Lexington (CV 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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The task force guns have ceased firing the distant puffs of smoke from exploding anti-aircraft shells gradually diffuse blow away The occasional wisps of fire and smoke from the destroyed ap planes now trail far behind us the sky looks sweet clean and casual again Prom radar plot comes word that all enemy bogies have disappeared and air patrols report all clear It feels good to hear men laugh On this fourth day of December 1943 two aircraft carriers bearing historic names of famed battles of the American Revolution receix e err p enemy planes destroyed them The skipper is proud of his gunners gives them the Navy s best salute WELL DONE Photographing attacking planes with a Kao camera is something like shooting an anti-aircraft gun at them, you point towards a speck which at first you can scarcely see and you aim and shoot as fast and as often as you can, try with each exposure to anticipate the split second when that moment's action will be at its peak. Now that it's all over, I find that I am feeling kind of limp and that my knees are a little wobbly . . . and boyl did I break camera rules today, the rules that call for a steady, easy, smooth, gently precise camera technique. If I had been working with film packs, I probably would have I ' ' , , ' - ' ' , ' I d th ' ba tism of fire . . . were attacked by land-based forgotten to pull the slide. GUR GUNNERY OFFICERS NWATCH AS IT QCD EXPLODES WHEN IT HITS THE WATER

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. . ::L.:...Mu. , -- - ..-.l..l- - ...- - .. , i 1 ' as R ,E . ' 5 Q R 1 QBQ PLANE BECOMES A SHEET OE EIRE AS IT PASSES OVER HER STERN IOS -W,-1 .una

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