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Studies in Naval History and Sea Power
Admiral John S. McCain and the Triumph of Naval Ai
Admiral John S. McCain and the Triumph of Naval Air Power covers the life and professional career of Adm. John S. McCain Sr. (1884-1945). Spanning most of the first half of the twentieth century, McCain's life and career highlight the integration of aviation into the Navy, emphasizing the evolution of the aircraft carrier from a tactical element of the fleet stressing sea control to a strategic force capable of long-range power projection.
Although much of the book focuses on carrier aviation, McCain was instrumental in the emergence of flying boats, considered essential for long-range reconnaissance in the Pacific. One of the senior officers branded as "Johnny-Come-Latelys" by pioneer aviators, McCain nevertheless brought fresh approaches and innovation to naval aviation. His prewar and initial wartime commands encompassed tender-based and shore-based aviation, which were critical to early operations in the Pacific, yet McCain also understood the power and potential of carrier-based aviation, initially as commanding officer of the USS Ranger (CV-4) before the war, then as a carrier task force commander under Adm. William F. Halsey in the Pacific in 1944 and 1945. Moreover, he served tours as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics and the first Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air) in 1942-1944. In these posts he witnessed and played a role in the culmination of naval air power as a means of delivering crippling blows to the enemy's homeland. McCain was among only a handful of officers who achieved prominence during the war and who had experience in all of these varied and challenging levels of command.
Although much of the book focuses on carrier aviation, McCain was instrumental in the emergence of flying boats, considered essential for long-range reconnaissance in the Pacific. One of the senior officers branded as "Johnny-Come-Latelys" by pioneer aviators, McCain nevertheless brought fresh approaches and innovation to naval aviation. His prewar and initial wartime commands encompassed tender-based and shore-based aviation, which were critical to early operations in the Pacific, yet McCain also understood the power and potential of carrier-based aviation, initially as commanding officer of the USS Ranger (CV-4) before the war, then as a carrier task force commander under Adm. William F. Halsey in the Pacific in 1944 and 1945. Moreover, he served tours as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics and the first Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air) in 1942-1944. In these posts he witnessed and played a role in the culmination of naval air power as a means of delivering crippling blows to the enemy's homeland. McCain was among only a handful of officers who achieved prominence during the war and who had experience in all of these varied and challenging levels of command.
- GenresWorld War IIBiography
416 pages, Hardcover
Published April 15, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
July 5, 2023
In as much as John S. McCain is remembered, it's as the grandfather of Senator John S. McCain, tending to be lost in the shadow of of men such as "Bill" Halsey, who McCain was a senior lieutenant of. It turns out that McCain is an interesting person in and of himself, as his career says a great deal about the evolution of aviation in the United States Navy, and the politics of such.
There are a number of controversies about McCain, starting with how he was one of the last "Johnny come lately" aviators; officers looking to get involved in aviation relatively late in their careers, as they were gunning for an admiral's stars. As much as McCain preferred sea duty over being in Washington, he knew how to play that political game to perfection, parlaying an aviator's gold wings into command of the carrier "Ranger," and punching his ticket to flag rank. As much as this aggravated career aviation officers, who in retrospect look very paranoid about their own career prospects, there is no denying that McCain's wide experience justified his elevation, and his performance and leadership ability generally backed up the image.
What's particularly interesting to me are the times when McCain was lucky to skate around controversy, as while Ernest King and Chester Nimitz concurred in advancing McCain's career, neither man would have had any issues with leaving McCain on the beach. These issues include the failure of McCain's scouting aircraft in regards to the Savo Island disaster (McCain then being commander of the flying boat squadrons in the Southwest Pacific), McCain's part in the command debacles of the battle of Leyte Gulf, and his role in the two times that Halsey's 3rd Fleet was savaged by typhoons. At a certain level, all four of these incidents were tied to failures of electronic communication, which suggests that signals management was a weakness throughout the American naval officer corps. Not to mention, in the case of the misadventures with bad weather, of the prevalence of too much aggression for its own sake. It's at times like this when Raymond Spruance's cool assessment of risk make him look like an indispensable man, and, at the very least, makes his pairing with Marc Mitscher look like the superior command team, as compared to that of Halsey and McCain.
Speaking to Trimble's performance as an author, he's had a long career as an aviation historian, and the quality of this book reflects this. It has a very strong documentary base and Trimble is well engaged with the historiography of the subject. Highly recommended.
There are a number of controversies about McCain, starting with how he was one of the last "Johnny come lately" aviators; officers looking to get involved in aviation relatively late in their careers, as they were gunning for an admiral's stars. As much as McCain preferred sea duty over being in Washington, he knew how to play that political game to perfection, parlaying an aviator's gold wings into command of the carrier "Ranger," and punching his ticket to flag rank. As much as this aggravated career aviation officers, who in retrospect look very paranoid about their own career prospects, there is no denying that McCain's wide experience justified his elevation, and his performance and leadership ability generally backed up the image.
What's particularly interesting to me are the times when McCain was lucky to skate around controversy, as while Ernest King and Chester Nimitz concurred in advancing McCain's career, neither man would have had any issues with leaving McCain on the beach. These issues include the failure of McCain's scouting aircraft in regards to the Savo Island disaster (McCain then being commander of the flying boat squadrons in the Southwest Pacific), McCain's part in the command debacles of the battle of Leyte Gulf, and his role in the two times that Halsey's 3rd Fleet was savaged by typhoons. At a certain level, all four of these incidents were tied to failures of electronic communication, which suggests that signals management was a weakness throughout the American naval officer corps. Not to mention, in the case of the misadventures with bad weather, of the prevalence of too much aggression for its own sake. It's at times like this when Raymond Spruance's cool assessment of risk make him look like an indispensable man, and, at the very least, makes his pairing with Marc Mitscher look like the superior command team, as compared to that of Halsey and McCain.
Speaking to Trimble's performance as an author, he's had a long career as an aviation historian, and the quality of this book reflects this. It has a very strong documentary base and Trimble is well engaged with the historiography of the subject. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review