Franklin (CV 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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l 'f, '--F Xl, ,, I f , 77,7 , as a V .,,, r it , as s W if l ' -,f ,gif g. ,fs 1 ,ij ,dy ' JL'-j,. '.' ic ' U, ' ,JV . ,' ' , ,f , ,, ,V , we f i f f s ss3'..,m-sf'-M- 73 7 , W2 V ' 'G I 5 f ' .. sm qw, at ,.. X- Q v, - Q 4. td -: I .sm ,, 0, ,s , L-tw ', , Q ,' ,,,,V,! 4,g ,Him ,NV A A V , , 'f Q.. . s .W aft -ff , - -4' eff , f ' - 't MM JD fi . ..ns V2 , 10 2 ..,.,v- 'N' X M . ' K ' F .-aln1t4r,,..,....,, inf'--' 4. 1- l Every big flal-top in the Navy made their last stop here at Ford Islanid, in Pearl Harbor, before steaming westward into battle veered for the little group of warships. There was tense action in CIC as Hellcats were ordered catapulted from the deck, and another pencil line moved across the plotting boards, to intercept the search plane. But it was too late. Radio on the Mitchell had warned the waiting airfields on the mainland. The Hellcats cut the Mitchell down 50 miles from Big Ben, but now an ominous warning of many swiftly approaching planes came from Into the wind came Task Group I2 1 Destroyers closed 1n a tight circle that their powerful AA batteries might better defend the carrier Dozens of Hellcat fighters were racing off to battle the Army bombers Dozens of carrier bombeis roared into the sky and arrowed for the prime targets in the San Diego area Soon came the swirl of mock battle as Grummans tore into Flying Forts But some of the Mitchells and Forts slipped through the fighter screen, twisting and turning to dodge imaginary AA then levelling off for their bomb runs Every gun in the task group had them covered 1t had seemed very real uiet returned however, and Big Ben finally rested at the San Diego Naval Air Station Air Group Thirteen had already landed ashore, mechanics, ordnancemen, plane cap tains, and others hurried to the planes to take up their un ending tasks Two days were consumed in urgent repairs after the I0 000m1le run from Norfolk Fuel and supplies were rc plenished half the crew were given shore leave, with pref erence going to men whose homes were on the West Coast Three days were needed for operations at sea in which Rear Admiral Sherman Commander of Fleet Aircraft, would pronounce upon the readiness of Big Ben and Air Group Thirteen for battle After all tests Admiral Sherman was satisfied, back in San Diego things begun to hum 'warn Two thousand passengers, lnevltahle complement of a car ner anywhere except in action brought themselves and their baggage aboard Tons of supplies were loaded Days were busy but there was shore leave 1n the evenings Franlclirfs crew saw also another side of war prepara- tions. Each morning, long chains of landing craft, LCT, LCI's, LClVI,s, and others, loaded to the gunwales with troops, would pass down the channel for drills on the coast. Late in the day they would return, a tired, sweating bunch of soldiers-the men Big Ben would later cover and assist with fighters, dive bombers and torpedo planes. Shore leave expired at midnight May 3lst At dawn next day, with the Twrggs Leary Cushmg, and cruiser Denver Big Ben edged into the channel and stood westward with her passengers, 500 tons of urgent cargo her 90 airplane and a crew of nearly 3 000 men She was headed for a fast voyage to Pearl Harbor, at 23 knots, without air patrol She entered the winding channel to Ford Island on June 5th Here, at Pearl Harbor th11ty months after their demol 1t1on, men saw the wrecks of what had once been the battle ships Arzaona and Oklahoma They saw also the speedy repairs which had been made to the base since December 7th 1941 they saw the formidable defenses which had been constructed Army planes wheeled ceaselesslv oxerhead there were bristling rows of anti aircraft batteries and radar stations which felt their way through the skies with magic rays from their weird antennas This was a Pearl Harbor for men to remember, just as that other Pearl Harbor is one that the world will not forget On December ith, 19-lil this had been the lNaxy s front line post in the Pacific Now Pearl Harbor was a staffing base, 3 000 miles from the nearest ,lap in arms bw Ben and America had traveled a long w ay but the hardest Journew still lay ahead Here the passenoexs debaiked to go their xartou ways aftei a four day trip which would haxe taken muah longer by even the fastest transport then plowinc the Pauht lhe planes of All Croup Thirteen had been llown to Puuneme hut the next moinme the Franklin ind her destroy er escort put to sea to ICIIG'-ll the lheis in night ldlldllll the most delicate open mon wluch carrier personnel must mas t Ilwo tiny iows of heht on her fhght detk usxhle only from astcrn were there to guide in the planes coordination CIC. , , - , . . . . 