War Stories
The following is an auto-biographical account of Rudy Hood's WWII experiences. You can contact him by email at rudy@hood-house.com. Enjoy.
Remembering the Past
Chapters
1 - Foreword and brief bio
2 - My introduction to the Airplane
3 - Pre Flight Training
4 - Flight Training
5 - Graduation: Those Navy Wings of Gold
6 - First Carrier Landing
7 - Joined Air Group Six
8 - Moved to Hawaii
9 - Aboard the U. S. S. Hancock
10 - U. S. S. Hancock bombed
11 - Back in Action
12 - Mission Canceled
13 - Credits
14 - Awards and Pictures
It has been brought to my attention as I have talked to friends and family, I should try to put some of my war stories in record form just in case my grandchildren would like to know what their grandfather did in the big one. (World War II).
I was born in Beaumont, Texas on January 12, 1923 to Lonnie C. & Edith Jones Hood. I went to South Park Schools from the first grade through the eleventh grade all on one campus.
When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Sunday, December 7, 1941 was the day that my life changed and everyone else in America. I was a second year student at Lamar Jr. College, in Beaumont, Texas and living with my family. I registered for the draft along with all of my buddies that were eighteen years old. Things didn’t change for a couple of months. I registered for the spring semester in January of 1942. By this time I was nineteen years old. I also got a job at the Mobil Refinery in Beaumont while going to college. During the summer a friend Gene Wyatt (Mary Jane’s first cousin,) worked with me. One day at work, he ask if I would go with him to join the navy and apply for cadet training to become a naval pilot. This sounded good to me. It beat waiting around to be drafted, so we took off for Houston, took a short physical (we were warm and walking straight). They sent us on to Dallas for more complete mental and physical exams. The train ride was uneventful. They put us up at the YMCA for the night. The next day was a complete physical and mental exam. Here my friend and I separated, I passed and was sworn in to the Navy right there. He failed the physical and ended up as a pilot in the Army.
I went on inactive duty 16, June 1946 and returned to Beaumont, Texas. I entered college, September 1946 taking advantage of the G. I. Bill for Education. I began dating the girl I left behind and we were married 4 April 1947. We went to the University of Houston to finish my degree in Business Administration with a major in accounting August 1948.
Staying in Houston, I went to work in private accounting. In 1957 I started my own bookkeeping and tax service. I received my certificate as a Certified Public Accountant. I have had my own Public Accounting Practice from that date to this.
I was promoted to Lieutenant 6 November 1950 and remained on the inactive status until I received my Honorable Discharge 30 June 1961.
We have celebrated our fifty third wedding anniversary this year(2000) and have two daughters and son-in-laws and five grandchildren. God has allowed me to have good health and a great family.
My introduction to the Airplane
I was sworn into the United States Navy Reserve in August 1942 in Dallas, Texas along with a large group that had passed the mental and physical exams. I was sent home to wait for orders for my first assignment.
My first assignment was to go to the campus of Texas A. & M. (the last place I cared to be) but you have to take what they give. There weren’t any girls on the campus at that time. In this program, I was in the Navy but I had no uniforms and no pay. Also, at this time, there wasn’t anyone on the A. & M. Campus not in uniform since this was a military school. They pressured us to at least wear khakis so we would not embarrass the school.
At Texas A. & M. I learned to fly in their Civil Air Patrol. I have to admit I had not been around airplanes very much so I had to learn what makes them fly and about airports and their operations. What did the engine, wings, rudder, and other parts of the airplane make it maneuver and fly? The Navy did this so if you were not adapt to flying, they would save a lot of money and wash you out before going on active duty. I was there for about three months. We lived in a dormitory and ate with the cadets. We could participate in the school activities such as football games etc. We flew small two-seat airplanes called the Interstate Cadet. The airfield at that time was grass and sometimes mud. This was a new experience for me. I instantly fell in love with flying. I got about 30 hours of flying here. I returned home about 1 December 1942 to wait for future orders.
On 24, December 1942 I boarded a train in Beaumont for Athens, Ga. This was on the campus of The University of Georgia. At this time the train was the only mass transit available to transport people across the country. By this time, they were full of young men either in the army, navy or marines or like me, going to my first duty assignment. Most of us were going to places we had never been, to do things we had never done, and had no idea what the future would be. All we knew was that our services were needed and we would do our best. The Navy called it preflight school, but it was just like what other services called boot camp. This is where I received uniforms and began being paid. I knew that I was in the Navy now. We studied Navy ethics, physics, navigation, aerodynamics, military regulations, and lots of physical exercise in the form of drill, calisthenics, swimming, football, basketball, boxing, tumbling, wrestling, obstacle course, hikes, and anything else they could think up. The college campus was the perfect place for this training. The swimming pool, gyms, football fields, the rolling hills around the campus was the setting for these activities along with the classroom studies. I was not the physical type when I got there, but I was three months later when I left. We could go into town on Saturday night for three hours. If you were caught drinking a beer or even sitting at a table eating with someone else drinking a beer, you were sent home.
I boarded a train the middle of March 1943 for Lambert Field, St. Louis, Mo. Now I was about to begin my flying career in the United States Navy. Here, I was introduced to the best little airplane ever built, the Stearman. The Navy designation was N3N. The thrill of flying this by-wing open cockpit was the most fun a person could have. I thought I had died and gone to heaven, and the Navy was paying me to do this. This is the airplane you see at air shows doing aerobatics, loops, rolls, stalls, and anything you can think of with very little danger. By the time I left St. Louis, I had flown about eighty-six hours in this plane. Here we were permitted to leave the base on weekends. We couldn't leave town but there were plenty places we could go for entertainment. The Girls College at St. Charles, Mo. invited us for socials several times. We still participated in drill, calisthenics, swimming, and other forms of physical exercise to keep in shape.
