Kael Posavatz wrote:dsrseraphin wrote:Halsey's mistakes at the Battle of Samar actually illustrates the strengths & weaknesses of local battle space management vs central control. Halsey makes a local battle space decision, not the best in light of his incomplete information but one that matched the strategic goal. Halsey compounds his error by poor c3 within his command (that's all on him and THAT's what cooks his goose). This, unfortunately for Halsey, leads to the CiC of the Pacific Theater to question his tactics (which Halsey took as a severe rebuke). Luckily for Halsey, the extremely positive esprit de corps of the out numbered defenders (of which Halsey was partially responsible for) repulse the demoralized (again, partially a product of Halsey) Japanese attackers. This incident proves my point that operations must managed local (but properly) and that telecommunications can give a timely value add to operations if done wisely.
Length's fine. I think most people here through up lengthy walls of text. I know that I've done more than a few already.
I need to comment on that 'rebuke' remark.
The original communication was an informational request by Nimitz-who-lacks-a-tail regarding the location of TF 34 as previous communication was unclear. Granted, Kinkaid's plain-text call for help provoked it, but it was purely informational in nature.
The decision by whoever decrypted it on
New Jersey to leave in the padding, and Halsey's Comm Officer (name escapes me at the moment) not to redact the padding, meant Halsey received a 'rebuke' that was never intended or even implicit in Nimitz' original request.
Yes I know it wasn't meant as a rebuke but, as the Wikipedia article inferred, regardless of how it was meant Halsey took it as a rebuke, so much so that I would characterize his response as a 'snit fit', so much so that a subordinate had to basically admonish him to get over it and do his job (gotta luv those well chosen staff officers), and even then he stewed some more... as much as a Jewish mother's over done prune dish.
As to whether or not Nimitz (the Admiral, not the privy aide de camp w/claws) was questioning tactics, my bet is that he was... He could have left the inquiry to his staff as in "... could you find out which china shop our favorite Bull is at now, for me..." but that he sent his Bull a personal communique in the midst of an operation speaks volumes.
Its not two flag officers in the O club shooting the breeze - its the CiC for the Theater contacting his Fleet commander regarding where he (meaning his command) is at that moment in the middle of combat operations. This implies either that the CiC is sooooo out of the loop and clueless that he (or she, gotta be PC now) could not find the seat of his birthday suit without a powerpoint presentation (which he was not) -or- that the commander fracked his c3 so badly that the stench of the fecal matter mixing in with his command screws reached a thousand miles, from the Philippines all the way to Hawaii (which he did & it did)
My contention is Halsey's error was not in the tactic of concentrating his forces but in exercising dang poor command, control, & communications with regard to his command. Failure to inform a subordinate of change in tactics in the battle space, failure to respond to said subordinate when notified about an unexpected change in the battle space, that was the real problem. If he had replied with something... even "shhhhh, be wery, wery, quiet... Im hunt'n wabbits" he probably would
not have gotten a front channel inquiry from HIS commander (back channel maybe but not one that splashed into the history books).
and thanks for taking the time to read me-David S.
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