Well skunk, you bring up one of the things that really irritates me. Japan never declared war. Well, I ask, when did they ever? China? No. The Russians? No. So why does it really shock people to find out Japan attacked before the formalities of declaring war?

Skunk, please don't take offense. I'm not "complaining" about what you said. Just taking the opportunity to point out that America should have expected a preemptive attack.

Samar was damned close to being worse that Savo. Only the brave and heroic actions of a few destroyer captians prevented this.

In this case it is the Japanese that where uterly surprised by the American TF and should have ended misrably for them. They where clearly able to show how superior they where to Allied forces in a night fight. (I once read that the driving factor behind seeking night action was that the Japanese thought themselve vastly superior to the Allies in "night vision") The entire US cruiser colomb did little to react to the Apparent torpedo threat. No, they kept formation and steamed directly into the spread. Following all that, Wright gets a Navy Cross?

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"When war does come, my advice is to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard." -General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
"The conqueror is always a lover of peace; he would prefer to take over our country unopposed."-Karl von Clausewitz