Providential Events

Today we remember Pearl Harbor. Consider how differently the war would have gone had the USS Saratoga (returning from Bremerton, WA), the USS Enterprise and the USS Lexington been, as the Japanese anticipated, in Pearl on 7 December.                                          
      On 28 November, Admiral Kimmel sent USS Enterprise under Rear Admiral William "Bull" Halsey to deliver Marine Corps fighter planes to Wake Island. On 4 December Enterprise delivered the aircraft and on December 7 the task force was on its way back to

Pearl Harbor. On 5 December, Admiral Kimmel sent the USS Lexington with a task force under Rear Admiral Newton to deliver 25 scout bombers to Midway Island.
     These carriers were preserved - they were our only carriers in the Pacific at the time. They fought, and fought well, on another day. In some ways, the destruction of our aging battleships forced production of newer and better ships. The U.S. would produce vessels and war materiel in unprecedented ways in the coming days. This would eventually be a significant contributing factor to victory.