66 MISSIONS WITH VC-4
I enlisted in the Navy July 23, 1942, went to boot camp at Great Lakes, Radio School at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, Aviation Radio and Aerial Radar School NATTC, Memphis, TN, Aerial Gunners School NAS Jacksonville FL. In the squadron I attended Norden Bomb Sight, Sperry gryro pilot, Radar Tech schools and had qualified as a bombardier.
May 1, 1944: We arrived at Ford Island and discharged planes and marines.
VC-4 left the ship for Barber’s Point NAS May 2 for more training then back aboard May 6 for qualifying. May 15 we got underway with CVE’s 63, 68, 70 and six destroyers for war games. May 30th we departed Pearl for Eniwetok escorting 35 ships.
June 1, 1944: Our convoy was fired on by a sub, no ships were hit. June 2, we lost two FM2s and one pilot. Ens. Reams had called me up on the wing to help him with his radio switches. They were making deck takeoffs; he was next in line. The FM-2 went into a sharp right turn and crashed in the water just off the starboard bow. He didn’t appear to move after the crash but we could only see him for a few seconds as the fighter quickly disappeared beneath the water. The other FM2 crashed into the water about 5 miles from the ship and a destroyer picked up the pilot.
June 8, 1944: We had a new addition to our crew, Capt. Gatlin USMC of the Fourth Marine Division. Capt. Gatlin would be flying with us as an observer and he had been briefing me as his assistant, taking pictures with a K-20 camera and troop support recognition. Ships photographers gave me an introductory class on the K-20. I checked him out on the turret .50 cal, radio and intercom system and he rode on a couple ASP hops. We had been flying regular Anti Sub Patrols since June 1.
June 9, 1944: we arrived at Eniwetok and were finally told where we were going and what to expect in the invasion of Saipan. Capt. Gatlin again stressed the dangers of our low and slow observation missions, that they were voluntary and that I had another opportunity for rescission. Owens had volunteered and I had volunteered several months earlier to be in his crew and even further back I remember signing a paper volunteering for aerial gunner’s school.
June 11, 1944: We’re under way for Saipan and flying daily ASP hops lasting 3+ hours and the ASB Radar with a 7” green screen and black rubber visor is eye torture so I switch from it to binoculars. I found it surprising how many barrels, boxes and tin cans are in the open ocean. Some bogey sightings, reports of Jap bombers, we were looking down for submarines, didn’t see any strange aircraft.
June 15, 1944:“D-Day” Saipan
We’re on the second observation mission. Lines of Higgins boats and amphibs are moving towards the beach or circling for position. Shell and mortar fire is hitting among the closer lines of boats and some are evidently disabled on the beach. Our marines are advancing but with heavy losses. As we cross the beach near Garapan, I started shooting pictures just ahead of where I thought our advance troops were. I noticed some white pills on the floor of the tunnel and saw that the zipper on my jungle pack had been cut and the contents were spilling out and now realize that we are taking hits from small arms. Little beams of sunlight coming into the tunnel are further proof. I report this to Owens and Gatlin. Gatlin is air sick and we go back over the LST’s and landing craft.
With Gatlin recovered we came back to the action and he started reporting to Cherokee. I am again shooting pictures of the action on the ground. As I leaned back to cock the camera a large-caliber shell sliced through the top of the tunnel door and exited out the other side. I was struck with slivers of metal and a large hole was torn in the lower left of the fuselage. Seeing what has happened, Gatlin came down from the turret and dressed the cuts on my forehead. He then asked Cherokee to be relieved from station as his radioman is badly wounded, and receives permission. By this time most of the numbness in my head is gone and there isn’t a lot of pain so I pressed on the bandage then slide my hand under it. There is no hole in my head; I was thinking it might have taken a chunk out. There isn’t even much blood, so I tell Owens, “Hey, I’m alright, I can complete the flight”. Gatlin says, “He doesn’t know what he’s doing, we need to get him back to the ship”. Owens who is busy with evasive tactics tells us both to shut up. There is a lot of air coming into the tunnel, from the hole in the left side which is about 10 inches in diameter and it has blown the stack of leaflets that I was supposed to throw out after the observation mission all over the inside of the plane. When we landed on the ship Cmdr. Donaldson and his pharmacist mate are waiting with a stretcher. He wanted me to go to sick bay but I insisted that I was okay and headed for the ready room to wait for debriefing. Looking back we couldn’t have completed the mission. If my injury wasn’t enough the hole in the fuselage would make it impossible.
Our second D-Day hop was that afternoon with Capt. Gatlin reporting events on the ground and Owens flying a little more evasive when possible. We completed our observation mission without incident but our after mission, kind of a “on your own time” or “fire at will” got a little hot. We had been seeing a Jap airfield on Tinian with aircraft parked beside the runway and decided to investigate. Tinian is an island about 3 miles south of Saipan and smaller. Owens lined up for a strafing run down the side of the runway and over the largest hanger, my best shot as he pulls out is a no deflection straight into the hanger and I’m hitting it with short aimed bursts hoping to catch some fuel with a tracer or incendiary and start a fire. Gatlan had fired a couple bursts with the .50 but wasn’t to motivated when the little round balls started floating up at us. One of them hit our right elevator, which was fabric and blew an 18” chunk out of it; we finished the rest of our flight at reduced speed. Just at dusk around 1945 four of our VC-4 fighters on CAP were vectored onto five Jap planes, either Kates or Jills and shot four of them down. The fifth plane got through and launched a torpedo at the Fanshaw Bay, which she avoided.