About 25, June 1943 I rode the train down to Corpus Christi, Texas and reported for duty for more flight training. Each time we moved we were given more freedom. Here we could leave the base on weekends and even stay over night in town. If the Stearman was the most fun I had experienced, I was in for the worst experience. We called it the Vultee Vibrator. The Navy called it SNV. It was a low wing all metal airplane and was the next step up in size and power. I think it looked funny because it didn’t pull its wheels up. For this training we were stationed at a small air field about ten miles away from the main base. Cuddihy field was my home for four weeks of this training. July went by fast and was a good experience. You could get used to flying them and maybe like it a little as long as you didn’t have to look at it too long before climbing aboard. We had ten hours of duel instruction devoted to take-offs, landings, and fundamental maneuvers. The rest of the time here was solo flight. I logged about 50 hours in this plane. We learned to fly formation, instruments, and cross-country during this time.
The first week of August 1943 I was transferred back to the main base for four weeks of instrument training. We spent time in link trainers learning basic procedures and use of instruments and radio. The airplane we flew in this phase was the SNV also. I spent the entire month flying under the hood (the canvas cover closing off the cockpit) training to use the instruments and radios. Instrument flying was stressed for the rest of my training in order to keep prepared for any flying conditions we may encounter.
For the final phase of training I was transferred from the main base to Waldron Field for advanced training. Each time we went into heavier airplanes, this one was the SNJ “The Texan.” This airplane was big to me at that time. It was fun to fly, and this one did pick its wheels up. During this training, we learned dog fighting, bombing, strafing, more formation flying, instruments, and cross-country flying. Each outlying field trained for a different type of carrier based operation. This field was for training torpedo bombing. All during this time we were going to ground school to learn navigation, what makes airplanes fly, naval history and how to be an officer and a gentleman. Our physical training continued so we were in the best shape we could be in. I logged 90 hours in this plane during September and October. The end of the training as a cadet was here. I had over two hundred fifty hours of flying in different types and sizes of aircraft. The travel, the flying, the experiences of meeting hundreds of other young men from all over the United States, was an awesome experience for a small town boy that had not been out of Texas except for a few trips to Louisiana.
Graduation: Those Navy Wings of Gold
Then the big day came, 3 November 1943 when it all came together and I along with seventy-three other cadets were commissioned as Ensign in the U. S. Navy Reserve and received those coveted gold wings. There were thirteen more who chose to be Marines and they were commissioned as 2nd Lt.. We bought several pair of the wings so we could pin them on our t-shirts, overcoat and any other place we could get away with. We had even talked about having those wings tattooed on our chest, so we would have them even in our sleep and in the shower and at the pool and anywhere else we could show them off.
As we left the ceremonies, we were all eager to find out where we were headed. My orders were to N.A.S. Miami, Fl. About this time the war was going strong in Europe and Japan. Every pilot wanted to be a part of the Navy effort. As far as I could find, I was the only one, in this class, going to operational fleet. All the rest were going to be instructors. We all knew the new cadets were more dangerous than the Japanese or Germans (we remembered how we were), so nobody wanted to be an instructor. This was like having combat duty without the pay or recognition.
I reported to N.A.S. Miami, Fl. to start my training as a torpedo bomber pilot the end of November 1943. They gave me a couple of check rides in a SNJ (Texan) just to be sure I could still fly after 15 days leave. Then to the flight line where those big TBM’s were lined up. General Electric Co. in Trenton, N.J, made the TBM. It was actually first built by Grumman designated TBF by Grumman Aircraft Co. but they went into production of the F6F Hellcat Fighter Plane and contracted General Electric Co. to build the TBF and changed it designation to TBM. They were built from the Grumman plans. There were nearly 10,000 of these planes built during World War II. This is just part of the 55,000 airplanes built during World War II. The TBM (Torpedo Bomber)(AVENGER) was the largest single engine airplane at that time. It had a 1900 horsepower radial engine and carried two thousand pounds of bombs or torpedoes with a crew of three. The plane's empty weight was 10,843 pounds and the maximum weight was 18,250 pounds and forty feet long. The flight officer looked at me and said, “That one right there is yours, get in and fly.” This airplane did not have duel controls so your first ride was solo. I climbed sixteen feet up to the cockpit. I had never seen so many levers, switches, and instruments and wondered how am I going to learn all of this to keep from killing myself before I could get this monster back on the ground. Pilots say flying is the second greatest thrill you can have, landing is the first. Then as I sat down and buckled my harness, I said to myself, “you only die once, and you might as well go while you are having fun.”
Here I was assigned a roommate by the name of Jack Melson. Jack was from Norfolk, Va. and a great person. Jack and I were destined to be assigned together and were roommates until the war was over and we went our separate ways. We were close friends for that period of our lives but when we separated after the war, we never communicated with each other. Strange things happen and you close that part of your life.
As you see, everything went well after that first shock, I spent three months there flying navigation hops, formation, practicing field carrier landings, practicing low level torpedo runs on targets out at sea, Glide bombing (glide bombing is diving from about 15,000 feet at an angle of 45% and releasing your bomb at about 1,500 feet over the target and pulling out before hitting the ground). We didn’t do any dive-bombing, that was too dangerous and this plane’s wings were not stressed for it. We continued to do instrument flying both in link trainers and SNJ airplanes. At least once a week we kept our instrument flying sharp. This had to be flown in an airplane that had duel controls so one pilot could be a look out for the pilot under the hood. We were assigned two crewmen to also train as a gunner and radioman. By this time I had a little money in my pocket and Miami was the place to spend it. We were now officers in the Navy and we had more control of our time. Weekends were all most always free so we would rent a car and go to the beach and other fun spots. I logged about 100 hours here and enjoyed every minute of it.
I caught a train for Chicago, IL. The 22 January 1944 and went from sunny Florida to cold Chicago in about 36 hours. I was sent up there to qualify on the carrier USS Wolverine. It was sailing back and forth in Lake Michigan and used to train pilots in landing and take-off and deck personal to handle the operations of a carrier. The weather was bad for a couple of days and we had time to think about how were we going to hit that deck. We had never seen a carrier, only pictures. The morning of 30 January 1944 the weather had cleared some, so we put on our leather fleece-lined flight suits, boots, a helmet and we went to take off and found out they only had SNJ’s (Texan) for the qualifying. We had never practiced field carrier landings in an SNJ before. Oh well, we can try any thing once. But then once is the only chance we had. We took off and found the ship and got into the traffic pattern I looked at that small flight deck, looking down at the water and there were white caps on the water and the temperature was about 30 degrees. There was no way I was going to miss that ship and get wet. We all believed this was their method of convincing us to qualify. We were required to make six landings and takeoffs. We got back to the field, landed, and gathered in the hanger ready room exhausted thinking boy didn’t we have fun.
