1943

1943

January 1 - 6, : Anchored at Espiritu Santo, New Herbrides.

January 7, : Underway for Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, conducting flight operations under CTF 65.

January 13, : Arrived at Viti Levu, moored to buoy in Tombako Nandi. VGS 16 embarked for operations.

January 14 - 17, : Moored at Viti Levu. Conducted flight operations.

January 19, : Returned to Viti Levu.Moored.

February 5, : Moored at Vitu, conducting flight operations, fighter director exercises and radar calibrations.

February 6, : Underway for Pearl Harbor, T.H.

February 14, : Arrived Pearl Harbor.

February 14 - 20, : Moored at Navy Yard for repairs and alterations.

February 21, : Loaded personnel and aircraft of MAG 21, including 54 F4F's. Underway for Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, operating on ferrying mission under ComAirPac.

March 3, : Catapulted 54 F4F's. Arrived at Espiritu Santo, anchored in Segond Channel.

March 10, : Underway for Pearl Harbor, T.H.

March 19, : Arrived Pearl Harbor, moored at Naval Air Station.

March 19 - 20, : Loaded cargo and embarked passengers.

March 21, : Underway for San Francisco, CA.

March 27, : Arrived at Alameda, CA. Moored at Naval Air Station. Disembarked passengers and unloaded cargo.

March 28, : Moved to pier #20, San Francisco, General Engineering Co.

March 28 - April 12, : Undergoing repairs and alterations.

April 13, : Underway for San Diego, CA.

April 14, : Arrived San Diego. Moored Naval Air Station.

April 17, : Underway to conduct flight operations with VC 21 for training purposes.

April 22, : Completed training exercises. Returned to Naval Air Station, San Diego.

April 23, : Underway to rendezvous with Task Force 51.1, en route to Cold Bay, Alaska with VC 21 aboard.

April 30, : NASSAU anchored in Cold Bay, where she joined IDAHO, NEVADA, J.F. BELL, CHANDLER, DALE, FARRAGUT, KANE, HULL, MACDONNOUGH, HARRIS, LONG, HEYWOOD, ZEILIN, MONAGHAN, PHELPS, ABNER READ, MEADE, EDWARDS, HEED, SICARD, ARDIS,PRUITT, PERIDA, and W.L. THOMPSON.

May 6, : Infantry landed on Attu. At 06:23 NASSAU commenced launching 2-eight plane flights of F4F's and another flight consisting of 2-F4F's and 2- F4F-3's to act as spotters. The Wildcats were to strafe and bomb in advance of Army troops landing at Attu. The first returning Wildcat landed at 08:00, but it hit the barrier and suffered some damage. The pilot was not injured.

At 08:10, Paul Beamont, flying #4 , was ordered to ditch alongside of MONAGHAN because the fog was considered too thick for a safe landing aboard. He had flown four hours attacking Attu and believed he could have landed safely. He made the mistake of landing too close to the DD and it ran over him and the DD crewmen lost sight of him. He just barely survived the immersion in the Cold Bering Sea waters. After being picked up by MONAGHAN he remained on board until long after NASSAU had left the combat area, therefore this was his sole combat flight in the Aleutians. While aboard the DD he was pressed into more or less appropriate duties.

Ted Condo, in 12019, bombed Holtz Bay and returned to NASSAU without incident. Bud Kelly, in 11865, flew"air combat patrol over ships to fight off any attempt made to attack them from Attu."

At 08:28, "OLE #97, " 3997, an F4F-3, crashed on deck, but the pilot was not injured. As another F4F-3 was landing at 09:15, a parachute flare broke loose and fell on deck. It was quickly tossed over the side and the fire extinguished. The last aircraft landed at 09:18.

The second wave started catapulting at 14:45 and by 14:53 the last of the eight F4F-4s was on its way to Attu. One pilot made an emergency landing at 15:18 and at 15:35 A. J. Kostrzewsky, in # 16(03519), ditched and was picked up by AYLWIN. The flying day ended at 16:03 when the last Wildcat returned to NASSAU.

May 12, : Weather did not permit an early launching, but finally at 11:43 the first of two F4F-4s took off, followed at 11:47 by the second. The mission was simply to reconnoiter Attu and return to NASSAU. At 12:37 the first of eight F4F-4s loaded with two 100 lb. bombs each commenced launching and by 12:45 they were all on the way to Attu. All aircraft had been catapult launched because of insufficient wind velocity.