June 16, 1944: D-Day+1 two observation missions today. We cornered a couple Jap tanks and made rocket and strafing runs on them. Some near misses and one hit put one of them out of action and the other disappeared into some cover. We were fired on while strafing some Jap positions but got nothing the metal smiths can’t repair overnight. On our second hop we carried four 500lb GP’s and 4 five inch rockets. We had been waiting for something to use on a block house that sat on a main road near the center of the island where we had observed activity. We put everything on salvo and unloaded on it with one glide bombing pass then made a fly by for me to take pictures. We’ll have to check later to see what damage we did, too much smoke and dust. Two trucks coming down the road opened up on us with machine guns, we climbed up to 3,000 feet, circled and came in behind them at near ground level, when the wing guns would no longer bear, Owens pulled up at 45 degrees giving Gatlin and me no deflection shots. I saw two men running from one of the trucks and knocked one of them down but didn’t see any other movement. A little later Gatlin spotted what looked like an anti-tank gun in an earthen embankment with a number of troops around it and we used up our remaining ammunition.
June 17, 1944: Today we have the last observation mission of the day. The plane that we are relieving is shot up so badly they are forced to land on the little strip at Chalan Kanoa which the Second Division took on D-Day. Tigner, the radioman is reportedly hit in the arm and shoulder and was transferred to a hospital ship.
We spotted Jap anti tank guns cleverly set up in front of a rise where that a tank approaching it would expose its belly before coming over the incline. One of our tanks was burning and another was approaching. We asked for permission to attack with rockets and bombs and were refused. Owens strafed the position anyway and shortly after they gave us permission to attack with rockets. We got near misses with four rockets and our tanks came across the incline and knocked the guns out. We still had our load of bombs and needed to unload before we landed on the ship so we went back to the guys on Tinian that had nicked out elevator and attempted to drop on them but neither Owens nor I could get the bombs to release. A group of Jap bombers were headed for our force and we needed to get back. We landed safely on the ship and a few minutes later we were under attack.
A shipmate in CIC gave me this information, “At 1800 we picked up bogey at 124 miles, the raid split into three groups. The ship went into GQ. We tracked raids coming in, sent our fighters to intercept, made some interceptions at 30 miles. Pilot reported 20 bombers, 15 fighters in one group. Undetermined how many in all. Main group that broke through attacked west side. About 8 to 12 torpedo and dive bombers came at us on the east side. We commenced firing. About four to six different times we opened fire. Our ships AA fire downed one torpedo plane and one dive bomber. The Fanshaw Bay got a 500 lb. bomb hit on the aft elevator. It exploded in the elevator pit. Split seams and they took on some water. Killed thirteen outright and two died next day. She started back for Pearl. A destroyer and tanker were hit a few miles from us. In Bringing our planes on board two fighters went over the side. Another fighter hopped over the barrier and crashed into five other planes, and started a fire. Fire was put out. One man was reported knocked overboard with a plane. Another man was hit and severely injured. He died before morning.”
Hie and I were about to clean the guns and rearm out plane when a fighter from another carrier landed with his gun switch still on and fired his four .50 caliber wing guns across the flight deck. We decided to wait until the ship secured from flight quarters which likely saved us from injury or worse because a short time later Ens. Billinghurst , one of our fighter pilots, who had been fired on by “friendly” ships and had his flaps disabled, came in high and fast, bounced completely over the barriers and crashed into the planes on the forward end of the flight deck instantly catching fire. Nine planes were damaged, several men were hurt, and one was knocked overboard. Roger Albright AOM2/c, one of our air crewmen died that night from his injuries. Roger had been on the wing of his plane removing a gun, as we would have been, when the crash occurred. I worked on our plane into the late night hours.
June 18, 1944: Roger Albright was buried at sea at 1000 today. The pall bearers were air crewmen.
Our skipper Lt.Cmdr Evins was forced down at sea last night and has not been recovered. He had called the ship to report that his vision was completely obscured by oil covering his windshield. Then he reported that he thought he could land aboard by putting his head out of the cockpit. A lookout reported seeing an FM-2 make a water landing alongside the port beam and a flashing light which might indicate that the pilot was still afloat. After a few days we gave up hope.
The Fanshaw Bay is headed back to Pearl Harbor for repair and VC-68’s Skipper, LtCmdr R.S. Rogers has come aboard to replace Lieutenant Commander Evins. Also coming aboard is the Admiral and three TBM crews, so we are now the flag ship.
June 19, 1944: One two hour ASP flight today with Hie back in the turret. I believe we all felt good about having our crew together but a little bitter sweet as we searched the empty ocean for a dye marker or yellow raft of our missing skipper, LtCmdr. Evans. On returning we found that Lt. E. R. Fickenscher, our former exec. is now out skipper. No GQ tonight, the Japs left us alone but were bombing Saipan and other parts of the convoy.
June 20, 1944: While we had been thinking we were the center of the action and the whole Jap fleet was coming down on us, far to the west our “Big Boys” had cut them off at the pass. The Battle of the Philippine Sea 6-19 to 6-20-1944 or as we liked to say “The Marianna Turkey Shoot” almost wiped out Japanese air power.
The Manila Bay and Natoma Bay delivered the 318th Fighter Group and seventy-three P-47s to Saipan today but nobody told VC-4s FM2 pilot Lt(jg) Maloney as he attempted to become an instant Ace by jumping the low flying fighters, causing continuing bar fights in Saipan’s Officer’s Club.
June 21, 1944: Observation, with Grady Gatlin back in the turret, started out with “Pointblank6” on our frequency calling “Paymaster”, “We are about to take our objective but our own artillery is hitting us”. “Will anyone who hears this relay it to Postmaster”. I relayed the message.
