Belleau Wood (CVL 24) - Naval Cruise Book

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UHINA and the CHUI E ll September 24-November 2, 1944 . HE Yellow Tide was ebbing fast, in less than a year the front had been pushed back from the Gilberts to the door of the Philippines. It was Sepf tember 24, after a threefday rest in Manus, that task group 38.4 steamed into the Philippine Sea to patrol around Palau and wait while other task groups took turns at reprovisioning. On October 5 we all joined up and headed north. The sea was rough. For three days we lived on sandwiches and fruit, the ship pitched and rolled too much to prepare anything else. Most of us had butterfly stomach anyhow. We were on the tail of a typhoon-a protecting mass of weather concealing the fleet steaming through the Philippine Sea. But where were we going? The objective was kept secret until October 8 when, after fueling, we received the pungent word from the skipper. It was Okinawa -in the Nansei Shoto. 'iHalsey's sure sticking our necks out, grinned one newlyfarrived shipmate. At that time we did not know the significance attached to our impending thrust. It was apparent that the closer the fleet struck japan, the less the ,laps could concentrate on Palau. But we had no idea that a fortnight away was our invasion of Leyte and that by smiting deep into the Nansei Shoto we would not only destroy local air opposition but prepare for the impending invasion by crippling an important connection between Japan and the Philipf pines. Long before dawn of October 10 the first carrier planes shot off the catapults on their way to Okinawa. Hundreds of planes flew from the decks of our carriers that day for a bold onefday smash at the surprised Japs who offered no retaliation. Then followed a swipe at Aparri on northern Luzon and a twofday engagement at Formosa where we hit planes, hangars, workf shops, industrial plants, and small freighters, destroying many planes and sinking tons of Jap shipping. PHIUPPI E

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5 i Un September 6, as part of Admiral 'flockov Clark's 38.1, we began a twofday session hammering Palau striking Jap aircraft, installations, and other targets which had to be cleared ahead of the Marines. just 500 miles west of Palau lay Mindanao lar e v g southern island of the Philippines and foundation for several significant airfields. Even with Jap air power destroyed over Palau the Japs could still throw a heavy wallop from those Philippine bases. To cripple the enemy power in Mindanacu, to choke off reinforcements to Palau, and to divert attention from our imminent Palau landings, the fleet headed west for the initial strike at the Philippines. Un September 9, five days before riers began swatting Minf the landing on Palau, the car danao. To BELLEAU WOQD Air Gr signed airfields at Davao, Buayan, and Digos where our Hellcats and Avengers, with their black numbers on white circles, s oup 21 were asf trafed, bombed, and flamed Tojo's withf ering air force. Cebu and Negros were hit on the 12th and 13th. A long range sweep at Zamboanga on the 14th destroyed 5 Bettys and a Nick with 8 more probables. Concomitant with the assaulting waves at Palau WHS another amphibious force moving in on Morotai. Our task group moved south on September 15 to cover fhC operation there. BELLEAU WOOD fliers destroyed 14 planes that day on fields in the northeast Celebes. Subsequent to the capture of Ivlorotai, the BELLEAU WOOD was transferred from locko Clarks 38.1 to 33-4, commanded by Rear Admiral Davison in the FR ANKLIN, cruising with the ENTERPRISE illlll SAN JACINTO off Palau. For two days we pi'tWldCll air support to tl on southern Palau. Then on September IS we lllfllcll toward lvlanus in th ie men in the bitter struggle for Peleliu e Adiniralties for reprovisions. AS darkness settled that evening the sky was punctured lo' flashes and roars of artillery lire in the battle raging O11 PClCliL1. For the first time, we on the ship felt linked to the boys in the lioxholes. 48

