Lt. Frank C. Lewis and his gunner William G. Walters, ARM2c, with Dauntless
1944.
Frank returned to the states in 1944 to train on the Helldiver in Massachusetts.
He was transferred to the Hellcat in the newly formed Fighter/Bomber group
VBF-9 when the Helldiver proved less useful than the Hellcat in a dual role
as fighter & bomber. Air Group Nine were aboard USS Lexington CV16 Jan.-Feb.
1945 and went on their next Pacific cruise from Ulithi March - June 1945
on the USS Yorktown, participating in the raids on Japan, and the battles
of Okinawa and Iwo Jima. The group helped sink the Yamato one of Japan's
two super battleships.
Air Group Nine was the first Essex-based combat group in the Pacific. They
participated in the Marcus raid, the first Essex carrier combat action of
WWII. Frank was the first Dauntless bomber off the Essex in that action.
Air Group Nine also participated in the the last major carrier-supported
battle, Iwo Jima in 1945. Because other groups were in the more famous battles,
such as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot" and the leading Hellcat Ace, McCambell,
was in another group, Air Group Nine has not received a lot of attention.
In 1944, VF Nine's fighter pilots were featured on the cover of Life Magazine
May 1, 1944 after their return from the first cruise of the Essex CV9 in
the Pacific war.
Frank served on the Essex with VB-9 on the first cruise. On his second
Pacific tour, with VBF-9 on USS Lexington & USS Yorktown February-May
1945.
After completing two combat tours in the Pacific, Frank received the
Distinguished Flying Cross and eight Air Medals, and was credited with two
kills in the Hellcat. One Jap fighter over Japan on February 16, 1945 and
one Jap fighter near Okinawa on April 22, 1945.
Lewis in Hellcat
Aboard Yorktown 1945
Attached is a picture in the ready room on the Yorktown, Lewis on the left
with (rare) mustache. And, the Life Magazine article from 1944.
Lt.Cdr. Lewis 1945
Lt.Cdr Lewis's Nephew, Claude "Sandy" Thomas contributed the above profile
of his Uncle and also submitted the pictures. Thanks Sandy for sharing with
us.
Ensign Alfred DeCesaro
in the
air...
(click for large view)
Flying an SB2C HellDiver in the Pacific during
World War II, Ensign Alfred 'Fritz' DeCesaro flew off the deck of
USS ESSEX CV9. He served under Cdr.David McCampbell, with Airgroup
15. Decesaro , and his gunner, Edward Sharron ARM3/c flew 34 combat
missions logging 125 combat hours of flying time.
Actions - Hit and helped sink 8000 ton
AK 21 September 1944, destroyed 4 grounded aircraft 13 September 1944, sank
3000 ton AK 12 October 1944, hit and helped sink Ise class battleship 25
October 1944, destroyed 4 grounded aircraft 5 November 1944, hit 10,000
ton AK 13 November 1944. These are all confirmed.. DeCesaro also had many
'probables' that aren't listed here.
In addition to his many 'kills', Fritz was credited
with a direct hit on a Japanese Battleship when he braved intense
antiaircraft fire to move into close accurate bombing range. For that
action he was awarded the Navy Cross. The Navy Cross is The Navy's highest
award, second only to The Medal of Honor. Fritz also received 3 Air
Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Admiral McCain Presents the Navy Cross to Lt.jg DeCesaro
Lt.jg Warren Parrish
Warren Parrish was assigned to the ESSEX in the South
Pacific in 1944. Piloting a Curtis Wright Helldiver, he and his rearseat
gunner flew 32 missions, bombing Japanese ships and targets on Marcus, Wake,
Palau, the Bonins and the Phillipines. They made low - level attacks,
strafing with guns and dropping bombs from steep diving angles. Warren Parrish
was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Air Medals, and the Navy
Cross.