We directed artillery on a small town in the north east portion of the island. There was a cleared space in the center of the town containing several gun positions and two larger gun emplacements on the out skirts of town. In destroying the gun positions we set fire to one fairly large building.
On the second hop I spotted a tent in the edge of a palm grove and brought to Gatlin’s attention. Owens took us down for a close look and we found several more tents and stacks of boxes which could have contained small arms ammunition. I shot several pictures. Gatlin called “Pittsburg” (an artillery battery) and they referred us to another battery, radio call sign “Plastic” and we registered them to our target. When they got on target Gatlin had them fire for effect several times changing from HE to WP causing numerous explosions and fires but the tents were spaced well enough that we couldn’t get the big bang we wanted. We came back at the end of our observation mission and used up our bombs and rockets on what remained after the smoke had cleared.
June 22, 1944: We took off at 0615 this morning with orders to land on the USS Sangamon, a converted tanker, and to operate from there until our carrier was refueled at sea.
Before we were catapulted, Selig our Radio Technician gave me a list of frequencies and asked me to see that our ZBX (homing radio) was set on them when we landed on the Sangamon. We landed on the Sangamon a little after 0630 and I took the ZBX straight to the Radio Shack. While the Chief RT worked on our ZBX Hie and I went to the mess hall for breakfast. The Sangamon mess deck is about fifteen feet above the water line and open, allowing the sea to occasionally come across the deck. When we got the timing down, of raising our feet and taking bites, it was very pleasant, much cooler than our mess on the White Plains.
Back at the Radio Shack the Chief said our ZBX was beyond repair and with only two spares they couldn’t give us one. With Gatlin in the turret and Hie in the center cockpit we launch without radio navigation and are on station to relieve Leo 1 at 0900. Most of the hop is spent looking for Jap artillery. We report our troop positions in Shackle Code to Paymaster and try to find out if they are being fired on. We see some enemy shells hitting behind our lines but we do not have troops in that location and can’t spot their guns.
We were relieved by Leo 1 at 12:10 and ordered to help another TBM with a Jap emplacement in the side of a gorge. We strafed and fired our eight rockets. We saw Army P47s landing at Aslito, too bad we couldn’t call them in on our target with their eight wing .50 cals.
We landed on Sangamon at 12:45 and had late chow with some of their Anti-Sub Patrol crewmen then relieved Leo 1 at 1445. We were directing Pittsburgh’s fire on troops gathering for a counter attack in and around a farm house. Hie in the center cockpit noticed artillery rounds a little too close as we cruised back and forth inside the arch of the shells. That is one of the hazards of observation over a small island, you have naval gun fire underneath, artillery over the top and other “friendly” aircraft in the center; then there’s the bad guys shooting at you. Having no rockets or bombs we directed a final volley from Pittsburgh and at 1800 headed back to sea to find our ship.
Clouds were building up with several rain storms limiting our vision and when we dead reckoned to where we thought our ship should be it wasn’t there. I couldn’t pickup anything on radar and it was getting dark. I set the frequency for Convict Base and Owens called in. They asked for emergency lights and I turned on the IFF and got a bearing of 050 30 miles. After holding this course for a few minutes we spotted a plane off our starboard. Convict Base said they had the plane identified as a bogey and would like us to investigate. We went into a dive to build up speed and the bogey took off. When we reported this they said it had now been identified as friendly and gave us a new course of 070 at 12 miles. Owens made visual contact at 3 miles and made a night approach and landing.
June 23, 1944: ASP today and we found nothing but some trash that we first thought might be a raft and reflector but it was a box or crate and some tin cans.
June 24, 1944: Early observation with orders to refuel at AsLito on Saipan. We spotted some twin guns and an observation post on top of a hill in Jap territory. The guns turned out to be dummy’s. Three tanks trying to stop the marine advance shortly had two on fire and one charging but it was blown up as it started to pass the two burning tanks. We found another tank in the road under some trees but had already used our rockets. We made a couple strafing runs on it, and didn’t receive any return fire. Just before time to be relieved we were told to go to AsLito and gas up, we were not going to be relieved. While we are waiting our turn at the gas drums a TBM comes in with a wounded radioman. He was firing his .30 when a shell exploded in the gun nacelle and a piece of shrapnel hit him on the inside of his upper leg. Luckily he had the armor plate down and I never do that, it restricts your vision. I may have learned something. Hie gave the guy a cigarette but we never learned what ship he was from.
After gassing up Lt(jg) Shields and Davis took Capt. Gatlin on the next mission and Hie and I went souvenir hunting and got fired on by a sniper, twice. The first shot creased the back of Hie’s shirt collar, the second we made like gophers and were not much of a target. Actually I didn’t hear the second shot, Hie told there was one. Meanwhile Leo 2 had unexpectedly taken over Capt. Gatlin’s station and he had returned and was ready to go again.
We were back over Charlie Village and I took several pictures facing Search Light Hill hoping they would show some of the activity in that area when they were blown up. Owens was making a slow turn while the rest of us scanned the area for enemy movement when there was a jolt and the plane veered off to the right. I looked out the port window and saw a large ripped place in the lower leading edge of the wing. I thought we had collided with another TBM. “The poor devils, they never had a chance”,
came over the intercom from Owens. We had collided with a little observation plane, and cut it into right behind the cabin. Hie and Owens said they could see the guys struggling to get out and one did succeed in bailing but his chute didn’t open, and that may have been a blessing. They were behind enemy lines and the Japs were not taking prisoners. We had to return to base.
June 25, 1944: We had the second observation flight this morning and were drawn to the crash site of the OY-1 that collided with us yesterday. We couldn’t do this at the time of the collision for if by some chance there were survivors we might draw attention to their location. There was no activity around the crash site and it was in enemy territory. Gatlin had investigated and learned that the occupants were an Army Col and a Second Lt. so the proper designation of the observation plane would be L-5, the Army equivalent of the Marine OY-1.
