Wasp (CV 18) - Naval Cruise Book

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new owner, Mr. Halstead Layton, George- elawa re. town. D 'X' 'K' 'F 1939 is a year long to be remembered. Marines had fought on her since the days of her encounter with the FROLIC but in thaf year WASP QCV-7t also received airmen. Authorized by Act of Congress on 27 March 1934, she was launched in April 1939, and christened a year later by Mrs. Charles Edison, wife of the Assistant Secre- tary of the Navy. CAPT john Walter Reeves, jr., USN assumed command. Her second and last commanding officer was the late Admiral Forrest P. Sherman. Soon the whole world had heard of her. Contemporary fame began when she re- lieved Malta, the island fortress which was the last Allied base in the Mediterranean. Under the strain of constant pounding from the air, Malta had been reduced to an unsinkable carrier without aircraft. The winter of 1941-42 saw the situation at the crisis stage. Axis raids increased, defending planes became fewer, and hope of rein- forcements were dim. The nearest British bases were beyond fighter range, with Rommel pushing the British Eighth Army back to the gates of Cairo. Relief to the island by cargo ship meant risking shipping to air, undersea, and surface attack. To thwart Axis supply lines to Africa and simultaneously relieve the besiged island. planes had to be flown in, ready to tight upon arrival. On 15 April WASP left Scot- land for Malta with RAF pilots and more than forty Spitfire fighters. She steamed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean on the night of 20-21 April, passing Axis agents in Spain and Spanish Morocco, then an Axis stronghold. At day- light on the 22nd, she launched planes while the Nazi radio broadcast to the world that they knew WASP was in the Mediterranean and were going to sink her before she could escape. Her planes on Malta, WASP returnedtoScotland.On3Maysheleftonthe same mission. Again she was unmolested as she launched her planes and began the return to Scotland. A Nazi broadcast sur- prised her entire crew when it announ- ced that WASP had been sunk. WASP's daring deeds began reaping harvest when the Commanding Officer qt Malta sent her officers and crew a congrat- ulatory message. Prime Minister Winston Churchill also sent her one on the 11th of May which read: To the Captain and Flight deck spot- ted a dusk pre- paratory to launch at dawn on fol- lowing day. This photograph, taken on 19 April, IU-lx, shows WASP Spit- flres lil hock- grourlcl, about tlii- tlmcf of her Molto operations. Ship's Company of the USS WASPt Many thanks to you all for the timely help. Who said a WASP couldn't sting twice? After this second trip to the Mediter- ranean, WASP sailed for the United States. Leaving Norfolk on 6 june, 1942 in com- pany with Task Force 37 she transited the Panama Canal on 10 june. and proceeded to San Diego. California. There she joined TF 18 and sailed for the South Pacific. This Task Force contained Eve troopships with marines aboard to re-enforce the South Pacific area. On 4july she received another congratulatory message, this time from CTF 18: During two weeks my flag has been in WASP, l have been very favorably impressed by the time spirit of her ship's company and the way that all hands have handled their many problems. Since we have been at sea, every day has shown marked improvement in operations. l am sure that when opportunity comes to strike the enemy in this ocean, WASP and her squadron will add more glory to the name she bears. The Admiral's prediction soon came true. On 6 july the Commanding Officer of the Second Marine Regiment was requested by CTF18to submit a plan for capture ofthe Guadalcanal-Tulagi area. At sea on 6-7 August, screened by 5 other vessels, she steamed into position to launch her first strike. The hrst waves of aircraft were launched and sent to their respective strike ' .Pi-2 . .f .. 1.4-HE-if areas in the vicinity of Tulagi. lnitial attacks from dive bombers set ablaze enemy seaplanes. lt was also estimated, though not verified, that several anti-aircraft shore batteries were damaged. All except one of the first flight returned. That one landed aboard ENTERPRISE, later returning to WASP. An hour before the morning watch went off duty on 7 August QD-Dayj, WASP launched a flight of torpedo bombers with 500-pound bombs to silence enemy resist- ance in the area and, at the same time, an attack group of 13 planes was maintained over one of the transport areas. On 8 August one of WASP's pilots shot down an enemy plane while on a patrol near Rekata Bay. WASP's casualties to personnel during these operations were one officer and one enlisted man killed, two officers wounded. On 21 August another pilot from WASP splashed an enemy plane while on CAP. On 14 September WASP received a report of enemy battleships and cruisers approaching from the north, and dispatched

