31 MAR 44
While Task Group 58.3 was zigzagging towards its launching position 2 hours before sunrise, USS Mertz (DD-691), a Fletcher Class destroyer attached to Task Group 58.2, was ordered to investigate a surface contact 20 miles to the southeast. Identified as "a small Japanese merchant ship...at 0605 USS MERTZ opened fire. At 0608 observed a red glow in the vicinity of the enemy vessel and at 0610 USS MERTZ reported enemy vessel afire and sinking, amplifying description by stating that it was a wooden vessel about sixty feet long. Two survivors were taken aboard the USS MERTZ."
USS Mertz (DD-691), Fletcher Class Destroyer, circa 1944
Commencing with the first launch at 0730 and continuing to the last recovery at 1920, March 31st would see Princeton launch 64 sorties (44 VF and 20 VT) against Japanese installations scattered across the Palau archipelago. Unlike previous operations in The Marshalls (Wotje, Kwajalein, Eniwetok) where resistance was relatively light, it appears that Japanese enthusiasm to engage was directly proportional to distance from the Home Islands.
From the get go, the pace was frenetic. The Action Report summary of the first strike of the day, which was a 10 plane fighter sweep launched some 15 minutes prior to local sunrise, tells the tale:
"The VF Squadron Commander's section shot down one Betty, and a division of CAP #1, successfully vectored by the PRINCETON FDO (Fighter Direction Officer)...
...to another bogey*, shot down another Betty. The VF strike then proceeded to the target and was preparing to make strafing runs on the airfield when 30 to 40 Zekes were sighted. In the ensuing engagement, which soon became a series of dogfights, 12 Zekes were shot down by PRINCETON pilots, one pilot getting three planes, and two others shooting down two each. One PRINCETON plane was hit and the pilot forced to bail out over the southwest part of the lagoon. Strafing runs were then made by eight VF, during which two planes were hit by 40mm bursts. Five PRINCETON VF landed aboard the BUNKER HILL, including the two damaged VF, fortunately finding the ship before making forced landings due to gasoline shortage. One plane landed with eight gallons; one with three. Ensign F.B. Muhfeld succeeded in landing on the BUNKER HILL despite a fractured leg and shrapnel wounds in the leg and head, received from a 40mm burst below the cockpit, but had a barrier crash."
During a brief lull in the action, "At 0849 OTC granted permission for various ships in formation to unload guns through the muzzle." An innocuous Diary entry, but interesting. To me anyway.
Proof that the OTC was receiving somewhat real-time intelligence was the fact that he was able to adapt to developments: "At 1045 received orders from OTC to arm all places for shore installations, all shipping in harbor having been reported down."
The instant communication capabilities we take for granted in our modern world did not exist in 1944. The After Action report quoted above was written a full week after the day's events. The War Diary however, written contemporaneously, showed Princeton's concern regarding the aircraft that had not returned from the first strike mission: "At 1115 completed recovery of 10 VF from strike and 5 VT from ASP...Six VF aircraft missing. At 1130 received answer to query to USS BUNKER HILL with information that five of the six missing pilots had landed on that vessel, being short on gasoline. Sixth pilot was shot down over the target, a possibility existing that he had parachuted into the lagoon."
In a repeat of yesterday's events, "At 1250 OTC ordered USS ALABAMA to prepare two seaplanes for attempt to rescue missing pilot." While the rescue mission was being organized, "At 1311 recovered three of the five VF which had previously landed aboard the USS BUNKER HILL, the other two remaining because one was wounded and both planes were damaged."
Princeton's missing pilot was Lieutenant (Junior Grade) J.W. Syme, A-V(N), USNR. At 1353 USS Alabama launched two Kingfishers and 5 minutes later four Hellcats from VF-23 left Princeton's deck as fighter cover for the attempt to locate and rescue him.
The Kingfisher may not have been the most glamorous airplane in the fleet — it certainly wasn't the fastest or well-armed — But the mission its crews were tasked with required, in the vernacular, big brass ones. 79 years later, my hat is off to those brave men.
In an earlier post we spoke briefly about the "fog of war" and how leaders had the huge responsibility of facing constantly changing situations to which they need adapt. On Princeton's bridge, Captain Buracker was granted permission by the OTC "to secure number two shaft for about two hours to repair leak in number two main condenser." Just another ball to incorporate into the juggling routine.
In the midst of all this activity came the following communication: "At 1550 received the following visual despatch from OTC: The target for tomorrow is WOLEAI. Initial launch about 0700...Airfield on WOLEAI ISLAND and possible adjacent islands." Woleai atoll lies 550 miles east of the Palau Islands and was yet another desolate outpost upon which the Japanese had constructed an airfield and deployed a small defense force. But tomorrow's action can wait.