Catching a Jap truck in motion we fired two solid head three inch rockets and got near misses the wing .50s were not working. Gatlin tried the turret .50 but with little aerial gunnery experience wasn’t doing well and Owens asked me to open up with my .30 but before he could get me into position artillery started falling in the area and we had to vacate.
June 26, 1944: On our only observation flight today we made rocket runs on some active Jap gun emplacements. They were in a small canyon requiring very steep pull outs to clear the canyon walls but gave me longer firing opportunities with the .30 and short range no deflection shots. Two of our rockets refused to fire but we got good results with the other 6 and I fired 400 rounds in four passes.
GQ tonight and the sky is laced with tracers. A Jap bomber passed so low over the carrier I was tempted to fire my .38 at it but when he tried it a second time one of our destroyers set him on fire and he crashed just off our starboard beam. A torpedo or bomb exploded about a hundred yards off our port quarter that shook the ship but no damage.
June 27, 1944: We had no flights today and Gatlin has been transferred to Saipan.
The attack last night took a heavy toll on the marines on Saipan. The red wasn’t sounded until the planes were overhead and the bombs were hitting before they could get from the barracks to the shelters. We had General Quarters again tonight but they apparently stopped at Saipan. I am scheduled for an ASP hop at 0845 in the morning.
June 28, 1944: GQ again at 2300 last night and I stayed in my bunk. We had just secured from an evening GQ, taken shower and gone to bed when the second GQ sounded. Lucky for me no planes attacked.
I had one ASP hop today. Four hours of boredom, I’d rather be with Gatlin.
I just found out that I have the early flight in the morning. We were up at 0430, early breakfast and in the plane by 0515 still asleep. Hopefully no GQ tonight it hasn’t sounded yet.
June 29, 1944: We had two GQ’s last night. The first at 0100 then secured at 0215. They gave us just enough time to get back to sleep and sounded the second one. I had to get up at 0430 for the early flight, should have just stayed up.
We had the figure 8 patrol in front of the convoy and only a few miles from Saipan so Owens gave Lechleiter, the mechanic riding in Hie’s place a view of Jap territory. Lechleiter does our heavy repair, like engine rebuilding. We let him fire the turret gun and he told us some German jokes.
June 30, 1944: Today is field day. It comes once a week on Friday with the fish. Scrub decks, bulk heads, anything that is stationary. We’re anchored off Saipan taking on bombs and ammunition. We finished scouring our compartment at 1000, inspection will be at 1600.
July 1, 1944: Another early ASP and on returning found that our old #27 was being retired and traded to a carrier returning to Pearl Harbor. We stripped her of all accessories including guns, radio, radar,IFF, everything but the paint and engine. We should get our new or different plane tomorrow.
July 2, 1944: We had the 1145 hop today and carried Crocket, a ships company man as passenger in the tunnel. After testing the transmitter and centering the gyro pilot (SBAE) I moved to the center cockpit and finished the flight there. Tonight I set ten frequencies on our new planes transmitter and it was really hot inside the plane on the hanger deck. It came with guns but I had to install canteens, first aid kit, aldis lamp The plane must have been assembled by women. It had several names and addresses written on the inside of the fuselage, “sorry ladies my mail department is already overloaded”.
July 3, 1944: We had the 1145 ASP today and immediately after landing Hie and I had to rearm 27 for Lt. Huser to take on a mission. Our new plane has been on 3 strikes with other crews, already has bullet holes. We don’t get to choose the plane we want for our flights, we get one that is in position but we would prefer to have the plane that we maintain.
July 4, 1944: Strike on Saipan today. We led a three plane group to Saipan and when Cherokee asked for a TBM for a mission Owens took it leaving Ens. Hearn and Ens. Merchant circling about five miles off the island. Our group was armed with ten one hundred pound bombs with “daisy cutter” fuses and 8 rockets. The target was Jap gun positions in a palm grove. I set the release on train, with 100 feet between each bomb, and we made two passes at 500 feet, one on each side of the road separating the positions, releasing five bombs on each pass. There was a noticeable bump as each bomb exploded and I counted to five on each pass to be assured that all bombs exploded. These were anti-personal bombs designed to give maximum shrapnel release, with 18 inch rods on the end of the nose fuse, to make them explode above the ground.
We had eight rockets left after completing our mission and Cherokee told us we could choose our own targets. The other two planes each still had their 10 bombs and 8 rockets. We used our rockets and a good part of our ammo on some buildings and installations at Marpi Point.
When we returned to the ship our tail hook would not come down and after struggling with it for a few minutes we asked for permission to land at AsLito on Saipan.
After landing at AsLito we found several new holes in our plane and shrapnel from our bombs had cut the chain that operated our tail hook. (Larger than a bicycle chain) Fortunately for us there were a number of crashed TBM’s within walking distance and Hie soon had our tail hook operating. We we were back on the White Plains in time for the evening meal.
July 5, 1944: We have no scheduled flights. Hie and I rearmed 27 and added some extra gear and I caught up on my reading.
July 6, 1944: We installed the depth charge dye marker bungees in 27 and believe it is complete enough to start our own war. We had no scheduled flights today but took Lechleiter and two pilots to AsLito to repair a tail wheel and return two planes to the ship.
Tonight we had two GQ’s and may have another. Jap planes are roaming around our formation.
July 7, 1944: Well, we did have another GQ at 0200. I don’t have a battle station so I stayed in my bunk.
Doctor Donaldson rode with us on the first ASP hop this morning riding in the center cockpit. We challenged a transport with a DD escort but they were on our side.
