9 FEB 44
February 9th's War Diary begins with the 0420 arrival of LCT-346 pulling along Princeton's starboard side to begin taking aboard damaged aircraft and parts, including one Avenger, one Hellcat, and two aircraft engines. LCT-346 would return 7 hours later and transfer to Princeton 45 bombs and multiple bomb fuzes.
LCT (Landing Craft Tank) — LCT-156 above is, like LCT-346, a "Mark 5" version, of which 33 were built at Decatur Iron & Steel Co. in Decatur, Alabama.
Factoid: During WWII, 470 LCT Mark 5s were built at a dozen different shipbuilding companies in ten different states (NY, IL, NJ, WI, OH, AL, TN, NE, PA and 3 locations in, of all states, KS).
Arsenal of Democracy, indeed.
America building boats in Kansas reminds me of a pervasive myth about World War II, this time concerning the war in Europe, and specifically the German Army. People don't realize that over 75% of the German military relied on horses for transport. Yes, you heard that correctly. Horses.
What does this have to do with the war in the Pacific? Stick with me as we revisit Ambrose's book Band of Brothers, and the Hanks-Spielberg miniseries of the same name. The following brief scene portrays masses of German troops marching in surrender. Private David Kenyon Webster decides he has had enough — and I love this description more than typewritten words can express — and vents his rage upon these "servile fascist pigs."
I can imagine a Kenyon counterpart in the Pacific screaming "WE BUILD BOATS IN KANSAS! AND NEBRASKA! YOU IGNORANT, SERVILE BRAINWASHED PIGS!"
The problem with this scenario is that the Japanese, with very very few exceptions, did not surrender, preferring death to what they perceived as dishonor.
By 1424 Princeton had hoisted anchor and was underway for the journey back to ENIWETOK. The afternoon would be spent launching a single TBF to act as tow plane for the cruisers and destroyers of the Task Group to take anti-aircraft firing practice.
Again, I was always a "Ready Room Cowboy" — prepared to volunteer at a moment's notice for any opportunity to fly — but I'm thinking this was a mission that would require I be "voluntold."
The only other flying activity of the day involved taking aboard the two Avengers and one Hellcat aircraft from USS White Plains, aircraft which were replacements for operational losses incurred previously.
The War Diary notes:
"Air Group 23 now consists of 9 VT aircraft and 24 VF aircraft, one of these VF aircraft temporarily based aboard the USS SARATOGA for engine replacement.*"
By 2000, Princeton was 70 nautical miles northwest of KWAJALEIN and preparing for a 0900 launch and a return engagement against the airfield on ENGEBI ISLAND the next morning.
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* I believe this is Hellcat aircraft number VF-14, which we discussed in the entry for February 5th and about which more tomorrow.
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