| Fast Carrier Task Force | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Task Force 38 at Ulithi in December 1944 | |
| Active | 1944–45 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Type | Fleet |
| Size | 17 carriers, 6 battleships, 13 cruisers, 58 destroyers, 1,100 aircraft (December 1944);[1] increased for Battle of Iwo Jima, 1945 |
| Part of | United States Pacific Fleet |
| Garrison/HQ | Pearl Harbor |
| Nickname(s) | Task Force 38, Task Force 58 |
| Engagements | Pacific War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Admiral Marc Mitscher Admiral John S. McCain, Sr. Admiral John H. Towers |
The Fast Carrier Task Force (TF 38 when assigned to Third Fleet, TF 58 when assigned to Fifth Fleet) was a group of ships in World War II. It was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific War from January 1944 through the end of the war in September 1945. The task force was made up of several separate task groups, each typically built around three to four aircraft carriers and their supporting vessels. The support vessels were screening destroyers, cruisers, and the newly built fast battleships.[2]
- ^ Chant, Christopher (2013). The Encyclopedia of Codenames of World War II. Routledge. p. 103. ISBN 978-1134647873.
- ^ Taylor p. 170