July 9, 1944: Skipped the 8th, no flights but today we had the 1145 ASP in #23 a nearly new plane. When we landed we found that the battle for Saipan had ended at 1615 and that we are headed for Eniwetok for supplies and beer party.
July 10, 1944: We didn’t find any subs but I picked up a San Francisco short wave broadcast and some hit songs, baseball scores and the news that we had taken Saipan in a four week battle. They said it was the costliest battle of the South Pacific so far. We already knew this but it was good to know that our families were up to date.
July 11, 1944: Field day again. Since VC-3 and VC-68’s pilots and crewmen came aboard we have had it easy. We never have more than one flight per day and sometimes none and we sleep in late if we don’t have the early flight. Since they are helping us with the flying I see no reason they shouldn’t have my share of field day scrubbing.
July 12, 1944: Field day carried over and I ditched again.
July 13, 1944: Quarters again this morning. Quarters just means we line up for muster on the flight deck. (Like who is going to run away?). We have been getting mail since arriving. I have 50 plus letters to answer and I’d like to do it while we are still where it can go out as it still has to be cleared by censors.
July 14, 1944: I had to skip breakfast to make it to Quarters on time.
July 15, 1944: Made both breakfast and Quarters. We’re having problems with one of the ships engines, frozen piston or pistons and we will be here at least 4 more days. Several members of the air crew have been recommended for the Air Medal, me included. I received another bunch of mail; Mom leads the pack with Imogene coming in second.
July 16, 1944: Threw darts, read and wrote letters. I have liberty tomorrow if I want it. Swimming is about all Eniwetok offers for me. The water is clear and the beach sand is beautiful. Selig and I swam out to some coral towers that are about a foot underwater at low tide. I’m guessing it is about thirty feet to bottom and they are loaded with fish of all colors sizes and shapes. The marines have a “little Las Vegas” set up with rigged crap tables and carnival games. You can buy a genuine Japanese flag made by a mediocre marine or Seabee artist.
July 17, 1944: We received our course books for ARM1/c today and tests should be in October.
July 18, 1944: I helped my plane captain clean 27 up today and washed the radio compartment out with gasoline, then spent the rest of the day answering mail. We are shoving off tomorrow.
July 19, 1944: All library books had to be turned in today for inventory. I spent most of the day studying for 1/c. I have the early ASP tomorrow with a 0330 wake up. They gave me my Radar notes today marked CONFIDENTIAL. This is the first time I have seen them since last October in Seattle, they look complicated.
July 20, 1944: We were catapulted before daylight and climbed into the sunrise. We have the figure eight in front of the convoy which I like better than perimeter searches; at least I can pick up the ships on my radar.
Hie and I rearmed the wing guns this evening, we will clean them tomorrow when I have no flights unless I have to fly with Baker whose radioman is on Saipan.
July 21, 1944 I did not get up for breakfast, no flights, taking the day off.
Owens, Hie and I had our pictures taken for the squadron book.
July 22, 1944: We had the last flight of the day and Saipan looks completely different. The Seabees have built a new air strip that’s huge, like magic. How could they do it so fast? I have the early hop, better get some sleep.
July 23, 1944: We drew #17 and it was running high oil temperature and we had to stay near the ship instead of patrolling our sector.
Our second hop this afternoon was five hours, three hours on the first flight.
Hie and I cleaned and rearmed our guns after landing from the second flight and was still working until after dark. That’s dark to dark, 0330 to 2000 and tomorrow is D-Day at Tinian; we will be carrying an observer for the first wave.
July 24, 1944: D-Day Tinian – We landed on Saipan at dawn and picked up Capt. Gatlin. We were at the beach on Tinian at 0700 and it was being pounded. Everything from 20mm to 16 inch plus rocket firing LCI’s were hitting the landing area. Thirty minutes later the first wave started in. They were landing on two adjacent beaches, both were a solid mass of smoke. I could make out the Navy coxswain and gunner on the back of the Higgins boats. The gunners were firing over the heads of the marines in the boats and I couldn’t tell if the guns were .30 or .50’s but they were pumping out the rounds. I saw a Jap running toward the beach; how he survived that shelling I don’t know. Then I remembered, I am supposed to record this and I grabbed the K-20 and started taking pictures. I didn’t see my Jap again, he was probably dead. It was obvious we were not taking the causalities we did on Saipan.
After the beach head was established we scouted inland. A few miles from Tinian Town Gatlin spotted a group of Japs and asked Owens to turn left and go back over them. As we turned we passed through a small misty type cloud and something knocked us violently to one side. Looking back past our rudder I saw a Navy SOC going the opposite direction with about 3 or 4 feet of their upper wing missing. The fabric of our left elevator was fluttering and the stabilizer had a large dent.
I was in the turret and was the only one that knew what happened. Gatlin and I had switched places because the mike in the turret wasn’t working. I came down to use the tunnel mike and tell Owens what happened; he never saw the other plane. We landed immediately on AsLito to inspect the damage. In addition to the damage to the tail section there was a large hole in the leading edge and bottom of the left wing. There were several large nicks in two blades of the prop.
I had lunch with the Army and found out our plane wouldn’t be ready to go back to the ship until the next day. I went swimming with some of the guys from the squadron that was temporarily stationed on the island. We walked about a mile to the beach, the water was great and it was the whitest sand I have ever seen, it almost glowed, the coral was not so good.
Fred Johnson, another of our group at AsLito introduced me to a platoon of marines that had landed on D-Day and gone through the whole campaign. I asked what I could bring them from the ship, they all wanted candy.
I decided to sleep in the tunnel of our plane using my parachute for a pillow.
