Oriskany (CV 34) - Naval Cruise Book

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VC-62 Composite Squadron s 3 HOTOGRAPHS of the islands bombed and the reconnoitered by pilots off the Oriskany shores came through cameras aboard aircraft of Detachment 8-51 of Composite Squadron 62. They took enough to fill a gallery and tire out the Hyers who saw the photos posted in ready rooms each morning after bombing and diving on the same bleak island the day before. it Although primarily photo reconnaissance, VC-62 has also taken part as a fighter division in rockets, gunnery, combat air patrol and air group strikes. The Detachment, with four FSF-2Ps, was one of many sent out by its parent squadron as photo teams on various aircraft carriers. YC-62. based at Cecil Field, was the Navys Atlantic Fleet Photographic Squadron. lts pilots got their training in a variety of aircraft, including the Banshee. The team on the Oriskany included LTJC Turley, officer-in-chargeg LTJCs Morgan and Bliesener, and Ensigns Farrell and Workinger, and 16 enlisted men. The detachment's aircraft availability was outstanding-through the work of the maintenance crew under Chief Kelly. Ordnance work was super- vised by Chief Carpenter. ln August, LTJC Turley was transferred to Photo interpretation School at Washington, D. C., leaving LTJC Morgan as O-inaC. ENS Palmer came to the Detachment from the Coral Sea to take over the duties in aviation equipment and survival. FIRST ROW, Left to Right: Omer E. Kelly, ADC7 ENS Thomas G. Workingerp LTJG Arthur B. Bliesenerp LTJG Miles D. J. Turley: LTJG Robert L. Morgan: ENS John R. Farrell and Dale E. Carpenter, AOC .... SECOND ROW, Left to Right: Peter Torkeo, AD37 Robert E. Cyran, AN: Carl V. Talbert, Jr., AT37 Vincent C. Johnson, AN7 Frank E. Sturges, AF37 Raymond A. Nolette, AE3g Alfred H. Young, AO3 .... THIRD ROW, Left to Right: Donald J. Allain, AN, Conard A. Phillips, AD37 Walter L. Stanley, AF37 William H. Ryan, AN7 Melvin Lynch, Jr., AN7 Frank W. Shults, Jr., AM27 and Eugene F. Wright, AD1. The two aviation photographers of VC-62 Detachment 8-51 preparing to make an installation in an F8F-2P. The AF3s are Frank E. Sturges lleftl and Walter L. Stanley Krightl.

