and attacks the American destroyers who are several miles behind the American cruisers. The Houston and Boise are in a rain squall and thus hidden from sight while the destroyers are speeding toward that rain as fast as they can. The Bulmer and Barker both take two torpedoes each and are abandoned by 0930 hours as neither are able to restore power or stop their flooding. Casualties are relatively light, with only 50 killed or missing from the two ships crews. The rest manage to make their way ashore to friendly locals and eventual rescue.
Meanwhile, the heavy cloud cover results the strike by of the 19th Bomb Group, with 16 B17Ds (as 2 had to abort) failing to find the invasion fleet at all, and only by sheer luck finding the Ryujo and its escorts. Dropping from 20,000 feet, and with a higher speed than the defending Japanese Claude fighters, they suffer no losses. They also fail to score even a near miss on the Japanese carrier or any of its escorts. This weather also foils a Japanese strike by 27 Betty level bombers from Formosa who fail to find either American surface force and results in it dropping its bombs on Clark Field on their way home, adding yet more craters for the engineers to be filled. This weather also forces the cancellation of a planned morning strike by the 27th Bomb Group but 3 A24s are lost when they suffer accidents due to weather trying to land back at Cebu.
Postcript
The Houston, Boise and destroyer Paul Jones (the only survivors) are assigned to the escort of the convoy of other Asiatic Fleet warships and Allied merchant ships that flee from Subic Bay and Manila Bay December 10-13, and proceed to Darwin. For the Houston the campaign is over. She is sent Brisbane for emergency repairs, and then to Philadelphia for a full refit as most of the shipyard space on the US West Coast is busy dealing with the ships damaged in the Hawaiian Islands battles.
The Japanese are forced to send the cruiser Nachi, Nagara, and Jintsu back to Japan for repairs, and they have lost 3 destroyers While failing to delay or significantly harm the landing force at Legaspi, the American attack does have a more significant result however. The Japanese are forced to reexamine their plan for the thrust toward the eastern Dutch East Indies and Darwin as well as delay the planned landing at Davao. The Combined Fleet Staff decide that more carrier support will be needed and indeed one immediate result of Midway and Pearl Harbor is to strip the operation of the seaplane tender Chitose while the light carrier Ryujo is ordered to Japan to replace its fighters and join the 1st Air Fleet. Thus the planned landing at Davao scheduled for December 19 is put off until January. This keeps the sea route clear from Darwin to Cebu clear for the vital weeks of the American evacuation of excess military personnel from the Navy and Army Air Force, the bulk of the Philippine Army Air Force personnel, most of the Allied civilians caught in the Philippines by the outbreak of the war, as well as nearly all of those wounded unlikely to recover within 30 days as of December 13. It also provides valuable time for the institution of an air bridge from Darwin to Del Monte to Cebu to Bataan using transport aircraft and old bombers pressed into the role.
The Battle of Albay Gulf has one other immediate consequence however. With the loss of so many senior commanders in the Hawaiian and Philippine Campaign to date, new commanders are needed in the Pacific. With Hart (Commander Asiatic Fleet) and Richardson (Commander Pacific Fleet) dead, and Halsey wounded and Pye crippled, the opportunity exists to set up a new commander structure. As Winston Churchill is in Washington for nearly two weeks, he and FDR, as well as their senior advisors work out new command arrangements for the Pacific and Southeast Asia. For the interim however General Eisenhower is made officially commander of US Forces Southwest Pacific, which includes American forces in Australia (and eventually New Guinea and the Solomon Islands) as well as those fighting alongside what will soon be ABDA Command (American, British, Dutch, Australian) in the East Indies. The performance of his American and Filipino troops at the Battle of Lingayen Gulf soon proves the wisdom of this promotion.
The escort carrier CVE 57 receives the name Albay Gulf, while all 4 of the destroyers lost see their names reused for destroyer escorts. The cruiser Louisville (CL83) reaches the Pacific in late 1945.