While the Ship and Air Wing staffs transitioned their planning efforts eastward and Princeton's engineering crews worked feverishly to repair her number 2 condenser, battleship Alabama's two Kingfishers persistently searched for LT(jg) Syme. Near and far, in fleeting glimpses, the rescue crews could see aircraft from the nine aircraft carriers of the Task Force climbing, diving and banking as the assault on Palau continued, occasional dust and smoke from bomb impacts and strafing runs blurring the lush jungle behind a drab khaki-gray haze.
In a single sentence, the War Diary records LT(jg) Syme's fate:
"At 1923 USS ALABAMA recovered search planes, mission unsuccessful."
The reality of course was more graphic, and the After Action daily report for 31 March provides more specific detail than the summary quoted above. It is worth quoting at length:
"(A) Lt.Cdr. H.L. Miller, Squadron Commander, was leading a flight of 10 Hellcats...on a fighter-sweep over Palau. The composition of the flight was as follows:
Div. 1 Div. 2 Div.3
Lt.Cdr. H.L. Miller Lt. C.C. Schimidt Lt.(jg) L. Kerr
Ens. L.F. McWilliams Ens. G.J. Matlock Lt.(jg) F.B. Muhfeld
Lt.(jg) J.W. Syme Lt.(jg) J.M. Abell Two others returned
Ens. Frederick James Ens. J.R. Hill, Jr. returned to base
The target was sighted at 2140, (GCT), at which time the Air Observer from the USS YORKTOWN assigned the VF-23 planes the mission of strafing the airfield on Peleliu Island. The flight proceeded towards Peleliu Island at 11,000 feet, 170 knots, T.A.S.**
Lt.Cdr. Miller and his wing-man, Ens. McWilliams, had just initiated their strafing dives when Lt Schmidt, leader of the second division, sighted a flight of 15-20 Zekes about 3,000 feet below and 5 miles west. Lt. Schmidt called all planes and gave position. Lt.Cdr. Miller and wing-man immediately discontinued their strafing dive and turned to join the other planes. In the meantime, however, Lt.(jg) Syme broke his section off from Lt.Cdr. Miller's section and initiated the attack on the enemy fighters with overhead runs.
Lt. Schmidt's division followed almost on the tails of Lt.(jg) Syme and Ensign James. They, in turn, were followed by Lt.(jg) Kerr and Lt.(jg) Muhfeld. Lt.(jg) Syme apparently did not see a divison of 4 Zekes above and to the side of the main body of Zekes for he pulled up in front of them. Lt. Schmidt's division attacked these 4 Zekes, shooting down a plane which had gotten [on] Lt.(jg) Symes tail and then pulled up and attacked the other three, shooting down two of them. Thus Lt. Schmidt's division accounted for three of the four Zekes. Then the action took the form of individual dog-fights, participated in by Ensign James, Lt. Scmidt's division and Lt Kerr's section.
Lt.Cdr. Miller and his wing-man, upon pulling out of their strafing dive and turning towards the direction of the enemy planes, encountered one Zeke, which they destroyed.
In all, 12 enemy fighters were destroyed during the engagement. One pilot, Lt.(jg) Syme, was lost, having either parachuted or crashed due to the damage inflicted by the Zekes which got to his tail.
(B) During the melee with the Zekes, two F6F pilots were observed parachuting, one of which may have been Lt.(jg) Syme; both of these pilots were strafed by Zekes during their descent." (emphasis mine)
(no further mention is made of the additional F6F or its pilot. We are left to presume that it was from a carrier other than Princeton.)
Lieutenant (Junior Grade) James William Syme...
...second son of Scotsman James Syme and Wyoming native Helen Sodergreen Syme, brother to Oscar, Augusta and David, was born in Superior, Wyoming on 30 SEP 1921. He had been with Princeton and Fighter Squadron 23 from the beginning and had survived, and thrived, in combat. In September 1943 over Tarawa, he shared credit for shooting down a Betty. In October he had seen action against the Japanese stronghold at Rabaul and had remained with VF-23 through the remainder of 1943 and since leaving Bremerton at the beginning of 1944. On the day in question, he shared credit for the shoot down of another Betty.
Initially listed as Missing In Action, his official status was ultimately changed to Presumed Dead on 16 JAN 1946.
James Syme was age 22 when he made the ultimate sacrifice. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross with Gold Star and the Purple Heart, and is remembered at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Wall of the Missing in the Philippines.
RIP Lieutenant (Junior Grade) James William Syme, USNR.
NNNN
* Bogey: unidentified aircraft. Bandit/Hostile: identified enemy aircraft. Friendly: self-explanatory
** True Air Speed: true airspeed of an aircraft is the speed of the aircraft relative to the air mass through which it is flying.
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