After a good night sleep I was ready to get out of that cold weather. I never did like the north and I wasn’t about to spend any more time there than I had to. I had some leave built up so on 31 January 1944 I bought my train ticket to Beaumont for some relaxing in the good old south. There wasn't much for me to do on leave. Gasoline was rationed; some foods were rationed so visiting with family and friends was most of the time spent. Beaumont was a refining town and also ship building so the people who were there were working long hours and didn’t have much time for recreation. The time they had off was for resting and taking care of their families. Beaumont was a small town so it didn't take much to go to a movie or to the beach a couple of times. I had to enjoy it while I could because when I looked at my orders, I had to report to Trenton, N. J. to ferry a TBM to the west coast. New carriers were moving into the Pacific and air groups training on the west coast, planes were needed faster than the regular ferry pilots could deliver them.
I went to New York 23 February 1944 thinking we would take off the next day; the weather was bad so I got to stay in New York until 1 March. This gave me time to see some Broadway shows and see some of the city. When I finally left I had to get an advance on my salary, I was broke.
The weather cleared and on 1 March 1944 four of us, and a regular ferry pilot, took off from Trenton, N. J. Air Field for the five-day trip to San Diego, Ca. We landed in Virginia for fuel then in Arkansas where we spent the night. We then went to Dallas, Texas for lunch and fuel. There were a few clouds and we thought this would be a good place to spend the night but the ferry pilot's skipper came in so we decided to fly on to El Paso, Tx. This was kind a boring just flying from one point to another. So we had to make it a little fun by testing the plane for rolls, dives, and other maneuvers. We also tested the low flying capabilities over the desert. It took fifteen flying hours. I was glad I wasn’t assigned to the ferry command. We checked in at N.A.S. San Diego to await orders to our new assignment.
While we were at San Diego waiting for our next assignment, we were able to have leave most of the time as long as we reported in every morning to see if we were assigned to some duty. Since there were lots of service men there, there were lots of things going on to entertain the men and keep them out of trouble. Several of the big bands were playing in the large dance halls that catered to the service men. We didn’t have much money so we were looking for any thing that was free.
By the last week of March we (the torpedo bomber pilots) received orders to report to Alameda Naval Air Station, in Oakland, California, to join Air Group Six. This was a group that had two prior cruises and was being reformed for a third, and ended up the final cruise. At the time, I was not aware of the history of Air Group Six. As we got to know each other I learned what a distinguished group I would be flying with. Air Group Six was aboard the USS Enterprise (CV6) and was sailing toward Oahu, Hawaii on December 7, 1941 and her planes were the first to enter combat with the Japanese. Air Group Six was aboard the USS Enterprise until 25 August 1942 when Guadalcanal was secured. They came home to rest and reform. Air Group Six was recommissioned on 15 March 1943 for its second war cruse. After training together until mid August 1943 the Air Group was split up and fought with other air groups on other carriers. Then early January 1944 they regrouped and went aboard the USS Intrepid (CV11) an Essex class carrier. They operated in all of the naval engagements in the pacific until February 1944 when they were sent home on well deserved leave. Lt. Cdr. William G. Privette, Jr. was the commanding officer of Torpedo Six and Lt. Harold Eppler was the executive officer. Both of these men returned to lead us in this final cruise. I considered it an honor to be assigned to this group. With this kind of leadership, I knew my training would be the best. On 10 April 1944 we mustered (called together) and were made a part of this Air Group, which consisted of a fighter squadron flying the Grumman “Hellcat”, a bomber squadron flying the Curtis “Helldiver”, and a torpedo squadron flying the Grumman “Avenger”. There were about 36 fighter planes, 36 bombers, and 18 torpedo planes not counting the SNJ’s we used to practice instrument training. We spent about a week checking out our gear and airplanes, getting our assignments, our crewmembers, and formation flight teams. There were about 70 pilots in the fighters, 70 pilots in the bombers and 30 pilots in the torpedo squadron. The fighters didn’t have a crew, the bombers had one crewman and the torpedo group had two-crew man. Each squadron had their own ground crew. These consisted of mechanics, radio technicians, gunnery specialists, and sheet metal specialists. This was the makeup of a unit that would fit on the large carrier (the new Essex Class). The Essex class carrier was built from the keel up as a carrier. It weighted 27,000 tons and about 1,000 feet long. There were about three thousand officers and enlisted men aboard the carrier plus about one hundred eighty in the air group. There was a ship’s store, barbershops, complete hospital, commissary, officer's wardroom, enlisted men’s quarters, and recreation facilities on the hanger deck. There was seventeen of this class commissioned during World War II. After Pearl Harbor, the navy had only two carriers operating in the Pacific and it was decided that aircraft carriers would be the ship to carry the war to the islands of Japan. Navel battles in the past had been fought ship to ship. Destroyers and submarines would fire torpedoes at enemy ships, battleships firing big guns at each other. With the advancing use of the airplane, the strategy of navy warfare was changing. We knew Japan was building a fleet of aircraft carriers and we knew this was going to be the method we would have to use to win the war in the Pacific. There were some cruisers being built and to hurry the carriers to the fleet, they were converted to carriers before they were completed. In all, from 7 December 1941 to 15 August 1945, there were 30 carriers and 78 Jeep carriers added to the fleet along with new cruisers, and destroyers. All this happened because of the efforts of all those who could not serve in the military for any reason.
