Wasp (CV 18) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 19 text:

The Pacific war had mounted to a cli max by june 1944, with WASP being as signed to assist in the capture, occupation and defence of Saipan, Tinian and Guam During this mission, planes of Air Group 14 flew 220 miles to attack a force consisting ofthree carriers, two battleships, two escort carriers, two light cruisers, and many es corts and oilers. They returned after dark aided by searchlights, star shells and carrier identification lights. Many low on gas were forced to land in the water, 15 from the WASP settled on the flight decks of other units and nine planes from other carriers landed on WASP. Only about halfthe pilots and crewmen in the ditched planes were rescued. Adding to the confusion. a japa nese plane began making approaches as if to land. Waved off by the LSO, he obli gingly flew away. Iwo jima was beginning to receive the attention of America's long-range strate CV-7 is Shown as she put into unidentified port during Marc-li 1942. At left, back- ground, a ship eb- 31 credit was given the gunners for their work in driving off thejapanese Pilots observing the ship s firepower from the air said the vessel appeared to be ringed with fire ln the mounting fury of the Philippine battles the formidable assignment given WASP was to assist in gaining control of the air and maintain it destroy enemy air craft in the areas of Palau Mindanao Palams Talaud and Morotai destroy enemy surface vessels air facilities coastal defence guns anti aircraft batteries pro vide tactical air support of amphibious forces and furnish protection for US sur face forces While carrying out this assignment the scene of struggle shifted to Luzon Formosa and Okinawa in October There WASP was subjected to almost nightly attacks as the japanese dropped flares around her to illuminate their target l was here hat WASP gunners wth their ring of fire the Luzon and Lingayen Gulf areas where she again entered the Philippine fray In the end of December she moved up to Ulithi joined TG 381 and participated in the Formosa raid of3january 1945 Two days later showing her tremendous agility and speed WASP reappeared at Luzon to further harrass enemy troops there Facing Hong Kong where her planes went into action in january ln February the marauding WASP splashed back into the Central Pacific theater Her planes participated in the first carrier based raid on Tokyo Bay installa tions In quick succession she then hurtled planes at Hacijo ima Chichi jima Iwo jima Haha jima Okinawa and Mlyako jima On oneoftheir strikes againstHonshu her planes accounted for one medium sized carrier one cargo vessel and six small craft The success of American thrusts to the japanese homeland was proved when WASP secured from GQ at 0800 on the hrst strike day, less than 100 miles from Honshu The apparently complete, tem porary disorganization of thejapanese air force permitted some relaxation in this zone There were no attacks from the air during the entire operation . ' , ' , typhoon weather, she then headed for , u 1 t . I . still smoking from recent damage can be seen. gists in july. and WASP's assignment here was to wreck aircraft facilities. destroy all shipping and then rejoin the Sth Fleet to support the Marines. From lwo jima WASP steamed south to Guam and Palan, joining other units of the fleet in the softening-up that preceded the invasion. On 1 September. 1944 CAPT Weller re- lieved CAPT Sprague as commanding officer of CV-18. Also in September WASP struck Mindonao, Viscayas, Luzon, Cebu. Negros, Panay, Morotai, and the Celebes. On many occasions the ship was subject to heavy attack by enemy planes. Much knocked many c night attacker out of the skies. WASP planes also left the Naha. Okinawa airfield and town a smoking shambles after a raid on 10 October. Dozens of photographic sorties were flown which revealed Okinawa's secrets for the in- vaders who were to come. Despite terrific typhoon weather, WASP planes still man- aged to squeeze in some strikedays and, on one of these, made a bomb hit on the battleship YAMATO. thereby assisting in her eventual sinking. ln November, having taken aboard Carrier Air Group 81, the ship returned to February, 1945. found WASP suppor ting the invading ground forces at Iwo jima. However, a month later, when the fight here had resolved itself into a bloody, slug- ging, cave-hunting battle, WASP, now the home of Carrier Air Group 86, once more headed north and this time struck Kyushu airt1eldsondtheKurenavalbaseon Honshu. On this cruise, on 19 March, 1945, the japanese made a direct bomb hit on WASP, the bomb piercing both flight and hangar decks before exploding. Dead numbered 102, with many more wounded. Con- siderable damage was done below decks. However, WASP stayed in the fight and was ready to launch aircraft in less than an hour after the hit, all fires being extinguish- ed by then. That week has often been referred to as the busiest in carrier history. ln seven days

Page 18 text:

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.

