Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 192 text:

I11Ul7ii M,Xi?,XR1l1IIl1R',S N.XX'Y 011, fl't'x11' 1111' l1l1l'J' 1111 1111' C,'l'1: .1 .11 111111 1111 .v111111'1' 1.11 1111' 1.'11111'.1. U111' 1'11g1'111'.s 1.'11111'1.' 111111 l.l111.L,'h 111111 1111111 '1' 111 1101113 .U111'.1l1'111111'.v .X11lh'l'. Ill' 11f11 1'1111' 11'111'11' 11'.v 11111 IIA' 11111 .11111'1' 1.11 INXUJCX 11,1 1'1lIg 1111 11111. P111111' Il11gl'!.xksl'l11A ll 1.5111 111' .X111 111 Doug .ll111'-PI1'111111 .v .X1l1 l'. Il'111'11'j1'1',11y 11111 11111 111j11'1111111111' 7-hllllf 61511-11115 1111' 1'111111111'1111111111'. B111 goslz, Illfjl' 11111 1'.xf11f1111111111' Ill Doug -11ClL'-11'1fIl11'x.Y .X111-'y. Tlzqy S6111 115 0111 111 1111' 1Jh111!1f11.11l'J' SfZl1i1H61 .v11,11p11'1'y !1l'l11.11fI I111' A'l't.'l1l'J'. A1161 1111 11101 11115 11jf1f111' IIA' 11'11.v 11 Ill Doug .11HL'-'11'1fIl1l .Y .x1lI J1'. x l'Il11.Y 111 !Jf1114L' ,11111.I1111111'1 .X1l?'j' l'11l 1111 f11,Q.'1:1K1 xfl1111' 111- 1111 Il'fl11f1' f'UI71f1Cl1 IZ V ' 1 lg H 1 111111111 1111 .S11111 -S111 Ilflllll .I1111 11111 111111 1111111111 111111 11 '11 111 ' 11.1 1' .ll 11 - 111 11111111 .11111.l1111111',x .X1l1'T. 1 H '1' .x1111'1V1 1111 11111 11111 11111111 1.1111111511 E21 .N1111 l.1'11tl 111'l'11 111111 1111 11111 f111,x1, f111l 111111111111 1xx 11111111 111 1111 1,'11111n fowl 1 1' g N5 ,Qi 111 11111113 .11111.'11,!1111-.5 .N 111j1'. S11111 1111111111 111 111.1 ffliif ffl 1 '111111 111111' 11'1 11 1lIIf1 11111-711f111111'.s1', H'1 11 111111 1111' 11 llfl 2111.111 CI '1:'1.s 111 1111113 .1l11l..'11,!1111'x.3 .N1l?.'J'. 32 1, 1111, 1111711 11111-1 1flI' l1'11f1 1111111 C11,E,.s' u '1 1111.s'1' .s'111j1.x' 111111 111111' fl-AY' fl 1111 111- CflI'I'.Y6, 1 To make 11,18 L1:1'11' .S'flUll' f11111j111'11' 511111 1111 111111 1111' 11111111 A119' 11111.11 stj.1'I'.:w Tflfij' 131 115 ffllfkfc' 1111' 11'111111'j'11f1 11111, 111 111111.11 ,1111111'.'11'111111 .v .1X'1111J1. 1171116 1116 Bzg .S'11111.s' .1111 111 ll 1 1'1'111111.v1111111 .s'1'111 1,1 Doug1.41101-1.1,-1j,,,,-'J t'gQ,,.,,. 11111111 11111 111111 1.r 11?'1'1' 1'11 11111 11 11716 4 ' I V11 1111115 Il flfl11'?'I'1' 11111 1fl11'111J1' 111111111, Nfwt 1f11:l' .s'1'11l 115' 10 ffll' 1111111111 .v1'11.s' Hf'1'111111'1'1111' 11 .... 111111:,f11'111z11' 1110 .Skl'I?6'H1'Yf 111' 1'1'111'.f1f1'.s' 111111 11111 13155 111 1111113 111flC, 17'1fl1l1's.S' .,11 'Va1f1'. ANON. 11 il? 1 1 'Vhc L1111'311 l'111'111 l3'our.' 188 7 1 1 1 Y