On 17 April 1944 we started flying training flights. We had to get to know everybody, and how we would fly formation, habits, personalities, and any thing else that would be beneficial. In Torpedo Six, there were thirty pilots, sixty crew members (radiomen and gunners) and about fifteen non-flying personal. We had to become best friends with every one. Each of our lives depended on the others. There couldn’t be any problems or dissension among the group. During the first month, there were a few who would be transferred out and new ones came in. Every pilot in the squadron was a seasoned pilot. Each of us had about the same flying time and training in the airplanes. We had to work very close, helping each other, trusting each other, while flying formation and all exercises. We used hand signals, head movements because of radio silence in the war zone. We had all things common. We liked to fly, we ate together, we played together, and we shared our victories and our losses. We were close friends. We had a great trust for each other. We all had the same desire-defeat the enemy. By the middle of May, every thing was beginning to jell and the whole Air Group moved to Naval Auxiliary Air Station at Santa Rosa, California. Santa Rosa was located about sixty miles north of Alameda, California.
Here we continued training but more intense, flying more hours each day and night to sharpen our skills for any thing that might happen. We still had time for squadron picnics and parties along the banks of the Russian River near by. We didn’t know when we would be called to go to the fleet so we wanted to be as ready as possible.
During this time there were different crewmen assigned to me. It was necessary to rotate the crews, so we could tell if we could work together as a team. Coy Weaver rode with me as radioman. We decided right quick we could work together. He was from Oklahoma. He stayed with me the rest of the war. Several gunners came and went ending up being a part of another crew or being transferred to other assignments. It was later our team was complete.
During the eight months we were there I flew over 300 hours. Formation flying, navigation out over the Pacific both day and night, field carrier landings, more field carrier landings, more field carrier landings. About this time the TBM's were being fitted with rockets. There were four mounts under each wing. We went to a base located by Salton Sea in California to practice firing the weapons. There was a simulated carrier deck set up here so we could practice carrier landings with a landing signal officer and how it felt when the hook grabs the cable and stops the plane. During one of the field carrier landing, I came into the pattern to close to the plane ahead of me, and spun in from about fifty feet. The plane was destroyed but I walked away from it and took off on a predawn flight the next morning. I was flying the Skipper’s plane and thought I would be in big trouble but he was very understanding and said pilots were more valuable than planes. He was a good Skipper. Later I found out word got around the fleet and some of my friends thought I had killed myself. Then we made carrier landings on a training carrier stationed off the coast in the Pacific. Also, practice bombing runs with the fighters and bombers working together. We also practiced torpedo runs with torpedoes in Monterey Bay, so they could be retrieved and used again. The most dangerous activity was towing targets for the fighters for their target practice. Some of those guys didn’t know the difference between the tow plane and the tow target. We were lucky, not one of us got shot down by friendly fire.
In October 1944 the air group went aboard the USS Ranger (CV4). She was on the west coast to train air groups for carrier duty. On 1 November 1944 we returned to Alameda Air Station to get ready to leave for Hawaii.
The torpedo bomber was designed to be very versatile. It’s bomb bay was rigged to carry one 2000 pound torpedo, one 2000 pound bomb, one 1000 pound bomb, four 500 pound bombs, or twelve 250 pound fragmentation bombs. Also it would carry four rockets under each wing, one fifty-caliber machine gun in each wing, one fifty-caliber machine gun in the turret, and a thirty-caliber machine gun underneath operated by the radioman.
We were supposed to leave around the first of November 1944 to go to the Hawaiian area for more training time until we were assigned to a carrier in the fleet. My Brother (Lonnie) was an Army Air Force Pilot flying DC-3 transports around Australia and New Guinea. I found out he was coming in from overseas to Hamilton Air Force Base, San Francisco. I made arrangements to meet him and spend a couple of days with him before we shipped out on 7 November 1944.
The Japanese must have heard Air Group Six was on its way again. Just before departure aboard the U.S.S. General E. T. Collins, they began for the first time in years torpedoing ships off our west coast. This was a troop ship carrying about 1000 marines and our air group. You can imagine a ship filled with a bunch of young men coming together from all walks of life, never been on a ship before, some maybe had never seen a ship that big, crowded together going to a place they had never heard of except in geography class in school. Most of them were sea sick for the whole trip. We survived the trip and was glad to arrive at Hilo, Hawaii. This was and still is the prettiest of the Hawaiian Islands in my opinion.
At Hilo we flew almost every day. We were now in what was considered the war zone. On our arrival, we were issued Smith & Weston 38 revolvers and shoulder holsters. Most of us wore them or had them with us twenty-four hours a day. We were supplied with tracer bullets in case of trouble we could use it to signal our position for rescue. We were also taught how to use it for the purpose it was intended. Our training was now considered adequate and our missions were intense. Here is where I picked up my gunner, John Maxwell from Minnesota. From this time forward, it was Hood, Weaver and Maxwell until the end of the war. A couple of years ago, (October 1993) the torpedo squadron had a reunion in Tucson, AZ. and both of these men and their wives were there. We had a great time catching up on our lives. Coy Weaver lives in Garland, Tx. and is a retired fireman and a deacon and Sunday school teacher in a Baptist church there. John Maxwell is a retired photographer and active in the Lutheran Church in Illinois.
During December 1944, I flew 40 hours, spent two days on a training carrier, made simulated torpedo and bombing runs on our own ships as they sailed to and from the war zone. This was the first experience at being shot off the carrier by catapult. It was quite an experience. Going from zero to 80 knots in about 80 feet. It would give you a headache if you weren’t ready for it.
During the month of January 1945 we went aboard a carrier for operations for a couple of days. It was decided we needed to practice carrier landings at night. There was another carrier in the area, so, one dark night, 26 January we flew out to qualify. I made two carrier landings and one catapult take-off. Early February we spent three days aboard another carrier before finishing our training in Hawaii. The USS Shangri-La, an Essex class carrier, was on her shakedown cruise so the whole air-group went aboard for three days. The operation on the carrier has to be very well orchestrated. The planes have to be positioned on the deck so take-offs could be accomplished in a minimum time. The fighters were first and several would be catapulted to make room on the deck for the torpedo planes and the bombers to take off. The flight deck is a very dangerous place. The carrier tries to keep a 35-knot wind on the flight deck to help the planes reach flying speed. The hundred (give or take a few) propellers whirling, the "airdales"(flight deck personnel) helping the pilots move the planes in position to take off, has to be very careful.
