biography
| name: |
Mitscher, Marc (Andrew)
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known as Pete
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1887–1947)
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| biography:
| US naval aviator, born in Hillsboro, Wisconsin, USA. The son of an Indian agent, he graduated from the Naval Academy (1910), became an early convert to aviation, and commanded naval air stations during World War 1. Taking charge of the new aircraft carrier, USS Hornet (Oct 1941), he became one of the great carrier group commanders of World War 2. From January 1944 his Central Pacific carrier force operated as a powerful, self-supporting vanguard as US forces swept toward Japan. His force is perhaps best remembered for the ‘Marianas turkey-shoot’ (19–21 Jun 1944), in which 400 Japanese aircraft were shot down on the first day of the battle. |
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