Belleau Wood (CVL 24) - Naval Cruise Book

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WA E CRUISE 2 October 1-October 11, 1945 ' HERALDED as the greatest carrier task force ever assembledn, six carriers steamed out of Pearl Harbor on October 1, 1943 to slug Wake Island. Our feelings were different on this raidg we were attacking an enemy entrenched on American soil, soil that bore testi' mony to the fighting spirits of the U. S. Marines. Present to avenge these heroes were the carriers LEXINGTON, YORKTOWN, ESSEX, INDEPENDENCE, BELLEAU WOOD, and COWPENS. It was pitch black that morning of October 5 , rainy and squally too. The first flight took off at O500g one by one the planes roared off the flight deck to circle in the night and rendezvous in the darkness. For two days, October 5 and 6, Wake took a beating twice as vicious as that given Tarawa. To our astonishment we were at no time attacked or engaged by the enemy, thanks to a snappy performance on the part of our C.A.P. which intercepted a group of Jap planes 90 miles away and shot down four Bettys and three Zekes. fC.A.P. is combat air patrol , a group of fighters policing the skies to intercept raids on the ships by enemy aircraftl. The operations against Wake brought the Task Force the following message from CINCPAC fCommander in Chief, Pacificj, Admiral Chester W. Nimitzz U. S. Naval Communication Service THE THOROUGH JOB DONE ON WAKE BY PLANES AND SHIPS OF YOUR TASK FORCE WILL HAVE RESULTS REACHING FAR BEYOND THE HEAVY DAMAGE INFLICTED

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