The Little Giants: U.S. Escort Carriers Against Japan

485 Pages·1987·6.68 MB·English

by  William T. Y'Blood

THE LITTLE GIANTS
THE
LITTLE
GIANTS
U.S. Escort Carriers Against Japan
William T. Y’Blood
BLUEJACKET BOOKS
NAVAL INSTITUTE PRESS
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
This book has been brought to publication by the generous assistance of Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest.
© 1987 by the U.S. Naval Institute, Annapolis, Maryland
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
First Bluejacket Books printing, 1999
ISBN 978-1-61251-247-1
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Y’Blood, William T., 1937– The little giants.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. World War, 1939–1945—Aerial operations, American.
2. World War, 1939–1945—Naval operations, American.
3. World War, 1939–1945—Campaigns—Pacific Area.
4. Aircraft carriers—United States. I. Title.
D790.Y42 1987 940.54'26 87-7866
CONTENTS
Introduction
Glossary
Prologue
1. Learning the Ropes
2. The Quickening Pace
3. Moving West
4. Approach to the Philippines
5. The Return
6. “They’re Shooting at Us in Technicolor”
7. Death from the Sky
8. Finale at Leyte Gulf
9. Divine Wind—Two Versions
10. A Covey of Kamikazes
11. Visit to a Vile Island
12. The Longest Battle
Epilogue
Appendix: U.S. Escort Carriers
Notes
Bibliography
Index
INTRODUCTION
THEY WERE CALLED “jeeps,” “baby flattops,” “two-torpedo ships,”
“combustible, vulnerable, expendable,” and other, unprintable, names. They
were the CVEs—the U.S. Navy’s designation for aircraft carrier, escort.
These ships, envisioned as hardly more than convoy escorts in the beginning,
evolved into remarkably versatile vessels. Yes, they were used to escort convoys,
but they also hunted submarines, provided air support for invasion forces, ferried
men and planes to far-flung bases, delivered replacement aircraft and pilots to
the fast carriers of Task Forces 58 and 38, and worked as troop transports.
Despite the great activity of the eighty-six vessels built (some finished after the
war) to serve all around the world for the United States Navy, their
accomplishments, except for one glorious action in October 1944, have never
received the publicity and credit that they deserve.
Too often the CVE sailors heard comments like the one from a new officer on
the Saginaw Bay who had just come from one of the fast carriers: “I don’t know
how you take care of that routine here, but I know how it’s done on a carrier!”
Too often they saw the headline “Fast Carriers Winning the War”—a headline
hard for them to stomach after sending their planes out day after day to pound
the enemy defenses in front of the ground forces or to attack skulking
submarines. Too often they saw their own deserving shipmates passed over for
awards while sailors and airmen on the fast carriers seemed to be raking them in.
This lack of recognition may have frustrated or even angered the “jeep”
sailors, but it didn’t stop them from doing their jobs and doing them well.
History has shown that the fast carriers didn’t win World War II; neither did the
Army Air Forces nor army or marine troops. It was a team effort that won the
war, and a vital part of this team effort was the escort carriers. Until now, little
has been written about their accomplishments, and this book is intended to give
the CVEs and their sailors their long-overdue attention.
The sources consulted include action reports, war diaries, ships’ histories, air
action reports, and so forth. I am greatly indebted to those men, listed in the
bibliography, who contributed their personal accounts of service on the “jeeps.”
In addition, this book would not have been possible without the help of several
people: Henry “Hank” Pyzdrowski of the Gambier Bay/VC-10 Association (a
real go-getting organization), Herb Faulkner of the Natoma Bay Association,
Bob Zubik and Hank Henderson of the Ommaney Bay Association, and James
Dresser. Many, many thanks to these men, who provided me with material and
leads to track down, saving me hours of possibly fruitless digging for
information. My thanks also to Dr. Dean Allard and his staff, particularly Mike
Walker, at the Naval Historical Center’s Operational Archives Branch. A special
thanks goes to my editor, Laurie Stearns, who cleared away much of the
underbrush. Finally, I must thank my wife, Carolyn, and children, Kent and
Laura. They’d been through this rat race before but still gave me much-needed
and much-appreciated support.
GLOSSARY
AA Antiaircraft
ACI Air combat intelligence
ACV Auxiliary aircraft carrier
airedale Flight deck crewman
AO Oiler
APV Transport and aircraft ferry
ASP Antisubmarine patrol
ASW Antisubmarine warfare
AVG Aircraft tender, general purpose
black gang Engine-room crew
bogey Unidentified aircraft
CAG Air group commander
CAP Combat air patrol
CarDiv Carrier Division
CarTransRonPacCarrier Transport Squadron Pacific
CASD Carrier aircraft service detachment
CASU Carrier aircraft service unit
CIC Combat Information Center
CinCPac Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet
CO Commanding officer
CortDiv Escort Division
CruDiv Cruiser Division
CSA Commander Support Aircraft
CTG Commander of task group
CVE Aircraft carrier, escort
CVEG Escort carrier air group
DD Destroyer
DE Destroyer escort
“deck” Sea level
DesRon Destroyer Squadron
F Flagship
FDO Fighter director officer
FF Force or task group flagship
flak Antiaircraft fire
GP General-purpose bomb
GPM Gallons per minute
hedgehog Type of throw-ahead missile launcher
HF/DF High frequency direction finding
IFF Identification, friend or foe
JASCO Joint Assault Signal Company
JCS Joint Chiefs of Staff
jink To take evasive action in an aircraft
KIA Killed in action
LCI(G) Landing craft, infantry (gunboat)
LCI(R) Landing craft, infantry (rocket)
LCT Landing craft, tank
LSM Landing ship, medium
LSO Landing signal officer
LST Landing ship, tank
MAG Marine Air Group
Magic Code name for U.S. efforts to break the Japanese codes
MASG Marine Air Support Group
MCVG Marine Carrier Air Group
NAS Naval air station
OTC Officer in tactical command
RAMP Recovery of allied military personnel