OLYMPIC FAST CARRIER FORCES
Admiral Halsey’s THIRD Fleet sortie from Leyte Gulf against Japan in July 1945 was the first of a series of planned operations against the Japanese archipelago. The initial plan was for THIRD Fleet to retire to Eniwetok in mid August, then sortie again in late August, striking Japan (primarily) east of the 135th Meridian. The British Pacific Fleet (with 4 new light carriers) would strike Hong Kong and Canton in late September. A third sortie would would be made in October and include seven Fast Carrier Groups, 5 USN groups and 2 RN groups.
Admiral Spruance’s FIFTH Fleet would arrive in the objective area on X-8, 24 Oct 45, and conduct the final preparations and amphibious elements of Operation OLYMPIC. At least two Fast Carrier Groups would be assigned to the FIFTH Fleet for the purpose. The THIRD Fleet including the British Pacific Fleet would continue to strikes on Honshu and Hokkaido.
Based on CINCPOA OP-PLAN No. 10-45, 8 August 1945 the following USN ships were planned to constitute the fast carrier groups.
FIFTH FLEET ADMIRAL R.A. SPRUANCE
TASK FORCE 58 VICE ADMIRAL F.C. SHERMAN
TASK GROUP 58.4, CARRIER GROUP FOUR REAR ADMIRAL A.W RADFORD
CarDiv 6
CV 20 BENNINGTON
CV 14 TICONDEROGA
CV 19 HANCOCK
CVN 6 ENTERPRISE
CVL 29 BATAAN
BatDiv 9
BB 63 MISSOURI
BB 64 WISCONSIN
CruDiv 18
CL 67 TOPEKA
CL 87 DULUTH
CL 104 ATLANTA
CL 105 DAYTON
TaskFlot
CL 49 ST. LOUIS
DDR 807 BENNER
DDR 808 DENNIS J. BUCKLEY
DesRon 62
DesDiv 123
DD 696 ENGLISH
DD 697 CHARLES S. SPERRY
DD 698 AULT
DD 699 WALDRON
DD 700 HAYNSWORTH
DesDiv 124
DD 701 JOHN W. WEEKS
DD 702 HANK
DD 703 WALLACE L. LIND
DD 704 BORIE
DesDiv 122
DD 744 BLUE
DD 745 BRUSH
DD 746 TAUSSIG
DD 747 SAMUEL N. MOORE
TASK GROUP 58.5, CARRIER GROUP FIVE REAR ADMIRAL D.B. DUNCAN
CarDiv 4
CV 11 INTREPID
CV 17 BUNKER HILL — Reynolds suggests that LAKE CHAMPLAIN would be be substituted for BUNKER HILL
CVN 31 BON HOMME RICHARD
CVL 25 COWPENS
CVL 28 CABOT
CruDiv 16
CB 1 ALASKA
CB 2 GUAM
CruDiv 19
CA 72 PITTSBURGH
CA 73 SAINT PAUL
CA 136 CHICAGO
TaskFlot
CLAA 98 TUCSON
DDR 875 HENRY W. TUCKER
DDR 876 ROGERS
DDR 877 PERKINS
DesRon 48
DesDiv 95
DD 517 WALKER
DD 631 ERBEN
DD 642 HALE
DesDiv 96
DD 660 BULLARD
DD 661 KIDD
DD 666 BLACK
DD 667 CHAUNCEY
DesDiv 123
DD 727 DE HAVEN
DD 728 MANSFIELD
DD 729 LYMAN K. SWENSON
DD 730 COLLETT
DD 731 MADDOX
THIRD FLEET ADMIRAL W.F. HALSEY
TASK FORCE 38 VICE ADMIRAL J.H. TOWERS
TASK GROUP 38.1, CARRIER GROUP ONE REAR ADMIRAL A.C. DAVIS
CarDiv 5
CV 12 HORNET
CV 18 WASP
CV 21 BOXER
CVL 26 MONTEREY
BatDiv 6
BB 55 NORTH CAROLINA
BB 56 WASHINGTON
BB 57 SOUTH DAKOTA