The USS Boise, whose 6 inch guns blasted two Japanese warships into wreckage at Albay Gulf
It is the second meeting of the Japanese and American Navies of the Pacific War, a mere 24 hours after the Battle of Kure (described in detail in Battle at Dawn). The American force is arranged with the five destroyers in a line abreast ahead 2,000 yards ahead of the American cruisers and cover a line 8,000 yards across. Behind them in line ahead is the Houston, Louisville and Boise. The Boise is the only American ship with radar, carrying an SC1 set aboard which can pick up aircraft at 120 miles, a large ship at 20 miles and a destroyer at 6 miles. The Houston was due to get a CXAM set but delays in shipping space meant that the set planned for her is aboard a ship of the Pensacola Convoy (as are the crewmen to operate it).
The Americans at first spotted at 2300 hours by a Japanese floatplane from the Nachi, which sends a sighting report. The Japanese Cover Force is steaming on a converging course at 30 knots, while the Americans, uncertain as to whether the Japanese Invasion Fleet escorts will meet them in open water or are remaining close to their charges, are steaming at 18 knots. Meanwhile the Japanese escorts, 4 destroyers and the cruiser Ashigara, have formed a line and are running a race track pattern at the entrance of Albay Gulf.
Upon receiving the sighting report, the carrier Ryujo and 3 destroyers break off to the west north west so that they will be in strike range in the morning but well away from the likely shooting.
Admiral Glassford has classified the enemy as Bandit 1 (Invasion fleet), and Bandit 2 (carrier fleet), while his force is call sign Ranger (named after a ship commanded by John Paul Jones). He is unaware that both Bandit groups have subdivided.
Bandit 2 is closing fast, with 4 destroyers in an arc 4,000 yards relative to the light cruiser Jintsu, with the two heavy cruisers 3,000 yards behind the Jintsu and 1,000 yards apart (with the Nachi in the lead).
Bandit 1 has all 6 of its destroyers in line ahead in a race track pattern across the entrance of the gulf, with the Ashigara near the transports, support ships and damaged Nagara providing distant fire support. Several Japanese float planes are aloft, patrolling the entrance of the Gulf as well as actively searching for the Americans. The Boise has them on radar but has orders to hold fire.
However at 0130 hours, the Boise picks up the approaching destroyers and Bandit 1 and signals Glassford aboard the Houston that the enemy is approaching from the west north west and closing fast. The Admiral orders his three cruisers to turn and engage in line ahead while the destroyers are to attempt to enter the gulf and engage Bandit One with torpedoes.
Bandit Two versus the American cruisers
At 0145, the American cruisers open fire with the Houston engaging the Shiokaze, the Louisville engages the Hayashio and the Boise engaging the Kuroshi. The American ships light up the Japanese with searchlights and starshells and then a blizzard of 6 inch rounds, firing at a rate of 5 rounds a minute from all 15 of the heavy guns of the Boise, and in the first 5 minutes at least 20 of these shells blast the Kuroshi into wreckage that explodes into a fireball without even getting off a shot. The Houston and Louisville do not have the awesome rate of fire of the Brooklyn class cruiser but they still score numerous hits and both of their targets are quickly forced to sheer off, afire and heavily damaged. However this spectacular light show illuminates the Americans and the other Japanese destroyers and the cruiser Jintsu make an emergency turn due south and launch every torpedo they have. The Houston meanwhile has accelerated to 32 knots and is outside of the spread, while the Boise misses as she is behind the torpedo spread. Most of the Japanese torpedoes miss but 2 score, gutting the Louisville and knocking out her boilers and thus her power. She also is set ablaze and is a perfect target for the two Japanese heavy cruisers which make their turn to the south and open fire at 15,000 yards with their 20 eight inch guns, quickly scoring hit after hit. Within a few minutes the Louisville is ablaze from end to end and is sinking. The Boise is forced to dodge her, which saves her from a second torpedo spread by the Japanese heavy cruisers.
