Bunker Hill (CV 17) - Naval Cruise Book

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1 11 I 1 t 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 2 1 L31 1Efll'1. 1 N. 1,1 'Q-1 1 1 111.1111 J 'I1,1l l HF? 1 11.12 '1'l'1 .JI .151 1, ,1 gf: 1.11 in .1 411 11 1 1: 11 11 11 F' 1 11.1, 11 ?11'L .il ilk, 11111 1.11, 111 ,I 211 11,1 ,M 5112 11, 1 1 1-1 WH 11, 1 A 115 l filgl 1111.1 1,1 1 .1. 1 111 1 11 '1l 1 Eff i 1.1. '11 1 1 1 11 1 S: Z ill: 1 5j1,' 1 11 11 1 1.1-1 111 1,1 1 1 111 l 1 11111 z? gfi, ,1 31 I 111'1111 1'1'g1.' 311 l l ,11' 1 11131 111 l lv 11 V 11,1 15 11, 1:1 1111 111 1111 .1 -111 111 111 1 li: 11,111 1111111f '1 4 21 111 11- 14,11 11.1 11113 1 1 11'1'11 ,11 11 1,,1 11 1, 1 11 1 :21 P H1111 1 111 1-1 1 Q11 1 1 1 li 1 lp 1,11 .5 ' 41 yjii ETL? :,l'.I , 1: 1 1 1 is 4 3 11 1.4 1 I 541 l 1 H l 14.111 :Q -5 131, 131 1 H .1 ..1l 1 evening show was the feature attraction, how- ever, as we steamed close enough to the island to watch the shelling from battleships, cruisers and destroyers of our force which took turns in lobbing death into the hills. We set a new bomb-lugging record on the 20th, the Air Group dropping many tons of explosives on the island. Landing forces hit the beach on the 21st and we flew five hops to support them, standing by the following day before heading for a performance at Palau. The fighters opened the Palau program July 25 with a heavy-duty sweep that found 12111121 111111511111 111152 ' --1 1. ui ,.., -1 - 1, . in 1 .1 ,f ' ,,1',f,y' ff , 1 , J ff 1.l!11l1l1ffj.1,111f '1f'1ff 74fafyffw X Ni ' 1 'J 1 X - N 111 ,f , f ,if'1fi51gf- s1 1 1f1,1 -1i 1 -s,1 - 11 1 1 'J i A W targets meager. The next morning another sweep went off with the strike group, directed at any shipping that could be found, as well as important shore installations. Lieutenant John McGuire found a 4,000-ton transport and promptly scored a direct hit on it, blow- ing it out of the water. One more day of flights ravaged Peleliu to all appearances, but cost the torpedo squad- ron one of its finest pilots, Lieutenant Cjgj Leonard Mason, and his crewmen, George Weinecke, AMMZC and Dick Dreves, ARM3c, who went down after their plane was set ablaze by AA. That evening we headed north. Something different in the way of anchor- ages was presented us when we pulled into Saipan Roads and dropped the hook. Off 144 H2291 .1::'1,. .1 .. 1 1 the port bow could be seen American shore batteries firing across the narrow straits to Tinian, on the starboard bow, and hands not occupied on loading parties crowded topside to see 'the display of gunfire. The battle- wagons added their salvos, which sent shud- ders through the ship. ggi 1.321 BONINS ' he pause was brief and the next day we pulled out, rode out a day of heavy weather that delayed the re-arming of a companion carrier, and August 2 headed for the Bonin Islands, 600 miles from Toyko and farther north than the ship had been for more than a year. We learned that Jima was Japanese for island, buttoned up our jackets, and went to work again, launching a lighter sweep and three strikes at shipping and installations at Iwo Jima. Fighter squadron hopes for air opposition such as Fighting Two had encoun- tered several weeks previously were quickly toppled, but thirty-five grounded Jap planes burned furiously from the strafing Hellcatters. Ensign Neil Tate of the bombers scored a direct hit on one of two ships found in the harbor while Ensign Czekala plunged the 500- pound bomb hung on his fighter right after Tate's, and the ship broke in two and sank immediately. All hands joined the chase after the second ship, scored hits and near-misses but the Jap skipper cheated them out of a 1 kill by running the flaming kindling onto the beach. Anti-aircraft fire was terrific. It took Lieu- tenant Jack Czerny, tall, quiet fighter pilot, the first day. The second day attention WaS directed at Chichi Jima and Ha Ha Jima where the AA if anything, was even m01'C intense, but through which the Air Group fought their way to a pair of transports which they sank and four others heavily damaged, in Chichi harbor. This was the outskirts of the Japanese Empire, virtual suburb of the Ni homeland- P It made no difference, it was slugged and