On 29 November 1944, the Navy changed the aircraft complement of the Essex class carrier air groups to 36 fighters, 36 fighter bombers, 15 bombers, and 15 torpedo planes so on 2 January 1945, The Bombing Fighter Squadron joined Air Group Six flying the Chance Vought (F4U)“Corsair”. Now there were four Squadrons. We continued ground school, navigation and plane and ship recognition. We had to recognize our ships and planes and the Japanese ships and planes in one thousandth of a second. During the time at Hilo I was promoted to Lieutenant, Junior Grade.
By this time we had become seasoned pilots and crewmen. We were ready. We were aged and mature. I had just turned twenty-two, Weaver was nineteen, and Maxwell was an old man at twenty-four. Fear was never a part of our lives. We trained for the job we were called to do and had the confidence to fulfill that job. We were taught during our training, the Japanese and Germans were our enemy and we were trained to do our part to destroy them.
Then the big day came. We packed up, and on the 19 of February, 1945 we flew out of Hilo aboard the SS Wainleane for Pearl Harbor where we boarded a ship named the USS Copahee. This was a Jeep carrier that carried new planes, air groups and other supplies to the fleet. The south pacific waters were more dangerous even without enemy submarines, war ships, and enemy aircraft. On 22 February 1945 we set sail for Guam arriving there on 4 March 1945. Then on to Ulithi Harbor on 8 March. The next day we went aboard the USS Hancock, an Essex Class Carrier, to begin our cruise against the Japanese. As we went aboard, we had duffel bags full of dirty clothes after eighteen days on a troop ship. A sailor, by the name of Hardie Creel, was aboard the ship. I found out he knew I was coming aboard because he had dated my sister in Beaumont. She had written him and told him I was in Air Group Six, so he was looking for me. After the introductions he ask me if I had any dirty laundry. I said “everything I own is dirty.” He said “I work in the laundry, give it to me, and I will have it in your room before dinner.” I was the envy of the Air Group, when I walked into the wardroom for dinner in a clean pressed uniform. The USS Hancock became a part of Task Force 58 which had returned to Ulithi Harbor for repairs, supplies and rest from the battle. The Task Force consisted of fifteen carriers, seven battleships, twenty-one cruisers, and sixty-nine destroyers. The task force was divided into three groups. The groups consisted of four carriers, two battleships, seven cruisers, and thirty destroyers give or take one or two. We were a part of Task Group 58.2. There were about nine hundred airplanes and about eighteen hundred pilots on all of the carriers. The air group officers and enlisted men did not have any duties in the operation of the carrier. We were there to carry out the flying missions and take care of our own gear and airplanes.
I have been asked if we had to return to a port or other staging area to replenish our fuel, food and supplies. We would operate for about a week or ten days then move out to sea about two hundred miles from Japan where a fleet of food supply ships, tankers, ammunition ships, and jeep carriers with replacement planes, pilots and crew men. The tankers would come along side, hook up large fuel lines and fill our tanks with oil and gasoline. Pilots from each carrier that needed planes or crew-members would be transported from their ship by destroyer to the jeep carriers and fly them back to their carriers. The destroyers liked this duty because they were rewarded with enough ice cream for their crew. The supply ships for food and ammunition would come along side to replenish our needs. The Battleships and cruisers would do the same. The destroyers would be refueled and supplied from the carriers. Each carrier had a band aboard and would play for the ships that came along side.
The Japanese started it first by making it real for us. On the evening of 11 March while we were watching a movie on the hanger deck, two Japanese kamikaze planes dived on Task Force 58 at anchor in Ulithi harbor, and damaged a carrier (the USS Randolph)about a half a mile from us. We stood on deck and watched the men putting out the fires. There was damage to the flight deck and killed 25 men and wounded one hundred six. She was repaired there at Ulithi and joined the task group on 7 April. This was my introduction to war against Japan. We know then this would not be the last time we would experience the effects of war and kanikaze pilots.
On 14 March the isles of Ulithi faded in the distance as the Fighting Hannah and the task force steered a steady course for the Japanese Empire. Since we had already experienced the attack three days earlier, we knew this war was for real and we were in the big middle of it.
On 15 March I was called on to fly search missions. As the fleet moved toward Japan, we flew ahead to watch for submarines or other Japanese shipping. Nothing was sighted so we continued to move north.
On 18 March, our fighters and bombers hit some airfields on the southern island of Japan. One of our fighter pilots and six bombers were shot down. The anti-aircraft fire was always heavy around the Japanese Islands. I flew a search and rescue that afternoon. All but two bomber pilots and their crew men were rescued. The American submarines were always in the area to protect the fleet and pick up pilots that were shot down. I was sent out again to try to find them and direct a rescue. This was my first experience of seeing one of my buddies fly off and not come back. It was something you could not dwell on because there would be more to come. There was little time to mourn the loss of a close friend or a flying buddy. I'm sorry but that's the way it was during wartime. The enemy does not wait for anything so you keep moving forward.
The next day, 19 March our carrier was about 60 miles off the Japanese coast, and some search planes had located several Japanese warships in the inland sea near Kobe Harbor. We took off shortly after dawn that morning. This was my first mission to fly against the Japanese and it turned out to be an experience I would never forget. As I cleared the deck, I looked back over my left shoulder and saw the USS Franklin, another Essex class carrier, blow up from a Japanese bomb. Every ship in the fleet began firing at anything flying. We were lucky none of us got hit. We continued to get in formation and went on to finish our mission, not knowing if our ship may be hit before we returned. I was flying wing on Lt. Commander Eppler, when he spotted a Japanese Carrier just outside the breakwater of the harbor. We made a run on it leaving it on fire and dead in the water as we left the area. This mission we carried one thousand pound bombs. We returned and found the Hannah safe. The USS Franklin was still burning and being helped by two cruisers. She got under way the next day and made her way to Ulithi. There were several direct hits and near misses by our group. I was later presented my first AIR MEDAL for this mission.
