Bataan (CVL 29) - Naval Cruise Book

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I-IERE'S WHERE GUR STURY ALMOST ENDED... ' V ' ' ' 125' if 'X' fm ' ,E Q u fi, it 1 4 1 4 .Q V x Q5 fl ., 'w , W 4 1 'I . I P , . I . un A , 1 I 1 1 I I A Kamikaze Judy came very close. Page One Hundred Nineleen

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- , I ff? Wi, u ,'d Z! llmllumutlnmnuuxmn ll il ' X I W E L 2 5 1- f- tC.Tf?7 Y- - , 'I f X , I S f X'-T T f ' -E , N-f V .. , 16 April '45-8 VE of the CAP, later reinforced by 12 more of our VE, tangle with about 40 southbound Nips in the vicinity of Amami 'and Kikai Islands. Result: 23 Jap planes seen to splash: we lose one plane through a water landing, the pilot, Ensign STEPHAN- SKY being saved. Another pilot, Ensign VICTOR RINK, IS wounded and his Hellcat shot up! he 121158 3bOHfdf ha? 3 bad barrier crash. His plane turns over on its back, 'breaks in two. A few weeks later Ensign RINK is back in the air 3g31H.'A few Nip planes get through and our ship's guns help in knocking one down. 17 April '45-Further intensive enemy air attacks. One Judy dives straight at the BATAAN. Hit repeatedly by our 40 and 20 MM, it passes over the ship just aft of the island, barely clears the radar antenna, cr-ashes in the water just off the stern. The deck is splat- tered with fragments of Judy. Gunner MUCKLEROY watches these proceedings with a disapproving eye from the middle of the ladder on the island, doubtful as to whether upward or downward retreat is most advisable. Before he has time to make a decision, the Judy, in the Gunner's words, is Blowed all to Hell. Our RAPCAP shoots down 2 Zekes. ' The ship is hit by fragments on the forecastle and the signal bridge: l dead, 14 wounded. The BATAAN reports for duty to Rear Admiral RADEORD, Commander Task Group 58.4. 18 April '45-BATAAN launches 3 successive flights of 2 VT each .for Hunter-Killer operations with destroyers of the formation against an enemy submarine. The submarine is considered sunk, the evi- dence including 3 human lungs and a breadboard with ricehim- bedded on it. The BATAAN planes are credited with an assist. We bury the dead at sea. 19-30 April '45-Strikes against Okinawa, Tokuno, Kikai. Shuri, the citadel city of Okinawa, gets its share of attention from Air Group 47. So do the inevit-able caves. On the 26th, we return to 58.3 to remain until the end of the operation. 1-12 May '45--Minami, Amami, Tokuno, Kikai, Kakeroma, Okinawa: air- fields, revetments, bridges, caves, defensive positions, docks, stor- age areas, radio stations, troop concentrations, gun positions, ship- ping-Air Group 47 knows the island routine by heart. 4 May '45fWe Cthose of us who don't flyj sight our lirst land since leaving Ulithi, 51 days before: Tokuno, 46 miles away. 9 May '45-VE-47 loses -a plane from llak on a photographic mission over Tokunol the pilot missing in action. ll May '45f-The Japs are out in force again, but the BATAAN CAP whittles them down by splashing 14 planes, one of them a BETTY carrying a BAIQA. We lose a plane, but the pilot, Lieut. M. C. REPLOGLE, is picked up from his raft by a PBM from Kerama Refitogl Two liamikazeli drbop their bombs on the BUNKER HILL an zen crasl into t e lg carrier, about 2,000 yards from the BATAAN. The BUNKER HILL, temporarily out of control heads straight for our beam. We make emergency turns to clear it close abeam to starboard. Page One Hundred Eighteen M

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ALL HA DS, BURY THE DEAD A pause during battle. . . . if 4 .--1 Im f D J ui.-6 cf N1 if r gg-5 1 D ,vu ..e--r0- 6 Simple, but sincere and impressive- these ceremonies in honor of our heroic A A ' M ' f' ff dead, never to be forgotten by the ship- M K .A A- V Vi 1 A ' ,' mates left behind. A wr-l Page One Hundred Twenty