July 25, 1944: It was a miserable night. Artillery kept me awake for awhile then shortly after I passed out the mosquitoes arrived. Nobody told me I would need mosquito netting but I know now.
I helped the metal smiths’ repair our plane and we had it patched up in time to make the 1830 landing on our ship. Our prop started vibrating on our approach when Owens changed pitch but we made it.
We have the 0520 in the morning.
July 26, 1944: I took my marine friends some chocolate bars. Hie went over with me and did a patrol with them while I was up on observation. He said that he saw a lot of dead bodies out there and caves filled with equipment.
Our observation hop was routine. I dropped some pamphlets that I couldn’t read but was told they said something like, “We don’t want to harm you”. Our RL dynamotor burned out and we had to put the transmitter on calibrate for ICS. I missed lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping in one of the tents belonging to our island crew. We have a strike on Tinian at 0830 tomorrow.
July 27, 1944: The 0830 strike wasn’t much. We circled around Tinian waiting for Cherokee to give us an assignment. They finally sent our flight leader in to knock out a couple of trucks. The rest of us returned to base with our bombs and rockets. No flights scheduled for tomorrow.
July 28, 1944: Today we got a plane, pilot and crew from VC-65, their ship the USS Midway is returning to Pearl.
July 29, 1944: We took on supplies from Saipan and they set up the ring on the hanger deck. I boxed Goldberg, he’s a heavy and I’m a welter weight but he’s only a couple inches taller. He has fast hands for a heavyweight and we’re both out of shape.
July 30, 1944: We had the 0830 ASP. Our sector was fifty miles west of Saipan. It was a good patrol, everything worked, good radio communications, and all the guns fired.
I visited awhile with Lt. Straughn, one of our fighter pilots. He is from Albuquerque and we know some of the same people.
July 31, 1944: They got me up for the 0620 flight this morning but just before start engines our chief electrician asked to take my place. Sembritsky had waited until the last day of the month to get in his four hours for flight pay. I went back to bed.
August 1, 1944: We were catapulted at 0520 with instructions to land on Saipan and pick up an observer. Two other pilots and crews had flown over at the same time in a separate plane. Our observer, Capt. Gatlin met us a few minutes after we landed on AsLito and we took off immediately. One of the other crews was Lt(jg) Carson and his radioman Steve Walley. They were waiting for an observer when we departed.
Around 0900 Cherokee informed us that Carson’s plane had been shot down and gave us an approximate location. The plane had gone in about five hundred yards off the west side of Tinian. When we arrived a couple of Higgins boats were circling the crash location and one had pulled alongside a Destroyer Escort (DE). Cherokee had been asking us about survivors. Owens asked me to send the boats a blinker query about survivors and they replied, “one”. I asked for a name and the reply was, “Walley”. Lost was Lt(jg) Harold H. Carson USNR and Captain James Motley USMCR.
August 2, 1944: We had standby observation over Tinian and Owens caught a ride to AsLito with our exec. Lt. Flateboe and I stayed aboard for our scheduled 1420 ASP. Owens didn’t get back in time for the ASP.
August 3, 1944: 0920 Anti Sub Patrol
August 4, 1944: Thought it was a day off and planned to clean our plane but Lt. McLean had OOD duty and we took his ASP flight; headed back to Eniwetok.
August 5, 1944: The squadron had only two fights today, none for us.
August 6, 1944: Spent half the day on the port wing gun. I installed a new barrel, bolt and breech lock and removed and cleaned the top plate; movie tonight on the hanger deck.
August 7, 1944: Pay day and I answered mail.
August 8, 1944: We just got Steve Walley back and he gave us the story on their crash, he has been on Eniwetok. Here is his account in his words:
“We were over the south end of Tinian when Carson said that he had been hit and headed for the water off the west of the island near friendly boats. I did not feel the flaps go down or the prop pitch change so I assume that he was only able to take us into the water straight and level; we hit hard. I had to struggle to get the escape hatch off the turret, my head was bruised and a wave washed over the turret while I still had one leg inside wrenching and cutting it. When I did manage to make it onto the wing and get to the cockpit another wave came across sweeping me off and the plane went down. I don’t know if Carson was dead, I didn’t see any movement in the instant I had before he disappeared.”
August 9 to 24, 1944: Crossing the line! We crossed the equator but due to wartime hazards, the Neptune ritual was deferred until the ship anchored in the New Hebrides three days later. There, we Pollywogs paid the penalty for out iniquities, standing trial before Neptune and his court, kissing the Royal Baby, plunging into Davy Jones’ pool and running the gantlet of several enthusiastic Shellbacks. Following the initiation we rapidly became familiarized with various activities ashore.
Lots of swimming, beer, jungle hikes, and coconuts.
We have been anchored at Espiritu Santos during the initiation and have been taking liberty in sections since then. We are flying from the field on Espiritu, some formation and glide bombing practice.
Under way to somewhere near Guadalcanal and have some new TBM’s coming aboard so I have some gear switching to do. Hie and I spent the last two days equipping and cleaning our new plane, Our pilot Lt(jg) Owens even pitched in for a few hours.
August 26
Anchored in Steel Bottom Bay near Tulagi for a few hours then shoved off for a 3 or 4 day operation. There is a 0630 flight in the morning but I am not on it, I’ll be taking more physicals for aviation cadet.
August 28
Owens, Hie and I worked on out life raft until 1000. I moved the mike holder in the cockpit to a handier location. Took some more tests at 1300, and don’t think I did too well on the ACT exam.
We have a practice strike in the morning with live bombs and rockets.
August 29
Good drop. We carried one 500 lb. bomb and two rockets. Owens got a direct hit with the bomb near misses with the rockets.
