Vice Admiral Mark Mitscher

[Takao]

Minor quibbles...

The Group was commissioned on October 6, 1941 with cast-off F4Fs, SBC biplanes and biplane torpedo planes.

and

March 21-30 in San Diego Hornet air group re-equipped all squadrons-to F4f-4 from F4F-3, from SBC biplanes to SBD, and replaced last biplane TBs with TBDs)-aircraft transition time, not group training time)

While the group may have been formed on October 6th, the various squadrons had been formed prior to that date, by at least a month.

VT-8 never had any biplane torpedo bombers that I know of, they flew the monoplane SBN-1s when first formed. VT-8 also received a few TBDs in October, 1941.

[R Leonard]

Hornet squadron aircraft complements first six months from BuAer Monthly Status of Naval Aircraft for dates shown:

30 July 1941
Neither Hornet nor its squadrons listed (no surprises there).

31 August 1941
VB-8 with 2 SBC-4
VF-8 with no aircraft
VS-8 with 7 SBC-4
VT-8 with 3 SBN-1
Utility Unit with 2 OS2U-2

30 September 1941
VB-8 with 19 SBC-4
VF-8 with 2 F4F-3
VS-8 with 18 SBC-4
VT-8 with 9 SBN-1
Utility Unit with 2 OS2U-2

31 October 1941
VB-8 with 19 SBC-4
VF-8 with 1 SNJ-3, 3 F4F-3, 7 F4F-3A
VS-8 with 22 SBC-4
VT-8 with 9 SBN-1
Utility Unit with 2 OS2U-2

30 November 1941
VB-8 with 19 SBC-4
VF-8 with 2 SNJ-3, 5 F4F-3, 7 F4F-3A
VS-8 with 22 SBC-4
VT-8 with 9 SBN-1, 9 TBD-1
Utility Unit with 2 OS2U-2, 2 J2F-5

31 December 1941
VB-8 with 19 SBC-4
VF-8 with 2 SNJ-2, 9 F4F-3, 5 F4F-3A
VS-8 with 20 SBC-4
VT-8 with 7 SBN-1, 8 TBD-1
Utility Unit with 2 OS2U-2, 2 J2F-5

31 January 1942
VB-8 with 18 SBC-4
VF-8 with 13 F4F-3, 5 F4F-3A
VS-8 with 18 SBC-4
VT-8 with 9 TBD-1
Utility Unit with 2 OS2U-2, 2 J2F-5

[reedwh52]

Takao:
My typing skills at work-the biplane reference for VT-8 was from the reference to the SBCs.


However, the point remains that the expectations for the air group to function as an integrated unit as was needed at Midway were more a hope than a valid expectation.

While the component squadrons were formed on shore inn August-September, they were formed essentially from scratch. These received second-hand or obsolete equipment over time.

Of the three primary types of aircraft in the group, only the TBDs that partially equipped VT-8 beginning in November 1941 were in use at Midway.
These aircraft were replaced in time to sit unused during the outbound leg of the Tokyo raid and then essentially at sea without opportunities for group training until Midway.

Carrier availability for training was limited-The VF-8 carrier landing qualifications did not take place until mid-December. The air group went aboard Hornet on December 23 for the shakedown cruise. As noted on P 178 of"the First Team", the Hornets air department tended to ground inexperienced aviators who had accidents caused by inexperience. Which did not increase carrier based operational skills of these pilots.