CruDiv 14
CL 64 VINCENNES
CL 86 VICKSBURG
CL 90 MIAMI
TaskFlot
CLAA 54 SAN JUAN
DDR 742 FRANK KNOX
DDR 743 SOUTHERLAND
DesRon 57
DesDiv 113
DD 564 ROWE
DD 565 SMALLEY
DD 566 STODDARD
DD 567 WATTS
DD 568 WREN
DesDiv 114
DD 654 BEARSS
DD 655 JOHN HOOD
DD 799 JARVIS
DD 800 PORTER
DesDiv 104
DD 673 HICKOX
DD 674 HUNT
DD 675 LEWIS HANCOCK
DD 676 MARSHALL
TASK GROUP 38.2, CARRIER GROUP TWO REAR ADMIRAL T.L. SPRAGUE
CarDiv 3
CV 10 YORKTOWN
CV 16 LEXINGTON
CV 36 ANTIETAM
CVL 24 BELLEAU WOOD
BatDiv 7
BB 61 IOWA
BB 62 NEW JERSEY
CruDiv 20
CL 82 PROVIDENCE
CL 91 OKLAHOMA CITY
CL 92 LITTLE ROCK
CL 101 AMSTERDAM
TaskFlot
CLAA 95 OAKLAND
DDR 805 CHEVALIER
DDR 806 HIGBEE
DesRon 24
DesDiv 47
DD 471 BEALE
DD 515 ANTHONY
DD 516 WADSWORTH
DD 519 DALY
DesDiv 48
DD 520 ISHERWOOD
DD 527 AMMEN
DD 528 MULLANY
DD 656 VAN VALKENBURGH
DesDiv 103
DD 535 MILLER
DD 536 OWEN
DD 537 THE SULLIVANS
DD 538 STEPHEN POTTER
DD 539 TINGEY
TASK GROUP 38.3, CARRIER GROUP THREE REAR ADMIRAL C.A.F. SPRAGUE
CarDiv 1
CV 15 RANDOLPH
CV 38 SHANGRI LA
CVL 22 INDEPENDENCE
CVL 27 LANGLEY
BatDiv 8
BB 58 INDIANA
BB 60 ALABAMA
CruDiv 10
CA 68 BALTIMORE
CA 69 BOSTON
CA 71 QUINCY
CA 74 COLUMBUS
TaskFlot
CLAA 97 FLINT
DDR 829 MYLES C. FOX
DDR 873 HAWKINS
DDR 874 DUNCAN
DesRon 50
DesDiv 99
DD 668 CLARENCE K. BRONSON
DD 669 COTTEN
DD 670 DORTCH
DD 671 GATLING
DD 672 HEALY
DesDiv 100
DD 650 CAPERTON
DD 651 COGSWELL
DD 652 INGERSOLL
DD 653 KNAPP
Provisional DesDiv
DD 685 PICKING
DD 577 SPROSTON
DD 578 WICKES
TASK FORCE 37, CARRIER GROUPS SIX AND SEVEN, VICE ADMIRAL H. B. RAWLINGS (RN)
1ST CARRIER SQUADRON
CV IMPLACABLE
CV INDEFATIGABLE
CV INDOMITABLE
CV FORMIDABLE
CV VICTORIOUS
11TH CARRIER SQUADRON
CV VENERABLE
CV VENGANCE
CV GLORY
CV COLOSSUS
1ST BATTLE SQUADRON
BB KING GEORGE V
BB HOWE
BB ANSON
BB DUKE OF YORK
4TH CRUISER SQUADRON
CL SWIFTSURE
CL GAMBIA (RNZN)
CLAA BLACK PRINCE
CLAA ARGONAUT
CLAA EURAYLUS
2ND CRUISER SQUADRON
CL BERMUDA
CL BELFAST
CL ACHILLES (RNZN)
CL NEWFOUNDLAND
CL ONTARIO (RCN)
4TH DESTROYER FLOTILLA
DD QUADRANT
DD QUICKMATCH
DD QUIBERON
DD QUALITY
DD QUEENBOROUGH
DD QUILLIAM
7TH DESTROYER FLOTILLA
DD NAPIER
DD NEPAL
DD NIZAM
DD NORMAN
19TH DESTROYER FLOTILLA
DD TRAFALGAR
DD ARMADA
DD CAMPERDOWN
DD HOGUE
DD BARFLEUR
24TH DESTROYER FLOTILLA
DD TROUBRIDGE
DD TEAZER
DD TENACIOUS
DD TERMANANT
DD TERPISCHORE
DD TUMALT
DD TUSCAN
DD TYRIAN
25TH DESTROYER FLOTILLA
DD GRENVILLE
DD ULSTER
DD ULYSSES
DD UNDINE
DD URSA
DD URANIA
DD UNDAUNTED
DD URCHIN
27TH DESTROYER FLOTILLA
DD KEMPENFELT
DD WESSEX
DD WAGER
DD WHELP
DD WHIRLWIND
DD WAKEFUL
DD WIZARD
DD WRANGLER
DD ALGONQUIN (RCN)