Chenango (CVE 28) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 43 text:

- - - ---------, - -1:-L.--......,-...,,.,,.5-2',vq4--,,-f-rv,-1-pf.,---', 'I , . : s TABA I, .. . , . , IQ- --- ...-,., --,.- 3.---. -... , , I ' . ' f . . 'W . . . . . . ,' . . ' - , ' -' 'fl--'f'z-E '-f - 3 '91 , . ' . - - , --f--a. f 4. . '. 1 . . la 4-1-41 .. . K s-,, Q,, ' 1 .'.' ' K Po-of ,g-a-A .5 ',.,-z- I - . , , , - . , . . . - . , -.-.h s. A- . IRL .1 ,.,,s -- . - . . - --.:. ..v ..'.. , Q .4 . '- ' ' . . .. - - X - -- 4 'S--': -.. .-f Z.'---.--:-H ,-.-.f-r-:.,:,-:'.g-'51 44- '- M 'E-'-'.ffL '3'-'14 - '- '-- ' ' - - --1 , ,. ,. , . ., .g N D ,, .,. .. .- ' th -., ..'-. naw. . --- .5 . 9 .Q-r -:vs u-f-rs--:.---f- -....--.-------- frm.:-., -'4.s-..- f . , - - . . . - .- . ' m' 2+ -. . -1 .ff 1- .- : L-4-.ff..--.w-:. --' -.Q - .:. -- U- 2: Q -3, a, f -E ' 1- - . . - 0 ' ' :i 3t4-i' ' ' 3'l'. ' the - 1--4 T1-'-:.ZJ'?':'T 'g' - ..--.1- ':5r,-'-'ga 'li V' In J L ' :yu-if' . .' - -'59----U ' 7. . nl L' 1 ' -L, --un .' I,-.'i.j'..,:. -1 f- ' '- --- su L .. - ' -4 .'-S '- ' . J1'Tfi3 -iffy ' .- '11L1f- ,fe 'ci JL-951 1.- - v A- Ll'4?',LL.Q,gTygv,N .t, .1 -' rg , V4-.'?a4i. a A.--fi ' 4 . ' . C . g - 1'-15' -O '- fl'.--ffl-'15-1-1 '-.J - -' . Q . 3 ' 1- 1..' ' - 5 - - . :' - -win P5-.. 'u . - ' gg, rv' '.3 'Q ' 7' vv- ' -'91 - ,-Q, - -, 1 A A A... 41- ' -U., , i,.,.,... - ,.. Qglu- ,, , . Mgr .1 ' . - 1 ., Q. f 'fi -::..-.--.- 2-rf - -. f - . - - - L.- -Yiiie ff' '-if-Q-are-,F:un,g'7 5N'r3'?? ',+c-. l. , u -A . .sh -A, . . Al- -..,..,,.- .T : ..'.., . I-, '- , . . . . -. ,, , . Q.-. .., . H , 4 er- +-- .W .- -. .- - . - - - - ai J.'f 't..,-,- ' .-fy'-L.,.. 'f- i'Qf--mf. .-:L--'Sw--:...f,f-Q.-sg .- '. , ' -- . . - . .., ,. ', A - , - n - ' ' ' . -- -.- ' .:f.'...'pf... -- 'T-. '- 'A,'r:.-- ' ' N 5' .a- JL..-9 '55 A . ML- X 'E . . , ff' -- .ff.fdr,1,55-5Lf,'zf.f:q.f'l'5zg5-' '- - '-Q. S . . N - - - . : - --512. - '.-' ' -- - .' -, . - '.- '..P ' f'f.- -'.' is ..:1.,,: -A . . . Y: . .J-,' .h .-, f -,-. . J , -4.:, 1s..... .--5 . , -Q-f x ..,:3li'.'??-la N1.v.-ig, -Q V -,-ll, -. 1- .. . ' A 1 .A ,Q 4 s 1 V ' - - - '- - M ' . 4 , - I- ' ' -'kg I --.fp . ,. . 4. 5' . , NA: , - - . 'v1'-z!f'2--- 5 'Y -Pj-Q., ' jGq-dig F-g-I.N-f4: '-:nagj!...-,'L51-- -- ' . . F - - . V4 li - , - ,J-'W L g1fUItiH-1-'uj.'..-, 'r424hi 'ff.-- ..- ,, 'f-,'II45,f1',.2'f1-i1'D?'i'-1-'? 3--A . j , ' , - f , - -j '- 1 -' - - A5 - -, . I .4 g n- . 1 -4, gl' . gl - - -' ' ' , -JZ ,- -fl V' -..L ,. . ' 1.-W: - ,--.-f , f'f ' 1 .' ,, ' . Efhxilf 3-' F' 1,111 -'aft' r' 45, QQA ' 0 .' .2 .'.-f-'uf-' . - - 1 '35-. . ' Q .ff ' - 'N-5.7,-' ' P.: - - -4 - - tr- qi: .du W- .Iv -N f 1,...f ., 5 - .- -V 'fp . h 1 tl- -3: N -'Q ? I R- - tw- . lil?-A B 'iq' . 5.