Page 20 text:

s w WASP accounted for 14 enemy planes in the air, destroyed six more on the ground, scored two 500-pound bomb hits on each of two japanese carriers. put two 100- pounders into a battle-wagon and one1000- pounder in another, scored on a heavy cruiser with three 500-pound missiles. drop- ped another 1000-pounder into a big cargo Logs prvsifriicrd in lvllbitlllljllhll, D. C., rvrord ritrrgl ifl't'llf in u xhlp's vars-vr. Bvlow, two spu- i'mu'n logs from ivortirm- WASPS, mu' in Cuba in 1398, thc' othvr, utmost half ii curi- tury latvr, clifscrihing CV-T in action in thi' Mi'clttvrruni-au, On 19 August, 1943, WASP CV-18 was commission- ed, Photograph shows ceremonies on her flight deck. Ship was soon to avenge her recent- ly-destroyed pre- decessor. ship, and heavily strafed and probably sunk a large japanese submarine. During this hectic week, the big carrier was under almost continuous attack by shorebased aircraft. To ward off repeated forays, WASP gunners tired more than 10,000 rounds. On each day of this week, WASP also contributed her share of CAPS, anti-submarine patrols, anti-Snooper pa- trols, and did all the routine jobs expected ofa flattop and its planes. In May. 19145. she returned to Puget -iw,-44 i-na Sound Navy Yard, Washington for repairs of damage caused by the bomb hit. On june 7 of that year CAPT Wendell Gary Switzer relieved CAPT Weller as WASP CO. Once again in fighting trim, her crew complemented by new men, WASP now headed for enemy waters. After a brief stay at Pearl Harbor, she moved toward the forward area on 12 july. On the 18th, she sent up an all-day strike against by-passed Wake Island. All planes returned safely, but several bore evidence that anti-air- craft tire was not completely inactive on the island. After a pause at Eniwetok, she joined the rampaging 3rd Fleet of ADM William F. Halsey, jr., and the great TF 38 of the late VADM john S. McCain. ln a series of strikes, unique in the almost complete absence of enemy airborne opposition, WASP pilots swept down on Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo, numerous airtields, and at hidden manufacturing centers. The war was coming to a close, but before peace was officially declaredthe ship had some exciting moments. On 9 july a kamikaze darted down at the carrier, Pap Y , Vf,,,,.,,,'fw13--' ' X N A uNi'rEo STATES sHiP use , 1 K-W-Sgjgrdayg 4 ,527-,gs v.m,,,. ff,.:w .- -- f-tl -M.. .. . .-.M , .. A -ang . ' ' U! 1u..j,.n.-.il . .Lf '- I N , ' -V --H A Uh tl N its 51.1 I. tal-Al.: M4 V.. , l jlUliDEEHlP'YlON:2.,,,,,1 . bf - -..K--i . 0 to lj ms h y ...L A 1 ' , JA M fu, .J-A- ' P:-m5.,g.,.. Zi!-Raging on base course 075 T, 082 patge, at standard speed 1 , v 'u 5.5, J... 1-4--5 ' g. , ..,,-,, ffl- 5011011 0152.14 and 5 in une. In company with 5-rs HEDKF to.r.c. and I V H L M--'. . 