Franklin (CV 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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1' CHAPTER SEVEN . . . tlze-sire gootl. alright. but not good erzoughg we took everything they could throw at us, then threu' it right larch. 1 heard Pee Ceo Minhten say the Coral Sea scrap seemed like a one-ring CI-I't'llS to him now. We had some. more prisoners aboardg crew of a bomber we shot clown. Une of them junzpeal orer the sale. but swznzmzng was nzighty poor that clay. I clonit know, but when I look at this gang I nz with I u'oulcln't trade them for all the ubanzaii' boys in the world. Iicl 3 hate to be on the other side . . . 3 l THE PHILIPPI S SEXDLER BAY. named after the German raider of World War I. is on the large island of Manus. in the Admiralties, and is one of the best harbors in the world. Big Ben, with the warships of Task Group 38.4. anchored there four days. Every moment was used to advantage, taking aboard fuel. food. and a cargo of explosive consigned to the Japanese. This was September, 1944, and Manus was being develop- ed into a springboard for the battle-hardened divisions of MacArthuris Sixth Army, a base for amphibious assault. A floating drydock and repair shop that could make emer- gency repairs to the largest warship were ready for service. The base hospital would accommodate ten thousand wound- 1llIN1,'n,r.S RUN ,hw mllwl it D . , ,llunus llarbor, with six big lfssrnr class flaftops f1l1ClI0fvd there

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13513 'Qikiflhkl ,Q , if Lf. Q:HOf185f John Tunsey 15116615 before 1110 Royal Barber Conwlr. Kibbe presides orcr rims in bOVlZbv?f:5' rpacfy mom gran Some brand-neu' usfzeflbaclff Chief Petty Oficersg FRONT ROW: Heibef. Neumang Lotridge: BU7'l.'l2flTfJ Hardy: Durrance: Gilmweg BACK ROW: lffomaclf: Coiag Brozcrzg CjP'fYP: ,Uz1N1'1zs: fllalzen T110 Rfayal Courl: Royal Hrzbv. Lf. C'r1,ssm1,: Davy fam-s. I Il'UI'l'l.1'!l l70HvYll'Ug'u is firzfzlly lwmzzglzt to lun' fu S :vl1'- 11113. Lzenvrzq f11lf12llISfOI7ll'S. Lt. RMI Q Harris: Royal CDIIIWII, Inzvlr Hizvr umf his 77Il'7'f'-YIIIPII Ll. NPZLVIIICIVILJ Royal Bal:-y, folzn. Uwlzirlfzkvrg lflzivf of I'nlif-n, Lt. Comdr. Caldwell

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.411 Avenger takes a wave-0 sa erlg the fueling rlepot f-onlfl llll fi, ll'i ll' oil lfml.-. mofelem Ijiflflj wt-rg flank'-rl hy wuwzlmott-,f:s, on tllf' lPltlLflf'i- fzflgff. A lingo rer:rez,tI,lo1l park wire, fxtaiting lor lla: l'llf'!l ol rlaf' llerft, and the lifzffr ration x-.fra lirnitf:f,l only ily tllf- liar liozxr- allowod to ooneume it. Saxif: ljowellla lianfel, at home under the eucalyptus trees and alien eky, made rriarlg' nf' lrseml, as liig ljenis men minglerl with ladf from other flop: 'o map yarns ol' luattle, meet old slllpmatffe, talk ol' home. There were odd reunionseelot. ljgy .loe lleimloll, one-time Bronx cop, of lfighting Tliirteen, met two lliele from other Squadrons and in exchanging rerninisoeneef learnf'fl that ol the twenty-live fledgling pilots who came tllrougli PF4!t5d fOl3 together three years hefore, they were the only ones aliae. The others had smashed up in operational aefglfleiire, or fallen to llak over enemy targets. At Marius, Comdr. Day received a long-due promotion to the rank of Captain and was detached to command a new ee- eort carrier. Comdr. Benjamin Moore, who had heen Xavi- gator since the commissioning, lileeame Executive Ofhoer. Comdr. Day had worked hard to make Big Ben a line ight- ing machineg Comdr. Benny Moore was a litting relief. The L.S.E.-ULittle Short lfxecf' as he came to lie affectionately known, was admired and regarded as a personal friend hy r Here too, llierv Il'fl.S' time for II' few quiet lIl1OIIlt'lIfS in the Ifhrtrrv