US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Save--The Galling Defeat 369
with the Japanese cruisers, when the TF 63 Army Air Force planes turned
back at 1215 some 60 miles south of the Japanese cruisers and far, far
short of the 750-mile search which had been expected and of which the
B-17s were capable.
Admiral Hepburn commented:
. . . this important negative information did not become known to Rear
Admiral Turner until the next day. . . .
It is not unreasonable to suppose that timely information of the failure of
the search plan might at least have resulted in a precautionary order to the
Screening Force to maintain the highest degree of readiness. . . .S5
TF 63 AIR RECONNAISSANCE
The problem of the undetected approach of the Japanese cruiser squadron
to Guadalcanal was one which could have been solved but was not.
While it is the inadequate performance of the individual Australian
pilots which is more often publicized when pre-Savo Island air reconnaissance
is mentioned, there is also to be considered the record of inadequate search
plans by CTF 63. These plans were a real help to the Japanese cruiser force.
CTF 61 (Vice Admiral Fletcher) had alerted CTF 63 (Rear Admiral
McCain) to the problem of the undetected approach as early as 29 July in
a message to Rear Admiral McCain in connection with Dog Day and Dog
Day minus one.
[In accordance] Your Operation Plan 1-42, assume planes searching sectors
3 and 5 will arrive at outer limit search at sunset searching return leg by radar.
Note that enemy striking group could approach undetected . . . by being
to the northwest of sector 5 and north of sector 3.s8
The capabilities of the aircraft and air crews for night flying weighted
CTF 63’s reply:
If weather forecast indicates favorable navigation conditions will comply
your 290857. Otherwise daylight search will be made. . . .3’
The Operation Order as issued initially by COMSOPAC on 16 July called
for air reconnaissance by AIRSOPAC to
cover the approach to, al,d the operation within, the TULAGI-GUADAL-
CANAL Area by search
= Hepburn Report, 13 May 1943, paras. 85, 87,
S CTF 61 to CTF 63, 290857 Jul. 1942, Hepburn Report dispatches.
S7~F 63 to ~F 61, 300820 Jul. 1942, Hepburn Report despatch=