Franklin (CV 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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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

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Dan Winters, a inodfst man, gratefully declined this recognition of liis unique achievement. Throughout the night after the attack persistent Japs hung about Task Grou|) MiA as it swung southward to the coast of Luzon. Radio Tokyo blared even wilder claims, and tlu Imperial Navy — which seemed to believe the fantastic stories — dispatched a strong task force out of the North C ' hina Sea to finish the dozens of crip|)led American warshi|)s littering liie water. Actually the Houston and Canberra were the only casualties and Admiral Halsey. fiercest Ja|)-hater. lurked just over the edge of the sea with two powerful Third Fleet task groups, eager for battle. At the last moment, while the northern carriers readied their deadly bombers for the long sought mission of smash- ing a dozen major Japanese warships, the yellow Admiral became doubtful and w ilhdrew his force at high speed into safer waters, well out of reach of the cri|)|)led American fleet. The fast carrier task forces of the Third Fleet now turned tiieir attention to the Fhilij)pines; back to skies over Cor- regidor and liataan, came the avengers. Weary, bearded, un- dernourished Americans in Japanese labor battalions, some long believed dead, raised their eyes to the heavens and hope kindled in shrunken chests. They have returned, sang in every man ' s heart. Prominent among the avenging planes in those skies was the White Triangle, marking Big Ben ' s air group. 150 miles from Manila, on October 14th, Franklin and her sister carriers lay, throwing massive blows at air- fields with hauntingly familiar names . . . Clark Field. Nich- ols Field, Nielson . . . Helldiver, Avenger, Hellcat, kinsmen of the Kitty Hawks and first Flying Fortresses smashed by brutal treachery on those fields three years before, were re- • ! . . A. C. Cason, landing signal officer, in action, ivhile assistant landing signal officer, Lt. Daniel M. U inters, stands by