-,J - . C I '.-1 ,--,, -- 'L' . '-I --- . --'5..:7-2413- -'NA-! 13..'5'- 'f. - ' ' , -.1... ,' - , F--.,., -- , 1.- L. ., - ..-. -4 ' . I., -Ys,4.- -D -' PVQ -1 -'09 -ii 4 .. '. - A . - -On . . .- - , '.'Y', o-.:- . h ,.. , ., . , f I, ' J ' 71- ' - 1-f -T:-L X 'J v .,:.' .. xx . - ' A '. . 'ffr '-.5 '-A - '- - - 7-f-x 'L-'-. X u Ls Q' os5,.w ' . R' -A77 Z.. -' . , A -- ig -' 1 . J 1 fi - .- gr ' -2 1, wi ' ' -'- ' ' - ef' . . - ' l'5t- fb. 7 ..rii4u- -.- - vt-..-:.:.-lialclv F . ,b -JZ. .-- F - o . '1 - -'--.'- H -'C '- ' ' -' 'U -. . f'. .' ' 'H' ' '.-' ' ' A .M -nf.-. .-Z4-v .C , 61.5, ff,-,i , ' ', ' 'J-. .nf . -.53 3: ,.g5- - 1 -' A ki . - 1 '.+.--' ' . - . -. .:. f ' . . - .11 . ' -'- L' -:3 '1'.. -1 - . : -.. Q., - . - 's . -- : c s.-r-.-...H--. - '-JL---.. '- gp- -'.-4' -7 -q .,,-'lj C-'h's...k.-Af vfjfi-'45-1-:J-f'j' - 'Q 1 ' 'f. . -fl, '-K, ii.. .. I 'Q . - ' -S '.'5:':7i-fi j:::.,-l: I u, . :J lt -ff' - '- -f- if-- -1 : 'i'- ---f--4 ---LL. fx A '3-5' 'il -5.5. L eng -1 ' - -' . - 2'F-.'.4.L'5. -'J--1' Ir g- S-I -Qjgim-Q' ,J L - , . - ' l I , , -'Q-.-',,-- - fs.,.,.:-- -,,,.-.,.,- , ...L,,.,,. --..v -1 ---,.g:.:,1, -,.., -' +-4--.:-. -.- L. - 4, , .:.-,-.1--.,. PQ., Joy. 'YP-ah - , 1 . - , ' .... ,arf L ix, 57- ,Ib n.-,4-.1-:L-V, . ,-,,,-4- -ng , ., I-N55-v: x - .,. , ,, Y -1, I . .N - .. Jn.. ge - 1 , Z l-4 395- . . 1 -1 -A -- ---J -- --.-11- - - -- f -W . -r . 'ew - .. .-.- -- .. fi ' ' ' ' ' ' L':.iE' .JAH '7 ' 4' 'ii' -'-...L ' 12. ER RDUICDID Tdfllwd , . - Marines at Tarawd , ' - With Chenango. Planeq for Air Cover -., V . , - -- U, , . x,.., - , -,S In vi ' ' , -a --r- L! H, I. ga.. -- .--. .'-' ?'?'Y',4: -1 : '-f5'.3'f - --J-5' ' '7'. ' '- - -5'-L' in ' N-5 . - t ' -liar - - ff 'v 5' - - . --- :Q fri -- 4-.--. - .11 ' ' T, -- r of - 'I v.. - ' -1-2-'11-:. L1-..,w-,ff-1. -Tir:--f-'1--'SFI'- . 5. '- lil-f -'Z' - -1 --- ' -1' f-fu-7- -: , - - .-.ies-fi-91.1-'-':3'5Q '-fi? 4 -- .L!f1:g-,, - -' I V h Q.. -W -V is ,jg-.2 tr -' 4-5:4'L5Q-lg.-3,b.,':3:9.:.-s:?:'1H'Iu:'-1a2?.i5:i3:'2'9-'37:,f. - 'Ci'-'f'-.-1,,.,.---5-4 f . . -- . --' - -- ,.-'55-cl.-f5,if?5 '+eff '2e 1- -'i :'g' A--3' ',,.:.1- ' -..':' 'fp Q-,,g-:q,3:' xi. .- 'N'-'--'z-1 5- i' ki , . , A' . '+P 'rg ., -. 1 - --. .-. Q l-0-1 fJ'a'- 5 -- .rf - . Ti .1- ' ' - -' - - -4 '?L f -gs -33-211' QL- -J' '1,: 'f7m-:. !i-',I-- ,Q-'-of .' 4-5- ' .' 1 X , - 3' L 'E - - -'- - 1 :Riff Q ' H- .- --.aw - .r - 1.-A ia.. -.-.n Ag,-gf-1--, . --.- ,.-, . ., -..,,f1 rv-, it ga- 1 .?- .f -je . .- --Q f--f' L -1 -- -f .. wo +--r.-p-a-f'- f-J-.saw-:bf-f f.-.-ww 4 , t -.f:,f-.'!' K.,-u-,g , M - -tv , -.1z3g.QC-'ff.z.a.gJS- :J-.Bn . 1- fp . TFLQ:--Qs ,,..,v+e1'-'L':LQg.--' 5 L .' Lib E'-1-?L'745wi Fiji. ,ff . - 47,9 A . . ,sms . ,dr 5 .- - ' --f,'-.1 .