Curtiss (AV 4) - Naval Cruise Book

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puns numbers 3, 9, and 1 1 and main guns 2 and 3. At 0840 the submarine broke surface in a dam- aeed condition and was immediately bit by fire from the ship ' s 5 and 50 caliber machine ijuns. At 0842 the CURTISS ceased fire on the submar- ine when the USS MONAHAN steamed along- side the sub dropping two depth charges. The submarine while sinking fired a torpedo up the center of Pearl Citv Channel. At 08.53. Cl ' RTISS ' s anti-aircraft guns opened fire on a number of enemy planes. At 0905. a Jap dive bomber was hit while making a diving pass at the ship ' s starboard beam. The aircraft burst into names, and crashed into number I crane where it burned completely. The blast and heat etlect put the ship ' s number 3 gun out of action temporarily. It also set fire to the boats on the starboard side aft. .Another enemy plane came in low over the bow of the CURTISS at 0908. passmg from star- board to port. This plane was hit by the 50 caliber machine guns forward and by number ! (5 ) gun. It crashed immediately. At 0912. an enemy plane made a steep diving attack on the ship ' s starboard beam, letting go a bomb. The bomb hit in the vicinity of number 1 crane and expkuied below decks. The attacking plane was hit and crashed about 1.000 yards on the port beam. The bomb hit: set the hanger, main deck aft, and number 4 handling room on fire. This fire put number 4 gun out of action. At this time all preparations were made for abandoning ship or fi r running aground. At 0925, three planes attacked from ahead. They dropped one bomb close aboard to star- board and two under the stern. None of these bombs caused any apparent damage. The after engine room was reported out of action at 0927 due to smoke and a ruptured steam line. All fires were r eported under control by the First Lieutenant at 0936. However, all fires were not extinguished until 1430. At 1900, half the gun crews and lookouts were on watch with the remainder sleeping on their stations. One hour later, six aircraft from the USS F.NTr.RPRlSF were reported approaching Pearl Harbor from the south. As the planes were sighted at 2108. anti-aircraft batteries commenced firing on them until 2112. at which time they were identified as friendly. That cveninu. after the holocaust of 7 Decem- ber. 1941. the CL ' RTISS counted forty (40) dead blue jackets in her ship ' s company. .After making emergency repairs, the CURTISS sailed for San Dieuo. California where she arrived on 4 January 1942. Here the immediate need for added anti-air- craft batteries made it necessary to replace the damaged number 1 crane with 20 MM batteries. After ' this was done the Cl ' RTISS departed San Diciio on 8 Januarv l ' ) 42. for Pearl Harbor. She arrived there on 1 3 January with the scars of December 7th still showine. Upon arrival at Pearl Harbor the USS CUR- TISS was assigned the task of ferrying men and supplies to forward bases in the Central Pacific. Her first voyage with this duty took her southward to the Christmas Islands and Pago Pago. Samoa, arriving at the latter on 1 2 February. She then steamed for Suva in the Fiji Islands, arrivinc there 18 February 1942. The CURTISS then set s ail for Noumea. New Caledonia on the 19th. She re- mained at Noumea until 7 March, after which she sailed for Pearl Harbor, arrivinc there the 1 9th of March 1942. On 26 April 1942. CDR M. E. BROWDER, USN, relieved CDR H S. KENDALL, USN, as Commandine Ofiicer. The CURTISS departed Pearl Harbor enroute to Noumea. New Caledonia on 2 June 1942. She made stops at Paeo Pa eo on 9 June, at Nukualofa Harbor. Tonga Islands on 12-13 June, and ar- rived at Noumea on 16 June 1942. She remained in Noumea until 4 .August 1942. During her stav there. Commander Naval .Air. South Pacific, had his flat; aboard. On 4 August 1942. CURTISS steamed to Fspiritu Santo in the New Hebrides, arriving there the same day In the months that followed. CL ' R- TISS not only served as a seaplane tender and fiauship, but also served as a repair and supply ship for destroyers and small craft engaged in the battle of Guadalcanal during the Solomon Islands Campaign. Diirinsz her stav at Espiritu Santo. CAPT W. P. COGSWELL. USN, relieved CAPT M. E. MROWDER. USN. as Commandinc Oflicer. On 4 July 1943. the U ' SS CUIRTISS weighed anchor and sailed for San Francisco for overhaul and repairs. She stopped at Nanda. Fiji Islands and Funafuti in th e Fllice Islands while enroute. On 15 October 1943. CAPT S. F. PECK, USN. relieved CAPT W. P. COGSWELL, USN. as Commanding Officer. The CURTISS sailed for Pearl Harbor on 17 October 1943 In November of that vear. V.ADM J. H. HOOVER. USN. Commander ' Air. Central Pacific, chose the CURTISS as his flagship with Funafuti as the base of operations. The rapid advance of the .American f-drces in the Central Pacific in 1944. kept the CIRTISS continually shifting bases. She shifted to Tarawaw, Kwajalein, and I-niwetok in that order. After the American Forces captured Saipan the CURTISS made that island her base of operations until December 1944. Then she moved to Guam. The invasion of the Ryukyu Islands found the CL ' RTISS enroute to Keramo Retlo Islands. .She arri ed there on 22 Mav 1945. On 21 June 1945. CAPT H. C. DOAN. USN, relieved CAPT S. E. PECK, USN. as Command- ine OtTicer.