He won the Navy Cross for depositing a direct hit
on the Japanese battleship Musashi, in the battle of the Sibuyan Sea. Parrish's
Helldiver squadron VB15 along with Avenger squadron VT15 torpedo bombers,
from Essex, share credit for the sinking of Japans Super battleship
MUSASHI. At 67,000 tons, the
Musashi was one of the
two largest battleships in the world, the other being her sister ship Yamato.
The battleship Yamato escaped being attacked by seeking cover under a
squall.
'Notice' The flack in the photos of the Musashi.
Lt.jg Parrish (on right) ,with his gunner, Ronald
Guilbeau.
Ron Guilbeau, ARM2/C, CAC.
Ronald Guilbeau flew 28 combat missions and was
awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, and numerous other
awards.
Lt. William S. Rising
Lt. Bill Rising flew an SB2C Helldiver with VB15 as
part of Airgroup 15, under Cdr. David McCampbell. At 0630 on
the morning of November 6th, 1944, Twenty six F6F Hellcat fighters, nine
Helldiver dive-bombers and five TBM Avenger torpedo-bombers left the deck
of ESSEX to join air groups from other Carriers in the
task force under command of Admiral W.F. Bull Halsey in the first
wave of strikes against the Japanese forces at Clark Field, as well as enemy
ships in Manila and Salaguin Harbors.
As the aircraft neared the target area near Manila,
heavy groundfire began to burst around the American planes. Lt. Rising looked
below and found a choice target, a Japanese Destroyer. He put his aircraft
into a vertical dive, screaming in on the enemy ship at almost a 90 degree
angle to lay his bombs on its deck. Around the rapidly diving airplane burst
the deadly rounds of enemy anti-aircraft fire. Manning the gun behind his
pilot, ARM2/c John Montgomery did his best to ignore it and concentrate on
the job at hand. One week earlier Montgomery had celebrated his 21st
birthday and hoped to celebrate his 22nd. Though young, he had already completed
38 such missions, and was becoming an "old hand".
Suddenly the sound of the diving Helldiver's engine
changed. Enemy fire had struck home. Quickly Rising pulled out of his dive
struggling to level his aircraft. Both men removed their safety belts and
climbed out on a wing to bail out. As the Helldiver began to level more,
Rising yelled across to Montgomery, " I think I can control 'er. Let's see
if we can make it out past Manila Bay." They climbed back into the the falling
Helldiver, buckled up and headed out to sea away from the bay full of enemy
ships. After getting farther away from Manila Bay they crash landed at sea,
and made their way by raft to the far side of Luzon Island. With the help
of Philippine farmers and Guerrilla's, and after hiding from the Japanese
for several weeks, they were eventually picked up by a Navy PT boat,
just two days before Christmas.
John Montgomery, ARM2/C, CAC, flew 39 combat missions
and was awarded the Distinguished flying Cross, the Air Medal and the Purple
Heart.
Jack Miller, ARM1/C, CAC
November 24, 1944
We found cruisers under way and under attack. Saw 2 of our planes get hit
and they headed for the beach. Made a good hit on the cruiser but on the
pullout got hit in engine. Had very little altitude and power. Headed for
Leyte Gulf (friendly area). Saw many PT boats and headed for them. Engine
quit and made a very hard landing. Cart wheeled on port wing. Hurt my back
but both Cal and I got into raft. Plane still floated. About 15 minutes later
got picked up by PT boat.
Both Cal and I were hurt so they placed us in the wheel house ? The cruiser
was hit bad but still fired at planes and PTs. The skipper of our PT made
a run and let go 4 fish. Turned sharply and zig zagged from shell splashes.
Got back to Leyte and was put on hospital ship on way to Pearl Harbor. They
put a cast on me because of my back injury. Cal had 27 stitches in forehead
where he hit gun sight. Reached Pearl Harbor on the 30th of November.
The above excerpted from
Jack Miller's
War Diary
Some of the awards Jack Miller earned included The Distinguished Flying
Cross and 4 Air Medals.
Jack Miller and his pilot, LTjg Calvin Platt
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