lost at Albay Gulf, the heavy cruiser Louisville
Having silenced the Louisville, the Japanese shift their fire, with the Nachi, Jintsu and remaining destroyer shooting at the Houston while the Myoko opens up on the Boise. The Boise leads a charmed life, dodging the heavy 8 inch salvos while having an excellent target solution on the Jintsu shift her fire to her, and again a fire hose of shells blasts a Japanese ship into burning wreckage, silencing all of the guns on the Jintsu, killing everyone on her bridge and blasting her superstructure into wreckage. Aflame, the Jintsu sheers out of line but as damaged as she is, her hull integrity is untouched and she is able to fleet due east. The Houston is less lucky however. She scores several hits on the Nachi, smashing her after superstructure and wiping out the crews of most of her anti-aircraft guns, but she takes several hits herself, one of which wipes out her after turret and forces Captain Rooks to flood the aft magazine to avoid catastrophe.
However just as things are looking particularly grim, a rain squall arrives and both sides lose sight of one another. Glassford orders a withdrawal, having lost one of his cruisers and achieved his goal of drawing off Bandit Two. By the time the Japanese discover the American cruisers again it is 0500 and the American ships are miles to the south fleeing through the San Bernardino Strait.
The Americans have lost the Lousville and over 500 dead aboard her, as well as 100 men aboard the Houston but sent three Japanese destroyers to the bottom and reduced another light cruiser to a wreck that will require months of repairs. The Nachi too will need at least a few weeks in the yard for repairs of her own, and over 600 Japanese sailors are dead or missing. But there are no shipyards between Singapore (already under air attack) and Pearl Harbor for the Houston, and her damage is serious enough to require major repairs.
Ambush at Albay Gulf
Meanwhile the destroyers Paul Jones, Stewart, Bulmer, Barker, Parrott are steaming at high speed toward the enemy invasion fleet. They are under close observation however by Japanese float planes and as the Americans approach Bandit One the Japanese open fire with a full spread of torpedoes. Again most of the torpedoes miss but two hit the Stewart which explodes and sinks almost immediately, taking with her all but 20 of her crew as the first torpedo hits her bow and blows it off and a second hits her amidships as she is whipped to the port side by the blast of the first torpedo.
The Japanese have effectively crossed the American 'T' and now open fire with a blizzard of 5 inch rounds with the Ashigara steaming up to support and opening fire with her forward two 8 inch turrets. Most of the shells miss as the American destroyers frantically make emergency turns and launch their own fish and then laying smoke, flee at their best speed, but the Parrott takes numerous hits and slowed sufficiently that she is soon far behind the remaining American destroyers. Only one of the American torpedoes hits, inflicting serious damage to the destroyer Tokitsukaze,that knocks out her power and boiler room. The Japanese pursue the Parrott and quickly score more hits that by 0445 leave her drifting and out of control. Her crew abandons ship and many of the 94 survivors make their way ashore and rescue by friendly Filipinos.
Morning December 11
The Ryujo launches a strike at first light with 11 Kate torpedo bombers and 3 Claude fighters and attacks the American destroyers who are several miles behind the American cruisers. The Houston and Boise are in a rain squall and thus hidden from sight while the destroyers are speeding toward that rain as fast as they can. The Bulmer and Barker both take two torpedoes each and are abandoned by 0930 hours as neither are able to restore power or stop their flooding. Casualties are relatively light, with only 50 killed or missing from the two ships crews. The rest manage to make their way ashore to friendly locals and eventual rescue.
Meanwhile, the heavy cloud cover results the strike by of the 19th Bomb Group, with 16 B17Ds (as 2 had to abort) failing to find the invasion fleet at all, and only by sheer luck finding the Ryujo and its escorts. Dropping from 20,000 feet, and with a higher speed than the defending Japanese Claude fighters, they suffer no losses. They also fail to score even a near miss on the Japanese carrier or any of its escorts. This weather also foils a Japanese strike by 27 Betty level bombers from Formosa who fail to find either American surface force and results in it dropping its bombs on Clark Field on their way home, adding yet more craters for the engineers to be filled. This weather also forces the cancellation of a planned morning strike by the 27th Bomb Group but 3 A24s are lost when they suffer accidents due to weather trying to land back at Cebu.
