Bunker Hill (CV 17) - Naval Cruise Book

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1 . ft sh A. , is , s 1 sf , fa 'is -t.s.-asQs.,..1ses.,.f,xcs.4:iQe if ' 41, 4 ' 1 .i .Q A R -xx? , Y, sf lf rx V, N W,.,n,,,,,. ,-,.,...,. 3155, W ............,.,.,.,.l.a,.Qg--T:?:: '7'r -m..,, if q.-,j fIlfff7iffTfl ,-s - . '-5,.. ,...J-e- x.T 'i1f.'.:- Q-aff fv '93.ffi'QQ,i'gf:'Ar 'rj,e'ffi---.A--M x fT .2?fi'321f.'E2Q t,,.l,,. 1srgafg,,..fgQigr-e-s--s--1 me-7' ,fs....,f, , f s,g7s7,,A.,,,, Maw'-c im 9- iff!! 0 isaw, :vigil ,ff A My 3, ij, ., wiv: X If F, sxgmjr, , fl ,ffl l 3' Xu A' 5,7 Lf K., ' or command performance Symbol of the operating cjfciency of a carrier is the flight deck. On that vast stage are danced the finished performances to which the whole ship has contrihutedg a colosseam with more hachstage machinations than any theater the worla' has known. iveted to that vast expanse' of deck like a spotlight is the attention of all who judge a carrier's performance. Shop talking carrier personnel, from Admiral to plane captain, usually open sessions with What kind of a flight deck has she got? Thus the Flight deck IS not merely the W 1 division, nor the handling crews It IS the all inclusive reference to the results pro duced by the separate Air Department d1V1 sions and the Air Group highly integrated as a tremendous, closely geared team It must launch its planes in a smooth, Howmg pattern, lf must land aircraft return1ng from sorties, gas and re arm them, reload them with bombs, cull out and replace duds re quirmg mechanical attention, respot the deck and be ready to launch agam 1n a mmlmum of time b.1.E:.f2:31i2:i5.Srrr It be is g e ore dawn, work through blistering equatorial heat, beating tropical rams, or the biting winds of the North, and , ,W ..N..,....,......,..1..,..,,....1,.,.f.,-....-,a,....,,..,,,,...R e f ,......n-,.,..af.....,v.,w-.......n.w.,1,,:...,......ec.....--A mpKmmM ?33S-'SE' QE? f-f'53SD,.-1mUQi-eLD '-s Hr-r fp e-rrbO 33. 3d g3Q ':' 5' Pda. 505- Sf-'7'mfD,,5:2 ' 5s4'U73 2.Q O 'DW' c'oSD 'rn 'f'E5 'rn'-f-. f49.':S BfD,-SSFQTCDOS: fl CO Hoommogec :lv-g S 0 UD rwseirfbse 1:-sw nissan mm: 5:10,-f:.f. DDEDUQ ago ,., Ogqvmlqqg-, p-99'D p-- ml-'f'.w Ocn5f'ffP,E'O Cngq 2 O 'DQ QXDU3- 'N Swaozfbg D-I :,.Qk4C3,..1 Q- 9hfvWcf.935 ,fl wwg' Emo ts! rnrb,-5 n,0'-v-. Pg,-gsfbg-ll 1f.f CD sae EE. 5. saga rf? ZF 'Ne -.. ,. ,,h,,.......---li W-2.22 -- ...-.----5 ,,,,,...-- ' -,-,,,...4s-l va-,,,,.-s-1 v5..':f-- WI., fit his 'X L jffiit J fr N X. eb M... K -.w ...Q ,gi f: ...- 13:- ,,...- '.'-T3 1 .rl if ,:- 'f.. '-'-7 --1:5 --,fs-1 'I . , f ' ' 1 ' . 1 1 . 1 . . . . . y . v. . . , . . . . r . . . :....-,..,...,e.::L.:ff.,-azz:-. 1 ,,..........,, ,NW .,.......--- --,,m-we-,......a.......,.,....,...-. ,J-A X A . , l -,mn-mw-.m..,,:.,.,,--.. , K1 fe . .....,..,..,....,-, I - L ' ,Af ff 3 u,.s.fr...nN.Tn,,, ff 15- 'Y' X , A 11... ,f rf , -.4 rig., - A - , .A If , .uf gi N , , -- '- . . . -Q-l......:.,.. g I xv ,wx Sr V l ,,....-l sf-.-.... MI. f ,ll .1-N A r L..---' fs..-...., i 3 73.4, .V-'j-qs mx, -1- ,. '.: . , f----, . ., 2 -its gm: --- ' ' 1f:: r-' if NK' 5.5: 7 Q' 'il 15, , 3-'J Ti..-- ' a,..,.-, i-and N xl isp P .X-5 li, If rg:- . -1-----. 