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-... 1 ffwp pulure- X.hwvv'11f1!rrIs rf-lflufwgtvf.-.1-r '.lHlu-f., l9'llfP'l' Nw vvzrrwzxn H! L 'Q rj Hlrln-se-vnu11r1lf4'l'1l!f1-'NH fn In v 1 f uf wwe lrvlmv Q Nu- hllllfjlll civil. Life on board WASP is depicted in these three scenes pointed in 1944 by LCDR W. F. Draper US N R.

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mu, Y K,HH.ml NUM, 1,t,.,.,,.,,-,,,,i. in ' 'ui giitpttiii iriniii USS LANDSDOVVNE had struck her on 15 Sept. 1942. Wh,-,, 1-r,y,,-Hill, ,f.ii,.,,,,,-,y ui, ,f,f,i,g' i ii.. fun.. flair, WASI' had lwifii vvigyageci iii covering the movement Of viippliizs avril ri'rieiiui'i'vfl-'H' li 1 a tactical scouting group to si,-arch 'hw area. Alter WASP had begun to retire sa-sf ward, an enemy shadowing plane was sh.: down shortly utter midnight Late da' 'tg the following at'tei'nocri. attef' revue' oc planes. WASP had turned awas from 'fe wind and started back to the base ce. when. in the middle at her tur-it fer' - aces were sighted close aboard. 'hree :: s the starboard beam, The rudder was C.. over full right but almost at odce the 'cf- pcdoes. in rapid succession 'fi' 1 'be magazine and gasoline storage areas tor- ward. A fourth torpedo passed ahead. The shock of the first ruptured gasoline izaes and started tires. Immediately thereafter. : gasoline explosion sent Names 150 feet into the air. Planes on the Right and hangar decks were lifted and dropped with such force that their landing gear was broken. Those that were triced to the hangar over- head broke loose and crashed tothe hangar tiff.-arc. ard watcr mains in that area i -, Qi gay Gt?'il'lil,lt illl0li began to explode 1v:w.ci,'Gcf strain, A fcw minutes later a cam c rfol cxplosion shattered the ship 'l:rwa':. Dil and gasoline fires spread on .-.yer glongsde the ship. The crew gr: were caught in flarrisgs and forced c,sE31f:'stv3 lnterr-al cxplosions killed Q --gg' g-,'5r'y'g -Q Q5 tfig pgrt .N't'iQ ofthe 22' CSC. tv'-'lvhr half on hour, Fires and ex- sicsrcrs forward had spread to such pro- :orhons fha' 'fe shso had to be abandoned. As 'fgtff c:3rooched, NNASP was still burning heovty. mst 20 degrees to port. The TG Cami-reanderordered hersunk.USS LANSDOWNE moved in and sent three more torpedoes into her: she sank about 2100. All survivors. including 83 hospital cases. were taken to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. Twenty-six oficers and 167 men were killed or missing. li officers and 81 men hospitalized. while 171 ofhcers and 1,798 men lived to tell about the sinking with nothing worse than minor wounds. USS WASP QCV-7j earned 3 Battle Stars, one on the European-African-Middle Eastern Area Service Medal and two on the Asiatic-Pacitic Area Service Medal. On 18 March,1942, the keel was laid for the seventh ship to bear the name WASP. Built in Quincy, Massachusetts, launched on 17 August, 1943, and commissioned on 2-4 November, she put herself in Hghting trim by a Norfolk-West Indies shakedown cruise. Destined to become one of the Navy's most potent weapons in the Pacific war, CVA-18, first steamed under CAPT Clifton A. F. Sprague. She first made her presence felt against the japanese with a raid on Marcus Island on 19 and 10 May,194l+.A few days later WASP pilots blasted the japanese at Wake.