Franklin (CV 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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CHAPTER SEVEN they ' re good, alright, but not good enough; uc took everything they could throw at us, then threw it right back. I heard Pee Gee Minkten say the Coral Sea scrap seemed like a one-ring circus to him now. We had some more prisoners aboard; crew of a bomber we shot down. One of them jumped over the side, but swimming was mighty poor that day. dont knoiv, but when I look at this gang I ' m ivith I wouldn ' t trade them for tdl the banzai boys in the ivorld. I ' d hate to be on the other side ... IN THE PHILIPPINE SEA Seadlf.r Bay. named after tlie German raider of World War I, is on the large island of Manus, in the Admiralties, and is one of the hest harbors in the world. Big Ben, with the warships of Task Group 38.4. anchored there four days. Every moment was used to advantage, taking aboard fuel. food, and a cargo of explosive consigned to the Japanese. This was September, 1944, and Manus was being develoj)- ed into a springboard for the battle-hardened divisions of MacArthur ' s Sixth Army, a base for amjihiliious assault. A floating drydock and repair shop that could make emer- gency repairs to the largest warship were ready for service. The base hosjiital would accommodate ten thousand wound- Murderer ' s Ron , hey called il . . . Manus Harbor, with six big Essex cl ass laltops anchored there

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j Li. Honest John Tansey kneels before the Royal Barber Conulr. Kibhe presides over rites in bomber ' s ready room Some brand-new ' ' shellback Chief Petty Officers; FRONT ROW: Heibel, eiiman; Lotridge ; Burkhart; Hardy; Durrance; Gil more; BACK ROW: Womack; Coia; Brown; Gjefle: Mullins; Matzen The Royal Court: Royal Baby, Lt. Casson; Davy Jones. Ens. Lienen; Mcphistocles, Id. Red Harris: Royal Queen. Lt. Newman; Royal Baby, John Whit laker; Chief of Police. Lt. C.omdr. Caldwell t worried pollyivog is finally brouc,ht to bay by Shell- back Hizer and his merrymen

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An Avenger takes a wave-off ed; the fueling depot could fill a fleet ' s oil tanks; modern piers were flanked by warehouses on the jungle ' s edge. A huge recreation park was waiting for the men of the fleet, and the beer ration was limited only by the five hours allowed to consume it. Saxie Dowell ' s band, at home under the eucalyptus trees and alien sky, made many new friends as Big Ben ' s men mingled with lads from other ships to swap yarns of battle, meet old shipmates, talk of home. There were odd reunions — Lt. (jg) Joe Heinrich, one-time Bronx cop, of Fighting Thirteen, met two fliers from other squadrons and in exchanging reminiscences learned that of the twenty-five fledgling pilots who came through Pensacola together three years before, they were the only ones alive. The others had smashed up in operational accidents, or fallen to flak over enemy targets. At Manus, Comdr. Day received a long-due promotion to the rank of Captain and was detached to command a new es- cort carrier. Comdr. Benjamin Moore, who had been Navi- gator since the commissioning, became Executive Officer. Comdr. Day had worked hard to make Big Ben a fine fight- ing machine ; Comdr. Benny Moore was a fitting relief. The L.S.E. — Little Short Exec, as he came to be affectionately known, was admired and regarded as a personal friend by Here too, there was time for a jew quiet moments in the library