I passed all three aviation cadet tests, getting the highest possible grade on the FAR.
We are back at anchor at Tulagi and will be here a week at least.
August 30
Fuller and I appropriated a couple of cots and moved out in a compartment which contains the intake of the ventilation pumps. The heat is unbearable in the aircrew compartment but out here we use blankets. We’ll have to move back when we leave port or sooner if we get caught by one of the ships officers.
August 31
Got lots of mail.
Sept 1, 1944
Field day but I do not have a cleaning station, staying out of the way. Locker inspection and all my clothes are stenciled, passed. Owens has been recommended for DFC, hope he gets it.
Sept 2, 1944
Compartment inspection again today; bad thing about being at anchor, but I am gaining on my letter writing.
Sept 3, 1944
I attended church this morning. We had a protestant chaplain over from another ship. Liberty on Tulagi and drank one of my four beers and gave the others away. Selig, Cody and I hiked to the top of a large hill, gathered shells and cat eyes.
Meridith B. Johnson PhoM1/c drowned while swimming with recreation party. He was one of the ships photographers who helped me with the K-20 during the Saipan campaign and gave me the photo of #27 with the shell hole.
Sept 4, 1944
Johnson was buried ashore on Tulagi with a 21 gun salute in Cemetery #1.
Hie and I cleaned our wing guns this morning. They had not been fired and were clean but you stay busy or chip paint. It is starting to get a bit dull in port I’m looking forward to getting underway.
Sept. 5
Spent time writing letters and debating the circumstances of Johnson’s drowning, none of us know what really happened.
Sept. 6
Worked on our plane, started and ran up engine, checked guns and radios.
Sept. 7
Finally, shoving off tomorrow. We will not be an observation crew on the next action. Huser, Hern and Rox will be the observer pilots with Fuller, Edens and Egan as radio gunners.
Missed the mail boat with my last couple letters, they’ll take awhile.
Sept. 8
Underway at 0700 this morning leaving Florida Island in the Solomon’s escorting twenty two troop and cargo ships headed for Palau by way of the North Solomons and New Guinea. The CVE’s supporting this action are the USS White Plains, USS Gambier Bay and USS Midway. The USS Midway is soon to have a new name, losing her name to a new CV that is being built and adding creditability to the old sailors superstition of the bad luck that follows a name change. Her new name is to be USS Saint Lo.
We had the 1500 to 1800 ASP today and testing our radar found that it only had a range of 16 miles and the SBAE procession switch didn’t work either.
Bob Fuller and I moved back into the sweltering aircrew compartment.
Sept 9, 1944
I had standby for the 1200 ASP but didn’t have to fly and played gin with Lechleiter most of the day and wound up $7.87 ahead.
“There are two new CVE’s headed out to join us to replace the two they expect us to lose in the upcoming campaign. It’s hard to believe they are telling us that and how true it turns out to be.”
Sept. 10
On standby again. Finished reading two books, Tortilla Flat and Trail Town.
Sept. 11
We had 0520 ASP but Owens grounded the plane for mechanical problems. I read Winter Wheat, liked it better than the two previous books.
Heavy rains last night flooded our compartment and I carried two buckets of water out only to see it flooded by a second rain a few hours later. The ocean has been almost flat since Tulagi, and we like to see white caps. White caps mean wind and wind helps up with our take off and landings.
Sept. 12
Crossed the equator.
We had the 1100 ASP and it was a good flight except my radar is still not right, I couldn’t pick up anything. We spotted a lot of debris including an old row boat but no subs.
Sept. 13
The convoy is now 175 miles from Palau and should have it in sight tomorrow when we have the second ASP.
Sept. 14
We test fired our guns on our ASP today and heard “Torchy” directing air attacks on Peleliu. Tomorrow is D-Day on Peleliu and VC-4 will be supporting the invasion.
Sept. 15
On the 1220 ASP we covered a new sector over 100 miles from the ship. A Jap freighter and a destroyer were wrecked on a coral reef still smoking from bomb or torpedo attack. We left them alone as they were not going any place.
Sept. 16
Strike on Peleliu today. Naval gun fire was hitting the southern end of a mountain range that had already been shelled to dust. Several OS2U’s over the island directing the gun fire reminded me of our midair with the cruiser’s SOC over Tinian.
We dropped our bombs and fired our rockets into a clump of trees where Torchy directed us. I didn’t see the actual target but Torchy was happy said we hit the intended positions. We made strafing runs on installations around some buildings using up one of my 300 round canisters. I didn’t see any return fire but we did find a few holes when we landed.
Sept. 17
The morning strike was on Anguar the neighboring island. We were given an array of pill boxes pointed out by Torchy which we bombed and fired our rockets into. I fired a few rounds before noticing my tracers were ricocheting towards our troops then Hie and I both stopped shooting; the wing gun approach was at a different angle.
Sept. 18
Off at 0500 this morning with smoke tanks in a three plane formation with Lt. Flateboe and Shields flying the other two. We circled over Angor waiting to be directed to our smoke mission while an AA battery chased an OS2U with black puffs getting dangerously close front and back of him. Our smoke tanks took up the entire bomb bay and we did not have rockets either but Flateboe asked permission to make strafing runs on the AA batteries and got it. We missed the first run because Owens didn’t have his gun sight installed and I could see puffs all around Flateboe and Shields. It was easy to spot the flashes of the AA guns in the early pre-dawn light. On our pull out I was fighting the centrifugal force to bring my gun to bear then firing until the gun was hot and the tunnel filled with smoke and struggling to clear a second position stoppage to get the gun cleared for the next run.
Naval gun fire was being directed on the position as we left but they were still sending up flak.
