Franklin (CV 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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At Newport the crew had been steadily increasing. Every day brought new arrivals from naval training stations all over the nation. Some veterans were among these fresh arrivals, enough to provide a healthy leavening of ex- perience for the two thousand, five hundred and forty- four men which the top chiefs of the Navy had set down as needed for the crew of Big Ben. On January 29th, 1944, when the officers and men re- ported to Newport News, Virginia, and boarded their ship, already the nickname, Big Ben, had come to stay. It had simply dropped down out of thin air; no one will ever know the name of the casual genius who first used it. All Essex class carriers are named either for famous ships or famous battles, so the Bunker Hill, the Intrepid, the Hornet. The Franklin, fifth ship of her name in the Navy, was named after an eight-gun sloop of the American Revo- lution which had served her country bravely and with distinction. But that Franklin had been named for the il- lustrious Benjamin Franklin — therefore the nickname, ready-made, both respectful and affectionate. On the morning of January 31st, towed by tugs, she entered the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia. That afternoon she was placed in commission with impressive fanfare and under the official gaze of many dignitaries. The crew was drawn up on the flight deck — the Marine Guard was at attention — Big Ben ' s officers faced the plat- form which had been erected for the ceremony. The pilots of Air Group Thirteen, Big Ben s own fliers, were pres- ent. Rear Admiral Felix Gygax, commandant of the Fifth Naval District, and Artemus L. Gates, assistant secretary of the Navy, were notable among the several hundred guests. In the wan sunshine of a winter afternoon with a chill- ing breeze, after the martial music of the band, no man who was there will ever forget the brave, solemn words of the Secretary: This is the fifth Franklin. Her predecessors have fought and won many battles and have left a record of sea-worthi- ness and valiance which rise up before her as a challenge. She will meet that challenge. As Secretary Gates spoke every person on that windswept flight deck remembered that far away, on distant battle- fronts, .American boys were fighting and dying. This mighty carrier would reinforce them. This crew, more boys, would soon be fighting beside them. In the end, through all the misery of war, America would triumph . . . A wave of emotion swept the gathering as Captain Shoemaker arose to accept command. Mr. Secretary and Honored Guests: We have followed the final stages of construction of this great ship, and know from personal observation that in a material sense she is as nearly perfect as possible. Today our Franklin becomes a unit of our Navy, and we are charged with the large responsibility of training our- selves to have complete knowledge of all the potentialities of our ship, to the end that she will soon be ready to take her place in the line of battle. This is no easy task. The ship ' s company and the ail January 31, 1944; Big Ben ' s crew ussemlilcd for romrnissioniiii: ccrrnu ny

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annals of llic Fruuklin Iml in liistory itself. A stron{;ly- linill, cletermineil man: lilack-liaircil. in aviation greens, liis words ucrc luicf luit paikcd uitli puncli as lie ad- ilrt ' ssfd his men on a liill( ' r-c(dd day: Gentlemen. I liave been ordered by the Hureavi to be the first Commanding Offirer of the U.S.S. Fninklin. CV nniber Thirteen. e will put the Franklin in coinmission and bring her to the firing line faster than any carrier in history. Six months from now you will have seen what your first Jap looks like. Thirteen is my lucky number. Good hunting! It was more than a |)romise. for it was a fact. The going was rugged at Newport but there were bright spots as well. The first day at quarters Comdr. Day intro- duced Saxie Dow ell. famous orchestra leader who was to lead Franklin ' s liand. The band, whose leader had composed Three Little Fishes. Playmate and other |)0|)ular songs, was popular with the ship from the start. Most members were well-known musicians in their own right: Jumbo. the massive master of the tuba . . . Red James, the boy who did things with men s hearts when he bore down on his trombone: Dean Kinkaid. arranger for Dorsey. The first selection that Saxie and his men played was one of his own composition. Big Ben the Flat-top. There may have been significance in the manner in which the words and music reveal the spirit that animated the crew of the Franklin and of every other carrier in the fighting months to come. Every man had to take swimming practice, contradicting the old and false legend that sailors are the poorest swim- mers in the world; these suinmiing lessons saved many a life in the temjtestuous days which were ahead. Fire-fighting instruction was given — another lesson which came into use on Big Ben. Gun crews studied their weapons and learned how to use them by actual firing |)raclice. Engineers studied the maze of valves, pipes, intricate wir- ing systems — together with the machinery and auxiliaries — that we re the nerves, the muscles and almost the brains of the ship. Heads of Air. Gunnery, Engineering, Communications, Damage Control, Navigation, Medical, and Supjdy Depart- ments — the whole works — sweated constantly over jjcrfect- ing the million-on-one details which must be figured down to the proverbial gnat s eyebrow before a major warship is ready to fight, or even put to sea. Big lien the Flat-top, mistress uj sea and sky . . . If ith every ounce oj strength we ' ll help our fighting aces fly; As from her decks those motors roar and racket out to sea We ' ll give a mighty heartfelt cheer for those wings of Victory. Officers, men — even the men behind the bass drum and the clarinet — were already instilled with the knowledge that a carrier ' s function was to get Navy fliers in action, to get them to the spots on the ocean wastes where they could do the most damage to the enemy; and. with every ounce of energy and sacrifice, to bring them back if human effort and endurance could manage it. Saxie Dowell and the men on Big Ben knew they had the best band in the Nai y

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■ HO|to| M E 1 1 m m d 1 » J B HH|| Bi K B ■ -■ ' ■ a L H 1 Captain Shoemaker prepares to accept command, as Secretary Gates addresses Big Ben ' s crew and guests group togetlier compose the most complex combat team in the world. Knowing this, we in the Franklin highly resolve thai the trust reposed in us shall prove to have heen well justi fied. and that our ship will join the Fleet ready in all respects to strike hard, again and again, until the enemies of this great nation shall have been beaten to their knees. ' ' The watch was set and Carrier Number Thirteen. United States Ship Franklin — Big Ben the Flat-top — was well on her way to the wars.