- . - . Plgfxsz.---4-Q- 94f.' 'gf --f',,l 'i-V ' - -- .,,. -- -- -ir:-. .' '1. .14-1 -'fs + . ,. Je - . .-'. A 'np -. - -1fc...':i?33 -- b:f?fT:i- '- . 1 Q- ...M-'-.:.-'ZQT Lfff ' -.gf . ,-. - . 'f- .J-I ei . 5 .' 5' ,-2 ' .I ffgrlia , ,. ,Ii .,w':,:' - -5 .31 ?X44'f:2,-'-us--.' ...zaddfff - U lb , . :L-3 T. f'-'Ll' ' 1. . ' 4, ., ..'i':'?. .'f1A Q- '7 .- T- ' ' - J 'GH' .' ' Q' ' , -1' ' ' . I ' T -f..-4-4-1 - . .11 ' - n .- :Af ',J.i-- 2--19 .1-,I -i lj A -1 . .. ..,-jg, :....,. ,f M .' ' . .- ' .4 -,L 4.-.5 A -4:-.-.-:---1 113452- '-frff---'--1L1': 5-i--- .--:I-1 -..f.'-' r f-'14-54. 2 - ' '- -' - ..:' - - f - 1' '- nf-r 1-,S-1-I f- +' Dug In-Blasted Out - Bloody Beacheq F - . - ft .-0 - J ' . , I -'rx ..--:--v-1 r.i7o5 Q- 'r 5 - :A 4, 4- 1 v:-P' . - I - - . - .... -5? ,- 4-. 'g--- -- . --'1 - . - . f '- , 5- .sy ' . AQ'. gear'-:if',?if,zI-?'.f,' I.: E.,-i,,,,-, 'O - H. fungi. 'J-'N 111 P054 h aj Jftxik- M' 'JLx,gw.1,:Li:1 !v?i - . 'f'.--ff-f'2 .?i:-f-L',' - Sig-5'-'f '6' 9-f 4-5-Zn' 'ir :.s. d:-1'-C:-.gxil L, if., ig-47 'E-4Ls r - 5-1 v',,'0 -4?gbfl?'P04-'g iw? , ,- , '..,.0nf 5' ,' ,l 9 ' gf' .:. 4 dl - ' 151- nv-'f f, .J F --mpg. .,cFZV,, .14 ., . sl, ,x - Lg ,,3. 4. fu' ' -1. fig- 1' x' -ff? ' 9:-,L ' , g.gH'H'ag Qi ' - rhl- 4. ul, - 'H' Q Jw. . -X-Q ll hr.. -U-1.4- ' .- -,-10'-.4-J -' 4,1:fS,. f1-'-vw , T'-' - ' . .' 335,-Q . ix' .gf , ',3,.r1..-. mf , . ' :..,.v. ---if Vigo H' -- P3'--if-'FA-3:2.-Q32- Fira:-.r uf? Q -. F .gun vig.-.F l -P N ff --V., U U UA ,-7.-15 -..-is 1, 1. . I .. 1- lr -ol we .in ? - , . -nyc.. T1-11,4 f. qi ' - 1?-zrr'-fuiciv, ., ftp, ' 5-Z' ,J-Q,-it '-1 -' fxfx -g aff!-'-LT' :-A 'pf-3 .-,Q , 3 ,lr , Q -5 -- 92.17, ,ag-3,1515 I 31 f FE! - a:.f.-,fig 551545.-j, ajft. 24'-. 'S ,-fZ'P:Y-1'-' - f- .f ' - ' -- .---Pi. -- - .yo -J -1- Y -:'3'-N 2. H'--'1.r-'+--b-.14 n. - arf- .- -u - - .- -....p4 'f' E---' .-- -,, 4- -.m.- . . 1. x Ln ,X ,. A-91: -1.4, ,-G.-,,, - I lf. :gc-E' ' . AQ '- . ' , 'T ' I-ff' . r 1. ' fy he!!! :P .0 ' -- .. -. my - -'R-1 K?-N' -as zz- f. -- -- ,- ' -. w.-- gf- ,r',,u-- - -g -.. ---- ' ,fl . H f 1 . 1, fu .eq .-. - - F 2'7':',-Q-if-:i'J-fl',..pl1tQ.:x:yft::5, ini... - ai lf, C., I A-I-Q 5.22-.,f',4d-1 .4-:if 5. ...QQ D-df, .G 5- .lax-f .:1' 2.11, Z 'V- 7 I'-'Q--A h 135: , ' ' ' 5 . ll 1. N I ' . ,Jf.. ' if . , 'f'C',5i2'gi'4fqi?fi-3145...Q15-'31:. 21? 1 JLf:151t'5,i,fff' 1- . ',,Qf1'i'5gg.g -' Aid' - . 1 :,.,.f ' -at 'Y . Vi,-T.,,.,k -, nf: . T--.Ir v l. .- 3 . .' 1 V ... U. h tl- JV: ov . .h . 1133-ff'-935-5-,Z-gi-if '-E-12' ' .-3' +1 J wif-Elf,-1 fi5i5Q5vI-?f'5'1jEi .?'??':a -'4' - ' -. -. fy . ,..- 9544- 3 . '- -- I ,- 'r '---. , - .',-' .. ',-' .- - QQB14'-f5f:..,'f,vr,',f:af',f ,. ,K54?-Qm' 4 I - ,- 54.EEgf.34,i, ,135-2-r3.q5 --- lg:'n:g:1-'S , Y, . .ral-. L.