Through the wee hours of the 25th and into the 26th Princeton made her way south from the refueling rendezvous point to a station “off the north coast of western New Guinea.” At 0556 she left the formation briefly to prepare her first launch of the day. By 0620, 17 minutes prior to sunrise, 8 CAP Hellcats and 4 ASP Avengers were airborne and winging their way to assigned stations. The day would be rewarding for 4 of the 8 fighters.
Recall from an earlier post that aircraft are organized into formations depending on specific mission requirements, the most common being the 2-plane Section and the 4-plane Division. It stands to reason that while the Section is more maneuverable, the Division has more firepower. As in life, everything has a pro and a con which require contemplation and compromise.
Fighter Squadron 23 (VF-23) consisted of 24 F6-F Hellcats. Generally speaking, squadrons were divided into divisions for tactical but also administrative purposes. The Operations Officer (OPSO) would be charged with the responsibility of training Section and Division leads and as such would do his best to identify individuals with the skill, ability, character and experience that marked them as best able to lead and train the junior, less experienced pilots on the ground and in the air.
And there were plenty of junior pilots to go around. In the Hollandia Action Report, CAG Miller addresses this very issue in the "Comments and Recommendations" section of his report:
"...VF-23 was expanded from a 12-plane to a 24-plane squadron by assigning 12 new pilots, 11 of whom were green, and sent into the combat zone the next day. During the past nine months, this squadron has never had over 26 usable pilots for operations. New pilots were trained over the target."
Four goes into 24 six times so it appears that VF-23's two dozen Hellcats were organized into 6 divisions. I would assume, particularly since the squadron was at war, the divisions were likely manned from top down by experience level, the bottom division possessing the most junior and presumably least experienced aviators. (During peacetime, quite often squadron Commanding Officers will direct that more senior pilots fly with more junior as wingmen in order to train them, but also as a means of assessing potential. I flew on my Skipper's wing plenty the first couple months after joining my fleet squadron.)
One of the greatest things about America is that our culture generally recognizes and rewards individual effort. More than the other service branches, the Navy embraces this philosophy and quite often places very junior people into positions of responsibility that would raise eyebrows in our sister branches. It is often said that the Navy tells you in a few short sentences what you can do while the Air Force goes to great lengths to list all the things you can't. Having served in both branches, I can tell you that this is largely true. The Preface to the CV NATOPS (Carrier Naval Air Training and Procedures Standardization) Manual includes the following statement:
"NATOPS publications provide the best available operating instructions for most circumstances. However, no manual can cover every situation or be a substitute for sound judgment; operational situations may require modification of the procedures contained therein. Read these publications from cover to cover. It is your responsibility to have a complete knowledge of their contents."
The Navy, as I've said previously, trains you and then lets you decide what you're going to do with the length of rope it provides. The Air Force gives you a small length of rope, and very little means of requesting any more. Bob Norris, author and former Naval Aviator who during his career did an exchange tour with an Air Force F-15 squadron, was asked by a young man which service academy he would recommend. His somewhat legendary reply explains this better than I can:
"12 Feb 04
Young Man,
Congratulations on your selection to both the Naval and Air Force Academies. Your goal of becoming a fighter pilot is impressive and a fine way to serve your country.
As you requested, I’d be happy to share some insight into which service would be the best choice. Each service has a distinctly different culture. You need to ask yourself 'Which one am I more likely to thrive in?'
USAF Snapshot: The USAF is exceptionally well organized and well run. Their training programs are terrific. All pilots are groomed to meet high standards for knowledge and professionalism. Their aircraft are top-notch and extremely well maintained. Their facilities are excellent. Their enlisted personnel are the brightest and the best trained. The USAF is homogenous and macro. No matter where you go, you’ll know what to expect, what is expected of you, and you’ll be given the training & tools you need to meet those expectations. You will never be put in a situation over your head.
Over a 20-year career, you will be home for most important family events. Your Mom would want you to be an Air Force pilot…so would your wife. Your Dad would want your sister to marry one.
Navy Snapshot: Aviators are part of the Navy, but so are Black Shoes (surface warfare) and Bubble Heads (submariners). Furthermore, the Navy is split into two distinctly different Fleets (West and East Coast). The Navy is heterogeneous and micro. Your squadron is your home; it may be great, average, or awful. A squadron can go from one extreme to the other before you know it. You will spend months preparing for cruise and months on cruise.
The quality of the aircraft varies directly with the availability of parts. Senior Navy enlisted are salt of the earth; you’ll be proud if you earn their respect. Junior enlisted vary from terrific to the troubled kid the judge made join the service. You will be given the opportunity to lead these people during your career; you will be humbled and get your hands dirty. The quality of your training will vary and sometimes you will be over your head. You will miss many important family events. There will be long stretches of tedious duty aboard ship. You will fly in very bad weather and/or at night and you will be scared many times.
You will fly with legends in the Navy and they will kick your ass until you become a lethal force. And some days – when the scheduling Gods have smiled upon you – your jet will catapult into a glorious morning over a far-away sea and you will be drop-jawed that someone would pay you to do it.
The hottest girl in the bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator.
That bar is in Singapore.
Bottom line, son, if you gotta ask…pack warm & good luck in Colorado.
Banzai"
Good stuff.