The afternoon of the 20th, we were sailing toward Okinawa. A destroyer was refueling along side the Hannah when a bogey (an unidentified airplane) was discovered. The destroyer cast off and began firing at the plane. The Japanese plane was diving directly at the Hannah, but the gunners knocked the plane apart in midair, only 700 feet above the deck. The engine and bomb hit the destroyer and the Hannah’s flight deck was littered with wreckage of the Japanese plane. Those on the deck got some souvenirs and sweep the rest overboard. There were two other attacks on the Hannah. Our gunners shot them down, before they could inflict any damage on us. The rest of the day the fleet was under heavy attack and sustained light damage. Navy records show 48 enemy planes struck the fleet on 21 March and were all shot down before they could get near the ships. We continued our trip to Okinawa.
The same day, messages of congratulations and “well dones” were received by the entire task force’s complement. They are:
From: Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet, Admiral Nimitz.
“The reports reaching CinCPac show that the fighting on the 18,19,20 and 21 of March was hard and that the damage inflicted on the enemy required courage and endurance of the highest order together with all the skill and teamwork which has been developed in many a hard fought engagement. You have shown that you can strike the enemy fleet in its home ports and can take his counterattacks with your chin up. Your country is proud of you and has complete confidence in your dauntless fighting spirit.”
From: Admiral Mischer.
“All hands in the task force fought magnificently as only veterans can. Damaged ships continued the battle while repairing their damage. Our courageous airmen attacked targets through a blanket of anti-aircraft. The fine shooting by ships brought down many enemy planes, which were on their way for a kill. Your country and your families will be proud of the battle you have just fought against Hirohito’s poor best.”
From: Admiral Davison, Commander Task Group 58.2.
“The gallant and courageous conduct of TG 58.2 during yesterday’s engagement was beyond praise. Every officer and man performed magnificently. We mourn our honored dead and will avenge their sacrifice. Well done.”
The 24, 26, 27, 30, and 31 of March, I flew strikes over Okinawa to soften up the Japanese before D-Day April 1. All squadrons flew every day, morning and afternoon. The torpedo bombers carried Napalm bombs (jelly like gasoline that would not evaporate while burning) and rockets. We would drop our bombs along the shore to clean out the Japanese bunkers along the beaches, and then put our rockets into the tombs on the sides of the hills because it was believed the Japanese were holed up in these caves. Then, we would strafe the villages with our machine guns before heading back to the carrier. Some days we would carry other types of bombs and hit airfields, aircraft on the ground, and other military installations on Okinawa. A GOLD STAR in lieu of my second AIR MEDAL was presented for five missions completed for the period 24 March through 31 March.
Invasion day was here; this was Easter Sunday, 1 April 1945. All of the sea west of Okinawa was filled with all kinds of ships. There were troop landing ships, tankers, supply ships, cruisers, battleships, destroyers, and other types too numerous to count. A later report said there were 1450. I was assigned the early flight to support the landings. I took off just before dawn with a load of bombs and rockets. We were to make one more sweep of the beaches, before the Marines landed on the north and the Army landed to the south. We dropped the bombs on the beaches and fired the rockets into bunkers and strafed the buildings with our machine guns.
For the next four days, we continued to hit Okinawa to help clear the way for the troops to move across the island. With bombs and rockets we destroyed bridges, gun emplacements, buildings, and other targets we could find. There was very little opposition during these flights. They were to busy fighting the ground forces as they traveled across the island.
Then it happened, 7 April twelve minutes past noon, a Japanese fighter plane came down on the deck of the Fighting Hannah. He dropped a bomb then rammed onto planes on the flight deck. The bomb exploded in the hanger deck and caused fires on the hanger deck and the flight deck, but within a hour the fires were out. I was in the wardroom having lunch. All of the lights went out and the corridors were filled with water. We couldn’t get out, so we hung our flashlights from the overhead pipes and played cribbage and drank coffee, while the brave men upstairs were fighting the fires. We were right under the hanger deck. We could hear the thousands of rounds of ammunition going off. It sounded like firecrackers. The damage was loss of most of the planes that were still aboard and the front elevator was destroyed. Although 62 men were killed and 71 wounded, heroic efforts doused the fires within half an hour enabling us to be back in operation before an hour had passed. As our planes returned from their mission we were able to take them aboard. It was determined; we could operate at 65% if we stayed there. It was decided we would need 100% when the invasion of Japan took place scheduled for 1 November 1945. Dinner that night was the first and only cold meal while I was on the carrier, cold cuts and beans.
We stayed in the area for two days, and then received orders to go to Ulithi for repairs of battle damage. On 9 April 1945 the Fighting Hannah buried her dead in the traditional burial at sea with the Chaplains in white uniforms on the port side elevator lowered so everyone could be a part of it on the hanger deck or the flight deck. From Ulithi she was sent to Pearl Harbor for repairs. I flew one of our planes over to the USS Essex because they were going to stay and they had lost some planes. Although our ship was damaged, we flew search missions looking for submarines and other Japanese ships, as we traveled back to Ulitihi and on to Hawaii. We arrived there on 21 April. We had a week’s rest on the islands and resumed our training at Barber’s Point Air Field near Ford Island. During this time we received some planes equipped with radar and we spent time learning to use this new tool. My crew was assigned to learn photography. We spent several hours taking pictures of the islands and making maps for practice. One of our goals was to photograph the beaches of Japan and pinpoint the bunkers, gun emplacements, and other obstacles along the beaches where the invasion was to take place on 1 November 1945.
The Fighting Hannah was repaired and ready to go, on 7 June 1945, we reported back aboard and sailed for a four-day training cruise. On 13 June, we shoved off for the war zone again. Two other carriers, the USS Lexington and the USS Cowpens, accompanied us. They had new air groups and the pilots needed some training, so on the way out, we staged a one-day strike at Wake Island. This was the fifth air strike on Wake Island. It seemed like every time carriers went to the Pacific, Wake Island was in the path, so everyone would practice on it as they passed. There were still a few Japanese on the island, but there was little opposition this day. The gun emplacements, army headquarters, the mess hall and galley, underground installations and buildings were hit. They were under attack for 10 hours. As we sailed on west we could see the smoke from the fires on the island. As we continued toward joining Task Force 38, I flew a scouting mission on 25 June.