- -54, 77-ff.: 11:11 .5--5. g , 5 ,. D. D 2..Lf,4.yi,. ly.. ufq, ? '1a.,-. 'navy M .1 . . - ff-.Q 'rj-.SQ .. ' 4: 3-:,'ff. '?QT':?5. ?3 C'ff5-'4yg5'1z' ' ff-Q.. gi- ' f 21, .,tq.f.Q fa-s ,Q -1'-S3-wp?-rfi!Yff . .-4' aff -5 4- .- .441--'--'. - rr. 'M'--if g e? , , :n r- :- ' - -Ig. .- -- - 3.: - ' .x qw 1 -1.4 -vw .sz-.iz-'fs-fm-' --- -- - - - '. . - ' 2, 1 -' -.. 1 -,v'. 'f . , . o .U ,, . -,,4 314524. sg , , Q Z.. -- ,ep 1 . - Hx- . - - 1 -- .- - ,J ff.-41 iii--' x ' . .. -Q . f-- -- 's. , .' ,414 v- ,---,f h ,-a-Qfp , .. ,.- 4, --,H go , ,5x. - We - --'ff2g,--- .- -- F 2 gf?:'QJ 'L-,' i ' .,'- I-'K 'V' ' ' K ' 'f3xfg1i:.if2fTg' T3:.' ffl- ',.1,:.fi ,fgJ Z-'A f 5.4.4 --.- -'.Air Strip Tease Tarmca Boom Ti Ay! Page 20 ' . V A

Page 45 text:

v..,.., , ,. , A. - 1 t 1-f c-'ez-, ,-rr' . -4--fe - -5. M - ---1.-mm, -wlv'z'xa:r1'ol Q ' .-Q ,-rszacuoanneqg -u -'-. .,.- --.l .... .-.. THE wmmmia HISTUHY. of us. i:HENANfs0g 1C.v.Ei :ia rznninued sea sickl No one had yet seen the full extent of the damaae iorward. After five days of rough sailing at only 3 knolz blue sky began to show above. The storm had passed When the ship reached Portsmouth, Virginia, for repairs the shi A - yard' workers couldn't belicve that she hacln't been hit bp' the enemy. She had lost a 1.1 gun director and two 20 mn? mounts forward. Her whole superstructure forward of the forward elevator was twisted and torng her flight deck was curled upward and aft by the force of the sea. A The combined efforts of the shipyard workmen and her crew got her ready for sea again by the middle of December and she headeu south to the Canal Zone. She spent Christ- mas Day, 1942, going through the Panama Canal. At Balboa she took aboard her maximum fuel load and sortied with cruisers cox.uMaiA, CLEVELAND and MONTPELIER for the South Seas. Enroute on a zig-zag course, she crossed and re- crossed the equator seven times in one night! CHI-INANGO was beginning a 27,000 mile cruise, her first as a combat carrier. to the hot spot of the South Pacific, Guadalcanal. l When CHENANGO arrived at Noumea, New Caledonia, our Navy's fast growing base near Australia, she became one of five carriers . . . all we had available to put against the Jap fleets then converging on Guadalcanal. Three of these were converted oilers: CHENANGO and her sister ships, SANGAMON and suwitmvaa. The other two, siuwroca and ax-renrmsa, were our only big carriers then in Pacific operation. Air Group 'rwssvrv-siciir from cnsrvixco went to Hen- derson Field, Guadalcanal, as a part of the combined CarDiv 22 Air Group which relieved the exhausted pilots from ENTERPRISE. During their stay ashore for six weeks during April and May an'd'ifour.weeks in ,late June and