Belleau Wood (CVL 24) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 136 text:

the pilots retire to the Ready Rooin, the captains take charge uf the planes. The maintenance men dash from plane to plane consulting with technicians, and the engineering officers parley with the chiefs as they size up the repairs to be made. Mean' while, another launch impends, another landing waits. Below in the parachute loft a rigger lays out a silken ehute inspecting it for the slightest injury. Another inflates a life raft. Still another dexterously patches flying suits for the pilots or makes a flimsy negligee for his wife. Around the dial Vf2 aircraft maintenance never stops. Day in and day out, night in and night out, there is always work to be done. Hangar deck crews working in shifts arise before dawn, secure long after dark, push planes all day, sweep down the deck, scrub, chip, paint, load life rafts, sling wings and belly tanks to the overhead, man elevators on the double, secure long after dark. Stack smoke, sharp orders, heavy seas, dark nights, long hours-plane is up, plane is down! Why don't they make up their mindsf' Firel Fire on the hangar deck! The danger is great due to the enclosed space, the planes, the gas, and sometimes the bombs and ammunition placed there. All work stops, men dash to their fire stations breaking out foam and hoses and manning comf inunication circuits. A shower of water pours from the overf head as Conflag turns on the hangar sprinkling system. The men of Repair 8 race to the repair locker to break out lights, rescue breathing apparatus, and form rescue teams to aid ship' mates who may be overcome by smoke or burned by the flames. The plane captains man their planes so that they can be moved from the danger area. Fortunately fires were few and far be' tween. With approximately 135 men V51 Division is the shipiS largest division. . .Q , X ,U X 3 , s sv at ' Ll' R-f1Hff 1l1 1, lfl- ll- lf- -lilvolvs. IA. D. lizmson, lit. M. R. Kullnmn. Hcllcalx get f-lim-IU-41 mil-, ,H Vp vm, 6 171 rf'fjigl1l1'ng lvrmi rlfzllx for puff,-f,',,,, NPIAP prop 1.x lH'olgc'n ou! lim- f,pl,H',- ffm, U,m.l,1 ,I Iy,U,g'f'y Srilrty mlm r'l1r'f'lg.s will: lflltlllll Gump! lwforc lf:14,1pq-mp ,IW fm-H,l,,,f ,.l,,,,'l,W 130 '

Page 135 text:

5 111 M 1 all tp but who wuts foi tht 51111 L clflltl flttt p 1111 xx 111115 up on tht c1t1pult tht U10 11 ts his 1NfNLLUl1Ll luck Then w11 mg' The clttpult o Q he firt rudci into 1111 111 Stun minutcs l1tt1 111 5cl1cdL1c planes circle oxc1l11 1d Bt 11c 1tl1 thc bridge the maintcn inte and fhcrht d lx ofhctis g1t11 r in 1 huddlc The pl1nc crews lW11t 1011115 Fighter l is 1 dud strike it below comes the hrst order A coxsvv 1111 blows his wh15tlc M111 Fighter lu' he 5houts At thc foot of the clcv 1tor 1 dollyman waits To the commands of To the starbo 1rd To the port and Hold that you NVTHIIE1 break '1 wing? the hangar deck crew pushes the dud in spot Chock it up the coxswain order5 and while two mechanics roll up a stand undeneath the engine 1 trouble shooter jumps into the cockpit Black book in hand 1 chief mechanic Jots down pertinent notes hesitates briefly and says Okay men you ve got twenty minutes to fix her up let s get going Pacing down the hangar then he supervises a11 engine change Meantime in the engine overhaul shack the nerve ce11ter of V 7 drills drone and grinders grone A metalsmith beats out a dented surface and an electrician frowns over a complicated relay. From the dope sheet hung on the bulkhead the hy draulic specialist learns there is a faulty oleo on Torpedo 8- the instrument man discovers there is a damaged Uyro in Fighter 15 ' and the prop repairman growls Well I gotta get a new prop for Fighter 12-d ........ barrier crashes anyway! The chief O11 duty directs a man to get stop nuts and safety wire from Ready ob. On the deck just above in the radio their s the Issue Stores for a detail j chnicians with wizard like deftness attend to the repair shop te ills of that mysterious air borne radar. Bugle notes pierce thru the ship. Its Flight uarters again. Topside plane captains scurry from their lockers underneath the flight deck and with hands shielding their eyes from the sun search among the returning raiders for their planes. Elec tricians metalsmiths mechanics and radiomen suddenly appear from down under and stand by to check the landing aircraft. i forward. At the cutf Une by one the planes land and tax throat signal to kill engines, plane captains climb up the wings and hand the pilots the familiar yellow checkfoff sheets. As Stowage is a problem ea wing goes up to the hangar overhead Maths worked avoimd the clock to maintain a Hfflean XbU!'I'P'fl1llA'71, fore and aft f 129 difficult flight schedule H 320 feel of hangar Clerk