Back in 1944, among the 8 Hellcats leaving Princeton's deck at 0620 was the least experienced division in the squadron, led by a Junior Grade Lieutenant:
Lt(jg) J.M. Webb, USNR
Ens. I.T. Bledsoe, USNR
Ens. J.R. Hill, Jr., USNR
Ens. W.E. Parker, USNR
Lt.(jg) Joe Webb
For two hours Lt(jg) Webb maneuvered his Ensigns at their Combat Air Patrol station, doing his best to lean out fuel mixtures and fly a profile that was as efficient as possible. And then: “At 0820 fighter division 6 from this vessel, after being directed to intercept an unidentified aircraft, reported shooting down a Japanese medium bomber, type ‘Betty’, bearing 165 , distant 70 miles from the formation.”
The Action Report describes the Betty as painted green with red roundels on wings and fuselage and armed with a tail turret and starboard blister armed with 7.7 mm guns. After being vectored to the bogey by Princeton's FDO, the narrative continues:
"While flying at 8,000 feet, F6Fs sighted Betty at 11 o'clock, 5.6 miles at 7,000 feet on crossing course. Betty attempted to evade by lowering altitude in a 20˚ dive to 10 feet and by heading for a squall. However, F6Fs made bracketing runs, making it impossible for Betty to turn away. ... Fire opened generally at 250/300 yards and closed to 50 yards. Hits were scored in and around Betty's cockpit and wing roots, but apparently plane had some armor plate for it did not appear that pilot was hit. ... In all, nine runs were made ... On next to last run, Betty's tail was shot off and then during last run, Betty hit water without exploding or burning."
Scratch one Betty. Well done Fighter Division 6. Lo these many decades later, I can’t stop smiling at the most junior division in the outfit getting bragging rights for the day. Good on them.
Returning to their CAP station, I imagine Lt(jg) Webb and his Ensigns were feeling pretty darn good about themselves. But their morning was not yet over.
The Grumman Corporation built 12,275 F6Fs during the war and touted the aircraft as being “designed to be flown by 200-hour farmboys.” It had a published Maximum Endurance of 6.04 hours, but much like modern automobile advertised gas mileage specs, this was data gathered under unrealistically ideal conditions. My truck gets 25 mpg if I'm headed downhill. With a tailwind. In a vacuum. No aircraft I've ever known comes close to performing to its manufacturer's specs. The F/A-18C Hornet is advertised as capable of Mach 1.8. I once flew a Post Maintenance Check Flight (PMCF) in a "slick" jet (no external pods or drop tanks to add drag) and reached 1.37 Mach. In full afterburner. In a 30˚ dive. The point is, there was no way the F6-F was going to fly for 6 hours in combat conditions.
Princeton was scheduled to recover the 8 Hellcats and 4 Avengers from the morning launch at 0940 but only 4 fighters and 4 bombers made it back aboard. Fighter division 6 was not among them.
The Action Report describes where they were:
"Four-plane division led by Lt.(jg) Webb vectored to bogey by PRINCETON Fighter Director. While flying at 15,000 feet F6Fs sighted Nick at 12 o'clock, 5 miles distant at 12,000 feet. F6Fs overhauled after 10 mile chase. ... F6Fs initiated bracketing runs opening fire at 250/300 years and closing to 75/100 yards. Nick tried to evade by 30˚ banks and continuous loss of altitude. ...no flames were observed until the end of the action. Finally, hits blew up starboard engine and Nick stalled out, crashed into sea and exploded. ... Considerable return fire from Nick's after cockpit turret was observed. Pilots report white puffs of smoke in air from this gun position."
Most interesting and gratifying to me was the fact that Princeton's Ship and Air Group team, having been together for 15 months, almost half of that time engaged in active combat, were hitting on all cylinders. To wit:
"Fighter Director gave F6Fs a homing vector when it appeared that they would pass out of VHF [radio] range during combat. This information proved extremely valuable because it enabled pilots to start on course back to base without climbing to high altitude, which might have been a costly procedure due to a shortage of gasoline."
Outstanding situational awareness by the FDO! At the next port call, he and his crew would be quaffing beers on me.
Not to be outdone, Captain Buracker and his Ship's Company were on their game as well, as the War Diary recounts:
"At 0949 fighter division six from this vessel reported having shot down a Japanese twin-engine fighter, type "Nick", last reported distant 90 miles from the formation and opening. These fighters engaged in a long, fast chase and were low on gasoline. Permission was obtained to leave formation and steam toward them at high speed to close the distance. ... At 1016 changed course into the wind to 075˚, increasing speed to 27 knots, and fighters approached from the stern without going into the landing circle. All four of these planes were successfully recovered at 1029, all low on gasoline. This vessel received a "Well Done" from ComTaskForce 58, from ComTaskGroup 58.3, and from ComDesDiv 100 for this particular operation."
The logbooks of Webb, Bledsoe, Hill and Parker likely show a simple 4 hours and some change flight on 26 April 1944. I like to think they all had the opportunity to tell their grandkids what really happened on that day.
The remainder of the day saw two more Betty's shot down by fighters from Enterprise and Lexington. Lexington's kill was noted by the War Diary, which revealed the double misfortune of the enemy crew:
"Smoke from the burning plane was observed on the horizon, bearing 226˚. USS GATLING and USS DORTCH were at first directed to pick up survivors from this plane, but when they reported that they would not be able to meet schedule they were told to proceed without attention to survivors."
C'est la guerre.
Bonus Material: A short video clip of F6Fs making gun runs on Betty bombers in the Pacific Theater. And just because you can't see the bullets coming at the Hellcats doesn't mean they aren't there. This type of combat was essentially an aerial knife fight and took big brass ones.
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