US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Savo—Tbe Galling Defeat 361
cause of his defeat at Savo Islands, and the thing about this primary cause
which stuck in his craw the hardest, ” said: “Inadequate and faulty air
reconnaissance and more faulty than inadequate. ” 12
Before making this particular answer, he carefully considered a list drafted
by this
;
c.
d.
e.
f.
&
h.
i.
j
k.
1.
m.
author and discarded the following as not being the primary cause:
Lack of respect for Japanese aggressiveness.
Lack of a specific night action battle plan in the Screening Group
in event of an undetected surprise raid.
Lack of combat reaction at the command level in the cruisers and
destroyers of the Screening Group, or lack of a specific night action
plan for these units.
Delay of Screening Group Commander in rejoining his command.
Withdrawal of Air Support Force.
Command organization.
Personnel fatigue.
Lack of night battle training.
Lack of appreciation of the limitations of radar, or radar failures.
Communication delays, or failures.
Failure to have more picket destroyers.
Division of heavy ships (CA and CLAA) of Screening Force into
three groups.
Failure to maintain the prescribed condition of ship readiness in the
heavy cruisers.
n. The United States Navy’s obsession with a strong feeling of technical
and mental superiority over the enemy.
The official history of the Army and the monographs of the Marine Corps
as well as Newcombs popular Tbe Incvedibie Naval Debacle, all give the
impression that air reconnaissance, or perhaps osmosis, furnished informa-
tion of such a nature that Rear Admiral Turner knew that a Japanese Naval
Force was app~oac~ing the lower Solomons. These are the words these
books use:
Word of this approaching force reached Admiral Turner at 1800, and when
Admiral Fletcher notified him shortly thereafter that the carrier force was to
be withdrawn, Turner called Vandegrift to the flagship, ZlcCadey, and
informed the general that, deprived of carrier protection, the transports must
leave at 0600 the next day.”
“ Turner.
‘sZimmerman, G.uada],-drrulCtim@r’~//(Marine Monograph) p. 259.