Page 137 text:

Lt. A. J. Baker, Lt. tial R. G. Barr, Lt. thigh R, W, Zimm,V.,.m,,,,. The following members of tile Division were delaelled before the group picture was taken: OFFICERS: Lf. A. M. Bona, Lt. H. J. Kumi.-1-, Lt. new L. H. xr....1.,.y MEN: XVilliam R. Achud, Ben B. Adams, Robert G. Aunt-r, Carmelo Alaimo Edward G- Albert. Bruno AlC.lHDfl1'0. Georsc A. Allen, John P. Anderson, Alton J. Anderson, Joseph Andrechyn, Jr., Stephen A. Avata, David W. Armstronu. Willis E. Artlip, XVilliam M. Askins, James T. Austin, Brison F. Ayers, Gerald M. Bachman, Boyd K. Ball, Jackob B. Ballard, Jr.. Robert L. Bankert. William T. Barnes, Billy C. Barnes, Robert O. Bass, George E. Batehelder. Louis Battae- lia, Roy E. Bearden, Samuel L. Beasley, Emilien Beaupre, Thomas W. Bell. Frank J. Benedek, Claborn Berry. Palmer D. Berthelson. Gerald R. Biron, James E. Bishop, Eugene D. Black, VVilliam A. Blaekketter. Beryl J. Blake, Annol Blanksenshi Lewis E Blanton Elmer A. Blaser Xrthur C. Blatehford Eu-rene D. . . . . , . . , 5 C. Blewett, Kenneth F. Boober, Louis D. Bombardier, Louis D. Boucher, Elmer Borreson, Laurent J. Bougie, Claude XV. Bounds. Jr., James XX'. Bowers, Manley W. Bradshaw, Ellis T. Bray, Richard P. Brennan, Brantford F. Brown, .I r.. George J. Brown, Robert L. Brown, Marshall L. Busby, Cornelio Cano, Calvin W. Carlson, Wilmer F. Carney, Jack D. Carroll, James A. Casperson, Albert V. Challet. John B. Cherven, Daniel Chino, George XV. Christie, Donald E. Clausen, Vincent L. Cogxliano, George F. Colxvell, Alfred W. Compton, Thomas A. Connor. Charles R. Cooper, Joseph S. Crockett, Jr., David L. Davenport, John L. Davis, Odis O. Davis, Ralph Davis, Sr., XX'illiam A. Davis. Jr.. Horace R. Derringzton, Joseph F. Devlin, John H. Dickinson, Lester A. Dowdall, Thomas L. Duffy. James Debaby, William J. Deberry, Leon J. Delaney, Floyd A. Degraloff, Robert E. Egeert, Walter L. Eener, Donald H. Elder, Carlton E. Emery, Walter R. Enrrland, Jr., XVilliam R. English. Samuel T. Eshoo. Joseph E. Estock. Arthur E. Farr, Ross E. Feeser. Jr., John A. Flematti, Elgin Fletcher, Frank J. Fletch- er, Frederick D. Foss. Edward H. Foster, John Freitas. Donald R. Fristo, Car- lyle J. Fuprlie, Altino J. Furtado, James R. Gardner. Charles XV. Garnhun. Law- rence E. George. LaVerne O. Gillett. Arthur H. Goyette. Harry C. Hannaman. Keefee B. Harrell, Lawrence M. Hazouri, Robert 0. Hankel, Fred XV. Hensley. Robert H. Heyer, R. C. Hushey, Harold A. Hutchinson, James T. Hutchinson. Paul L. Iman. Constantino