Belleau Wood (CVL 24) - Naval Cruise Book

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On March 15, 1944 the armada sortied from Espiritu planes and damaged five others in addition to strafmg and struck out to the northwest bound for Palau, western barracks, AA batteries, wharves, and storage buildings pivot Of ,lap21I1,S CHIOHHC mechanism- Emoute We paused This attack concluded our successful smash at the at Emirau in the Bismarcks while Yanks-without opposif Western Carolinas. tion-deeupied the place on March 20. Then came Palau. T It was the Admiral sending: 3 A N tl 'N i U. S. Naval Communication Service Q ,QM , WE ARE ENROUTE T0 GIVE PALAU A TREATMENT X my A ' JAPS PROBABLY THINK SOMETHING IS COMING Q T dyaff BUT DONT KNOW WHEN OR WHERE X IT BEHOOVES I 1352, US T0 BE ON OUR TOES X ANY JAP THAT GETS ,U6 'I Q 'li it 1 IN REACH OF YOUR GUNSMAND BOMBS AND I riff - p L- HOPE THERE ARE PLENTY WILL GET THE PRE- T? somsso TREATMENT ' ' .. p .. - iQ.. - They did. On March 30 Mitseher's fury lashed Palau, sinking 31 ships, damaging 18 others, and destroying over ZOO planes. The contribution of BELLEAU WOOD planes to this score was three enemy planes destroyed, two damaged, a medium freighter and a mine layer sunk, one hangar destroyed. We left the base flaming and smoking, conclusive testimony to the power of Task Force 58. BELLEAU WOOD planes celebrated the ship's first birthday on March 31 by destroying a weather station on Ngulu, sinking an AK at Ulithi, and shooting down two Bettys twentyftwo miles from the ship. On April 1 the carriers hit Woleai. Our planes were first to the target where they destroyed seven grounded They say that Air Plot is not very hor. And those who agree include OIC. And then there are some who do not. The some who do not are all in Air Plot. The boys of Air Plot are a wonderful lol. In cases of urgency and extremous emergency They don't say Eh, what? It's just, Wait Out, Fly Control -from Air Plot. Air Plot is a modest lot. They know their stuff a little bit more than somewhat In spite of successes under all sorts of duresses Credit is due where it's got. Who says not? Vsfell, if we had more cooperation around here .... --A. L. Lundin.