Franklin (CV 13) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 52 text:

by the ship ' s own crew were made by repair ships, those floating machine shops which were anchored only a few thousand yards from Big Ben. There was shore leave each afternoon when several hun- dred men from each ship were loaded on landing craft and deposited on the white coral sand of Runit Island — with their beer supply, four cans to a man. Four cans of beer under a palm tree, a smooth white beach, these were re- minders of things to be enjoyed when the war was over. And when the war ivould be over was a favorite topic of conversation during this rest at Eniwetok. Baseball, medi- cine ball tossing, volleyball, even football, within obvious limitations, took place on the flight deck. A first-rate basket- ball tournament was held on the bangar deck, with all di- visions entering a team. It was won by the V-Five Ordnance- men, who trounced the S-Two Division in the finals. Franklin became task group flagship on August 12th, 1944, when Rear Admiral Davison hoisted his two-starred flag aboard. All hands came to admire and respect this strong, sincere gentleman, who had little to say at most times, but was always on the Flag Bridge in the thick of action when the going was rough. Comdr. Henry H. Hale, U. S. N., reported aboard from the San Jacinto, where he had been Air Oflicer, to take the post of Navigator on Big Ben when Comdr. Day received his promotion to Captain and Benny Moore moved up to the Executive Officer ' s spot. The days slipped by, until August 21st. as the Franklin was preparing to shove off ' the following dawn, Arthur Rear Admiral Ralph E. Davison, U. S. N., on Franklin ' s flaghridge

Page 51 text:

.-J - : Hn Three more cans of beer to go! Lt. (jg) Robert F. Brooks. of Fighting 13, enjoys one . . . Lt. Brooks was lost in October, over Leyte The plane elevator pit nuide a good volley-ball court »B5 flKflTV The striuird ' s mutes oj S-Tuo Uii ' ision could play championship basketball . . . but J ' -Five ' s team won the tourney

Page 53 text:

Klastersky, S2c, a torpedo plane cajitain. found himself marooned after a friendly visit to a ship ahout a mile away from Big Ben ' s towering bulk. No boat was available to bring him back home, but Arthur, a 19-year-old New Yorker, had no idea of being left behind. He climbed down his host ship ' s anchor chain and his pal tossed him a life jacket. Off for Big Ben he went through the dark waters, struggling against both wind and tide, and a half hour later ho readied the Franklin — and none too soon, because his life jacket bad begun to lose its buoyancy. Big Ben steamed out 50 miles east of the lagoon, for two days ' gunnery practice, came back for a load of bombs and ammunition. On August 27th. as Task Group 38.4. Rear Ad- miral Davison in the Fninklin. with carriers Enterprise, Bcllcau Wood and San Jacinto, got underway for much- bombed Iwo Jima, escorted by the cruisers Biolixi and . ew Orleans. The circular screen held the destroyers Maury, Craven, Gridley, Md ' .ull. Mugford, Ralph Talbott, Palter- son, Bailey, li ' ilkes, Micholson and Stvanson. This was the third time in three months that Big Ben and her comrades bad |iaid a call on liie Jap in his closely guarded home waters. Surely this time he would be ready. But on September 1st the warplanes thundered in on the island redoubts, undetected. I ' i liars of smoke again rose to the sky from blazing Jap shipping, hangars and barracks. Once more a force of cruisers and destroyers moved in and pounded the harbors and coast until the very rocks Hew into the air. Again the fast carrier task force slip()ed away C.omdr. Richard I.. Kibhe, US.M. of the divehomhers, became Commander tij Air Group 13 on Aujiust 12. when Sunshine Houerton was called to other duty