Content deleted Content added
No edit summary Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
No edit summary Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
||
Line 90:
American carrier air groups had suffered minimal personnel losses with nine U.S. aircraft shot down with three pilots subsequently recovered by nearby ships or submarines. These lopsided results were in part due to a lack of experience among Japanese pilots. IJAAS fighters stationed to the north of the Philippines were still in training.{{sfn|Ofstie|1945a}} The bulk of enemy fighter aircraft reported by U.S. aviators were Japanese Army types, primarily the [[Nakajima Ki-44]] ([[World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft|Allied reporting name]] "Tojo"), [[Kawasaki Ki-61]] ("Tony") and [[Nakajima Ki-43]] ("Oscar") models. Even though there were some experienced Japanese naval aviators operating at this time, IJNAS [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero]] fighter units reconstituted after the [[Battle of the Philippine Sea]] were still learning to work together and did not execute the kind of section or division flying that yielded tactical advantage.{{sfn|McCampbell|1944|p=43}}
Though the day's remaining carrier strikes by Hellcat fighters, [[Curtiss SB2C Helldiver]] dive bombers, and [[Grumman TBF Avenger]] torpedo bombers did significant damage to military installations on Formosa, they failed to completely neutralize Japanese air power based on the island. The Japanese response was well suppressed, however, and the only effective counterattack to develop against TF{{nbsp}}38 came from Japan itself. An elite air attack unit trained for all-weather and night flying called the ''Tkōgeki Butai'', meaning Typhoon Air Attack Force, or T Air Attack Force for short, moved south to execute Japan's first large-scale radar assisted nighttime aerial torpedo attack.{{sfn|Hackett|2016}} The results were lackluster. U.S. Navy ships made smoke for cover and engaged in radical maneuvering to keep enemies astern as Japanese aircraft dropped flares to illuminate their targets. Eight Japanese aircraft were shot down by ships' guns during the night,{{sfn|Bogan|1944|p=10}} and three [[Mitsubishi G4M]] "Betty" bombers were claimed by night fighters from the {{ship|USS|Independence|CVL-22|6}}.{{sfn|Ewen|1944|p=22}} {{ship|USS|Pritchett|DD-561|6}} suffered damage from friendly fire, but no damage from enemy aircraft was incurred.{{sfn|Sherman|1944|pp=5–6}}
=== 13 October ===
| |||