Belleau Wood (CVL 24) - Naval Cruise Book

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Fighting Squadron 31 . TOP ROW: H. J. Barker, R. G. Austin, D. E. White, H. Z. Penzinski, R. W. Schilling, R. C. Woodford, J. C. Lund, E. L. Leland, R. E. Boyer, A. M. Melton, F. P. Hallowell, R. L. Blythe, F. P. Tighe. SECOND ROVV: T. M. Guy, D. P. Matteson, J. J. Arnold, C. W. Robison, H. H. Wicker, VV. L. Collier, J. P. Goeppinger, H. Banning, F. R. Clifford, C.J. Egli, H. Mokwa, J. Rosner, W. Salminen, R. A. Karp, C. A. Moore, E. S. Vass, J. O. A. Graveline, R. A. Lewis. BOTTOM ROW: J. W. Kenney, G. W. Nichols, L. S. Flowers, J. L. Wolf, E. A. Toaspern, D. S. White, K. H. Somerville, W. A. Rubly, C. N. Nooy, G. D. Shimek, B. S. Weber, J. S. Stewart, F. X. Bushner, J. H. Parker, A. F. Tarabusi, J. T. O'Brien, H. A. McMillan, F. J. Repp, R. R. Barnes, NO PICTURES OF THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS: W. B. Hall, E. H. Caywood, H. L. Law, E. R. VVhite. l R G R Q U lp 3 1 Air Group 31 was born as VCf17 on May 1, 1943 at N.A.S., Atlantic City, New Jersey. Flying from the U. S. S. CABOT, CVL28, the group got its first taste of action on January 29, 1944 in an attack on Roi Island in the Marshalls. On October 3, 1944 they were de' tached from the CABOT after establishing a record for CVL air groups: 147 enemy planes destroyed in the air and 46,000 tons of Japanese shipping sent to the bottom. Air Group 31 refformed at Alameda, California, De- cember 9, 1944 with only ten veterans of the original group returning to join 45 new pilots under Commander Bruce S. Weber as commanding oiiicer and Lt. john Bowen in charge of the torpedo squadron. After extensive training at Hollister, California, Fal-' lon, Nevada, and Arcata, California, the group took their carrier qualification on the CVE U. S. S. MATAf NIKAU. Additional training was emphasized on the MONTEREY which carried the Group to Hawaii. On June 16, 31 became the BELLEAU WOOD air group in Leyte Gulf. Operations in the combat Zone began on July 10 with sweeps and strikes against Kuma' gaya airfield in the Tokyo Plain area. At Hokkaido, the land of clouds and rain, strikes were launched against inland airiields, ports, and railroad facilities. They returned to the Tokyo area in a series of strikes on the old battleship NAGATO, docked at Yokosuka. 186

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vi ff' fwf' Torpedo Squadron 30 TOP ROW: J. M. Tuttle, E. L. Howe, R. N. Lahann, A. E. Louis, R. E. Regan, L. L. Hailey, YV. J. Duffy, B. D. Kent, F. R. Foster, O. I. Ford, W. C. Mosley, E. C. Kress, T. A. Turgeon, R. W. Richardson, G. Fabyanic, J. J. Carroll, NV. E. Flenniken, C. E. Brandt, H. Hardee, J. W. Grie- ner, C. A. Conner, F. J. Kendlehart. THIRD ROW: J. Zalewski, R. E. Dodson, R. B. Smith, D. E. Guhse, P. W. Lycan, NV. E. Delaney, YV. H. Mosey, F. C. Tothill, J. M. Reisert, B. Bailey, L. W. Tedesco, W. R. Willert, R. O. Ytzen, J. J, O'Neill, R. C. Atwood. SECOND ROW: Hetrick, E.. J. Bury, E. L. Hubbs, B. A. Woolever, G. C. Spear. H. F. Cornelius, D. H. Klunk, NV. M. Parker, C. R. McCall, H. N. Haney, L. H. Girompmy, J. E. Simmons, A. C. McCarty, H. B. Jacques, N. J. Cooney, T. S. Hinshaw, W. Tilley, L. C. Bailey. BOTTOM ROW: R. L. Eychaner, D. D. Yoho, J. N. Sherbon, Menco, J. A. Fahey, E. J. Mawhinney, A. Dadamo, E. C. Ness, C. H. Jones, C. R. Callo- way, J. S. Bunor, C. R. Gammon, R. L. Sweeney, W. P. O'Shea. H. G. LeBlanc. NO PICTURES OF THE FOLLOVVING OFFICERS: F. E. Hedges. C. D. Relyea. MEN: L. L. Burton, J. Cherry, E. A. Gruett, T. F. McDavid. Shortly after the first Tokyo operation, Lt. Cdr. On April 6 fourteen Hellcats of VFf30 ran into a Lindner was shot down over OhifOhi Jima and declared large mass of Jap aircraft over Okinawa. They shot missing in action. Another black day came a few down 26 Vals, 14 Zekes, 5 Tojos, and 2 Oscars-a to' tal of 47 Nip planes. Ens. Carl Foster took scoring honors this time with six planes to his credit. The group left the ship in Leyte Gulf in June, 1945. In their four months of combat they had capitalized on golden opportunities to destroy 110 Jap planes in the air-a record for BELLEAU WOOD air groups. days later when, on March 1, seven pilots and air crew' men were lost on a strike in the Nansei Shoto. On March 21 the combat air patrol engaged an ex' tremely large group of Jap bombers QBettysj and fighters headed toward the Task Force on what was evidently a suicide mission. Ens. Jim Ward was the first to dis' cover the Baka bomb, attached to the underside of each Betty. In the ensuing engagement 47 laps were splashed, Air Group 30 fighters accounting for 11 Bettys, 12 Zekes, and 1 Tony. Ens. Johnny Miller personally destroyed five. Ens. Jim Reber got four. Two weeks later a striking force of fighters and torf pedo planes from the air group played a prominent part in the sinking of the super battleship, the YAMATO, along with most of its supporting ships. Torpedo pilot Lt. Ernie Delaney had a memorable experience in this operation when he was shot down in flames in the mid' dle of the Jap task force and rescued a few hours later by a PBM. His crewmen, Edward Mawhinney and Wil' liam Tilley were never found. 185 X X X

