Q&A · 36:28-38:24

Would Günther Lütjens succeed as a carrier commander?

Lütjens illustrates why command skill at destroyer or battleship scale does not transfer instantly to carrier warfare.

Question

Given his record, how would Günther Lütjens perform as a carrier commander?

Short answer

He would probably suffer information overload at first, though time and operational experience might allow him to become effective.

Notes

Lütjens was a capable smaller-unit commander who would initially struggle with the volume and variety of information entering a carrier task group. The comparison with Marc Mitscher shows the need to learn how to interpret reports at a much larger operational scale. Experience could make Lütjens effective, but German commanders rarely received repeated carrier operations in which to build that experience. Information overload was a command problem, and carrier leadership demanded more than ordinary ship handling.