most of ,luly CHI-INANGO pilots fought oil' repeated Japanese attacks of forty or hfty ,lap Betty's, Zekes, Haps and heckling float Zeros. The fighters bagged four Haps in one sky battleg the dive bombers nailed a lap destroyer and two AK's during a raid on Ballaleg a rear-seat gunner polished oil' an attack- ing Zeke. After several hundred hours of combat flying the pilots returned to the ship, fourteen of them suffering from malaria, while the average weight loss was fifteen pounds per man! ' ' , The escort carriers, while the grown-ups' were daring the .laps to fight, provided air cover for the convoys pouring men and supplies into Guadalcanal. They' sortied from Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands, each carrier taking a turn at sitting 80' or 90 miles southeast of Guadalcanal for ten to twelve days while her Air Group fought off the .lap bombers which by day and by night attacked Hender- son Field. .' Q ' 5 Fortunatelv the ,laps never located CHI-ZNANGO or her sister ships because they hid themselves under conveniently fre- nuent rain squalls during daylight hours. The crew all thought their number was up one night, however, when a force of 40 to 50 enemy bombers, after dumping their loads on Henderson Field, swung south and circled overhead so low that the flames from their exhaust stacks were clearly visible from cHE:N,ANco's flight deck . . . then disappeared into the night. ' - ' During this period CH!-:NANGO planes were detailed to pro- vide cover for the ill-fated cruiser CHtc.4CQ and arrived on the scene to find her already sunk. And at about the same Deriod the ship was assigned to re-fuel and escort to safety through enemy sub waters the two torpedoed cruisers SAINT LOUIS and HONOLULU, a mission which she successfully carried out. -W - -,gigs-.::.r ' .:':: caraeauzz .,..s.rs.A..ta . - - After six months of duty in this hot spot without being discovered by enemy planes or submarines or by prowling .lapanese Fleet units, CHI-ZNANGO was ordered back to'Mare lsland, California, for repairs and to operate briefly as a gaining carrier for new Air Groups forming on the West oast. ' ' CHENASCO'S legendary .luck was not all negativet. . . the escape from danger: she 'had positive good fortune in get- ting for her second Commanding Oilicer another fine leader, Captain Dixwell Ketcham Know Rear Admiral Ketcham in command of his owin carrier -divisionl. To top it oH she took aboard at San Diego on 14 October, 1943, AIR GROUP THIRTY-FIVE consisting of Fighting Squadron 35 and Tor- pedo Squadron 35. The history of CHENANGO for the next thirteen months was to be interwoven with that of Air Group 35. Together. ship and squadron, were to steam 110,000 miles, to such history