AMERICAN STALINGRAD - THE NIGHT BEFORE

The Guadalcanal invasion transport convoy was covered by Admiral Fletcher’s Task Force 61. Saratoga’s polyglot Air Group Three included Lt. Commander Leroy Simpler’s 24 Wildcats of Fighting-Five (VF-5), survivors of the loss of Yorktown, fleshed out by pilots from the now-defunct VF-8; the SBD-3s of Scouting Six (VS-6) had been part of Enteprise’s air group until afer Midway; Bombing Three (VB-3) was also a survivor of Yorktown, fleshed out with the survivors of Air Group Eight’s dive bomber squadrons that had gone astray at Midway; a reconstituted Torpedo Eight (VT-8) brought the new Grumman TBF Avenger.