Hancock (CVA 19) - Naval Cruise Book

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The Divine W1Hd,, Brings Death lwo lima fell to the Allies on March 16, 1945, and the Hancock, who had supported the massive assault on the small volcanic island, headed northward again to strike the Japanese home islands. Nowa new threat swarmed out of Japan to oppose the strike force. Kamikaze, or Divine Wind, suicide pilots brought the Hancock and her sister carriers under heavy attack. One by one the huge carriers began taking serious blows. Early in April, attention was centered on Okinawa as Army and Marine units swarmed ashore there. Hancock was once again on hand to support the invasion with her aircraft. On April 7 the task force again came under heavy attack. During the fighting a Japanese suicide pilot skimmed his aircraft through the heavy flak in a low attack that struck the Hancock on the port side and sent the enemy aircraft cartwheeling across the flight deck into parked airplanes. Quick action quelled all fires and emergency repairs had the Hancock back conducting flight operations again inside of 50 minutes. But in that short bit of eternity, 27 men had been killed and 35 were missing. As Hancock headed away from the task force for Ulithi, and eventually to Pearl Harbor for repairs, those killed-in-action were given a burial- at-sea off Okinawa.

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,- Q I I i Reconstructing A Warship Repairs on the Hancock were completed in time for the carrier to return to Japanese Waters and participate in the final air strikes on the home islands. Formal surrender came on Sept. 2, 1945, aboard the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay as Hancock and her sister carriers combined for a massive fly-over to demonstrate Allied air power. With the end of the war, Hancock became a part of Operation Red Carpet and transported many of the fighting men home. She was a proud and veteran warship. Her planes had downed or destroyed 723 aircraft and sunk 17 warships and 31 merchant vessels. Ships guns had accounted for 10 more planes. Even so, the carrier was destined for deactivation and by mid-1946 Hancock's grey shape was mothballed and berthed at a pier in Mukilteo, Wash. The life of the carrier was far from ended though. ln 1951 the wraps had already begun to come off and massive rebuilding projects were underway to add the benefits which technology had brought in the intervening years. By 1954, the ship was taking shape as the most powerful naval strike unit ever conceived. Hancock was the first American carrier with steam catapults. Her flight deck was now angled for speedier and safer flight operations. She was given an enclosed hurricane bow for strength and sea-keeping ability. And new landing systems were added to handle the newer, faster and heavier jet aircraft. The second phase of her existence had begun. 'W' Nfvugxw 5 3 ww wwwlb ' 'K Wiunnna n A fm! reef- M S4 .2 AAA! ifC:l4S9'f3V'MW 453912458 A555353 CIO ,--.I oeewso' , IQ GOOD 1116 2 243 an 'Y is - , smumsmw-mmuum i N ' umunmmmtm mumuumxl gg' ulsnmmmuummumummm '1 , . - e . may 'dia MMM 90 OOQHOQQ 2223 gf .2 if zigiaerfz 3115 22 gn .'fzef-Man M... 1' e 2 ?.?z2?. 1: is Z -f .2 we 2 2.7111 ., W V45 7' Lian 1 9 4 If 4 W6 arf 4 s x 'w 5 'vwkXx+'r L35 www 4 'P muuuummwimmxuxmxm ummmswsxmumxsmmnuu xgf- A ' 45, Q V0-,ap-4: nn.-aqua - TTT' M N 'Tf '7 'TT ? f'?ff W'f f I 2-.wi -i - L' Www' A ' ' ' 1.