Turned out the ground forces didn’t need our smoke after all and we emptied our smoke tanks over the ocean before landing.
Sept 19
Our ship was refueled at sea today and I spent the day reading. We have the late afternoon ASP tomorrow.
Sept. 20
Chief Simbritzski took my place on the ASP today and I studied for the first class exam. Studying for 1/c is a waste of time if I get the flight school appointment.
Anguar was secured today, they called off our last strike.
Sept. 21
I was up before 0400 this morning for the early strike on Peleliu. We were catapulted at 0520 with two 500 lb bombs and 8 rockets.
Our target is an area in front of our armored cars and troops along the edge of a road. We bombed, fired our rockets and strafed until the target area was clouded with smoke and dust, impossible to see. Owens and Hie saw flashes from small arms on some of our strafing runs. Leaving this area we hit targets on an island about 10 miles east of Peleliu. Flateboe made a run on a reefed ship off the coast and caused a fuel explosion that blew up the ship. We strafed a radio tower, docks and warehouse and another reefed ship before returning to the White Plains.
Sept. 22
We left Peleliu and headed for Ulithi, an atoll west of Yap.
Tomorrow is D-Day for Ulithi. It is scheduled to be a three day campaign.
Sept. 23
We had the objective ASP today and Walley went up in Hie’s place. We found a fairly large island with a nice looking town, a natural pier and a factory. I took pictures that turned out well and pleased our intelligence officer who was not aware this island existed. It was not on his charts.
Sept. 24
We were supposed to have the 1100 ASP today but Owens had a sore throat. I spent the day studying physics.
Sept. 25
Only one flight today and we were not scheduled. We anchored a little off Ulithi before noon awaiting orders. It didn’t take long, we are underway this afternoon headed for New Guinea. We will fly ASP for a convoy as far as New Guinea then pick up another convoy an proceed to the Admiralties.
Sept. 26
Standby again for the 0800 ASP but all five flights got off. Lechleiter, Chief Ross, Barnes and I worked math problems for a couple hours. Then mass exercise on the flight deck, we need more of this. I used to stay in reasonable shape sparing with ships company boxers but they only set the ring up when we are in port or anchored.
Movie tonight but I’m reading. Another eye exam for Av Cad and got my grades on the recent exams. A on FAR, B on MA and a C on ACT.
Sept. 27
Worked physics problems this morning and ASP in our new plane at 1400. We crossed the equator again bound for Hollandia in New Guinea.
Sept. 28
We arrived Hombolt Harbor, Hollandia, New Guinea at 1000. A lot of ships, heavy jungle and 6,500 ft. mountains. Watched a movie by Naval Bureau of Aeronautics titled “Cast Away”. Educational film showing how to survive with only the equipment from our rubber life raft. First find and island…………!
Sept. 29
At 1600 we are underway for Manus Island in the Admiralties. Cleaning our plane and double checking equipment. They are saying it will get rough from here.
Sept. 30
Read “Drums Along the Mohawk”. Arriving Manus island tomorrow morning.
Oct. 1, 1944
Arrived Manus, anchored 0830. Huge harbor, lots of shore installations and many ships. Liberty for the fourth section this afternoon, beer and sports. Four mail calls today. I am duty petty officer tomorrow and will have to go ashore with the liberty party.
Oct. 2
Went ashore with the liberty section as Duty Petty Officer and got all members ashore and back aboard without injury.
Oct. 3
I helped move our gear from our store rooms to various store rooms throughout the ship. More mail calls. Watched the movie tonight “Black Swan”.
Oct. 4
Cleaned my guns and changed the water canteen’s location in the pilots cockpit. Hie helped me clean my port wing gun.
Our Exec. Lt. Flateboe gave a short lecture to the aircrew this morning on our next flight operation mostly emphasizing how tough it was going to be. Nothing new there.
Oct. 5
Today was payday. I rated liberty this afternoon but stayed aboard to attend a meeting on correspondence schools.
Oct. 6
Spent the morning studying radio and filled out correspondence school applications. More mail arrived.
Oct. 7
Answered mail and bought money order for correspondence courses.
Oct. 8
I got a nice sunburn on the flight deck this morning. Filled our another form for correspondence courses. Answered mail. Rumor is that our next campaign will be the Philippines. Sunburn is going to mess up my sleep tonight.
Oct. 9
I changed the ten transmitter frequencies on my ATC. The mail will close at noon tomorrow so I wrote mother a last letter for awhile. No mail today.
Oct. 10
I helped paint part of the deck in the ready room. We expected to shove off tomorrow but I have seen tomorrow’s plan of the day and it didn’t mention leaving. I can’t see why they closed the mail today. Played basket ball this evening, good work out.
Oct. 11
Speed letter arrived with my flight school appointment. They hustled me off the ship without time for goodbyes, and dropped me in the mud on Manus. Did I mention, they drive on the left side of the road!
EPILOGUE:
I found a bunk in a Quonset hut barracks, and introduced myself to the Master at Arms. I told him I had a class starting Nov. 17 and needed transportation. He said he had men that had been waiting transport for 6 months and I might make it by Nov. 1945.
I don’t know how long the chow line was; I never made it to the mess hall but lived on bogey bait (candy bars) that I bought from the hustlers.
My name hit the bulletin board 3 days later and I went aboard the USS General W. F. Hase, a troop transport, that took 23 days to reach Treasure Island. They served two meals daily, cold cereal for breakfast and cold cut sandwiches with cool aid in the afternoon and you stood up at the table.
Steve Walley took my place with Owens’s crew and survived the sinking of the USS Saint Lo.
For more on the USS White Plains and VC-4 See Taffy III in the Battle off Samar http://www.bosamar.com/