Postcript
The Houston, Boise and destroyer Paul Jones (the only survivors) are assigned to the escort of the convoy of other Asiatic Fleet warships and Allied merchant ships that flee from Subic Bay and Manila Bay December 10-13, and proceed to Darwin. For the Houston the campaign is over. She is sent Brisbane for emergency repairs, and then to Philadelphia for a full refit as most of the shipyard space on the US West Coast is busy dealing with the ships damaged in the Hawaiian Islands battles.
The Japanese are forced to send the cruiser Nachi, Nagara, and Jintsu back to Japan for repairs, and they have lost 3 destroyers While failing to delay or significantly harm the landing force at Legaspi, the American attack does have a more significant result however. The Japanese are forced to reexamine their plan for the thrust toward the eastern Dutch East Indies and Darwin as well as delay the planned landing at Davao. The Combined Fleet Staff decide that more carrier support will be needed and indeed one immediate result of Midway and Pearl Harbor is to strip the operation of the seaplane tender Chitose while the light carrier Ryujo is ordered to Japan to replace its fighters and join the 1st Air Fleet. Thus the planned landing at Davao scheduled for December 19 is put off until January. This keeps the sea route clear from Darwin to Cebu clear for the vital weeks of the American evacuation of excess military personnel from the Navy and Army Air Force, the bulk of the Philippine Army Air Force personnel, most of the Allied civilians caught in the Philippines by the outbreak of the war, as well as nearly all of those wounded unlikely to recover within 30 days as of December 13. It also provides valuable time for the institution of an air bridge from Darwin to Del Monte to Cebu to Bataan using transport aircraft and old bombers pressed into the role.
The Battle of Albay Gulf has one other immediate consequence however. With the loss of so many senior commanders in the Hawaiian and Philippine Campaign to date, new commanders are needed in the Pacific. With Hart (Commander Asiatic Fleet) and Richardson (Commander Pacific Fleet) dead, and Halsey wounded and Pye crippled, the opportunity exists to set up a new commander structure. As Winston Churchill is in Washington for nearly two weeks, he and FDR, as well as their senior advisors work out new command arrangements for the Pacific and Southeast Asia. For the interim however General Eisenhower is made officially commander of US Forces Southwest Pacific, which includes American forces in Australia (and eventually New Guinea and the Solomon Islands) as well as those fighting alongside what will soon be ABDA Command (American, British, Dutch, Australian) in the East Indies. The performance of his American and Filipino troops at the Battle of Lingayen Gulf soon proves the wisdom of this promotion.
The escort carrier CVE 57 receives the name Albay Gulf, while all 4 of the destroyers lost see their names reused for destroyer escorts. The cruiser Louisville (CL83) reaches the Pacific in late 1945.
The USS Boise, whose 6 inch guns blasted two Japanese warships into wreckage at Albay Gulf
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authors notes: I lived in the Houston area for a very long time, so of course I took the poetic license of saving the cruiser Houston 
Glassford was historically criticized for being over cautious, which I think is unfair.
Weather is not the historical weather, as I couldn't find it, but it is the historical weather pattern for the area.
B17s bombing from high altitude had terrible results in terms of effectiveness against ships, especially warships that could maneuver. Generally speaking level bombing is not the best way to hit ships that are moving.
The US Navy needs some senior officers for the Pacific, and those will soon be arriving
Glassford was historically criticized for being over cautious, which I think is unfair.
Weather is not the historical weather, as I couldn't find it, but it is the historical weather pattern for the area.
B17s bombing from high altitude had terrible results in terms of effectiveness against ships, especially warships that could maneuver. Generally speaking level bombing is not the best way to hit ships that are moving.
The US Navy needs some senior officers for the Pacific, and those will soon be arriving
This Houstonian appreciates itauthors notes: I lived in the Houston area for a very long time, so of course I took the poetic license of saving the cruiser Houston
This Houstonian appreciates it
just don't get too attached to the Battleship Texas