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oughly discouraging the remaining trio. The Group Commander then resumed his task of getting photographic coverage, weaving in and out of AA fire at low altitude. Off from the main action, Lieutenant Beau- champ and his division were working over a destroyer, pouring hot fifty-caliber lead into it until it was burning furiously. The score as totaled by Intelligence officers: aZuiko class carrier heavily damaged by bomb and torpedo hits and probably sunk, one Kongo class battleship hit by two 1000- pound bombs and probably one torpedo, one Nachi class cruiser probably hit by torpedo, one Chokai class cruiser hit by a 1000-pound bomb, one destroyer left burning furiously and in sinking condition, two airborne planes destroyed, four others probably destroyed and another three damaged, as reported by L. H. Harman, Avenger turret gunner, Radiomen O'Brien and Langiotti of the bombers, and Lieutenant Cjgj Hank Sharp, who turned his .20s loose on a lone Zeke. June 21-D Plus What-the-hell, time had lost value. Through the day reports came over the announcing system of the recovery of the various pilots. It was the greatest mass rescue ever made of Hying personnel, and calmed earlier fears for the pilots and crews. Skipper Arbes came aboard, fresh from a seven- hour snooze he'd taken during his twelve hours afloat, Skipper Musick was picked up by the same destroyer that once before had rescued him, and two hash-marks had been chalked up under his caricature on the de- stroyer's score-board. Personnel of but four planes were missing after the force had thor- oughly combed the waters from launching point to target: Lieutenant Cjgj P. I. Jug Wilson of the fighters, J. R. Roberge, Lieu- tenant Buxton's radioman who was unable to extricate himself from the TBP when it was forced to the water, Lieutenant Folkedahl and his crewmen, N. H. Whitson and H. H. Hughes, Lieutenants Cjgj J. O. McIntyre, and R. E. Sterling, and their rear seat men, R. N. Vermette and H. W. Ashton. PAGAN ISLES We checked in at Saipan to see how things were going, found we weren't much needed, so headed northeast to dust oH' the Pagan Islands with a junior-size strike. A pair of sister carriers hit the jackpot over at Iwo Jima, reports giving Fighting Two a 67- plane tally, thus causing no little envy in the fighter ready room. Three days went peace- fully by, the usual patrols and a track meet va,- being the only items to disturb the Hight deck. Back again at our anchorage the ship was re-armed and reprovisioned,liberty parties plodded in ankle-deep sand for a crack at a can of beer, we made a two-day jaunt to sea to shakedown an Air Group ordered to an- other carrier, and knocked out more letters to Sally and Sue. agp. 1. fly' M SECOND TINIAN The pause until July 14 was refreshing, pro- viding us relaxation after the harrowing first phase of the Marianas operation, and priming us for the drive against Tinian and Guam, in which the Bunker Hill was sched- uled for a part. We took up the cudgel on July 18, pouring seventy tons of bombs on the island and repeating it the next day. The

