It was 1945 and our ship, the USS Yorktown, "The Fighting Lady" was under attack by Japanese planes. I was directing planes on the flight deck during the attack-lane engines were revving up, our guns were firing and the noise was awesome.
We were trying to get our best to get our planes launched for a counter
attack, concentrating on getting the planes down to the launch site. This
one pilot wouldn't taxi his plane to the
launch site so I motioned sky-ward to
the pilot to signal that the ship was under attack by Japanese planes, when all
of a sudden a Japanese Kamikaze plane passed over the top of the port side by no
more than thirty feet before crashing into the ocean. THEN the pilot
understood and taxied his plane to the launch site in a HURRY!
By Al Morris
Rear Gunner on Yorktown plane remembers Marianna Turkey
Shoot
With Tiny Souvenir
Put underwater by "tidal wave" from Yorktown
I
participated in the First Philippine Sea battle, June 1944, as a rear seat
gunner in an SB2C Helldiver dive bomber. After bombing a Japanese aircraft
carrier my pilot and I limped back to the Task Force in darkness. We tried
twice to land on our home carrier, the Yorktown, but were given a wave off due
to improper spacing between planes in the darkness. The landing lights had
been turned on aboard the carriers, but when a Japanese plane came around in
the landing circle, the lights were immediately turned off and all planes were
ordered to clear the area. We had to circle
for several minutes, burning
up precious gallons of fuel remaining in our tanks. When the lights
eventually came on we made two more approaches to land, but again were waved off
for the same reason. On the third attempt to land we couldn't make it and
had to ditch in the ocean a short distance ahead of the Yorktown. After
reaching the surface again, after being buried by a 'tidal wave from the carrier
going past us, we were able to get into our like raft and send flare signals by
use of a Very pistol and firing our pistols. Luckily, we were picked up by
a destroyer after a couple of hours.
The
destroyer ordinance man took our pistols to clean and oil. He hung the
leather holster for my .38 pistol adjacent to a hot pipe for drying. Two
day later when we transferred back to the Yorktown, he returned my pistol, but
the holster had shrunk to about the size of a 'pop gun' holster! Just 6
inches long and 3 inches wide and hard as medal.
Our squadron personnel officer thought I had earned the souvenir and let me keep it.
By Jim Mitchell
Skinny Yorktown Aviation Boatswain Mate Nearly Catapulted off the Deck
Editor: five foot nine inches tall, 18 years old, 120 pounds. Almost launched off the Yorktown flight deck in 1945. Story by Bob Moore
My job was checking the wing lock under the plane before the
F6F was catapulted off the deck...no big deal, except I got caught! With
my
left hand holding the tie down hook for balance, I crouched under the right
wing. It folded out and locked so I have a thumbs up to the Signal Officer
and he gave the high rev up to the pilot. Then it happened. My foul
weather gear filled with air with the force from the prop back wash. I was
slammed up under the wing like an overstuffed sausage. I grabbed the hook
with both hands and hung on for dear life.
I could see the Signal Officer's legs but he couldn't see me. the plane was shuddering and ready to be launched. What do I do? When do I let go? Where will I end up? In a propeller? In the ocean? These thoughts were going through my head in an instant. Then I saw a shipmate run up behind the Signal Officer and motion in my direction.
The Signal Officer leaned forward and saw me caught under the wing. He looked startled and gave the pilot the cut off sign. The plane settled down and the blast stopped. I dropped to the deck and scurried out from under the wing. As I moved out of the area I glanced up at the pilot, who had a look of disbelief. A quick glance at the Signal Officer and it became obvious that he was torn between anger, relief and disbelief. As for me, I scrambled out of that foul weather gear, never to put on another.
Ron Price
E-Mail: cptron@bellsouth.net
I served on board Yorktown as a Radioman, from Feb. 1969 when she steamed into Norfolk (Pier 12) until I left her in Boston sometime in 1970. I was part of the last ships company and did the last North Atlantic/Med Cruise on board her. Can anyone tell me if a copy of that cruise book
exists anywhere? I ordered one on the cruise, but never received it.
Editor: Check the ships store for a CD copy!
I went to boot camp in Orlando Florida, Company 28 at that brand new facility. While there I watched Apollo 8 go up from the roof of the barracks.
I couldn't imagine that when I reported on board Yorktown in Feb. 1969 Apollo 8 would be in Hangar bay 3!!!
submit your Yorktown Sea Story dan@disabilitypaycheck.com