On 26 June, we pulled into San Pedro Bay, Leyte, P.I. and joined Task Force 38 under the command of Admiral William F. Halsey. On 1 July, we raised anchor and headed for the Japanese home islands once again.
On the way, I flew scouting missions on 2, 3, 5, & 7 July. We were looking for anything in the water we could hit. They were lucky we didn’t find them because we were eager to see some action.
Then, on 10 July, I flew a mission bombing, strafing, and firing rockets at airplanes on the ground, hangers, and other buildings on the airfields at Kiryu, Honshu, and the largest island of Japan. This was a small town north of Tokyo.
The next two days we sailed north and was one of the first carrier based planes to attack Hokkaido, the northern most island of Japan. On the 14th and 15th I made similar missions on another airfield around Nemuro, Hokkaido. When we finished, there were three hangers burned, the administration building destroyed, several aircraft. We flew around this island with no opposition from the air or ground. There were no anti-aircraft guns on this island. After this mission, I was presented a GOLD STAR in lieu of my third AIR MEDAL for participating in 10 missions between 1 April and 10 July.
After leaving Hokkaido, we were assigned a good target, the Nagato, the best of the battleships the Japanese had left. She was docked in Yokusuka Harbor.
On 18 July 1945 Air Group Six was chosen to lead the attack. The torpedo planes were carrying fragmentation bombs (these are like hand grenades) that were set to explode about one hundred feet above the ground and scatter large areas. We were to hit the Anti-Aircraft positions to wipe out the heavy AA, so the bombers and the fighters could come dropping the bombs on the battleship. It’s always good to be the first to go down in the attack. This means you get back for lunch early.
We joined the other air groups at 15,000 feet, about 20 miles from the coast, and began our approach to the target. The torpedo planes found the AA positions we were assigned and began our dive. Commander Eppler, first then me as I was his wingman, then all of the rest followed. The AA was heavy and on the way down in my dive, I felt something jar the plane. I didn’t have time to worry about it and continued my dive, dropping my bombs and flat hating it across the peninsula back to open sea for about five miles to get out of AA range and pulled up to rejoin the others. Coy, my radioman could see under the wing and reported to me we had a hole in the wing about the size of a #2 washtub. (For you young people who don’t know how big that is, it is about 3 feet in diameter.) The Pitot tube was in that wing and was destroyed so some of my instruments didn’t work. The aileron control (that part of the wing that moves up and down and controls turns) was also damaged. I had no control on that side of the plane. I made it back to the ship and landed safely. The landing signal officer had been working with us from the beginning and he let me fly the plane on to the deck. For participating in this mission, I was presented a GOLD STAR in lieu of a fourth AIR MEDAL.
It was determined by the Commander of Task Force 38 that the Nagato would never sail again.
We sailed out to the supply ships to refuel, get food, ammunition and replacement planes for those that were shot up. We spent three days waiting for orders during this time. Then the word came. The Japanese had hoarded the remnants of their fleet in Kure Harbor. Orders were to get them.
On 24 July, I took off at dawn with my group headed for Kure Harbor. Our target was a battleship anchored in the bay. It had torpedo nets around it. We carried 2000 pound bombs in our bomb bays and did what we called glide bombing. Eppler lead the way and put his bomb on the bow. I came next putting mine close under the stern and it exploded in the water rocking the ship. Three more behind me hit it, and it was burning and listing as we left the area. As a result of this mission I was presented a GOLD STAR in lieu of my fifth AIR MEDAL.
The weather was bad over the target area the next day so we found some shipping off the island of Shikoky and we attacked and sunk them.
The weather cleared. On 28 July, we went in to clean out any thing that was left floating in Kure Harbor. I had the afternoon flight that day so when the morning flight returned and briefed us on where to go and what was there, we were eager to get going. We were carrying four five hundred pound bombs in our bomb bays for this attack. We found the Aoba, a Japanese heavy Cruiser, and made our dive on it. The Anti-Aircraft fire was high and heavy all around it, but none of us were hit. Three of us scored direct hits on the ship. When we returned to our carrier, the reports indicated the Japanese fleet for all practical purposes, was out of the picture. For this mission I was presented the NAVY CROSS. This is the highest award the Navy bestows. According to Navy records, there have only been 6,375 awarded from World War I through Desert Storm.
The night of 5 August, we woke up in the middle of the night and were told we were sailing east at full speed. We didn’t know why. We found out that it was unknown what would happen when the atomic bomb was dropped. The fear of a title wave was the reason we were to move as far away from Japan as possible.
The atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. We stayed at this location for three days, refueling, regrouping, relaxing, and getting briefings on what we are to do next.
Nothing had happened so we got back to work on 9 August, we went in to northern Honshu to find and destroy the Yamado seaplane base. We found it and destroyed 44 planes and damaged about 18 more. The next day, we were still trying to find the Japanese planes. We found an airfield to attack, but there were no planes we could see. About that time, we heard a plane from another group had found a small field with planes camouflaged in trees around it. Commander Eppler said there were so many planes in the air, he had to order left hand turns around the field so every one could get their shots off without running into each other.
We also found out that evening that the second atom bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and had resulted in much devastation in that city.
We resumed our attacks on 13 August. We took off that afternoon to find an electronics plant near Tokyo, where it was reported most of their radio communications equipment was manufactured. We found it. There was no air opposition on this mission but there was plenty of heavy anti-aircraft fire. Eight out of ten of our torpedo bombers loaded with 2,000 pound bombs had direct hits. The last pilot going down said the plant was covered with dust and smoke. This was my final recorded mission. I was presented a GOLD STAR in lieu of my sixth AIR MEDAL for 15 missions between 15 July and 13 August.
