Belleau Wood (CVL 24) - Naval Cruise Book

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Hmmm Flames, wreckage, and hunks of metal shot skyward and outward with a roar. billowing clouds of angry black smoke soared hundreds of feet into the air, while burning gasoline sloshed about the tlight deck and cascaded over the starboard side. The gun crews on 10 and 11 were ordered to llood their magazines and abandon their staf tions, but all other mounts remained to tire at succeeding attackers fof which there were 3 who dived on and barely missed the SAN JACINTQ and ENTERPRISEQ. All other mounts, that is, except mount 9. One of our own flaming planes, which had been parked near the explosion, was blown oil the deck and down on top of the gun mount. Wreathed in burning gasoline it smothered the entire area with a blanket of death from under which no man escaped. On the flight deck the airdales sprang into immediate action, moving as many planes as possible away from the fire, especially the torpedo planes loaded with depth charges. With foam and spray they fought the forward edgeg-the only accessible edge!-of the blaze which had