Franklin (CV 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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the last of eight Hellcats which had been launched during a previous alert when suddenly out of the twilight to the north, four Betties. medium land-plane bombers, appeared over the screening destroyers. Combat information center, busy track- ing another group, had not warned of these. Here they come! ' went the word through the gun sta- tions and about the decks. Here they come . . . A thunderous roar went up from the scores of flashing guns on Big Ben. But on the bridge, where quartermaster first class Mathias stood by the helm, the men who guided the Franklin moved with swift calculation, countering the moves of the attackers. The navigator, Comdr. Hale, stood on the port wing of the bridge, coolly scanning the skies to give warning of Japanese approaches from that side. Cap- tain Shoemaker, with no thought of personal safety, moved quickly between the exposed bridge and the helm, calling out orders that would save the carrier. They came in on the port side, hardly fifty feet above the water, at top speed. Every ship in the formation had them under fire. The first plane was broad on the port beam when Captain Shoemaker ordered Left, full rudder and Big Ben swung in toward the attack. Again and again the Betty was hit; flames poured from his fuselage as he closed the Frank- lin, but he launched his torpedo and roared in, trying to crash the ship. The fish missed Big Ben ' s stem by feet, thanks to the quick change of course. The plane struck on deck, just abaft the islatid structure, slid across the heavy planking and burst into flames as it rolled off the starboard side of the ship and fell into the water. Flaming gasoline deluged the Franklin s side and from the San Jacinto, astern, it looked as though the Jap had exploded aboard. By only a split hair had the Franklin missed a disastrous fire and many casualties. The second Betty also came in fast on the port quarter, with every gun on the Franklin and San Jacinto that could be brought to bear holding it under a murderous fire. Lt. A. J. Wliispering Death Pope, of Fighting Tliirteen — a boy from Atlanta, Ga. — had been circling to land, gas almost gone. Without hesitation he pulled up quickly, dove down through the bursting shells on the bomber and opened up with his six fifty-caliber machine guns. The Jap went blaz- ing into the water. Big Ben shared that one with Lt. Pope. The third torpedo plane came in well ahead of the Frank- lin and was shot down as it passed through the task group After prayers by shipmates the body of Harold C. Standi, AMMlc, killed in action October 13th, is committed to the deep

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ahead of the Enterprise and the Bi ' lleau Wood, but the fourth bomber bored in through the flak on Big Ben ' s port quarter. He dropped his torpedo, hedge-hopped Franklin s bow, and went down in flames between the Franklin and the Enterprise. The torpedo was coming at the Franklin, hot, straight, and true. Again teamwork saved Big Ben from dis- aster. With seamanship bred by years of training, Captain Shoemaker ordered ' Right, full rudder and personally rang up Back full on the starboard engines. Far below, in the domain of the Black Gang, the men who answer all bells lived uj) to their names. Big Ben slowed her forward motion and pulled away to the right, away from the on-rushing tor- pedo which passed within a few feet of the bow and con- tinued on harmlessly through the task group. In the mad five minutes of action Harold L. Standi, vet- eran aviation machinist ' s mate, was stru ck by the plunging Betty and instantly killed. Men on the bridge and gun sta- tions had been struck by some of the hail of flak from guns of the task force, others had been wounded by Japanese ma- chine gun fire. Ten men were hurt badly enough to be taken out of action. Yet in the midst of danger and tragedy. Big Ben ' s men re- membered it was one year ago to the day, that she was launched. No man had forgotten Captain Shoemaker ' s words Thirteen is my lucky number, though it had not been luck. An alert captain, an efficient bridge crew, hard- shooting gunners, a faithful Black Gang, had brought Big Ben through her first hand-to-hand encounter with the enemy. There was occasion, too. for a smile. During the first mo- ments of the Jap attack, Lt. Dan Winters, landing signal officer, coaching Lt. Pope in to land, glanced up just in time to see the Jap plane coming in for an entirely different kind of landing. Lt. Winters did what men faced by flaming dragons have done before. He ran. Across the deck he raced, the Japanese bomber in hot pursuit. As he dove for an imaginary foxhole in the flight deck, the low-dipping wing of tlie Rising Sun plane engaged him in a kiss of death, rip- ping the entire seat from his pants. The exposed anatomy was too much for the Nip. Big Ben ' s hero muttered a strangled Splash one as the Betty crashed into the sea. It is said that a collection was made to have the appropriate Japanese flag tattooed on the conquering posterior, but Lt. fiTTJl.,. ' ■.: ' J Jupani ' st ' shipping hmldled in Manila Harbor