Talk:Cactus Air Force

Opponents section
Perhaps there could be another section in the article called, "Opponents" or "adversaries" or something like that that describes the enemies of the Cactus Air Force that they fought almost every day, including the 11th Air Fleet and its sub-units, the "R" Area Air Force, and the various Japanese naval air groups from the carriers that raided Guadalcanal every now and then. Cla68 03:26, 3 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Totally agree. I have just begun expnading this and am open to all suggestions.  If you can add anything at all please do but, in time, I will crack open Frank's book to research about the Japanese Naval Air Groups, The bombardments from ships coming down slot, etc...--Looper5920 04:31, 3 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Lundstrom's book as well goes into the Japanese organization in some detail so I'll try to add something along that line in the future. Cla68 05:52, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Squadrons
The way the squadrons are listed at the bottom is bothering me. Any ideas on how to make this section look a little cleaner or sexier for that manner.--Looper5920 05:18, 3 January 2007 (UTC) Ill work on something I changed it a little but your right its still not much better-- Wils Bad Karma ( Talk / Contribs ) 05:24, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Were the first 5 Navy squadrons stationed there or on separate carriers?-- Wils Bad Karma ( Talk / Contribs ) 05:25, 3 January 2007 (UTC)


 * During the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, the Enterprise and the Saratoga were put out of commission and sent some of their squadrons to Henderson. That is where they all came from except for VB-71 which came in September 15 when the Wasp was sunk.--Looper5920 05:48, 3 January 2007 (UTC)
 * That doesn't make it any easier.-- Wils Bad Karma ( Talk / Contribs ) 05:51, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Aircraft shot-down claims
I just wanted to point one thing out to be aware of for everyone involved with writing this article and that is the use of aircraft destroyed claims data. Japanese records of aircraft operations around Guadalcanal, which appear to have become generally available in the West around the late 1980s, show that actual Japanese aircraft losses in the air war with the Cactus Air Force (CAF) were usually much less than the number claimed by CAF aircrews. Therefore, Japanese aircraft losses given in sources prior to 1990 (like in Morison's books, for example), are very suspect. Cla68 03:44, 4 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Actually, looking at Miller's book (Cactus Air Force) shows that Japanese air loss records may have been available much earlier. Thus, I amend my comment to suggest that if a source provides Japanese air losses based on claims by the Cactus Air Force pilots, without referencing Japanese records, then those numbers may be suspect. Cla68 03:15, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Henderson on map
Anyone happen to know where to score a map that shows Guadalcanal, location of Henderson and "The Slot". Think that would be pretty good for focusing people on the area of fighting. Thoughts?--Looper5920 10:35, 12 January 2007 (UTC)
 * I think the map "Image:RabaulStratArea.jpg" would work since it shows the entire area. It just needs someone with image altering software to add colored dots to show where Henderson Field and the different Japanese airbases were.  I can do it and will try to get it done this weekend, family demands permitting. Cla68 23:11, 12 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Awesome...thanks for the help--Looper5920 23:12, 12 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Done and in the Commons gallery for the article. I wasn't sure where to place it. Cla68 04:27, 21 January 2007 (UTC)

Japanese units
In his book U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle – Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, Gordon Rottman states "the IJN 11th Air Fleet provided most of the campaign's aircraft and suffered heavy casualties essentially losing the 21st, 24th 25th and 26th Air Groups. Just wanted to make sue this jibed with you research before I added it. --Looper5920 02:48, 13 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Yes, that appears to jibe with the source I've been using (Lundstrom). Cla68 04:15, 13 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Just a note, I'm putting in a lot of detail right now on the Japanese air units, perhaps too much detail. Later I'll condense and perhaps start some separate stub articles on some of the Japanese air units. Cla68 09:48, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

Things to add
Just off the top off my head, I am thinking that topics to be mentioned should include: (In no particular order and please add any if you have more...that way they can be struck out later) Anyone, please add more or disagree with what I have as you go. Cheers--Looper5920 11:02, 13 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Intro greatly expanded
 * Should any type of template or infobox be added?
 * Position of the US Navy at night allowing for the constant shelling (Background maybe?)
 * Washing Machine Charlie
 * Something on Air Defense?
 * Addition of Fighter 1 & 2 strips to augment the original one
 * Navy Seabees and ordinancemen holding the fort for the first two weeks until Marine mechanics arrived
 * Japanese - Non rotation policy for Japanese pilots?, add a Japanese photo, ?
 * Rework the Participating Units portion...There is already a very rough draft here
 * Tight consolidated list of major fighting for each month (converted to prose of course)
 * Royal New Zealand Air Force participation.
 * Speak to the Army's P-40 Aircobras..how they were used and their limitations