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HISTORY OF THE USS CURTISS (AV-4) The USS CURTISS (AV-4) was the first ship of the name and the first ship to be designed and constructed to function solely as a Seaplane Ten- der. She was authorized by an act of Congress dated 30 July 1937. The contract for her building was awarded to the New York Shipbuilding Cor- poration, Camden, New Jersey. The Ship ' s keel was laid on 25 April 1938. She was launched on 20 April 1940, being christened by Mrs. H. Sayre Wheeler of Miami Springs, Flor- ida. Mrs. Wheeler was the widow of the late Glenn Hammond Curtiss, inventor and aviator, after whom the ship was named. . . . Glenn Hammond Curtiss was bom in Ham- mondsport. New York on 21 Mav 1878, and died 23 July 1930. Mr. Curtiss, with Mr. J. B. Willys, the automobile manufacturer, expanded the Cur- tiss Aircraft Factory, which Mr. Curtiss founded, to meet the demands of the Allied Forces in World War I for combat aircraft. Mr. Curtiss was a noted leader in the field of aviation. He designed many types of planes, among the most notable were the Navy Curtiss Flying Boats, NC-1, 2, 3, and 4, which later made the first Trans-Atlantic Cross- ing. As an individual he set many early aeronau- tical records . . . The USS CURTISS was commissioned on 15 November 1940, at the Navy Yard, Philadelphia, by RADM A. E. WATSON, USN, Commandant of the Fourth Naval District. CDR. S. P. CIN- DER, USN, accepted command of the new ship. During the first six months of active service, the CURTISS was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, serv- ing in the Caribbean Sea, with Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as its base. In May 1941, the CURTISS was assisned to Patrol Wing TWO in the Pacific Fleet. She ar- rived at Pearl Harbor in June of that year. The next five months were spent patrolling the sur- rounding areas and tending VPB Squadrons 21, 23. 24, and 25. On 22 November 1941. CDR S. P. GINDER, USN, was relieved by CDR H. S. KENDALL, USN, as Commanding Officer. Two weeks later the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. At 0755, 7 December 1941, the CURTISS (AV-4) and its crew went to General Quarters under enemy attack. The Japanese had already bombed the seaplane hangar at the air station and many ships in the dry dock and channel had also been hit. At 0805 CURTISS commenced firing on attacking Japanese aircraft while lighting off boil- ers 1 , 2, and 4. CURTISS tested heV main engines at 0835 and the Engineering Department reported ready to get underway. One minute later a submarine periscope was sighted on the starboard quarter at a range of 700 yards. CURTISS opened fire with machine

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THE FATEFUL SUNDAY-7 DECEMBER 1941 Map showing the disposition o( the fleet at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1 941 .