Belleau Wood (CVL 24) - Naval Cruise Book

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The Marianas were the sentinels of the Philippine Sea, guarding the Philippines, Ryukyu's, and Japan itself. The Fifth Fleet with which popular, admirable Admiral Spruance intended to snatch. the Marianas was an amazing armada built around 15 carriers of Mitscher's Task Force 58: 58.1 HORNET, YORKTOWN, BELLEAU WOOD, and BATAAN. 5 8.2 BUNKER HILL, WASP, MONTEREY, and OABOT. 58.3 ENTERPRISE, LEXINGTON, PRINCETON, and SAN JAOINTO. 58.4 ESSEX, OOWPENS, and LANGLEY. One of the boldesc strokes of the Pacific war, the scheme meant advancing 1200 miles over a water route, carrying with us our own supplies, materials, and man' power. On june 6, 1944 the great armada weighed anchor in the Marshalls and headed west. Strike 'em when they donlt expect it . That's what we always tried to achieve on our strikes-tactical surprise. We had done well at it in the past. But this time the Taps were waiting. We learned that they sensed something stirring on June 10, two days before the opening crack at Guam. From our own task group commander: U. S. Naval Communication Service THE ENEMY KNOWS WE LEFT MAIURO BUT HAS NOT FOUND US YET X HE IS STILL SEARCHING DILIGENTLY FOR US X KEEP A BRIGHT LOOKOUT FOR SNOOPERS followed by- U.S. Naval Communication Service GUAM HAS BEEN ALERTED X ALL HANDS KEEP SHARP LOOKOUT AND PREPARE HOT LEAD RECEP- TION FOR ENEMY PLANES and- U.S. Naval Communication Service MESSAGE TO ALL HANDS X WE NEED NO SPECIAL INCENTIVE BUT GUAM BELONGS TO US X DELIVER EVERY BOMB AND BULLET WHERE IT WILL DO THE MOST GOOD X DESTROY THE YELLOW BASTARDS X GOD BE WITH YOU AND GOOD LUCK XADMIRAL CLARK On the afternoon of June 11 the BELLEAU WOOD launched its first strike to help clear the Marianas skies Of all Jap planes and knock the airiields staging those QIHIWS- In a dogffight above Guam four enemy planes were shot down. Next day two planes were flamed over Rota LIS we continued the assault to soften up ,lap defenses for the imminent invasion. But it did little good to clear the ,laps over the MariHl135 if they were still free to sweep down from Iwo .lima and the Bonins. Therefore, on the evening of ,IUHC 15 our group moved north to attack these islands. On the 15th, as we struck Haha ,lima and Chit-hi lima, news of fhc landing on Saipan was flashed to the world. SS was-nu.

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3 ci , lVlAPilANAS Sf BONIN -1TiT--in CHU ISE 8 June 6-July 2, 1944 DURING the entire month of May the huge fleet lay in the fleet anchorages at Kwajalein and Majuro. After the thrilling adventures of the past few months, the inactivity was a welcome chance to go ashore for a picnic, swimming, and beer for those who wanted it, But while the ships swung slow' ly at anchor, the strategists were hard at work. We had given the enemy a decisive trimming, expelling him from the Gilberts and Marshalls, supplanting him in New Guinea, lashing him severely in the Carolines and Marianas. The time was ripe to move in closer y 37

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J It was sloppy, rainy weather, like the tail end of a typhoon as we hammered the Bonins. A heavy swell made flight operations extremely hazardous. The pitching, roll' ing sea lifted the flight deck violently up and down-the ship quivered in its effort to right itself. One of the most serious accidents ever experienced by this ship in flight operations occurred during the late evening of June 15. A landing fighter crashed through the barriers into the island structure and burst into flames. For 23 minutes the flames crackled and roared before being brought under control. For months the enemy had refused to uncover the Imperial Fleet for a showdown fight. Where's the Jap fleet? had been asked time after time as we powered our way across the Pacific on the Road to Tokyo. In February we thought we had it cornered at Truk. Now at last Task Force 58's brazen, taunting thrusts at the Marianas and Bonins, just 700 miles from Tokyo, had pried the lid off this evasive opponent. Large Japanese force moving up from East Indies came one report shortly before the Marines swarmed Saipan. On the 17th a second Jap force-carriers, battle' ships, cruisers, and destroyers was sighted east of the Philippines. They were coming out. Like two jaws of a giant vise the Jap carrier planes from the west and land based planes from Guam, Tinian, and Rota began closing in on our fleet. June 19, 19,44 brought forth the greatest aerial battle of the war as the Japanese threw a combined NavyfArmy haymaker at Task Force 5 8. The challenge was eagerly accepted. At 1000 the enemy raids began. Scramble all fighters came the order from the flagwk and planes started .roaring off flight decks. 'K The Flag is the admiral in charge of a group of ships. 39 .gf,..-1 fi - ., ,.. 'L I 2- . ' . ' WZ '-' -, , ' '- ily. tag -9 .Q .Ay ,Bfmm l 4 L'?44, fr l f 3 'f 5- nuff if g 46K f' ,?Q51i -. ll K Ark ? 0 Soi? ...gl L, 1 AV ia fa ff! q D ,uf , X N 2 . f I -if J gi J :EW . T sf f ff - f 7. ll 34 , I 5 '3 - ,qf i l if ,a..' ' A - ' is snows S Q iz. ii' fi 1. if U - 2 J 1 a -fag ' 1, 1 1 S 4,i ,avg .V eggglgpigvgg . XL! QQ Mml T52 1 1 jnrf: 1 LE X Nf fe . 6 f ax , I. 1'g1zi ,fQE3QSS? ribs? gf 95 f-LQ sy S I? XP? as is kv x Q W X ffm?- K ' iii: N A cv ' 1 I? ff. ,I W fTN X I I ' 1 ,Fa l , W as 1 ' BY' V p as .noe muwmoai ' A F551 V i V Av- 'TQ' ' ' 'vi' ' ' Y bt V -wr6lI Z.3rA-1:,r.l'H inflhxinc union' an 1. 4 'L