0 0   lb ▁bomb s ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁san ction ed ▁by ▁the ▁Navy , ▁which ▁had ▁set ▁the ▁rules ▁for ▁the ▁eng agement . ▁Mitchell ' s ▁bom bers ▁had ▁also ▁not ▁allowed ▁inspect ors ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁ship ▁between ▁bomb ing ▁runs ▁as ▁st ip ulated ▁by ▁the ▁Navy . ▁The ▁joint ▁Army – N avy ▁report ▁on ▁the ▁tests , ▁issued ▁a ▁month ▁later ▁and ▁signed ▁by ▁General ▁John ▁Pers hing , ▁stated ▁that ▁" the ▁batt les hip ▁is ▁still ▁the ▁back bone ▁of ▁the ▁fleet ." ▁Mitchell ▁wrote ▁his ▁own , ▁contradict ory ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁tests , ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁le aked ▁to ▁the ▁press . ▁The ▁s inking ▁of ▁the ▁batt les hip ▁spark ed ▁great ▁controvers y ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁public ▁sphere ; ▁Mitchell ' s ▁supp or ters ▁ex agger ated ▁the ▁significance ▁of ▁the ▁tests ▁by ▁f als ely ▁claim ing ▁Ost f ries land ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁uns ink able ▁" super - b att les hip " ▁and ▁that ▁" old ▁sea ▁dogs   ... ▁we pt ▁al oud ." ▁Senator ▁William ▁Bor ah ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁tests ▁had ▁rendered ▁batt les hips ▁ob sole te . ▁Mitchell ▁was ▁widely ▁supported ▁in ▁the ▁press , ▁though ▁his ▁increasing ly ▁comb ative ▁tact ics ▁eventually ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁court - mart ial ▁for ▁in sub ord ination ▁that ▁forced ▁him ▁to ▁ret ire ▁from ▁the ▁military . ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁Foot notes ▁ ▁Cit ations ▁ ▁References ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁▁▁▁