April 2nd
Had familiarization hop with Lt. Woods. Have to practice turns and use of
dive flaps. Landed ok and Lt. Woods said I did ok.
April 3rd
Had 0900 hop with Ens. Platt. Did same as yesterday but also had to dive
and pullout. Not too good as he said I could have high speed stall on pullout
if not more gradual. Landed ok.
April 4th.
Went through Panama Canal. Liberty in Balboa. High school Spanish didn't
help too much. Had fun and we leave at 1900. On way to San Diego for more
planes. Went on Liberty to SD 200. Bought new pen.
April 5th
Spent all morning the Ready Room doing plane identification. 100th of a second
is quick. The planes we will be most involved with are: Betty, Val, Zero,
Zeke, Maves Our Task Force USS Essex, USS Wasp, USS San Jacinto, 2 Atlanta
Class cruisers and many DDs
At Pearl Harbor we will join up with the Wasp, Franklin, Bunker Hill, Essex,
Yorktown, Lexington, Hornet, San Jacinto, Langley, Conpense, Belleau Woods,
South Dakota, New Jersey, Iowa, Alabama, Washington, Maryland and Colorado*
(*got hit off Tinian)
Forgot to write up our stay at Pearl Harbor and Maui. Many ships still sunk
but many repaired and back in service. Practiced with new SB2C -3s on airfield
at Maui. Field was laid out as a carrier deck - 4 hours in A.M. and 2 hours
in P.M.. Learned about all kinds of ordinances. 30 cal, 50 cal, 20 mm, bombs
and rockets. My plane can carry 2000 pounds of bombs. Twin 50s - 4-20 mm
cannons and 16-8" rockets. Have night familiarization hop at 2000. Touch
and go landings.
Flew with Ens. Howe and on third touch and go he didn't take wave off and
landed wheels up. What a noise. OK though totaled plane and he and I are
assigned to 12 to 4 watch as a result of crash. Tomorrow we leave to make
five runs at target sleeve with colored bullets. Took off at 0700 and went
to 20,000 feet-used oxygen- did all five runs and am waiting for results.
Murphey and I did the best (about time). Scheduled to go to Barbers Point
for bomb sight training. Why? They are making us do everything and I hope
I make it. Our TBFs carry the Norden Bomb Sight and we have to fly torpedo
bombers in emergency. Hope not. They fly too slow and low for me. They have
it rigged in hanger on stilts. It moves over target and you line up speed,
alt wind drift and cross hairs. Punch release and a small plaster of Paris
bomb hits the target (you hope). Did ok.
Our squadron VB 15 assigned to USS Essex. Our Commander McCampbell wants
to land at sea after attacking the Task Force (use water bombs). Landed OK
but lost all our records because they were in the bombay and released with
water bombs by mistake. (Stupid shit) All of us have to take tests on cockpit
procedure for landing on deck. Did ok but forgot to drop hook. Would have
hit barriers unless the LSO (Landing Signal Officer) would give wave off.
Also briefed on emergency water landing - Assess damage to plane, wind direction,
wing man task force, land near DDs for pick up. Use cockpit check out for
clearing chute mike and Mae West and raft ( if possible). Worked out great
for Penna and Murphy. Both picked up by Tin Can. Transferred to Essex by
Breeches Buoy - hairy??
Spent many hours on radar navigation. Must remember YE signal for USS Essex.
All gunners will get actual flying on ASP patrols after take off. Schedule
to be posted (hope I'm not in first group) Guess what? I was in No. 1 group.
Lt. Platt and I are to fly advance sector ahead of Task Force. I still have
to get used to the dyhedral of our wing. Use of the instruments - ok. We
will fly at 5500 feet and each leg is 15 minutes long. The pilot will act
as observer as gunner will be too busy flying. After flying the 4 hour ASP
landed ok and Platt gave me a well done.
I need more time on twins. I tend to skid too much. Next hop is tomorrow
P.M. Most guys did good. Had rear left quadrant at 1300. Only 2 hours flying
time, Mr. Platt says he is getting more confidence in my as my turns are
improving. Three more hops to go with Lt. Platt and then am to fly with the
Exec. Flew in rough weather and I had a hard time holding the heading. Very
bad cross wind on downward leg - had to crab a lot - did ok though - one
to go.
Scheduled to fly ASP hop at 2500 feet and will leave to identify all ships
of Task Force. After catapulting, reached altitude and had to reset altimeter
as both did not calibrate correctly. After 3 hours of flying may hands and
arms become very strained. No auto pilot to be used. Practically flying by
instruments only and did ok!! Lt. Noyes is the squadron Executive Officer
and since I have flown with him he knows me and he is a nice guy.
Took off at 0900 - reached 5000 ft and he said I was on my own and to fly
according to the briefing in the Ready Room. Murphy, Gotziz, Penna are also
on this hop. My quadrant is the Starboard quarter 3 miles on each leg. Heading
NNW 297 degrees. Did well for quite a while until Lt. Noyes cranked in vertical
trim and I almost s-! But discovered it and reacted correctly. Landed at
12:10 and given a Well Done - WHEW!!! Must learn to fly by feel more and
to watch wing man. I guess experience is necessary. Received certificate
for achievement - hope I never have to make a water landing. More tests and
ground school coming up.
