Bataan (CVL 29) - Naval Cruise Book

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18 9 24 25- 28 29 30 31 9 10 ll- 13 14 15 fix' --maaehassiiizaeig ft' , ' c, - 2 llllll. f Z .lFEEEi'lI4p - 85--253 'Q A 1 f ' misss: ltr , XM v' f ff 16195 fagfallnllllllllllilllf ----EIb I 1 lj if, v liumlllll mum , - T .,,, ' 245 ' , S ' 2 A -Rf July '45-Our VT planes take part in a coordinated attack by the Task Force on the 34,000 ton battleship NAGATO in Yokosuka Harbor. Our assignment is to cover AA positions protecting the shipg these batteries throw up the most intense volume of fire yet encountered by VT-47, but the battleship sustains serious damage. ' -23 July '45-Fueling and replenishing and getting ready to hit the J-ap fleet at I Kure. July '45-We launch 2 strikes of fighters and torpedo planes as part of the co- ordinated attack on the battleship-carrier I-IYUGA anchored off Nasake Shima near Kure. The m-ain function of our planes is again to silence AA batteries. The attack is successful, and the 32,000 ton ship is later photographed rest- ing on the bottom by our photo plane. Besides helping to sink the I-IYUGA our planes set fire to or otherwise damage a merchant vessel and 15 small craft. They also help to splash ia Zeke over the Island Sea. 27 July '45-Bad weather prevented further strikes on Kure, so we July '45--Kure again. This time the target for the morning strike ton cruiser TONE. Eight bomb hits by our torpedo planes tained by other air groups batter the TONE into uselessness. In the afternoon our planes spot a good sized merchant ship Sea. Six quarter ton bomb hits sink it within two or three July '45-Back on the road to Tokyo. July '45-Two strikes are fiown against Tokorozawa airneld, near the airfield 3 factories and a power house are damaged. Two torpedo pl-ane are hit by AA, one of them at 18,000 feet. July-8 August '45-We spend several days dodging some of the many typhoons encountered in Japanese waters. On 6 August we hear of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima: our line of work begins to seem pretty old fashioned. August '45-Return visit to Hokkaido and Northern Honshu. Misawa airfield bears the brunt of two strikes, parked aircraft being bombed and strafed. A small merchant vessel is sunk by rocketing. One VE and one VT are holed by flak. August '45-As a farewell to Northern Japan, Air Group 47 burns 7 sitting duck float planes near Aomori, sets afire a large merchant vessel, burns oil storage tanks in 3 supply areas, bomb and rocket factories, railyards, a destroyer and small sized shipping. The first report of a J-apanese offer to surrender is received. We listen to descriptions of peace celebrations in Manila, Chungking, London, and New York, and we prepare for the next strike. 12 August '45-More peace reports and celebrations, but the planes are gassed and armed for strikes against Tokyo. August '45-Two strikes are sent on. The first attacks a large industrial plant at Hachioji, the other hits Kisarazu airfield, across the Bay from Tokyo. The afternoon subcap flies cover for a dumbo which picks up a pilot and 2 aircrewmen from Tokyo Bay. August '45fTension keeps increasing. Indications that a surrender is imminent go hand in hand with preparations for continuing the war. The Task Force is d h 11 un er t.e most concentrated -air attack of this operation, but no Ubogies come within range of our guns. August '45-There is no ofiicial word'of a surrender, so a strike is sent out against Tokyo at. dawn. There is a feeling of unreality about the whole thin At fueled. is the 14,000 plus those ob- in the Inland minutes. Tokyo. Besides fighters and a 0635 radio messages are received from group, force, and Heet Commandgfs to recall -all strikes. Our planes turn back within sight of the Japanese coast and return to the ship with the pilots singing O What a Beautiful Morning in- to their mikes-their first real breach of radio discipline They land on deck and grinning mechs point to the letters V-J chalkedi gn the Side gf thg Island. The war is over. Peace-it's wonderful! Q

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