Leyte (CV 32) - Naval Cruise Book

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I LEYTE AND AIR GROUP THREE A FIGHTING COMBINATION I I X , 1, II,

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Recco hop Communist guns hit their mark Pilots and Crewmen VC-33 Det. 3 Landed safe-ly at she never flew again ' This Commie won't fly either I '

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LEYTE HELPS MARINES ESCAPE RESERVOIR TRAP 0N November 24 the UN forces began an all out offensive to end the war by Christmas. However, fate and the Politburo smiled against the UN offensive. It soon became apparent that the Chinese had prepared for open aggression in Korea. Massive Chinese armies lashed out in a surprise assault that trapped the First Marine Division and some army units in the Chosin Reservoir Area.- On December first our troops began a desperate break for the sea, with the support of every available plane. I LEYTE planes slashed Chinese columns to ribbons in straling attacks and dug into foxholes with fragmentation bombs. Napalm burned many a Chinese pigtail in attacks on barracks and tanks. In ten days the gallant Marines had cut their way through overwhelming Red hordes and arrived at I-Iungnam. Without naval air 'power the story might have been different. ' ' Another strike OH to the reservoir This critical period called for our maximum ejort AND THEN PLAY A LEADING ROLE IN THE HUNGNAM EVACUATION WITH our lines split by the Chinese hordes, the 10th Army Corps in Northeast Korea could only retreat by sea. All UN forces converged on the battered port of Hungnam during De- cember. Naval gunpower and airpower dropped some four million pounds of explosive. to prevent any interference with the most successful evacuation in history. In the words of Admiral Doyle- ult was a walk-not a run-to the nearest exit. They never laid a glove on us. Naval air and surface power saw to thatf, . A ' ' In twelve days some 105,000 troops and 91,000 Korean civilians were evacuated. Nothing useful to the enemy was left behind-17,500 vehicles and 350,000 tons of cargo were removed. Navy and Marine planes flew over 6,000 sorties. several occasions flight deck crews had to shovel off much snow before operations could be resumedsf'