Clash of the Carriers: The True Story of the Marianas Turkey Shoot of World War II
Barrett Tillman
Language: English
Pages: 384
ISBN: 0451219562
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
In June, 1944, American and Japanese carrier fleets made their way through the Philippine Sea, both hoping to take control of the vital Marianas Islands. When they met, they embarked upon a naval engagement that escalated into the most spectacular aircraft carrier battle in history. Here is the true account of the battle, told from both sides - by those who were there. Drawing upon numerous interviews as well as official sources, Clash of the Carriers is an unforgettable testimonial to the bravery of those who fought and those who died in a battle that will never be forgotten.
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Lieutenant Horace “Hod” Proulx, a former SBD pilot who “forgave a lot of bad approaches that night.” Intervals were cut thin, then sliced some more. Instead of the normal twenty to thirty seconds between planes, Proulx gave two cuts fifteen seconds apart. Then it got closer. The notorious “double cut” was the bugaboo of LSOs: It was more theoretical than factual, but two pilots eager to get aboard might crowd the pattern, responding to the same cut. It nearly happened on the Big E when Proulx.
To greet the inbound raiders about ten miles offshore. Less than two hours after launch, a terrific dogfight erupted beneath scudding gray clouds. Emerging from a storm front, the F6F pilots immediately recognized that they had their hands full. With master armament switches selected, they hit the red “B” button, depositing their five-hundred-pounders in the spume-tossed sea, and prepared to shoot it out. However, one division kept its bombs and ignored the interceptors to attack Iwo’s main.
Finally comprising 455,000 men aboard 290 ships. Ray Spruance knew his value, saying, “There was nothing the fleet wanted that Uncle Bill couldn’t get.” Delivery of vital supplies to the end users was conducted in phases. ServRon Eight transported matériel from the West Coast to the forward areas, while in late 1944 ServRon Six was established as a dedicated unit to operate with Spruance’s and Halsey’s striking forces. Other elements of Calhoun’s far-flung empire included ServRon Two’s hospital.
Of the armada, when some 320 British and Spanish vessels contested mastery of the English Channel. In terms of carrier battles, the Turkey Shoot exceeded everything that preceded it. None of the four carrier clashes of 1942 engaged more than seven flattops; excluding floatplanes and land-based aircraft, Midway involved just over 500 tailhook airplanes. Off Saipan, Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher embarked 905 aircraft in fifteen fast carriers; Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa about 440 in nine flattops.
Sent sailors sprinting to battle stations. Hatches were dogged, helmets donned, trousers tucked into socks to reduce flash burns. Gun crews trained their weapons toward the westerly threat, setting ready ammunition nearby. One of the four carrier group commanders, Rear Admiral John Reeves, cautioned his gunners, “Try to avoid shooting down our fighters. They are our best protection.” On carriers the red diamond Fox flag was hoisted to indicate flight quarters. Pratt & Whitney engines belched.