We moved out to sea the next day waiting for any word from the Japanese. We sat around the wardroom drinking coffee, small talk about many things, wondering, if we were going to fly the mission on the 15th. Maybe, if we have to fly, we may not come back. Suppose they declared peace, and we weren’t there to enjoy it. Most of us remembered those of our group who went out and didn’t come back. The radio said the Japanese had accepted the unconditional surrender terms. Why do we have to go out tomorrow? Why can’t we wait another day or two? Then as the evening came on and dinner was over, the captain came on the intercom announcing “Strike Day Tomorrow”. As I was scheduled to take off at dawn, I went to bed knowing I had to be up at 2 a.m. to be ready to go.
At breakfast we didn’t talk much. We were listening to the radio for any word. We got our gear and went to the ready room for last minute instructions. The next thing we heard was “Pilots, man your planes.!”
As we each took off the deck, circled the ship, rendezvousing in formation and heading for our target, we began climbing to 18,000 feet. Our target, the electronics plant we hit two days before. Time went by slow, as we headed west toward Tokyo, where we knew the Anti-Aircraft fire was thicker because of the protection of the Emperor. Strike Charlie, that’s us, was at 18,000 feet and about 45 miles from the coast. It was a clear day and the sun was coming up, we could see Tokyo, Tokyo Bay, and Mount Fujiyama with its snow covered peak in the background. It was 0645 Tokyo time.
Then radio silence was broken, “This is Christopher. All Able and Charlie planes jettison bombs and return to base. I repeat....”
Christopher, the task force commander, then calls the Hancock flight leader, “Ninety Nine Jamboree, get conformation from all strike leaders on receipt of this message. Do not jettison bombs over target.”
Radio discipline is out.
“The war is over...the war is over! Yeah! Hooray!”
“Knock off the chatter on the air. Keep these radio channels open.”
It quiets down. All of a sudden, we look up and our fighter protection has pulled away and began doing slow rolls. This was the best news we had ever heard. We jettison our bombs at sea and head home.
We landed aboard the ship and gathered in the wardroom and the intercom came on “Attention all hands! This is the captain speaking. Here is a message from the Secretary of the Navy: “All hands of the United States Navy, Marine Corps and the Coast Guard may take satisfaction in the conclusion of the war against Japan and pride in the part played...” This is as far as we could hear because of the cheers in the wardroom.
This had been a long day. It had started about three days ago, now it was over and we rested.
During the next two weeks, we flew over Japan without being shot at. We parachuted medicine, food, cigarettes and magazines to prisoner of war camps, and covered the landing of troops on Honshu. The big carriers stayed out at sea so we could be part of the air parade over the ceremonies. On 2 September, we were part of the air parade flying over the USS Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the official surrender. Tokyo Bay was a busy place. It is recorded there were a three small aircraft carriers, dozen battleships, fifteen cruisers, sixty destroyers and escorts, a dozen submarines, and one hundred thirty seven smaller vessels. A total of two hundred thirty seven warships gathered, the greater majority of them U.S. Navy. It was a demonstration of more naval power than anyone could have imagined four years before.
We moved into Tokyo Bay on 10 September and spent several days going into Tokyo and seeing the destruction in the city. The imperial palace was not bombed and we enjoyed visiting it and we spent time buying souvenirs.
One of the ranking admirals, Rear Admiral Sprague sent the U.S.S. Hancock the following dispatch:
“It is with utmost regret that I part company with the Hancock and Air Group Six. Group Six was in on the beginning and was ready for the kill. Three combat tours in all. I had the honor to have had them with me in Outlaw during their second tour at Kwajalein and Truk. The present group have added loftily to the record of a great fighting organization. Good luck and happy landings till we meet again.”
The carrier received orders to go to Okinawa and pick up 1,500 marines as passengers and head to Los Angeles, Ca. This was good news. We were to be there by 21 October 1945 for Navy day celebration. We sailed the great circle route to make it by that time. The captain of the ship wanted most of the planes off the ship before we arrived so I volunteered to fly a TBM into San Diego. We had liberty until the ship docked in Los Angeles. We stayed aboard until after the Navy day celebration. Then on 24 October 1945 as all 180 officers and 100 enlisted men stood on the deck of the USS Hancock, Air Group 6 was decommissioned in a short ceremony. It was no longer a part of a fighting U. S. Navy. Air Group 6 ceased to exist. We spent a couple of days checking our gear and talking about what we were going to do. Each of us got our orders to either go to another assignment or go home. I chose to stay in the Navy for awhile until I decided what I wanted to do. I had leave, so I requested orders to NAS Corpus Christi, Tx. to be an instructor. I spent forty five days at home and reported to NAS Corpus Christi on 27 December 1945.
This is all of my war stories as I remember them. I will be adding others as I remember them. Since this is a personal journal I have left out many of the actions of the Air Group Six. Most of them did as much or more than I, but I don’t have time or the inspiration to chronicle everything accomplished by all of my fine fellow pilots and crews. I do want to give them much credit for support and respect for my crew and me as we worked together. If you are interested in all of the action of Air Group Six, It is all recorded in the book listed below.
Much of this journal came from the book “Air Group Six-Three War Cruises” by William H. Fitzpatrick as it related to me, and my flight log book and other personal resources. Much of the information about Navy history was taken from the Internet. Things are being posted on the Navy Historical Pages, as they come available, I include them if they pertain to me and my contribution to the war.
There is a group of people I want to recognize each time we honor the veterans of the wars. This group, especially during World War II, should be recognized for their part in the victory on all fronts. These are the men and women who could not join the armed forces for various reasons. These are the farmers who furnished our food, the packers and processors who made it edible for us, the railroads and ships that brought it to us, the ship builders that provided us with the best fleet in the world, the airplane factories that built the latest and greatest aircraft flying, the refinery workers why supplied our fuel, the munitions workers who supplied our weapons and ammunition. There were also those who made our uniforms, shoes, and other essential clothing. Then there were those that endured the rationing of food, gasoline, tires, and other essential things during this time so we could operate at our maximum. Also I want to thank those who prayed for us while we were away. Everything was done with much cooperation; we never had a need that was not filled at the right time.
- Air Medal
- Air Medal Gold Star #1
- Air Medal Gold Star #2
- Air Medal Gold Star #3
- Air Medal Gold Star #4
- Air Medal Gold Star #5
- Navy Cross
- Honorable Discharge