Cactus Air Force
This article is supposed to be about the "Cactus Air Force", but it spends most of its time talking about everything but the Cactus Air Force. It rambles on about the Japanese Navy, and the U.S. Navy, about the construction and conditions of Henderson Field, and on and on about beaucoup other things besides the "Cactus Air Force". There is little about what units it consisted of, when they arived, who their leading pilots were, who their top commanders were, etc. There are no interviews with Cactus Air Force pilots of ground crewmen -- and expecially nothing about the hellacious experiences that the ground crewmen endured. There is nothing about how many of them were killed or wounded, and how many of them got sent to the hospital or had to leave Guadalcanal because of malaria, etc. There are no explanations of the different types of aircraft that the Americans or New Zealanders flew, and especially nothing about the U.S. Army Air Force warplanes.

As for the Japanese warplanes, nothing is mentioned execpt the "Zero" fighter and the "Betty" bomber, and Nothing At All about Japanese Army aiplaces, such as the "Oscar". I am sure that there were plenty of other Japanese Navy and Army bomber types that were used in the Guadalcanal Campaign. For example, neither the "Val" or the "Kate" is even mentioned, nor any of the land-based bombers besides the "Betty".

To sum up, this article as it stands is very much about mud, snakes, and mosquitoes, and little about the actual composition of the Cactus Air Force and its opponents. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.67.99.97 (talk) 10:13, 13 October 2009 (UTC)

The "Val" is mentioned under the "Japanese" section. 70.230.247.249 (talk) 19:02, 27 May 2010 (UTC)
 * It is a work in progress as you can tell. Instead of complaining why not try adding to the article.--Looper5920 (talk)

Allied "ensemble"
As far as I am aware only American air elements (Army, Navy and Marine) made up the CAF. I'd be interested in seeing any evidence to the contrary, otherwise the lead should probably be changed to more accurately reflect the actual make up of air forces on the island during the battle. The phrasing also seems quite clunky "ensemble" is probably not the best word to describe what was in effect an ad hoc collection of squadrons and parts of squadrons. Awotter (talk) 20:28, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Their was a squadron from New Zealand that also flew as part of the CAF thus making it allied. It can easily referenced but also easily found on the net.--Looper5920 (talk) 22:22, 27 May 2010 (UTC)
 * One search on google quickly reveals this link and this one as well.--Looper5920 (talk)

SBD Tires
I am a little confused about the SBD tires. The article at first states that the SBD's rutted the mud worse because of their hard rubber tires. Later it is stated that an SBD blew a tire upon takeoff.

1. Were they pnumatic tires with a harder rubber than regular airplane tires, or were they solid rubber tires?

2. Since the Wildcats were also designed to operate on aircraft carriers wouldn't their tires be just as hard?

3. Did both aircraft have the same hardness of rubber in their tires and the SBD's rutted the mud worse because they were heavier? 70.230.247.249 (talk) 19:19, 27 May 2010 (UTC)


 * These hard tires are only on the tail wheels; carrier planes had hard rubber there but pneumatic tires under the wings. When the first group of SDBs landed on "Cactus" the rear wheels were traded for pneumatic tires.  Later aircraft from carriers may not have them changed right away.  I may have a little more information which I will look for.  Kablammo (talk) 14:50, 4 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Per Airwar by Jablonski:
 * On 20 August a dozen SBD-3s of VMSB-232 alighted on Guadalcanal. "The arrival of this tiny air force was greeted by the cheering Marines, who pitched in to change the hard-rubber tail wheels (for carrier landings) to pneumatic tires."
 * On 22 August "Flight 300" from the Enterprise, comprising 11 SBDs, could not land on the damaged carrier and went to Henderson. They spent the next month there; their aircraft were "used up" and their crew were returned to Enterprise by late September.
 * This does not explain why the tail wheels rutted the runway; perhaps some aircraft were pressed into service immediately upon arrival; perhaps there was a shortage of replacement wheels and tires. Kablammo (talk) 19:06, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

the article could use some fleshing-out
The article has no information about the operations of the field after the BoGuad. There should be some information about its use after that, and the general transformation from an active combat role to a transport point to more foreward areas. HammerFilmFan (talk) 13:03, 7 February 2013 (UTC)