10 MAY 1944
"At 0920, in a brief ceremony on the flight deck, Lieutenant Commander Henry L. MILLER, USN, was relieved of his duties as Commanding Officer of Fighting Squadron TWENTY-THREE by Lieutenant Commander Ralph A. FUOSS, USN, and of his duties as Commanding Officer of Air Group TWENTY-THREE by Lieutenant Commander M.T. HATCHER, USN, Commanding Officer of Torpedo Squadron TWENTY-THREE."
Having witnessed a multitude of command change ceremonies, I can attest that they are by tradition very scripted, businesslike and predictable. By 0938 the War Diary had moved on to reporting fleet disposition and aircraft launch status. The remarks and speech-making customarily delivered by the chain-of-command and the outgoing officer was apparently not a priority during wartime.
Henry Louis Miller, the man who had trained the Doolittle Raiders to launch their B-25 bombers from a boat...
...had joined USS Princeton upon her commissioning in early 1943. He had led Princeton's fighter squadron and Air Group through training and in aerial combat for 15 months as the U.S. Navy scratched and clawed its way through Japanese outposts in the far reaches of the Pacific. He would go on to other assignments, excelling and being promoted along the way. He would lead U.S. Naval Forces in two more wars, Korea and Vietnam, eventually retiring in September 1971 at the rank of Rear Admiral after 34 years of service to his nation.
After the brief ceremony, Princeton reverted to routine. Tow planes were launched to support more ship gunnery training while others were sent aloft on Air Surface Patrol ahead of the Task Group. As the distance to Pearl Harbor closed, friendly surface vessels began to appear, as well as the occasional friendly aircraft. The OTC also sent out the order of entry into port message: Battleships would lead the way, followed by CV, CVL and DD.
11 MAY 1944
At 0653, a mere 23 minutes after local sunrise, shore-based aircraft from airfields on Oahu arrived overhead the Task Group with towed target sleeves, allowing gunners from Princeton and other ships to take advantage of every last training minute available. An hour and a half later the bridge watch recorded sighting "the island of OAHU, T.H., bearing 000˚, distant 22 miles."
By 0957 Princeton had launched all her airworthy aircraft, 8 Avengers and 22 Hellcats to Naval Air Station Ford Island, clearing the flight deck for the heavy equipment which would soon be brought aboard to remove and replace gun mounts and repair combat damage. Three hours later she would be "moored port side to Berth V-2" in Pearl Harbor.
Princeton would return to sea in the near future, but the squadrons flying from her deck was about to change. And they would soon find themselves in skies thick with enemy aircraft.
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