Franklin (CV 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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TOP; Don Forsyth. Lt. P. E. Ihilhaway. (both killed in (tction 19 March) and Chiff Frajman enjoy dinner ACOM Carl Orndorff as mess cook Gentry and I ' I ma assist hd I ' roeaeeio Chiefs: Unknown; Frujnuin, Aja (KIA); Petty; MacLunc (KIA); Parsons; Tyree; Kraft; Procaccio; RouUon (KIA); Howard Paul; Orndorff; Unknown; Unknown.

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K Kr • ■ mt Mi ' ■■ ■■Hu A f ' i . 1 Chief Photographer Luke Durante poses for one of himself Dr. George W. Fox (center) seems to have accidentally exchanged jackets with Chief Signalman Harry Reese ( left i Shore leave was granted at once. Men marched in forma- tion to the gate, disjiersing swiftly to dash for the nearest telephone, telegraph office or place of refreshment. The next day, half the crew — fifteen hundred men — left the ship for twenty full days of relaxation; every man had the oppor- tunity to visit his home. Puget Sound Navy Yard has one of the finest reputations for efficiency of any naval shore establishment. The men were moved off the ship to live in barracks an d thousands of workmen were busy aboard, night and day. With half the crew on leave there was much for the remainder to do: fire- watches — standing by for hours to see that a welder ' s spark did not cause a conffagration; working parties — tons of stores to be removed or carried aboard; security watches — long hours of patroling deserted decks. But the barracks were a pleasure for the men; regulations were enforced !)y ship ' s officers and petty officers, considerate of the men they knew so well. Food was served in the cafeteria, which fed 9.000 men daily and it was a liberal menu, with the green food, fresh vegetables, and milk, that men on sea service crave so much. Two entire mess halls were set aside for Franklin men, and the cooks who prepared the food often remarked to inspecting officers from the ship that it was a pleasure to serve those boys from Big Ben — a more orderly, cheerful, well-mannered outfit had never been billeted there. No pushing, no shoving, no complaining; the happiest, scrappiest crew of them all. There was a farewell party for Comdr. Benny Moore, the Ejcecutive Officer. Every man aboard was sad to see him leave. Lt. Comdr. Paul Speer, his pleasant and efficient aide, was also detached, to be relieved by Lt. P. E. Hathaway. Comdr. Joe Taylor became the Executive Officer and Comdr. H. H. Hale the Air Officer. Christmas and New Year ' s Day, 1945, were the only days during Big Ben ' s stay that the chipping hammers, riveters and machines of the repair forces were stilled and as the middle of January approached repairs were almost finished. When the last leave party returned two gala farewell parties for the crewmen and their friends were given by the ship at Craven Center. As usual, the lads of the band shone, and between the music, refreshments, and pretty girls, the dances were memorable affairs. The chief petty officers and warrant officers had farewell parties of their own — pictures tell the story better than words. On January 27th, Captain Gehres thanked the navyyard for a superb overhaul. He was speaking for every man on the ship when he said Our fighting efficiency has been in- creased by your skill; in turn our every effort will be dedi- cated to the complete destruction of the remaining strong- holds of the enemy. The captain had used every moment to prepare for the battles ahead; with Comdr. Taylor and the department heads he had been vigilant to see that every detail of repair was thorough. Every man and officer that could be spared had two day ' s fire-fighting training at Man- chester, ashington; radar operators and officers refreshed at CIC schools; gunners were kept in trim; engineers over- hauled their machinery. On January 28th, when Big Ben steamed slowly away from the navyyard to anchor at Sin- clair Inlet for final tests and calibrations she was as ready to fight as her captain could make her. There were a few liberties left — times for last good byes — during the next days. Farewells were bid to wives, boarding trains for the other side of the continent; girl friends in Seattle and Bremerton were treated to farewell dinners. As the last ship ' s boat returned through the foggy Sound on January 30th, Big Ben had said adieu. The sea was rough as Franklin plowed southward for Alameda, California, on January 31st. She was on a speed run, and the new men aboard were recalling promises of their shipmates: the old girl rides like a feather bed. Even

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a 30,000-ton carrier can pitch and roll when she is traveling at 30 knots through heavy seas. Big Ben was off the Golden Gate at daybreak, February 2nd. Oakland suburbanites, rid- ing trains across the bridge to their work in San Francisco, were given the spectacle of a big flat-top, crew in ranks on deck, proudly steaming under the Oakland bridge. Before noon she was moored by the Naval Air Station in Alamada. Air Group Five, under Comdr. E. B. Parker, Jr., U. S. N.. was welcomed aboard. Some months before it had returned home after a long combat tour and was again on its way to the wars. Instead of Hellcats the pilots of Fighting Five, un- der Lt. Comdr. MacGregor Kilpatrick, flew swift Corsairs. Though the Corsair is somewhat faster than the Hellcat, and its gull wings give it beauty, it is a sore subject among fight- er pilots as to which is the better plane. Torpedo Five, com- manded by Lt. Comdr. Allan C. Edwards, flew Avengers: Bombing Five, under Lt. Comdr. John G. Sheridan, manned Helldivers. Nearly half of Air Group Five ' s pilots were of the U. S. Marine Corps, the first marine aviators aboard a large carrier for many years. By the mysterious grapevine among Navy wives, many were in San Francisco, scorning the scarcity of hotel rooms, for a last goodbye. Every officer and man that could be spared was granted shore leave February 6th. There was something fateful about that last evening; many who lost friends or loved ones on Big Ben have spoken of an over- powering feeling that these goodbyes were final. Some of the letters written home by men on the ship revealed the same premonition. The next day, February 7th, 1945, Franklin and her escorts stood west for Pearl Harbor. In the Chief Petty Officer ' s quarters, on the third deck, just abaft the sickbay, a traditional ceremony was perform- ed while Big Ben plowed west. Doctor Fox, long an honorary member of the Chief ' s Mess, and Lt. Philip Hathaway, him- self an ex-chief, with yeoman Don Forsythe, a press corre- spondent, helped initiate a dozen brand-new chief petty offi- cers. The ceremony ended only when the new chiefs were ready to return to the ranks. Beyond this, it was an unevent- ful crossing, and Franklin arrived in Pearl Harbor on Feb- ruary 12th, 1945. The Men W ho Kept Fighting Squadron FIVE in the Air FRONT ROW, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: B. T. Flanagan, } ' 2c, C. Upton. AOMlc; L. A. If illetl, I ' RSc, C. W. Jon s, AOMlc; C. C. Chelelte, AOMlc, R. II . W askiewicz, AMM2c: W. L Wilson, AMMHlc, J. A. Knoules, AMM2c; R. 0. Ruehle, AMM c; SECOND ROW, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Unknown — R. W . Hague, ARMlc; I. Light. ARMlc, Unknown — Unknown; M. Kilpatrick (CO.) C. G. Knight. Ylc; Unknown— Unknown — JF. . Johnson, AMMlc; C. F. Laivs. AMMlc; third ROW, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: . M. McColluni, ACMM. L. G. Miller, Cf ' lioM: ' . P. Day, ACOM, N. Trepashko, ACRT ; J. If. Mc- Coy, ACM, C. T. Hamilton; F. Christianson, ACEM