Posted on 06/16/2005 9:31:54 PM PDT by snippy_about_it
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are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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At about 1036 the first interception was made by 11 Hellcats from the carrier Essex. As these fighters, led by Lt-Commander C.W. Brewer, were carrying out their attack they were joined by other Hellcats from Bunker Hill, Cowpens and Princeton. In this initial action at least 25 Japanese aircraft were shot down. Task Force 58 lost only one fighter. This set the pattern for the air-to-air combats of the day.
At 1107 radar detected another and much larger attack. This, Ozawa's second wave - consisting at this stage of 109 aircraft - was met by American fighters sixty miles out from Mitscher's flagship Lexington.
The first interception was made by 12 Hellcats, again from Essex, led by Commander David McCampbell, who was to become the highest-scoring US Navy fighter ace of the war. The Hellcats shot down approximately 70 aircraft from this raid. Most of the aircraft which broke through the combat air patrol were destroyed or driven off by the gunfire of the Battle Line.
Nonetheless, a handful of the bombers succeeded in attacking the American carriers. Six attacked Rear Admiral Montgomery's group, making near-misses which caused casualties on two of the carriers. Four of the six were shot down. A small group of torpedo aircraft attacked Reeves' group just before midday, one launching a torpedo which exploded in the wake of Reeves' flagship Enterprise. Three other torpedo-planes attacked the light carrier Princeton, but were shot down.
In all 97 aircraft of this - Ozawa's second wave - failed to return.
After this third assault there was a brief lull in the battle. Several US carriers were able to secure from General Quarters, and Mitscher took the opportunity to launch a search mission - one which was, however, unsuccessful.
The fourth and final assault wave was launched from the Japanese carriers between 1100 and 1130. This raid was given an incorrect location for its targets. One group from this raid, failing to find anything at the reported position, headed for the island of Rota to refuel, but sighted Montgomery's task group by chance. 9 dive-bombers eluded the American fighters and made attacks on carriers Wasp and Bunker Hill, but failed to make any hits, and all but one of the attackers were shot down. Another group, of 18 aircraft from the Japanese carrier Zuikaku, lost half its number to the American fighters.
As the Cowpens aircraft went in to attack they were joined by seven Hellcats from Essex, again led by McCampbell, and eight from Hornet. These 27 US fighters shot down 30 of the 49 Japanese planes, and the 19 survivors which landed received heavy and irreparable damage.
While Ozawa's air groups were being devastated in this massacre his carriers had come under attack from American submarines.
Taiho was than steaming at 27 knots. She had just launched 42 aircraft, her component of the Japanese second wave against Task Force 58. Four of Albacore's torpedoes were off-target. The pilot of one of the recently-launched aircraft - Sakio Komatsu - sighted one of the two which were heading for Taiho and heroically crashed his aircraft on it, destroying the torpedo and losing his life in the process. But the other torpedo struck the carrier on her starboard side near her aviation-fuel tanks. Nonetheless the damage to Taiho at first appeared not to be very serious.
Ozawa's Carrier Division also fell foul of the American submarine Cavalla. Shokaku, one of the six carriers which had carried out the attack on Pearl Harbor, was hit shortly before noon by three torpedoes of a salvo of six which Cavalla had fired from the close range of 1,000 yards. Fuel tanks on the carrier were ruptured by the explosions, fires spread through the ship, and at about 1500 a bomb magazine exploded, destroying her.
Meanwhile the flagship Taiho was falling victim to poor damage-control. On the orders of an inexperienced damage-control officer her ventilation system had been operated full-blast in an attempt to clear explosive fumes from the ship. This instead this had the disastrous effect of spreading the vapours throughout Taiho, and at 1532, approximately half an hour after the explosion which sank Shokaku, Taiho was herself wrecked by a huge explosion, and sank shortly after.
Albacore and Cavalla were both subjected to heavy depth-charge attacks, but the submarines escaped without serious damage.
Of the hundreds of US aircraft engaged in this great battle only 23 were shot down, and 6 more lost operationally. Task Force 58 lost 29 aircrew and suffered 31 fatal casualties on the ships which were hit or near-missed. In very few battles since medieval times, whether on land or at sea, have losses been so one-sided.
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In the early morning hours Japanese reconnaissance finds US Task Force 58 while remaining undetected. The Japanese immediately launch 372 aircraft, in four waves, to strike the American fleet. Overall, the Japanese have about 550 planes (including those on Guam) while the Americans have roughly 950. Furthermore, US radar provides significant advance warning of the attack. There is enough time to launch an air raid on Guam before the Japanese can arrive over their target. American fighters begin intercepting the incoming Japanese planes while 50 miles away. Many of the attackers are shot down before reaching the American fleet; US anti-aircraft defenses accounts for many more. The only hit achieved by the Japanese is on the USS South Dakota which is damaged by one bomb. The Japanese lose 240 aircraft and the Americans lose 29. The attackers fly on to Guam where American aircraft strike and destroy another 50 Japanese planes. Meanwhile, the Japanese aircraft carriers Taiho and Shokaku are sunk by the US submarines Cavalla and Albacore. American participants refer to the day as "The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" because of the ease with which the Japanese forces have been suppressed. 'The Battle of the Philippine Sea contributed as much to victory as if Ozawa's fleet had been destroyed; for without its air arm the fleet was crippled, and the six carriers that survived were useful only as decoys to lure another American admiral to do what Spruance had declined to do. Admiral Toyoda had announced on 15 June "the fate of the Empire rests on this one battle." He was right. It decided the Marianas Campaign by giving the United States Navy command of the surrounding waters and air. Thus, the Japanese land forces in Saipan, Tinian and Guam were doomed, no matter how bravely and doggedly they fought. And victory in the Marianas made an American victory over Japan inevitable.' -- Admiral Spruance |
Well written commentary on the Turkey Shoot. Thanks
Just in case you are interested .... :)
BTW ... you both are doing a FANTASTIC JOB on these threads!!! Keep up the good work!
