5-3-14
From Frank Studenski’s War Diary:
April 30, 1944 (the Hollandia Invasion)
This morning planes took off the carriers to bomb Jap airfields and ships. All of the planes were in the air by 0630 hours. Jap planes spotted us at 0900 hours. We were attacked by 22 torpedo planes. The carrier Cabot’s fighters shot down most of the planes. Some of the planes got through into the formation. One plane was sighted off our starboard bow, this was a torpedo plane making a run on us. The plane came in low over the water, but did not drop his torpedo, the pilot was either dead or his release gear was shot away. The plane flew over our bow and crashed on the port side. A second plane came in low over the water and we opened up our forties. The plane was headed for the Yorktown which was just forward on our port side. This plane also crashed on the port side and went up in flames. A loud cheer went up after it hit the water. We shot down two of the three planes that got through the formation.
We expect more air attacks this afternoon or tonight. We were at general quarters all day. Bogies were reported in the area, but none came close to shoot at. Everyone is excited about the two Jill Torpedo Planes we shot down.
Pictured above is a “Val” an Aichi D3A2 divebomber. Vals were “early war” divebombers – the scourge of Pearl Harbor. They were “less used” as the war went on, replaced by other more efficient divebombers such as the Yokosuka D4Y Suisei “Judy” – well known to the men on the Boston and the other Task Force ships. The ships were also targeted by torpedo planes – planes that dropped down only a few feet above the water line and released armed and propelled torpedoes. Common among them were the Nakajima B6N Tenzans, “Jills.”
From George Pitts’ diary:
Oct 13-44 (the Battle off Formosa)
……… Just after supper about sunset the Japs closed in after having heckled us all day long. About 12 planes came in breaking inside the formation through a screen of flak made by our guns. 4 or 5 were shot down. No one noticed the Canberra (sister ship) astern of us. She had two Jap torpedo planes making a run at her. She hit them both, but one managed to to set his torpedo loose and it hit the Canberra just aft of her stbd beam. All this happened pretty fast. The attack last about 1 hour. Then the cruiser Wichita went to take the Canberra (cruiser) in tow. Twenty seven men were killed in the firerooms where the fish hit.
Oct 14-44
……… Just about suppertime they came in force. Raids of 30 and 50 planes came in single groups. Our fighters repelled them until dark, then all hell broke loose again. Quite a few broke in our formation while others circled it and let loose with their torpedoes. A few missed our bow and one astern. The Houston (light cruiser) who took the Canberra’s place in the formation, took a torpedo in the fantail. . . .
Oct 16-44
……. At approximately 1400 (2 pm) the Japs attacked with carrier planes probably knowing they had crippled a few of our ships. They intended to finish them off. They attacked the tugs and cripples (Houston and Canberra) that we had left this morning. The Houston took another fish in her fantail. She’s almost split in two ………
steve