4 1- 39.4, :.., A--M mls nous, mas cmwanls, mfs Psrrrnlpfsx-:, mfs cussr, sys zrrwgrm, ,f..Y'.'- ',-,. .1. .--.5 ct if . . w,.-.g.,.L - HHS ECHO. Els vxm-rrrs, unto Ind smrn. usp 1,000 yu-es new-n S ,, .1-5 ,... ---M4 'j '.s', M4 .1 L- + ', x wlwm- Els neu: 1,ooo yu-as aatem usp ln column. neazroyan .5 :T V, JZ... . ...L j-if 'iw' K,-, -..-1 .4-1 aulmarlne screen. 001.6 Pauad Pomentara Uunta coaolarj Light abeam to q,,i 4--- ' L., An.,-..,, ---1 - ,ggi -..L 1... 5 NM' 12 lilvl- 0155 Cursed :ig-nagging. ozoo cmngea eau-aa to 150 r, fr - ' ,' N... 'rf-11-g' - -,,, , ,.,:.'-In . 0210 Cofmoncod xi -za 1 . ' iv... ,g,.1A if t -I ...Ll I VI 8 Q 98 , Z- , f . f . .- . s--- .I ,,.,- f-'fy' - 1 ' '32 it 5 51:1 ' f + -'r-'A Lf si '.2.L .s-f JL... ,.f.W..- 1233 S: x.. K'g. 2'l3'-f--'W' M ' J-ff - MPP' f is 4' nu - --' .4 . lat lc. 535 AZ.-...., 1 - ..-.1 .ef- K , A U. .. I' ' 1, 1 'N s l4to8 h Sufi!! ll bifora. 0611 lansuvez-ing on various courses and P ' 50 C0 'C'4 lwrwhina mm... 0655 uunenaa 11 plum jalgn, 11.5324- ' 5 1' ' M Plano 1 V -- . 5-I1 or cha H.A.F. piloted by 5 z, pn g gh X-1 ' - 'inn f-3108 Off. Poaltiob of cr-aah: LEt1tudoo57-hgfwngfozongitudo 1 lp 9' 'M Pun' lou' 0655 CUIPIBCOC launching 214 planes of 51.14.9- ,, , gn Pour 100 T: 105 PUCSC- 0715 Vnneuex-ing on various couz-aaa and speeds a- 1 r- ' ' -. 'mm 'U'c 'ff- 0720 I-111841106 25 planes ot the R.A.P. U7i+5 R.A.F. Sp!-CfU'0 V , gi ar...--V: -1 'H 'wsu-11 llndins- 071.8 umm 11 planes vp-71. N, i ui- , 'MTN W., I I Ly ffgbggh - C. L. ROGERS, K- mngn, c.s.x.a. ' 'M N 'i-sx.,,m f M 'B to 12 ' ' 'M 'S , - W lultarod ern . ...M 1... . .. i Q -.C.a:,,k if.. v, .bg ban mu:-aasggg no .bsontoeb 0801 -' 1 . ' m ':'fr .. -R 4'1 ik... 5 P' rv 2 :A vi! .A rss feng: . ks-T P P 'bll 't N ,D od ' ' lf F 4 1. ' N Q: .asf . ve. - in ' 1 l' lu it al': ::?.2:.-mufugz 'LX 1-M: gtfufidmh to Proceed on dug? N' I' 51' .- 'a 'f '4-' ' :ug N 5 ris. - Mg' 'Z fx '1v? .1355 B '5 bil! couraa 1537 Commenced 5250 lun emergency '- . I ' L rw x , ' -4 y ' . ' - a ' n :Mill A 1 'Q-4.1.41 - SHN: ff: uf., ,435 , l7?'71- 1506 Landed L plans: VP-71, 5 :leans 1500 - , -' ,fag 'T ' 'G'-lfc-..L ,H '.,'f,f5-J. ghzqf L l':L 'n 'i-al -S.. I -Nlsqisds T ajax fa' 1.131 V ,:,AY -il., :K-.1q.y',-fi 516 18 Ensign, 1 Q f . ' ' J 43, V, , Q - is 4:-Q.: 'as'-14, P .Ag . , L -4.41 rs-4 6 4-Us jf' -1...-...L 'lmldzx com-In Ege0llin5.Pnd:ltga3xl:.p1gIl21 Cozaed :ig-lagging and maneuvering on 'tr IZ. Vu . zarnad bua eau:-ae. Comaneaa uslnszggsffvmpleted landing h, plug? 3.1.5 fa! ,..--.,,,,., Ax , 5' - l 'ff' lf: : ' ' -4'...,,,gr z L fy -1 F... i.. ,hz f' if-...,,,,i, W -Q -C I K ,I xv-b .,w-N5 ru... .x ,- : A 'dv 1 -T -4- K , nun-S .1.4ys,h'-51 Wi' l....r ,Q L..-5' Q H PF5 . lx .I W ?, gamma: g PJ., J '.lJ.ccp1:. ' 1 a FLEEUES .PP X., Lf Captain. 5.3: K-W A Counnding, ' 0-lah-nl uma., anumuunz-5.-.,g,,,m-,dn-dana