Q&A · 2:33:54-2:34:06

Would better Army-Navy coordination have helped at Pearl Harbor and Midway?

Better preparation of Army air units for attacks on shipping is proposed as a benefit of closer interwar Army-Navy cooperation.

Question

Would better US Army and Navy coordination have made a difference at Pearl Harbor and Midway?

Short answer

It might have helped at Pearl Harbor and would have helped at Midway by better preparing and equipping Army air units for anti-ship attack.

Notes

Interwar mistrust reduced the exchange of information and opportunities for joint exercises between Army aviation and the Navy. Better cooperation could have prepared and equipped Army air units for anti-ship operations. The suggested benefit is tentative for Pearl Harbor and firm for Midway. This concerns coordination between separate services at the operational level.