[skeeter]

You have a point. The fact that Mitscher was not only not canned after Midway but was promoted (and then not taken off the line after the Marianas) is a testament to his political connections.

[GATOR NAVY]

Yep. The only Hornet squadron to contact the enemy was VT-8, whose CO directly disobeyed the CAG. The latest issue of "Naval History" magazine has an article that says "Compelling evidence suggests the Hornet CO deliberately filed a misleading report after the puzzling ‘flight to nowhere’ in the Pacific war’s pivotal battle."