Tennessee vs The Maxims vs Missouri

[OneManGang]

OK, Halsey's typhoon(s) involved the "new" USS Yorktown (CV-10) so named after the sinking of the "old" Yorktown (CV-5) at Midway.

USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) was an Independence-class light carrier. The CVLs were based on light cruiser hulls and carried about 1/3 the air group of an Essex-class fleet carrier. More likely he flew the F6F Hellcat fighter although if he were on board the earlier Yorktown, her air wing included F4Fs.

You can request his military records from the National Archives, takes about 6 weeks or so for the wheels of government to turn.

USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) in 1943. (US Navy)

 

[JacketVol]

I am always better for reading your writings. Thank you sir. True gift.

 

[mercuryvol]

Thanks for the clarification. He actually flew both the F4F earlier and the F6F later in the war. I have some of his records but I have been told that a lot of his records were destroyed in a fire in an archive.??!! (St. Louis maybe??) My aging memory fails me. Thanks for the help. Your writings are a great lesson.

 

[OneManGang]

I can relate to that. My Dad's records were lost in that 1973 fire as well. He had to reconstruct them in order to get his VA benefits.

Also, the BW was involved in the 13 July 1945 typhoon, losing one of her elevators. She was also hit by a kamikaze.

Amazon has the Belleau Wood Cruise Book for WWII on CD-ROM. Most ships have one, containing a brief history, lots of pictures, pictures of the different divisions on board and so forth. For whatever reason, this site won't let you post links to items on Amazon so you'll have to type in "USS Belleau Wood CVL 24 World War II Cruise Book" to get there.

 

[Tin Man]

Sympathies, @mercuryvol. My father's records were impacted as well.

 

[Tin Man]

@OneManGang, were F4Fs flown off escort carriers in the North Atlantic through the end of the war?

 

[OneManGang]

@OneManGang, were F4Fs flown off escort carriers in the North Atlantic through the end of the war?

Yes, the standard air group for a CVE in the Atlantic was 9 to15 FM-1 (F4F-4) Wildcats and 9 to 12 TBM Avengers. There were four larger CVE's of the Sangamon-class that carried 18 F6F Hellcat fighters and 9 Avengers. This was only six fighters short of the air group for a CVL!

Hellcats off two British and two American escort carriers flew support missions for the August, 1944 invasion of Southern France.

Captain Eric "Winklle" Brown, RN, was a test pilot during the war and basically flew anything that had wings, friendly and enemy, over 487 different types! He declared the F6F to be the finest carrier fighter of the war. Cool piece of trivia: Brown made his first carrier landing in a Lend-Lease Wildcat (for some unfathomable reason the Brits called it a "Martlet"), 2200+ "traps" later, his last was in an F-4 Phantom.

 

[mercuryvol]

Sympathies, @mercuryvol. My father's records were impacted as well.

Thanks, Tin Man. Sorry for the loss of your dad’s records as well. What is your avatar? I hope you have more info on your father’s service.

 

[mercuryvol]

I can relate to that. My Dad's records were lost in that 1973 fire as well. He had to reconstruct them in order to get his VA benefits.

Also, the BW was involved in the 13 July 1945 typhoon, losing one of her elevators. She was also hit by a kamikaze.

Amazon has the Belleau Wood Cruise Book for WWII on CD-ROM. Most ships have one, containing a brief history, lots of pictures, pictures of the different divisions on board and so forth. For whatever reason, this site won't let you post links to items on Amazon so you'll have to type in "USS Belleau Wood CVL 24 World War II Cruise Book" to get there.

OMG, thank you for the cruise book info. Dad was shot down at Rota (I think in an F4F) and had difficulty with the VA as well. I was under the impression that the records were lost in the fire in the 1950s, though. I also believe that he told me that the Belleau Wood was so trashed out from the storm that they returned to the US for repairs which was the only time in the war that he returned to the US. Also recall that some of the support missions wound up on semi constructed island strips with CBs and Marines-thus his high regard for both groups. Anyway, thanks for all you bring to this forum. Go Vols.

 

[Tin Man]

Thanks, Tin Man. Sorry for the loss of your dad’s records as well. What is your avatar? I hope you have more info on your father’s service.

My avatar is a symbol of the United States Parachute Association.

 

[ZippyMorocco]

OMG:
A member of my church flew more missions in the Pacific than any other pilot. He was L.E. Witt, and flew a P-38 Lightning. IRRC, he was in the 28th pursuit squadron. Also, he taught Lundberg how to fly a P-38.

 

[OneManGang]

OMG:
A member of my church flew more missions in the Pacific than any other pilot. He was L.E. Witt, and flew a P-38 Lightning. IRRC, he was in the 28th pursuit squadron. Also, he taught Lundberg how to fly a P-38.

Col. Witt's papers are preserved at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton. Unfortunately they have not been digitized, so to see them one must go there.

Collection: L. E. Witt papers | University of West Georgia Special Collections

He is also enshrined in the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame.

Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame: Hall of Fame

 

[ZippyMorocco]

Col. Witt's papers are preserved at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton. Unfortunately they have not been digitized, so to see them one must go there.

Collection: L. E. Witt papers | University of West Georgia Special Collections

He is also enshrined in the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame.

Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame: Hall of Fame

Thanks OMG. 326 missions is amazing unless you were a Luftwaffe pilot. I knew one. he had over 600. My uncle had 74 in a P-47 over North Africa and Italy.