Session 5

Carrier Operations: 1941

This program gave an enlightened look at how Japanese and American carriers operated in 1941. These new and formidable naval weapons were used with devastating effect at the beginning and throughout the Pacific War. But how did they operate in 1941? How were planes launched and retrieved? What were the inner workings between crew members and aviators? And how did their operations differ between each country? Professor Doug Smith and Jonathan Parshall provided that insight.

 

Speakers: Jonathan Parshall - Jonathan Parshall is a noted naval historian and researcher. He was a consultant on the 1999 mission to the Midway battle site by Nauticos Corporation. Mr. Parshall is widely published on naval history in journals and magazines. He has appeared on Discovery Channel and is a historical advisor to the BBC. He maintains an award-winning website on the Japanese Imperial Navy (www.combinedfleet.com). His book, Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway is considered by critics to be one of the finest accounts of the Japanese side of that dramatic naval battle.

Dr. Douglas Smith - Dr. Douglas V. Smith is a Professor of Strategy and Head of the Strategy and Policy Division at the U.S. Naval War College. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Naval Postgraduate School, and the Naval War College and holds a doctorate in military history from Florida State. Doug specializes in the naval history of WWII and in particular, the five carrier battles of the Pacific war.