making battlegrounds as TARAWA, KWAJALEIN, Exiwsrok, AITAPB-HOLLANDIA, SAIPAN, GUAM, Monoru ti-Ialniaherai, r-.tcm Strike and the initial Pmur- PINE landings at LETTE. During the capture of these island stepping 'stones to Tokyo, CHENANCO,S Air Group 35 de- stroyed or damaged 93 enemy planes, 91 ships. Her pilots flew sorties in combat zone, nearly 1000 of which resulted fin contact with and damage to the enemy! By the time CI-IENANGO was ready to begin her march into history,g her combat -role had been established. Her rugged pre-war construction, great fuel capacity and her over-size 1 for a CVD I-'LIGHT DECK typed her as an, ideal.close-sup- port carrier. That is, she could stay at' sea for long periods, fuel her own ,escorts if need be, and, steaming close to, enemy coasts, day after day, launch strikes in support of our troops making island landings. Her torpedo planes could carry out the anti-submarine patrols required in such land- ings. Her fighters could provide a protective umbrella 'for the fleets ofltransports, ammunition ships, tankers, and land- ing ships supplying the troops and for the war ships en- gaged in' close-up shelling of the beachheads. CHI-INANGO 'was ready for all these jobs, often monotonous, always dan- gerous, but always necessary in 'our tight for bases from: which to strike the Japanese homeland. 1 The old-timers who had helped commission her realized how.she had changed after a year of operation. Compart- ments had been added, ofiices made more compact, ventila- tion improved, more guns mounted, miles of cable and tons of radio and radar gear installed. The newly arrived Air Group practiced beachhead support with her at San ,Clemente on the coast of California. Thev had already qualified in night landings and the fighter pilots were used to their new Grumman HELLCATS. CHI-:NANGO was ready now for the bloody beacheslof TARAWAI I On the 19th of October, 1943, she sailed for Espiritu Santo, where the Tarawa invasion fleet was assembling. After a rehearsal at Efate, in the Southern New Hebrides, nf the proposed landings, i:I-IENANGO set out on 13 Novem- ber in company- with suwuexrze and saxcuwos of her own carrier division and covered the advance of the transports and warships toward Tarawa. Cl!!-ZNANGO planes bombed and strafed the beaches ahead of our troops, attacked the enemy beyond the beaches and protected the convoys .05 shore from 20 November until 8 December. During this period she lent 7 fighter pilots and planes to one of the' big car- riers, l!.S.S. BUIQKER HILL. She also flewtpatrols in support of the landing on APAMAMA Island south of Tarawa. ' - ' fCon!inued on page 251' Page 21 ,L f .,,-',.4.,' AJ. : , 5 - f - - .-f,-,-,--, -.-z: :'. :sz ...1 - ra :L-.