1 pf , . ,-. , ii f I Q , 1 1 .1-f.,,..... ix, .,,.,.f,.a J 4, iii, Q ,Q-X i',,,1' ' ...an m--. X ,f ,, s si, , 1 ,. I' If 4 ,...- , ' -- ,, X ixfs.. ffsf ,,-ixg-.sji,, Q .g 1 1 v :lg , , 3? ,, .....- . ...-.T 'l' ,5 152,155 Nl ,,....m. uggii,-f ' ' -372 A, ,ll V, M, m,,.....,.w....,TI,,, M, , .... -fw-VJ--W 1 lk v nflljp. 15,5-'fir' 'Tits ,,,,r.,,. gl --' - M'-N-fe . 'QW L '-m::.' Y' , mf! L- r '.,... . . . . ,,........,jh 1 , 9 -k N-,MNA wi' V thy' I ,,,.. ' ' l gl wvfvn,-L-4+ fl'il3 rw5f2 . f , -- ' .1..a.m, . ,,, X,lg'ifq?Kjigiii.HHg.i ,M xv. I ,-,.-1-'-0 , m.f...,.-, ' :mfg-.vb-sg, .,.,j.,,1,l ,H-1 ,-e i ,.,.,-- -n-...,..... . li-,llnsi it-mlm. .ltr ff- .- ---5 r ' ' . . ,,,,,,M4jL 'usw:i,3.sm Jpligligglp A . 3.6--'-1 ...ww.. X ix 'ft '. I-jf? yi. ,lumps rv:.a gif. Iggy' ,...--v , '--1--wee ' X 'Ti Q'35.,l 2,l.g,fjlllilSlslgff, lfi' :L--:,' '-.....T'.1g 1 l. 1 N mlil'.!lfllll llla 1!,w ' . .,...,.....,,A-,, , R M X, ,4,,QA:i-S f-a1tg,Ll,l,gg,1- 1, 1 K , , :......e.::::g XL t so-3 lg,-. V ' N -f - ... Z. '.II':.i:T'r ' rs if-er' 1 jf , , tw-'T N c , . -,W-.,..,.,.,,, , , M., .fl rg' .L r r 3-iii ..T.'.Iii1 ix, , 5' ffl: rffru? J X' ' . 4-...s-..t,,,.,,,,,Y , . .. , . , g -, .. B ,.,.s....a,,..,.m.,A,,,t',, 'Nr H, f 't-.M 'M ,.,f RN ,f ,. - . , ,....,,..,.,.,-,, ., 3 n 1 c.. , ' - 1Zi'51'g:'-- N to s N- K .-- ' .,,,.,g......,::17g1.,.-,, te- Y-Aff'-i ,aff 'r'--W.,-'rf' f' 4-we . . . . . eg:-v-nh.-,,,.,,,,W,v,-N-, . -N .,,.:w Ji V-ir' , ,,..,,,,,,,N,g ,,,,, J, W., Z'-i'llllQ.I.Z'lIZT5.1g.,g.,',,,,,,,, k 'e,.., -' 'jf . ,gf 'ani' t

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The en and Their Ship my OU feel it when you stop off at a Joe-pot and hear her men Hing abuses at their ship, its officers, its crew, its duty. They scream that their biggest ambition is to get off this bucket of bolts and it undoubtedly is-so they can brag about her elsewhere! You feel it when you see them streak to battle stations as the mad clamor of the alarm, the harsh demand of the bugle, mingles with the beat of their feet on the ladders. It hits you sharply when you see them at work, li 4' I I in routine duty or in emergencies, under any and all conditions-still heaping invec- tives upon whatever it might have been that led them to take to sea. Then you in- stinctively know that the gripes are super- Hcial and undeniably mere part of the dungaree uniform. As you watch them you sense the incredible teamwork from which springs a good ship, a fighting ship. Each man, from seaman to Captain and the Admiral, takes a pride in that teamwork and the part he plays in it. These, then, are those men and their work. --...-41,.--j,-..,- V. .av .zqer Paw-l -N x .Nr Mhhasunnn , 1----V---AY x, N-Q... X, M-, ,, ' 1 yr'--'M ' 1 .W -W, x 'K ,N . .- lr 1 z Q, - ref-, ,. N- fan-1 .Q 'V 1 fi il!!! x '- I H45 :ri ,Maj I , il ,- I If ,,- -.. ,.,-.....,......M ' -. -Y... ...-.. ,.f.., , , i lf ,,,,,,,- ,- . l 7 V .,,,. ,.,.,.....,,. l QQIZ' xff N., V 1 IH. .- ,i A 1 If ' ' M' 'Q' I ,run 1 ' -.N ,f LX -, BCL-.4'JQ.Z.vb.ZQi.L.l.J,! ,',y A!,,A-f1..f -', -f 'A' 'WX1' JJ -XA Y f ,,fff,f.,-1Lv' s.Z!a..ff3ff.aZ fZ..4'S1'Ls.!5fL..fjQ,AG.0