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kiwi a f0llflillt' patrol can hare a lively emlirig. This Hell- dzirer is hvrzded for frouble. .4 zving is srm1sl1ea'. us he Crash- ws into after gun ruolznf. Pfffff and grand foray into souvenir-land, with unhelievalile nylons. Chanel Number Five from l rz1m:e, alligator skin hugs. Sui-s wrist watches. all manner of impressive gifts for that girl ltdfli home-Wand all the other loot ai sailor loves. Thr- little task group stood north on Hay lfith. with the- Pommand in liig lien. Daily llighr operations. daily pound- ing away at target lvalloons. daily drills hy every depart- ment and dixision -filllfl an ominous lar-k of dt-tails mu-h day in Ulladif, I'r1--- Xexxsu alvout thf- avtual operations in the lj2:If'iiIf'. xxlwiwl 'liask l'iUl'f'f' l ifty-1-iglit was poised some- ulierf-. rffaflx lor lfattlf: rlihr-rw had he-f-n no major operation -imp Xlarfh. 'HW Xlarshalls xwre 5I'f'lllif'1 hloofly 'liaraua .ind linix-.vtok uf-rv history. Xliifwxflllllfif- mr-in vontiinirtl the lf rflflntlws- mopping-up in Nut Georgia. New Guinea. tht- rolornon-A gUTfl4 Altf'l ' there- was li -till-poxwrlul .liiIH1lll'Hf' NAU.. Vkhf-o would il fomr- out 'ind light' tould nr- Us-t tlwrv- lu !Ytf 'l thf- thru-I? Vlihf- men of lily ll:-ri talks-rl mon' 1 ... A l,.l..... . M IH'Hu,4 . . .,.... v-..: V, 4 x . . I l, 1 .-e3gvqj :'i',.i:. ,.. ., -L x -Q Q .. . I .. I .lust Ull!'1lily out oli Sun I,l1':1!lI,HIl May ltith, :willy rooms xterm- ulvrtml. 'llha' fkriny Air l oi'f-v, vlmrgt-fl with proterting San Dim-gois xulnt-ralilt' warplants, haul lm-n informed that a giant i't'llt'Illy-i 1-urriel' with l'Sf'Ul'lllItlx warships, was slipping nortlmtml to throw a suicidal hlow at the-se previous in- stullations. Mitt-In-ll hoinhers, Flying Forts, long range recwonnais- sam-e liilierators. were searching through the fog oll' the lfalifornia coast for ai carrier with the numlier Tliirteen in huge ligures on her flight deck. They were still SCf2iI'Cll- ing the next day. with Big Ben only 100 miles off San Fernando Island. Clouds. rain squalls. favored the raid- ersg llig lien lurked in the middle of the lilaekest squall. Then a lucky Mitchell. speeding through the overcast, had a Contact on his radar screen. Like a pencil line, his course ., -..gJ Q gunner are shaken hu! not badly hurt. Fin' a'1'dl1,t start, this time. Hu! hoses are ready as fhglzt deck crews szmrrn ahoul plane. L ef-if ,I+ ' 'e ' f Y li 1 : : :' I -53 4 -I' vs- C 1 : 1 - 5- -1 tr 7 1: , 'l 'r 1 , I I .v.-wu-,..- -.ff-v

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Uluigi 1 t 1 J The if-us of Pop ll rigiztis S-Tzro I7l.l'iSI-Ull' were serious about the war and in dead-earnest about their religion. that would make a micrometer look like a steam shovel was necessary to success - perfect harmony in the movements of pilot. plane. lighter director. and the big ship herself. Even the episode of Willy could not slow down these final preparations. It was on this cruise that 'CRed Harris discovered among his plane-pushers a huge colored boy, sweating as only a colored boy cang doing as much work as any man on the ship and obviously enjoying it more than twice as much. It was an odd sight, but uRed,' passed it oli' with a shrug. thinking that one of the steward mates had come up for fresh air and exercise, curious as the latter seemed. Willy became known all over the ship. Below the third deck he labored tremendously with the engineersg on the hangar deck he fell in with working parties and joined willingly into any toil. Willy was taken for granted as a part-some partvof the crew, for no man arises to ques- tion another man who is working hard and seeming to love it. Une day. however: 'dlistuh Wright, Ah'd lak to get paid hve dollars, suhfi This to Lt. Pop Wright, harrassed mess manager, who saw in Willy just another of the l50 Negro boys of his 5-Two Division. Pop signed the request, as did Lt. Qorndr. l'aul Speer. aide to the executive oflicer, merely as a matter of adding to Pops endorsement. and hardly looking up lrom ln- desk. l'ayrnastf'r less iilliritton. how ex er. had to be a trille more tHl'inif:al :ilfout tht--1: matters. llc sent to the execis ollice lu' W lllii' tray 8f ounts. 'lille exec-s ollir-rf flifl not have them and a rninor sfpiall -f'Y'VIlf'll tlireatening. Then someone 1 . . . 'tiff ight to ,J-Lp ll illj. about Iliff situation. 'illilrffrffifl you Vflliflf from. larry? L lwflf- lsldfii lllll H lirriliglil jylpljf fmriyrl- Qjllll jigjy 3-fjf'lllll'llF: llllllll ytlllf Nu .i-rf lfy'jl1-jfjg for rnv pay aff-onnts, sul' dey was lost ff l 7iX llfilf' .i2 1.H llwi, it all fijfflf' wit. in 21 -ll'lltt11rif'Xf'lll5 which will not Fighters of VF-13 at Puunerne dirfielrl. Maui. during Big Berfs operations at Pearl Harbor stand dialect. Willy had not been paid in two monthsg his clothes had gone the way of the Lucky BagHNavy Lost and Found Department. So had his bedding. He had been denied liberty-so he had just come aboard Big Ben in his dungarees. to get away from Ford Island and its restrictions, and out into the broader Pacific where he might see what a lap looked like. He simply wanted five dollars for a few little things such as cigarettes and soap. He was willing to Nwuk like Hellf, But it was no soap for Wiillyg the Naval llegulations. which he did not understand. decreed that he must go hack to lford lsland. lle was standing on the dock. sad and df-jerfted. when Big lien. on ,lune l-ltth, stood out to sea. and to battle. ...raw 05.1471