Finding the Japanese Fleet in March 1945

Abstract

I performed two operations analyses while serving with the 20th Bomber Command's operations analysis unit in the China, Burma, India theater in World War II: (1) I analyzed combat losses during the first 25 missions and assessed the performance of the remote control gunnery system. (2) I developed a device that, in conjunction with the gunsight, was used to compute the length of ships seen from the air. Testing this device and proving its value in combat led to my participation in the reconnaissance mission that discovered the Japanese fleet in March 1945. The second assignment typified operations analysis during WWII: to solve technical problems arising in combat using what was available or could be fabricated quickly in the field.