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tl s F il P 1 3 A E l V w 7 E si 2 I 5 . L. ? E E i Composite Squadron ETACHMENT Eight of Composite Squadron 33 has sailed with the Oris- kany so long, starting with the first shakedown in Janu- ary, that they consider them- selves uhalf-plank ownersff They Hy under the slogan uWhenever an East Coast Flat-top Sails, a VC-33 De- tachment Always Prevailsf, Skippered by CDR R. lVl. Lindsey, the officers and men of the unit moved into the swing of shipboard activities. Henecke pitched for the Oriskany baseball team and 4'Bum Dopef' Catalano played for the softball nine. The detachment sports held a beach party at Khandia, Crete, with the athletes winding up at the bar of the CPO Club at Suda Bay. And there was the time LT uPlane Ditchern Schumacher dropped his Sky Raider AD into the drink. While men crowded the Oriskany catwalks and hatches to watch, one of the crewmen in the plane, uBuddha Sigmon, calmly stepped out on the wing, glanced to see if LT Schumacher had gotten out, tested the cold sea with his big toe, bowed to the on-lookers and jack-knifed in. He backstroked to a nearby DD. Both LT Schumacher and the other crew- man, Hinrichs, got away before the plane went down. Officer in charge of Detachment Eight was LT Henderson, with LT Schumacher as exec. iff! X VC-33 Two of the men, lVlumbles,, Derifield and 6'SquaWl-ter Youshaw have real Air Medals tucked away in lockers, following AD combat duty in Korea. All the others, from LTJG ul-ioosterj' Erk, LTJG 4'Srniley,, Speckman, LTJQ '4Pee Wveen Hancock, ENS Hjiggern Kowalsky, through to Pencil Face Peloquin, uLunch Hooksf' Franks, 'cljlate Class Charliea' Granger, HTenderfoot', Russell and Curr ner Dineen are ready for the chance to get pinned. Quoting from the Henderson book of VC-33 sayings, There will be Air Medals in the morning. Bottom Row, I-eff N Ri9 ' ' J. C. Dineen, W. H. Hinrichsf M- W. Suvuge, J. S. Youn91 D' w' Youshuw, R. D. Nault, R. E. Curl- son, R. C. Sutton, R- W- Lama' ter, F. V. Cutalano, D- P' Bu' chanun, T. R. Barker .... SEC- oNn now Len to RISM A P Wilson N A Dixon LTJGAI- Speckmun ENS B D KowllSkY ne: 1 ark u E C 'W macher Lt R R I-lendersvll Luc B N Hancock .I HW chuk A E Peloqum THIRD now Len to Right R 0'C ' n .I S Slgmon R 5 H Derltield .I M Walls R Fenty R .I Donohue W E :agen rounm now bf' to Right C I. Toul .I I. lui? R K Franks I E Heneeknf Snyder C A Grtlltleri ik' L f la , N 6 ' : - - . if i h 1 - ' b I x gi I N . I . . - I . . l t ll g v if . 'fl .1 . , . . ' Ei if fi 54 ' ' i T. 5 2 I , nfieg. t s g o H .n .. . ---5' l, 5: H, . , . . - .' 9 ji 1 1 . .l f -' - ' ' ' 7 's S I- T - w 1 rg . - - ' ' ' ' i ,I 1 . 3 , I . : . - 5 21? V Hi I lf'f .. J 4 -' r, ' eu: ' 0 I ' ' . 11 f' 2 '9 . if ff ' - i . , . II F.R- g ,' , .X e 1 4 h 5' F. P. Millar, w. H. Russe 1 A I 5 f is , ' F n I . . 1 u 1 N :.:'. v A' -' ' 'l,l,.g.1 t 1 r - r . - - ' ' 'Y ' S . . . . V Q: s , . il. ,334 I W ' 2 n I I ' 'V' 1.8.9, ' 'L ' ig iff 'I' - I :- - -,,-..l-i I.,

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1 ' ' Helicopter Unlf H U I LYING a helicopter always looked so simple that few sailors topside watched the acro- batics of the Oriskany's eggbeater, or appreci- ated the skill and experimentation of its pilots. 'During air operations, oliicers and men would climb to the 07 level as Banshees, Corsairs, and Sky Raiders shot in one after another for per- fect landings. Meanwhile, the blades ofthe heli- copter flapped incessantly standing by as guard in case any conventional plane dropped into the water. Unobserved, the helicopter would stand motionless, rise or fall vertically, or adapt itself precisely to movement of the ship. And finally when it landed, gently as a pigeon settling on a cornice, interested ob- servers had gone below. Detachment Eight of Helicopter Squadron Two was manned by LT Estes, Senior Naval Aviator of the Detachment, Leroy Barton, ACIQAPJ, second pilot, and five other enlisted men. The Detach- ment was manned only when the ship was at sea, although De- tachment Eight was permanently assigned to the Oriskany. Both aircraft and personnel were sent aboard from the home squadron, HU-2, at NAS, Lakehurst, N. J. The Suipan's Helicopter warned us about Europe. I I T BACK ROW, left to Ri ht: R. G. St ' ADI g urgls, 5 Lt. I.. E. Estes: L. L. Barton, ACI KAPJ7 I R Liasse, AD2. . . . FRONT ROW, Left to Right: J. R. Ballogg, ADANQ I... M. Hewitt, Al73i J. Kemski, ADAN. During the cruise, HU-2, rescued four pilots of downed aircraft, and one sailor from ship's company, who had fallen over the side. Barton and Lewis M. Hewitt, AD3, were officially commended by Captain Lyon for their part in one difiicult rescue successfully accomplished. Most of the work, however, turned out to be routine, delivering guard mail at sea to other ships, taking photographs, taxiing Chaplains from ship to ship on Sunday, and transferring person- nel and materiel to and from the Oriskany. Visitors from North Africa found no shade under the eggbeater. ip...--r -.4-'N