C. Intrevado, Joseph F. Inzatari, John J. Ippolito, David C. Isaacks, Henry J. Ivie, Jr., Fred Jaiva, XVilliam O. Johns, Elmo John- son, John F. Joyce, Harlod A. June, Harvey V. Kalbfleisch, Frank C. Kapusta, XValter Karezna, Francis J. Keller, James E. Kelly, Carmen V. Kennedy, James J. King, Arthur H, Kinsman, Jr., Alfred XV. Knies, Hohn XV. Korab, Neil A. Ko- selke, Edwin J. Kovarik, Tony O. Kroll, Frank E. Kurdziel. Ernest. O. LaPanne. Richard H. Lassen, Norman Lavoie, Thomas S. Leidy, Henry XV. Lemay, Wil- liam C. Lenhof, James Leonard, George W. Lesko. Richard R. Lindemann, Tom N. Lund, Herbert A. Lynn, Russell F. MacNeil, Arthur R. Main, Henry G. Mar- shall, Arthur J. Martin, Sam C. Mascarella, XValter C. Mahler, John E. Martin. Asa J. Massey, Augzust J. Mathais, Ezra M. McCracken, Stanley A. Mazor, Mar- vin I. McDaniel, Willard W. McFarland, William R. McGoey, Edward E. McMa- han, Melvin H. McNeil, Alton E. Miller, Robert E. Miller, Arthur M. Moreland. Vernon P. Mortise, Charles A. Moyer, Roy D. Mullins, Thomas E. Noah. Robert G. O'Connell, Ernest P. Osterhout. William Q. Parker. Dominick Pasquin, Ar- thur H. Pippin, Thomas J. Pethieal, Joseph F. Pietrucki, Raymond J. Pijanow- ski, John F. Powers, Ted D. Purdom, Fred H. Rauscher, Garland H. Rock, XVil- liam H. Roland, Edgar M. Rollins. Richard E. Ruhlie, Kenneth E. Ruppe, Har- old F. See, XVilliam J. Schaefer, James D. Schmid, Arthur J. Schnell, Jr., XX'il- liam C. Schwark, Adolph L. Scott, Richard B. Short, Francis G. Sebute, Vincent F. Sherrick, James Skoch, James W. Smith, Richmond H. Smith, Arnold Snow- bertcr, Jr.. Lawrence W. Solomon, Edward L. Spitler, Jr., Peter M. Steel, Jr., Arthur Steinman. Franklin H. Stuart. Joseph A. Tessmar, Bernard G. Thaner. James H. Thomas, Elmer C. Tighe. Raymond J. Tremblay. Myron R. Tursky. Rf'-lDh 0. Ulrcy, Linn R. VV. Vonder, Paul B. VValker, Raymond O. XX'allaee. GPOY'2e M. Wambolt, Jr., Ed XVare, Georxre H.Weber. Jr., Robert C. XV:-eks. Nor- man O. Weersinsz, Robert M. Weissman, Lester R. XVeitzel. Jr.. Oliver XV. XX'est. James A. White, Carlton E. Whitehurst, Leland E. Wichliffe. Charles XV. XVilker- Son. Bernard V. XVilliarps. Ernest C. Williams. Sidney N. XVilliams. Henry C. Wilson, Jr., Raymond M. Wood, Charles V. X'Vri,frht, XVilliam M. XVriy1ht, Jr., Norman Wuerth, Sam Wysowski, Kenneth B. Yandow, Frank J. Youngs. Precision acljustmcnt of a carburetor that feeds 2000 horses Parachute riggcrs carefully clieclq lifcfsavi-ng equipment Catapult operator tcnscly awaits signal to are 131