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For the first time in several months the JapS fifughf back--on Friday the 13th. It was a big bogey fone could not tell how many planesj creeping across the radar scope, seemingly enroute from Luzon to Formosa. A division of BELLEAU WOOD fighters on CAP were VGCYOICCI Out to investigate. What they found was enough to make one's eyes blink. Coasting along at 12,000 feet were a dozen Bettys with a layer of 20 fighters a thousand feet above. Sneaking around behind, the Hellcats climbed to 20,000 feet from which vantage point they surveyed the entire Nip formation, cruising at a comfortable unsusf pecting speed. Then down swept the eight spitting, snarlf ing Hellcats. Streaking through the startled foe they wiped out five Bettys, three Zekes, an Oscar, and a Tony. Like frightened chickens the Llaps broke formation and fled for Formosa. It was getting dark, that same Friday, the formation was steaming into the wind while the FRANKLIN landf ed aircraft. The weather was squally to the northwest, and the visibility ahead was poor. Suddenly bogies popped up, bogies which had trailed our own planes back to their carriers. Two planes later identified as Bettys appeared on the horizon having apparently glided down the port beam of the formation from the squally area. Our port battery split and took both planes under fire. The first plane passed astern of the FRANKLIN and tried to go through the formation with fire from guns in all directions slash' ing away at it. This plane was hit, began burning, and crashed flaming just inside the screen. Meanwhile, the second plane crossed forward of the FRANKLIN and headed through the formation. He crashed in flames amid a flurry of AA fire about 600 yards off our port quarter. The roaring inferno of dirty orange flames and boiling black smoke raged for several minutes in the oily sea. It a5..ia5LLs,.LL,.s,r.:..3i,.,,.Q:.,v.,5.4.,1,.fg, . L aw? F . .. mL L L ffli-If:.5li SQ-250 sfo ' A I . 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L, xig L, L , ff , L L L L LL L I .- . - ' FNS-N X ,Q . Y - I O L I ,ALL L ' . sh, I ' I I ' - . 5 seemed unreal that in that blaze of death so near us we a half dozen or so japanese. A moment later, a third plane approached from about the same bearing and came directly at the FRANKLIN's beam. Immediately Big Ben scored. The Betty burst into flames, skimmed across the FRANKLIN's flight deck, and crashed violently img the sea, very close aboard. A fourth Betty slipping in from the same direction drove at the ENTERPRISE, Caught in the midst of carriers whose guns were spitting fire, he suddenly burst into flames to join his cohorts mid' way between us and the SAN JACINTO. At 1908 the last plane was nicked by the SAN LIACINTO, and a small fire flickered in the engine, lighting her up in the darkness and giving our gunners a sight. The flying torch flamed brilliantly and crashed 900 yards astern of us. The successful repelling of the assault brought the folf lowing from Task Group Commander, Admiral Davison: U. S. Naval Communication Service THE PERFORMANCE OF ALL HANDS DURING THE VICIOUS ATTACK LAST EVENING WAS MAGNIFI- CENT AND I AM PROUD 'TO COMMAND A TASK GROUP WITH SUCH GUTS X OUR TASK FORCE COMMANDER HAS SENT US TO ATTACK LUZON AND HIS ORDERS TOLD US TO GIVE THEM HELL X I AM SURE AFTER SEEING YOU IN ACTION THAT YOU WILL CARRY OUT HIS ORDERS A Much to our surprise we learned the following day fwhile listening to Tokyo Rose , that we were one of 16 U.S. carriers sunk in a gigantic sea battle off Taiwan fFormosaj. For two days, October 14 f 15, we attacked the airfields of Manila and the shipping targets in Manila Bay. OH one such raid our fighters escorted torpedo bombers from the ENTERPRISE and wound up in a vicious dog' fight over the target. From the Skipper of the BIG U. S. Naval Communication Service ALL MY PILOTS HAVE GIVEN UNITED PRAISE TO YOUR FIGHTERS FOR THE VERY EXCELLENT COVER PROVIDED DURING THE ATTACK YESTERDAY MORNING ON NIELSON FIELD X PLEASE EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO YOUR FIGHTRON X OF FIFTY NIP FIGHTERS ATTACKING NOT ONE GOT THRU TO THE BOMBERS TORPEDO FORMATION Osfiahr OXCFIHCLCII It wms Sunday morning Ottobe s A snooping Fr uices had been eau ht by our Hellca L 18 Ii OVCF the Tisk Group A hissing burst of fire SC 1 APM? swing C Idp H511 C One wing broke off to floit lazily dOW lb thi? rflmainclri of thc burning plant descended at 50 I A. . F F . F I Wa. ' if A 'f if L .qs . if, . LL 4 ' . A . D ff fa . ' f , ' - r LL .L L qs . . L . . L L L C L , I I ' I' I. 'Viv - l D' I ' ' . I f 15 3 ' f - e U I5 I ' ' f 'fb . F 09 . I ' A T ' F' , LL L. ,LL L cp . . , L , L ,I . L I h LL L L u L L t za-3. ,-'. c. if .Tr - TQ' f ' . ' . . F - L -, A L .aa ,flaw I . .. , A , F tl . . ' F axle I I - I 'Q ' N A 1' - 1 Z' . f v - - ' 1 D . ww? A ' I . 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