Page 191 text:

I l SUPPORT CARRIERS PASS BATTLE TEST l ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS RELEASE LUZON fUndatedj-Americaas newest of- fensive weapon in the Pacific has passed its final test. The weapon is the commonplace. comparatively cheap, quickly built little escort or support carrier. There is a whole fieet of them in combat- not just convoying-in the Pacific under Rear Admiral Calvin T. Durgin of Palmyra, N. Never designed for anything but convoying ships and ferrying planes, the CVE's have come of age. They plunged hotly and successfully into the Luzon assault after having fought off vicious Japanese air attacks on our huge con- voys en route. Although they are slower and much more vulnerable 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- voy 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 seventy- one, destroyed 237 military trucks and dam- aged ninety-eight, destroyed or damaged twelve tanks, destroyed six bridges and damaged eight, destroyed seven armored cars and a half dozen railroad cars, destroyed pillboxes and strafed 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 fifty-five. In the air and aground more than loo japanese planes were destroyed. The carriers, plane losses have been only eighteen. Many carriers are still busy ferrying and con- voying. Yet an increasing number-several groups to date-are being used for combat under Admiral Durgin, who commands all combatant CVE activities in the Pacific. Thus the big class carrier force in the Third and Fifth fleet 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 proved their seaworthiness in the Atlantic 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 surprisingly 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 of forces so that no one attack can wipe out all. If one bomb strikes an Essex class flight deck, scores of planes are rendered immovable 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, two support carriers can launch planes twice as quickly as one big flight deck in emergencies. Planes have to take off one at a time no matter how big the deck. The admiral and his staff are underno il- lusions about the support force, however. They realize the vulnerability 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.

Page 193 text:

Dear Mama and Papa: I theenk thees Navy she a funny wan. You know they alatime say we go home next week or maybe thee week after that, but do we go? No we do not go. Now thees here ees what shes call scuttlebutt. And the drinking foun- tain shes also thee scuttlebutt. Wheech you want ess whether you weesh to drink or listen. Now when you weesh to go to thee front porch eets not thee front porch, eets the fore- castle, but they call heem folk-sil. Now Im ask you ees thees right? Anyhow you canit go anyway as thees ees wat you call Ofhcairis country, wheech means shes for thee Onficairs only. Likewise thee back porch shes call a fan tail, but shes don look like a fan or a tail. Thees ess for thee crew only, but thees don stop those Officairs. Now thees canteen usually ees something wheech ees drink out of, but here eet ees thee store where everybody wait in line, except the Oflicairs. When they say quarters, they don mean twenty-five cents, they mean everybody rush lak h-H so you can stand longer. Thees ees wan time when they are to be dressed up except I theenk the Oflicairs. I theenk I be wan of those Oflicairs! I gccve you some words and see do you make some sense from them. Thee wall shes a bulk- head and thee floor ees a deck. Thee ceiling Im told ees an overhead and a mop ees a swab. Also a man wheech nobody like ees a swab too. They have a jail, but shes a brig. You don go to the front or to thee rear. Eet is either for- ward or aft. Likewise thee left side ees not thee left side, eet ees port. I always before theenk thees ees wine. Thee right side ees star board. Im so ball up by now Im don know eef I perspire or sweat. Im theenking Im going to bed-no I cant do thees. Ive got no bed. Eet is thee sack Ive got. Eef I stay een heem too long I am thee hound. But thees ees not thee same kind of dog wheech holds thee door. O wat ever I do to geet so twist up? Im don know wheech way Im turn. Helloilm mean goodbye. Your son, N. J. SOUTHERN, CM3c, R Division. Chow down.