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plastered heavily, shore installations blown sky high, the town of Takinoura on Ani Jima reduced to rubble, and shipping taking a beating. A convoy found between the Bonins and the Empire by an accompanying force was slowed down by their air power and finished off by the cruisers, as a further thumbed-nose at the Nips. We returned to our home, after that, delightedly reading in the Press News that Tojo's cabinet had been sacked-with no little credit for that action going to our Bonins operation. There wasn't much scuttlebutt as to where we'd go next. The Air Group was feeling the strain of the strenuous combat . . ...i------'M--'M .....------'-- , A 3 .....-'81, 'H -- ,WM--..,, fb ----0-U . ww 1 I., '-A--..,,,i'ft+f :::.-'-.....L1 n pl. , ,i ' -1 bi,-,VV in Y -----Q Qi hx NJ. j?4!,aB1.-vzswliitl W -Z-gli f-lc' qhim ,Gig 5 .f'Vgy,f,ij5 1--l lflg,,w.i3iyllmra'fi '-T-A-1 gliilxri' 'V '11 Shiv-.x my afvffmii-mt f ...,1'. .1. vghfwg x lag, pl! 1, ,i , --- iw, f-lr 11:4 It f .4 ----- ssh 9i'n:.w l'l'f 2f '917:' ---- g-Qi ,'.t.iQN,' f'-w .1 Q ' 'S 2 'fiif 'T-:..' sky +Qi3'iiill'lA.lf ,iff L -i ., M H, , ., X 4' 1 ' 1 :',1-.:,:'::i W' -Pali. if ff ' .gas 111.45ff'1ff1:nf1elf-.fm 'fm - ': WlUf' 'iff ef A--1-. ,-,. ..r.,4-FN -' A' Q '1 A VWifi? A-i-,A-jf-if.,'2f?g.jifQ2Q-:gg-' 4-9' - 'W A .. -'f s' ..- - f N' .s ' -1 f-f-:Ili - -- ..., A A-as-cc. 'M v'e'e--e ..., : , : Q., Ji:-?i1-- f , aagu: G' W . ., - M ' z-fxfr-' A ' rr' ..,Mf51f'1N--:Q.IfT'i A ,B a .ff , if 1 1-2. .aa-T?f:'fFm?:'?w s 'ri-1 '- ' ' U v1'i?f1'A Af MJ 1 img, , ' r., ,, -Y gps Alffp V' ..,,. P ' wifi' . if 'L - schedules it had flown, and the mess deck's hottest dope suggested that the Bunker Hill might be dispensable to the Pacific war long enough for a trip home. It didn't look like it, though, as Rear Admiral Montgomery lowered his Hag and started home, and Rear Admiral G. F. Bogan came aboard within six hours to succeed him. It looked as though there'd be one more operation. August down south is hot enough anytime, but that steam-heated ,base didn't help cool the Bunker Hill's visit. Partly due to the weather and partly due to heavy operations for the past few months, the crew seemed to be turning lotus eaters en masse, inervated and content just to sit in the shade of a TBF wing. LJ' rv' il Y , 'Q gin? .551 ,Q 51 f, 'gf 51 l i I l it .... ELET ' 1' www-.Q V' A :Fix 1' I On August 21 Captain T. P. Jeter received orders to leave the Bunker Hill and to report to the Commander, Battleship Force, Pacific Fleet, where he was to be Chief of Staff. Our new skipper, Captain Marshall R. Greer, Naval aviator of the old school, took over his new command in a simple, but impressive ceremony on the hangar deck. In departing Captain Jeter expressed deeply-felt apprecia- ffl. Q. 'i ' GH, . d7fm..-- rl ...-SVA l , tion for the crew and their work under him, in taking over Captain Greer expressed his pride to be stepping into the life of the Bunker Hill. He quickly won the hearts of the crew when, in his deliberate manner of speaking, he pointed out that loyalty . . ., goes 'down . . . as well as up. A heart-warming feature of the new Captain's beginning came when he announced that he had stopped in Pearl Harbor and visited Admiral Ballentine, who wanted the crew of this ship to know that the Bunker Hill is still my first love . . . Late August. News reports reaching us were devoured hungrily by brothers-in-arms, Pacific Area, who read that American mechan- ized might was delivering death blows to the Nazi beast in France. 'Blood and Guts' . . . new paratroop assaults behind enemy lines . . . cheering throngs sweeping deGaulle's staff car as he drove from one French town to the next. Stories telling of the mademoi- selles entertaining GI Joe were hard to take out