Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS RELEASE SUPPORT C:ARRIERS pass BATTLE TEST LUZON (Undated) — America ' s newest of- fensive weapon in the Pacific has passed its tinal test. The weapon is the commonplace, comparatively cheap, tiiiickh ' bLiilt little escort or support carrier. There is a whole tleet of them in combat - not just convoying — in the Pacific under Rear .Admiral Calvin T. Durgin of Palmyra, N. ). e er designed for anything but convoying ships and ferrying planes, the CVE ' s have come (jf age. They plunged hotly and successfully into the Luzon assault after having fought oH vicious Japanese air attacks on our huge con- oys en route. Although they are slower and much more ' ulnerable than big Essex class carriers, almost all of them were able to continue on the job, protecting our ships and striking hard at the enemy in the air and ashore. Most of their 4,478 sorties in the twelve-day action were con- oy protection. Yet, despite the big task of covering hundreds of ships, their planes also destroyed fourteen ammunition dumps and damaged one, destroyed thirty-one fuel dumps, destroyed one supply dump and damaged five, destroyed 107 buildings and damaged se enty- one, destroyed 237 military trucks and dam- aged ninety-eight, destroyed or damaged tweKe tanks, destroyed six bridges and damaged eight, destroyed seven armored cars and a half dozen railroad cars, destroyed pillbo.xes and straled and bombed enemy troop concentra- tions and artillery positions. In Lingayen Gulf, where the Americans landed on Luzon, the support carriers sank eighty small craft and probably thirty-one others, and damaged tifty-five. In the air and aground more than 100 Japanese planes were destroyed. The carriers plane been only eighteen. ha e Many carriers are still busy ferrying and con- oying. Yet an increasing number — several groups to date — are being used for combat under Admiral Durgin, who commands all combatant C:VE activities in the Pacific. Thus the big class carrier force in the Third and Fifth Heet now has a counterpart in the new support carrier. Like big carriers, the support carriers can operate separately or united in one big striking force. They pro ed their .seaworthiness in the . tlantic and in the stormy South China Sea, where iron sides buckled and boomed under the impact of forty-foot waves. Flight decks roll and pitch, but surprisingl y few landing accidents occur. Several ships have come through typhoons, although sometimes even ordinary storms inflict minor damage. One of the Baby Flat Tops principal values is to permit a dispersing offerees so that no one attack can wipe out all. If one bomb strikes an Essex class flight deck, scores of planes are rendered immo able until the damage is re- paired. If the same bomb hits a support carrier less than half as many planes are made idle. .Also, as the admiral pointed out, tw-o support carriers can launch planes twice as quickly as one big flight deck in emergencies. Planes ha e to take off one at a time no matter how big the deck. The admiral and his staff are under no il- lusions about the support force, however. They realize the ulnerability inherent in every small ship. Although caution took a back seat for the Luzon assault, the admiral acknowledges that caution must always be a greater factor in planning a CVE strike than in using big carriers.

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DOL ' f; M ( Ak IIIUR ' S NA V Oh, ice ' ri the hoys on the C ' E A hull- bit shaky in ihi: knees. Our engines knock and cough and wheeze In Doug Mac Arthur ' s .Navy. ] ' e o ierale where il ' s hoi as hell More in close to ring the bell. Prime targets for a eke or .Yell In Doug .Mac. Arthurs . avy. While Jeeps are not dependable Their actions are commendable. But gosh, they are expendable In Doug Mac.Arthur ' s .Xavy. They sent us out to the Philippitu ' s Shujfled supplies behind the scenes, .And all that was left for us iras beans In Doug .Mac.Arthufs Navy. To make the Leyte show complete They let us tackle the whole Jap fleet. While the Big Shots sat in a Grandstand seal In Doug .Mac. Arthur ' s .Xavy. Next they sent us to the inland seas Screened by cruisers and old BB ' s Ciiririg cover by CAP ' s In Doug AtacArthur ' s A ' avy. For the biggest show of the whole camfiaign We entered the Sulu Sea again. .And the Jap attacks were thick as rain In Doug MacArlhur ' s Navy. U ' e survived the trip intact (.Almost) . ' ear Lingaycn look up our fiost, Our fannies ex iosed to the China coast In Doug .Mac. Arthur ' s . avy. Said Halsey to his big CVs This time we ' ll trap the Jafmnese, We ' ll bait the trap with CVKs In Doug .Mac.Arthur ' s .Xavy. Oh, we ' ll bait the trap loith CVE ' s Those ships that look like a lot of cheese, .And all that we could say was feez In Doug .Mac.Arthur ' s .Xavy. ] ' hen the war is over I ' ll tell it true ] ' e took ivhatever the enemy threw, Weathered it . . . Mac Arthur too In Doug Mac.Arthur ' s Navy. Anon.