USS Franklin Supports Peleliu Invasion, September 1944

By Glenn | September 16, 2024 |
A Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat fighter makes condensation rings as it awaits the take-off flag aboard USS Yorktown (CV-10), 20 November 1943. The plane is from Fighting Squadron Five (VF-5). Yorktown was then hitting targets in the Marshall Islands to cover the landings in the Gilberts. VF-5 would serve onboard Franklin in 1945. By that time, flying Corsairs.

At the beginning of September 1944, USS Franklin, the flagship of Task Group (TG) 38.4, was leading strikes against Iwo Jima and its sister island, Chi Chi Jima. TG 38.4 was one of four task groups making up Task Force 38, commanded by Admiral Marc Mitscher, who reported to Third Fleet commander Admiral William Halsey.…

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Burials At Sea by USS Franklin, 1944

By Glenn | September 8, 2024 |
Undated page from USS Franklin decklog showing burial at sea on 31 October 1944 of those crewmembers killed the day before by a Kamikaze attack.

Recently, I received an email from the brother of a crew member killed during the 30 October 1944 Kamikaze attack on USS Franklin. He had always wanted to know the latitude and longitude of the ship when his brother was buried at sea. The ship was part of the US Navy’s Task Force 58, assigned…

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Remembering My Father On National Purple Heart Day

By Glenn | August 9, 2024 |
Shadow box conaining the Purple Heart, dog tag, Infantryman's combat badge and other ribbons from Sergeant Maury Ross. He saw combat while serving in the 102nd "Ozark" Infantry division in WWII.

Wednesday, August 7th, was National Purple Heart Day. I published this (lightly edited) post on my Facebook M Glenn Ross, Author page. Pictured is my father’s Purple Heart, which he was awarded after being wounded in combat in the European Theater of Operations. He was escorting three German POWs back from the front, and as…

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Some Points From The USS Franklin CV-13 War Damage Report

By Glenn | June 27, 2024 |
Two carriers burning after separate kamikaze strikes. USS Franklin (CV-13), at right, and USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) afire after being hit by Japanese kamikaze suicide planes, while operating off the Philippines on 30 October 1944. Photographed from USS Brush (DD-745). US Navy 80-G-326798

I was rummaging through the USS Franklin CV-13 War Damage Report today and noticed a few things. (The numbers before each paragraph below denote the section and number of the paragraph. Direct quotes are italicized.) The report was probably written in late 1945 or in 1946. Structural Damage 4-24 In the action of 19 March…

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