USS Franklin Timeline
The USS Franklin (CV-13) played a key role in the operations of Task Force 58 during the march across the Central Pacific. If ever there was a gallant ship, she was one. Here is a timeline, courtesy of the book, “USS Franklin (CV-13) Original Documents 1943-1946.” pp. 76-77 (Courtesy of Don Price)
7-Dec-42 Keel laid Newport News
14-Oct-43 Launched
31-Jan-44 Commissioned
20-Mar-44 Shakedown cruise started
5-May-44 Departed Norfolk for W. Coast
11-May-44 Transited Panama Canal
19-May-44 Arrived San Diego
1-Jun-44 Departed San Diego
7-Jun-44 Arrived Pearl Harbor
16-Jun-44 Departed Pearl Harbor
23-Jun-44 Crossed International Dateline
1 Star Marianas Operation
3-4-July Strikes against Iwo, Haha, and Chichi Jima
6-22-July-44 Invasion of Guam and other strikes
25-27-July-44 Strikes against Palau, Yap, Ulithi
1-Star Western Caroline Islands Operation
31-Aug-2-Sept-44 Strikes against Iwo and Chichi Jima 6-8
Sept-44 Strikes against Yap and Ulithi
10-16-Sept Inv. Support of Peleliu, Anguar Islands, Palau Islands
20-Sep-44 Crossed Equator
1-Star Leyte (Philippines) Operations
10-Oct-44 Strikes against Okinawa Jima, Nansei Shoto
11-Oct Strikes against Aparri, Luzon, Philippines Islands
12-13-Oct-44 Strikes against Tainan, Island of Formosa
14-19-Oct-44 Strikes against Aparri, Lagaspi, and Manila
20-Oct-44 Invasion support of Leyte
22-23-Oct-44 Strikes in Manila area
24-25 -Oct-44 Battle of Leyte Gulf
27-30 Oct Support of ground troops on Leyte
30-Oct-44 Extensively Damaged east of Samar Island
2-Nov-44 Arrived Ulithi, enroute to Pearl,
7-Nov Gehres takes command 11-Nov Departed Ulithi
21-Nov-44 Arrived Pearl Harbor
27-Nov-44-2Feb-45 Under repair at Bremerton
4-Feb-45 Arrived San Francisco
7-Feb-45 Departed San Francisco
13-Feb-45 Arrived Pearl Harbor
13-Feb-45 Departed Pearl Harbor
6-Mar-45 Crossed International Dateline
13-Mar-45 Arrived Ulithi
1 Star Okinawa Gunto Operation
18-19-Mar-45 Operations against Kyushu, Shikoku, Japan
19-Mar-45 Bomb attack 24-Mar-45
Arrived Ulithi ? Departed Ulithi
1-Apr-45 Crossed International Dateline
3-Apr-45 Arrived Pearl Harbor
10-Apr Departed Pearl Harbor
20-Apr Transited Panama Canal
28-Apr-45 Arrived Brooklyn Navy Yard
17-May-45 Awards Ceremony
30-Jun-45 Captain Hale relieves Gehres
17-Feb-47 Laid Up
1966 Stricken from Navy Register
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[…] From July to October 1944, Franklin flew sortie after sortie against Iwo Jima and her sister islands, Guam, Yap, Ulithi, and other islands earning three battle stars. In October, she was a part of Task Force 38 commanded by Admiral William Halsey, and took part in supporting the Invasion of the Philippines. At that point in the war, the Japanese military was facing severe shortages of men and materiel. IJN Captain Eiichiro Jyo, commanding the light carrier Chiyoda, suggested that Admiral Ozawa immediately organize special attack squadrons to carry out “crash-dive” tactics against the US fleet. Admiral Ozawa rejected the idea. But soon thereafter Admiral Takijiro Onishi, who was about to take command of land-based air assets in the Philippines, began developing plans for these squadrons.8 The admiral supported the use of kamikaze squadrons because he believed it would take eight bombers escorted by 16 fighters to sink one carrier while one to three kamikazes could accomplish the same goal.9 […]
[…] Ben and her crew arrived in the Pacific Theater in July 1944. By 20 September, she had seen a great deal of action in the short time she had been there. She […]