US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Success, Then Cliff Hangi~g 345
Unfortunately, the initial WATCHTOWER landings provided no real test
of either ships gunfire or the methods of ccmtrcdling ships gunfire by shore
based fire control parties. The lack of response to the ships gunfire in the
WATCHTOWER Operation was a dangerous precedent for Tarawa.
CLOSE AIR SUPPORT
Carrier Air Group Three was in the Sura~oga, Carrier Air Group Six was
in the Enterprise, and Carrier Air Group Seven was in the Wasp, On D-Day,
the Wa~p Air Group was assigned to the Tulagi-Gavutu area, and the
Saratoga Air Group to the Guadalcanal area. Four squadrons of aircraft (one
VF and three VSB) were assigned to close air support and two additional
squadrons (one VF and one VSB) were assigned for the initial attack sweeps.
In the early hours of the operation, Commander Air Group Three and
Commander Air Group Six alternated in command of aircraft in the Guadalcanal
area. Commander Air Group Seven initially was over Tulagi.
Sunrise on D-Day was at 0633 and at 15 minutes before sunrise, while
the transports were coming up to position, one fighter squadron was to drop
in on the Japanese seaplane base at Tulagi-Gavutu-Tanambogo. At the same
minute, a second fighter squadron was to sweep over the Point Cruz-Kukum-
Lunga-Koli-Togama Point area, striking any Japanese aircraft, motor torpedo
boats, or submarines.
Two dive bombing squadrons were ordered to attack at the same early
hour, with the tasks of destroying anti-aircraft and coastal defense guns in
or near the two Marine assault areas, and any aircraft on airdromes, fuel
and ammunition dumps, or concentration of vehicles. One dive bombing
squadron was assigned to blast the Tulagi hills from minus 10 minutes to
H-hour.
Air Group Six provided a half squadron of fighters for follow through
of the ‘‘15 minutes before sunrise” attack on Guadalcanal airdromes and
AA installations, and a half squadron of dive bombers for follow through of
the Tulagi initial sweep. Forty-four planes comprised the initial sweep at
Guadalcanal and 41 planes struck at Tulagi-Gavutu.
The Air Support Group polished off the 18 Japanese seaplanes in the
Tulagi area with its first attack. There were no seaplanes sighted on the
Guadalcanal side and no Japanese land planes on the airstrip.
Subsequent thereto, during daylight, the Air Support Group provided one