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"The Era of Osama lasted about an hour, from the time the first plane hit the tower to the moment the General Militia of Flight 93 reported for duty."
Toward FREEDOM
Well, I prefer cantankerous!!! As Roy Rogers said to Gabby Hayes, "Let me handle that, I'm younger than you." Gabby replied, "You are, are you? You'll have to prove it."
My wife says I am just like Gabby Hayes. That is a fine compliment. She thinks that a little old, smelly, and messy cantankerousness are perhaps besmirching the diamond that is I - well, she usually is right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.
One correction to your otherwise sterling comments regards Spruance Iris7. We only lost the Yorktown at Midway, Both Enterprise and Hornet survuived.
A couple of Hellcat pics from WW-II and then off to work I must go,grumble grumble
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
good morning ALL
Down in Texas where I was raised, the standard way to respond when someone sneezed was to say, "Scat!" It was common practice, but I never knew why we said it. Now I know. It's an old custom dating back to ancient times, when folks believed that sneezing expelled the devil. You said "Scat!" to shoo him away. That's mere superstition, of course. There are better, biblical ways to chase away the devil. Satan's schemes always begin with a lie, a false lead, a subtle twist to the truth, which if acted on will tear us away from God. His proposals rarely seem evil, because our minds are repelled by obvious evil. More often they come disguised as good. Satan adds a trace of grace and beauty to every lure, lest we recognize its deadly nature. It's easy to be taken in. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). Counter Satan's lies with truth when they first enter your mind. Meet them immediately with a word from God and banish him, as you would shoo away a pushy salesman, before he gets a foot in the door. Call to mind a verse or portion of Scripture that speaks to the particular lie Satan is selling you and submit yourself to that truth. That's the way to make the devil run. David Roper
He'll stop you in your tracks; So keep on guard and trust God's Word, Resist his strong attacks. Branon When Satan strikes, strike back with the Word of God.
What In The World Is Satan Doing?
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On This Day In History
Birthdates which occurred on June 17:
1239 Edward I(Longshanks) king of England (1272-1307)
1703 John Wesley cofounded Methodist movement/author
1742 William Hooper signed Decl of Ind
1811 Jon Sigurdsson Iceland, leader/collects Icelandic legends
1817 Thomas Maley Harris, Bvt Mjr General (Union volunteers), died in 1906
1818 Charles Gounod Paris, France, opera composer (Faust)
1832 Sir William Crookes chemist/physicist; discovered thallium
1867 John Robert Gregg Ireland, inventor (shorthand)
1870 George Cormack created "Wheaties" cereal
1871 James Weldon Johnson lawyer, 1st black admitted to Florida Bar
1882 Igor Stravinsky Oranienbaum, Russia, composer (The Rite of Spring)
1904 Ralph Bellamy Chicago, actor (Air Mail, Dive Bomber, Trading Places)
1910 Red Foley Blue Lick Ky, country singer (Mr Smith Goes to Washington)
1914 John Hersey author (Hiroshima, A Bell for Adano)
1915 Stringbean [David Akeman], Ky, banjoist/comedian (Hee Haw)
1917 Dean Martin, Steubenville Ohio, singer/actor (with Jerry Lewis)
1919 Kingman Brewster college president (Yale)
1923 Elroy (Crazylegs) Hirsch AAFC, NFL halfback, end (LA Rams)
1928 James Brown godfather of soul (I Feeeel Good))
1929 Tigran Petrosyan USSR, world chess champion (1963-69)
1940 Bobby Bell NFL linebacker (KC Chiefs)
1943 - Newt[on] L Gingrich, (Rep-R-G, 1979- /Speaker of House 1995-97)
1945 Eddy (The Badger) Merckx Belguim, cyclist (5 time winner of Tour de France)
1946 Barry Manilow NYC, singer(?) (Mandy)
1948 Phylicia Allen Ayers Rashad Houston Tx, actress (Cosby)
1951 Joe Piscopo Passaic NJ, comedian(?) (SNL, Miller Lite commercials)
1965 Kami Cotler Long Beach Calif, actress (Elizabeth-The Waltons)
1980 Venus Williams, Lynwood Calif, tennis star
Wow, that WAS a turkey shoot.
Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, vehicle commander, 617th Military Police Company, Richmond, Ky., stands at attention before receiving the Silver Star at an awards ceremony at Camp Liberty, Iraq, June 16. Hester is the first woman soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star. Photo by Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp, USA
Have you hugged a SpankenTruppen today size.(Hobbit size flag here)
Morning Snippy.
Morning DD.
Morning Neil.
Nice scenery in Arizona but it looks like someone stole all your trees. ;-)
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