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vw X-Nwafw-'!E?2!l 1r , .-.un 21 1 i launching schedules. As a team, comprised of the men in bombing, gassing, maintenance and handling crews, it met all competitors. And the crew's greatest pride was the ful- fillment of their boast: The best flight deck out here. -xslt' 4. 'REL' THE CREWS LIKED SPEED f they grumbled when an extra patrol was transferred to the Bunker Hi1l's schedule, they consoled themselves with a record of never having given one of their hops to another carrier. On such performances as taxi-aheads and respots their interest in the time consumed was as great as Primary Fly's, and highest praise is justi- fiably theirs for the part they played in the Bunker Hill's outstanding record of air oper- ations. ' To Commander M. Carson, USN, the ship's first Air Ofiicer, and Commander W. O. Smith, USN, its first V-1 division officer, must go major recognition for the building of that record. It was Commander Carson who picked the team, ably mixing green, in- experienced men he interviewed at various training centers with veterans, many of whom he had known in previous duty. Astute, thoughtful and even-tempered, Commander Carson was concerned over the smallest de- tails of operation, one of the contributing factors in the creation of an Air Depart- ment second to none. He moved to the bridge as Executive Ufiicer on january 15, 1944, and four months later was ordered to a carrier unit as Chief of Staff, winning the eagles of a Captain in the transfer. Working closely with him in the creation of an organization and in smoothing out the team performance between divisions and units, were Commander C. H. B. Morrison, USN, his assistant through the pre-commis- sioning and shakedown periods, Commander A. S. Major, USN, who directed formation of the V-2, or aircraft service, division as well as organizing the Fighter Director and Air Plot units, and who later became the Assist- ant Air Officer, and Commander Smith, a veteran of the original Hornet, whose hangar and Hight deck experience made him ex- 'K .-.. .XA p I ,Q .wi-'w ..:ii::E:Y . ,f.. 4 ' A Q'L,p.1fTE'fi i i . r g' 5 , X Q-5-2555 if , ai ...i I ---- A 1 , V w ,t,:p,?j W, ,.., 51 if-i15?i lit? 7?ff'il .. A M G 1'.y4.sy'., X . H, K' ,fe . i i . ' ..-'. -sr v . ggi. -'Mug 9.4 All g A A i 5 4 I 4 'ii' . f' fr f' ' X ,Q Avfzfgin ull,-xi, M .,,:sQ,,3- vi, ,iff , 4, , 'f -iff.f W 'L LY 5 Tai . W . 2 I gf? f '-:af A if? tremely valuable in readying the units for combat operations. Under their direction the Air Department, spread up and down the East coast in june of 1943, was assembled and trained, and re- ported aboard eager to take on the final polish necessary to meet the high-speed de- mands of combat. The Air Department early caught the first characteristic of any crack team-a compet- itive spirit. The earnest desire to become proficient fired plane handlers, mechs, arming and gassing crews with drive and enthusiasm. The bugaboo of internecine squabbles and feuds never existed, even in the most nerve- strained days of combat when fagged minds and bodies easily might have led to explosive brawling. There was, as there should be, a veneer of family shadow-boxing that quickly dissolved when any member of the clan was challenged. 29