Morning Star, Midnight Sun Quotes

“Admiral Turner, the disaster at Savo Island “stuck in his craw.” He would give his theory as to how the Navy could have suffered such a defeat: The Navy was still obsessed with a strong feeling of technical and mental superiority over the enemy. In spite of ample evidence as to enemy capabilities, most of our officers and men despised the enemy and felt themselves sure victors in all encounters under any circumstances… The net result of all this was a fatal lethargy of mind which induced a confidence without readiness, and a routine acceptance of outworn peacetime standards of conduct. I believe that this psychological factor, as a cause of our defeat, was even more important than the element of surprise.”
― Jeffrey R. Cox, Morning Star, Midnight Sun: The Early Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign of World War II August–October 1942

“Admiral Hepburn’s main conclusion was fairly obvious: “The primary cause of this defeat must be ascribed generally to the complete surprise achieved by the enemy.” As to how this surprise was achieved, he listed five reasons: 1. Inadequate condition of readiness on all ships to meet sudden night attack. 2. Failure to recognize the implications of the enemy planes in the vicinity prior to the attack. 3. Misplaced confidence in the capabilities of radar in the picket destroyers Blue and Ralph Talbot. 4. Failure in communications which resulted in the lack of timely receipt of vital enemy contact information. 5. Failure in communications to give timely information of the fact that there had been practically no effective reconnaissance covering the enemy approach during the day of August 8.”
― Jeffrey R. Cox, Morning Star, Midnight Sun: The Early Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign of World War II August–October 1942

“ever”
― Jeffrey Cox, Morning Star, Midnight Sun: The Early Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign of World War II August–October 1942