Franklin (CV 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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One Firerooin went out of commission, leaving only the two after firerooms and the after engine room ojierative. Lt. Artz. Ens. Tucker, Ens. Hayler, Machinist Ensign, and their Black Gang crew could not hang on much longer. Smoke was growing intolerahle and only a handful of rescue breathers were available. Hayler and Ensign, of tin; after plant, were trying to find esca])e routes for the men below. Ens. Tucker had been sent to the third deck to ascertain the extent of damage to the uptakes. Lt. Artz collapsed and ma- chinist ' s mate second class Nott took charge of the forward plant. Captain Gehres, informed of the desperate plight of the men below, ordered the throttles set at eight knots and the engine room abandoned, when they could no longer be manned, but the firerooms never received the order. The smoke tortured, agonized crews climbed the ladders and somehow fought their way forward. The last word on the firerooni speaker was: Will someone with a breather report to forward engine room. Trapped . . . Lt. B. J. White and Lt. Bostain made their way forward and rescued Nott and the three remaining engineers in the forward engineroom. Baker, machinist s mate second class, set the after engine room controls at eight knots. But water tenders Barry and Reese, in charge of the after firerooms, did not leave. Those fires had to be tended at all costs. They stayed until the end, their shij) listing heavily, all communications out and smoke blocking vision, keeping their crews at their posts until 9:30, when the boilers lost feed water suction and there was no further need to remain. I hen. and only tiicn. did ihey fight their way upward. Harry and his men, Tony Godleski, Cliff Farmer. Jimmy Collum, Siiorty ' ilson, and Tiny Rials, came out on the hangar deck and were forced to leap over the side. Reese and his crew, Don McRae, Wendy Doll, Buck Buckner, and Jim Harris, made their way forward. Gunner Stoops made a painstaking effort to flood the main magazines. Hundreds of tons of explosives, in the bowels of the ship, must be covered with water. He carefully turned the valves but — though this was not learned until long after — the water mains were ruptured and the ammunition remained dry. hen the Miller cleared the side with Admiral Davison and his staff at about 8:30, the Santa Fee was signalled to come alongside. CajHain Harold C. Fitz. a brave commander, asked only one question Are your magazines flooded? Back came the answer from Captain Gehres: I have or- dered them flooded and believe they are. Santa Fe came Father Joseph Callahan, ehapluin enura eous. administers extreme unetion to a iiounded mun on the flight dec!.

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age Control was abandoned. HofTner located an escape trunk which led up to the third deck and helped the men through it, to join the fire-fighting parties forward. Electrician s mate Zeller went up through the hatches, carefully closing each of them behind him — an invaluable service, because it kept fire from the main magazines, located below. Groups of men like Shipfitter First Class Hurd fought fife amidships until their rescue l)reathers were exhausted, then made their way to the side of the hangar deck and dropped into the water. Burd had been in the after mess hall when the bombs hit. He broke out a fire hose and wet three hun- dred rockets, rendering them harmless. Then, with rescue breather, he collected and led at least sixty men back to the fantail. ' hen he went back to look for others he found himself trapped by new ex]jlosions aft, forcing him to locate an- other escape route. This time he was forced to the hangar deck, where he leaped over the side. For five hours he floated in the cold water on a raft with Chief Tony Hungaro, sea- man Dennis Koiek, and shipfitter Kirkman. before being ]iicked up by the carrier Hornet of another task group. Many a man like Burd did his valiant deed before he was overwhelmed in the elemental forces of the catastrophe, or was forced over the side. The number of heroes will never be known. Vi ith a group on the fantail, Gentry, chief boatswain ' s mate, kept all hands lighting fire until a series of violent ex- plosions occurred. They put life jackets on the wounded and lowered them in the water before dropping in themselves. Seaman Ked Skelton. a gunner, and his buddy were standing side by side. An explosion blew his buddy to bits and catapulted Skelton into the water. Homer Cecil, stand- ing in his unlaced shoes, was blown completely out of them and into the sea. Lt. Fitzgerald, assistant engineering officer, and dozens of men in separate groups, made their way to the safety of the fantail, only to be forced off. Chief petty officers Austin, Sheppard, Gregg, Batticke; seaman Russo. private Kane, barber Antanasoff . . . their number will never be known. Yeoman Brown and Cavello leaped into the wa- ter together. Cavello, who could not swim, had no life jacket. His comrade. Brown, gave him his. Brown was not rescued. And Gunnery sergeant Truax, who, with a handful of Ma- rines, had manned the guns on the fantail to the last, handed his life jacket to a young seaman who could not swim. The sergeant was missing in action. . ow. at o:. ' 0. amid destruction and confusion. Number . seriously Hounded man is lowered to destroyer Hickox from fantail . . . Every man on this station lias joreed off ship hy flames and explosions

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W ntinded are evacuatpd to Santa Fe alongside and held a course fifty feet away, all hoses pour- ing water on Franklin s flaming decks. A trolley was swiftly rigged and Comdr. Hale, with Major Elliot of the Marines. Father O ' Callaliaii, men of the hospital corps, and volun- teers, commenced the difficult task of moving the wounded to the cruiser. Lower and lower Franklin listed into the water. Father O ' Callahan, a man of dauntless courage and supreme faith, gave extreme unction to the dying on the flaming flight deck, calmly unheeding the explosions and confusion. At 9:30. as steam ceased to flow from the boilers, the great screws were stilled and Big Ben lost steering control. 5(1 miles from Japan, the nearest any American surface warshij) had apjiroached the islands thus far during the war. the Franklin lay dead in the water. The Santa Fe, unable to hold her position, backed away rapidly, snapping the lines that held her. Already Comdr. Taylor was hurrying forward to assemble the equipment and lay out the lines for a tow by the cruiser Pittsburgh, an incredibly difficult task amid the confusion on the crowded forecastle. ' When Big Ben lay on a steady heading, drifting with the current, Santa Fe came in again boldly, with magnificent seamanship. Captain Fitz slammed his cruiser into actual contact with the gallery deck of the Franklin, now close to the water, as the stricken carrier listed heavily. He held the Santa Fe there by the force of her engines, using the for- ward gun turrets as fenders against the overhanging decks. Comdr. Hale had orders from the captain to evacuate the wounded, the men of the Air Group, and highly trained personnel from any department who would not be needed to save the ship. Destroyers plodded through the icy water, picking up men on rafts, or swimming. The chill March air made exposure an ordeal. Men on the ship were soaked to the skin from tending fire hoses, and shivered under blankets while they rested. What a precarious situation this was! The little group of warships was almost immobile, the cruiser Pittsburgh stop- ])ed, busy with her boats over the side passing a messenger line to the Franklin; the cruiser Santa Fe alongside the blaz- ing Franklin. However the five destroyers of Division 104, the Hunt, Hlckox, Marshal, Miller, and Tingey steamed slow- ly in a circle around the heavy ships, picking up survivors as they went, ready to defend the group. Enemy planes were again approaching the formation and there were alarms, but as yet no attacks. Being within less than 100 miles of major Japanese air bases, it was considered but a matter of time until enemy bombers would return. The Franklin had one