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Torpedo Squadron 31 TOP ROW: G. E. Bates, T. R. Legett, VV. M. Seager. THIRD ROW: N. W. Scharf, H. C. Sjoberg, R. VV. Olcott, J. J. Ditullio, W. H. Vlfingard, J. H. NV -'g:ht, M. V. T- '- , C. L, H 1- F, B, M C J. D. Rauiff, W. H. Vogt, M. R. Vander-Meer, E. o. Tefwilligei-, N. R. Reames, H. E. iillen, H. W. Bffrifiiii K. C. Bea?t?5iiUF. W. Going. amy' SECOND ROW: J. Urbanski, W. H. O'Dell, A. H. Casey, R. M. Carroll, H. O. Fox, J. T. Owens, D. G. Karr, C. W. Wilson, J. R. Bowen, R. P. McChes- ney, R. A. Farrell, J. S. Johnson, C. W. Cates, R. B. Turner, J. C. Launius, D. F. Davis, A. P. Rubino, E. R. Schuller. BOTTOM ROW: C. A. Peterson, B. E. Emery, C. L. Arwood, R. C. Pettit, WV. H. Zimmerman, L. A. Dallas, NV. H. Peterson. H. C. Turner, A. E. Still- well, A. LaR0cca, H. L. Lashbaugh, J. J. Hylant, C. J. Kirgan, J. M. Allan, VV. F. Martin, C. E. NVhetzvl, D. A. Vineyard. NO PICTURES OF THE FOLLOVVING OFFICERS: P. H. Henderson, V. J. Morton. MEN: W. K. Hall, J. C. Holland. The NAGATO strike was a warmfup for the mission on July 24 against the Japanese Fleet units in Kure Harbor. Air Group 31's specific targets were the ISE and the AOBA. The torpedo pilots inflicted serious damage on the AOBA and on AA positions. The fighters scored five direct hits on the ISE fBBfXCVJ. One week later a fighter sweep on airfields and factories in the Nagoya area was jumped by 15 Jap fighters. Our group knocked down eight Japs. A return visit to the ISE and AOBA at Kure on July 28 produced 12 more hits on the ISE and three on the AOBA. The five day period after announcement of Jap peace' feelers on August 10 was one of strain and tension be' cause of the possibility of the war's ending at any mo' ment. Sweeps and strikes were sent out during these days: in fact strikes were launched against a very heavily defended target, the electronics industry at Kawasaki, 12 miles below Tokyo. On the morning of August 15 a division of fighters was launched at 0400 and upon reaching the coast enf countered and shot down six Jap fighters. Thirtyffive minutes later all planes were recalled as World War II came to the official end. That same day shortly after lunch our CAP shot down a visiting Jap plane in ace cordance with Admiral I'Ialsey's instructions. 187 After the cessation of hostilities, flights were flown over prisonerfoffwar camps which the Japs had been ordered to mark clearly. Reading material, medical supf plies, andfood were parachuted. On one such mission of mercy Ens. Paul Henderson was killed. In his effort to hit the camp and still not injure the prisoners, he flew low and too slow-his plane lost flying speed and crashed.