Block Island (CVE 106) - Naval Cruise Book

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T10 REPORT The HAetion Report of a carrier is two-fold. First the strikes must be recorded. We proudly paint another .lapa- nese flag on our board, report tl1e destruction of a macl11ne gun nest, paint glowing reports of large fires set by our bombs. We talk about these things in the READY ROOM, each man bragging about his accomplishments but listening for hints from the other boys. The READY ROOM is the most gossipy place on the ship. There's tense waiting. There are thrilling reports. There is food and fun in between. 1t's a great life. But back in each manis mind the uAction Re- port', is the failure to return of some of our chickens and turkeys. The daily strike can best be felt now that it is so far removed by recalling the men who failed to make the return rendezvous. U.S.S. BLOCK ISLAND DISPATCH HEADING: 10 MAY 1945 FM: BRACELET TO: FEDERAL 3 THIS IS MY REPORT OF AIRCRAFT MISSING X TIME OF TAKEOFF 1616 X PLANE CALL BRACELET 64 X PILOT 2ND. LT. DOUGLAS H. HERRIN FILE NO. O55081 X MISSION TARGET TWO X NOT SEEN TO CRASH X LAST OBSERVED COMMENCING RUN ON TARGET X POSSIBLY MADE WATER LANDING NEAR TARGET UNOBSERVED X WILL YOU INITIATE AIR SEA RESCUE ACTION BTFIME 102005 ITEM That was our first loss. Lt. Herrin was on a bombing mission over Okinawa. His flying crew included E. T. Gunning, SfSgt., USMCR and J. L. Butchorn, Sgt., USMC. 24 May, eight of our TBMs were called upon to help the Army with the stubborn Japanese units on Hill 72. Dug.in entrated just below the brow of the hill, only a couple of yards from American soldiers on the skyline. Captain Berry and Captain Takacs brought their divisions in to plant 30 five hundred pound bombs squarely among the Japanese manned mortars. 27 May, Major Robert C. Maze, USMC, commanding offi. cer of VMF failed to come back. He led a dive attack against a shipyard on the coast of Ishigaki Shima. On the same day, 2nd Lt. R. A. Goldberg, USMCR, a Corsair pilot in VMF 511, after going down with a four plane run against Ishigaki airfield from high altitude disappeared. These losses are to be expected in our line of business but they always leave a mark and a heavier burden on the men who follow them, 29 May, more casualties came our way. 2nd Lieutenant ,lack Marconi, USMCR, pilot, SfSgt. ,loe F. Survoy, USMC, Turret Gunner, SfSgt. Ben D. Cannan, Jr., USMC, radio. gunner, lost their lives while making a bombing run on targets in the edge of Ishigaki, a short distance from where we had our losses two days before. Antiaircraft fire was in- tense during the attack and other pilots saw Lt. Goldberg's plane wing come off and the plane failed to pull out of the run. Reconnaissance planes brought back photographs and re- ports to show that our losses had not been in vain. Principal buildings in the neighborhood of the airfields had been gutted. Big radio stations were leveled. The airfields looked like hellis half-acre. JHPHIICSC gllIlS WCYC COIIC 16 June, we lost another shipmate, 2nd Lieutenant A. E. Jones, USMCR. Having successfully completed a rocket attack on the staplane base of Koniya on Amami Island, Lt. .l ones, piloting a HELLCAT, was presumably struck by the heavy antiaircraft fire. But the Japanese were becoming more and more discouraged. Now our planes were landing at Okinawa to refuel. Okinawa was secure and the USS BLOCK ISLAND sailed with her sister ships for Leyte. Alvmfln lUltIxIN r H IH All 94 sm mn' L I L 11