Condo, in 03490, attacked an AA battery at Holtz Bay and scored some hits, but the AA gunners scored some hits also. Condo lost his tail wheel and a 40mm projectile creased the hump behind his head. With the ceiling at only 1500 feet the AA gunners were fairly accurate. Attacks against the targets were made by flying in a "daisy chain," so the last man in was likely to get stung! Kelly, in 12135, "Bombed and strafed enemy positions holding up advancement of out troops. Attack very successful." The landing on CVE-16 was his 17th carrier landing.

The two early aircraft landed at 13:10 and 13:13 and, although some of the other planes had received damage from the heavy AA fire, the mission had been successful and all eight planes had landed between 13:25 and 13:30

The late shift began launching at 17:10, all eight being airborne by 17:20. By this time the sorties were more or less routine, and by 18:20 the last Wildcat had recovered.

"On May 12 from 02:00 until 09:00 attacking enemy planes invaded the mist of Attu, soaring over the island ceaselessly, relentlessly, as they strafed and bombed it. At this time absurd leaflets urging surrender were dropped in the Chichago of Harbor sector." (JD)

Inclement weather prevented flying by VC-21 until late in the afternoon, but some improvement allowed nine Wildcats to head for the target areas, the first departing at 17:13. By 18:48 all had been recovered by NASSAU.

May 14, : The shadow of bad luck returned to NASSAU with a vengeance. General Quarters was sounded because of sounded because of sonar report of a submarine. Aircraft were scrambled at 12:34, with Condo first off and seven others following in short order. At 12:47 another flight of four was launched. Wilson C. Kelly, in # 13 (11836)

May 15, : At 14:06 the first Wildcat was taken aboard NASSAU, but when the last trap had been made there were three aircraft missing. Douglas Henderson, flying # 2 (12019) had crashed into a mountain on Attu, probably hit by AA fire. Aircraft # 10 (12074), flown by Earnest D. Jackson, suffered the same fate. Condo had been joined by the Air Group Commander, L.K. Greenamyer, on top of the cloud layer and had attacked Sarana Bay. Climbing away from the target they flew into the clouds, but when Condo emerged from the soup Greenamyer was nowhere to be seen. Condo, in 02043, returned safely to the carrier, but Greenamyer, flying # 22 (03490), failed to return. Four aircraft and three pilots had been lost. At 09:15 Crusoe and Thorson were launched in # 25 and Evins and Alenby were launched in # 24 at 09:27 for spotting Attu shelling. At 12:58 a Grumman crashed in the water to starboard( of PENNSYLVANIA) and the pilot ( W.C. Kelly ) was rescued at 13:04 by ALWIN.

May 16, : NASSAU launched four F4F-4s and one F4F-3 between 07:38 and 07:46. At 08:43 five more F4F-4s commenced launching and at 08:51 the first flight commenced landing. Another five F4F-4s commenced launching at 09:20 and ten minutes later W.P. Breeden, USMC, flying F4F-3 2526, dived into the water after being catapulted. His body was not recovered. Breeden was quite young and had not been able to carrier qualify on the way to Cold Bay. Before leaving North Island he had crashed coming aboard and almost went over the side of the ship. Five Wildcats returned at 09:43, but at 10:07 Francis R. Register, flying 02043, was seen to crash land near the advancing army. He was thrown form the aircraft and died on impact. Forty-seven minutes later the last of the Wildcats started landing, all being recovered successfully.

May 17, : Weather prevented operations from NASSAU.

May 18, : Weather prevented operations from NASSAU.

May 19, : NASSAU entered the arena again at 12:09 when four F4F-4's began launching. By 13:13 the Wildcats had competed their work and were back aboard. Between 15:48 and 15:49 four other aircraft were launched, followed by three more between 16:32 and 16:37. Wildcat #6 damaged its landing gear upon landing and #11 crashed into the barrier. By 17:24 all aircraft had been recovered. Condo flew 12138 on one of the missions and Kelly, in 03422, flew air combat patrol.

May 20, : Weather permitted a great number of sorties from NASSAU. Starting at 13:10 . Attacking Chichagof Ridge in 03420, Condo was strafing up a valley when he realized that he was going to have a hard time getting turned around. He had to lower his wheels, drop his flaps, and open his cowl flaps, and even then the Wildcat shuddered as it turned back toward the sea. On the way out he strafed some more Japanese. Kelly, again in 03422, bombed and strafed Chicagof Harbor area, noting, "Good Hunting." When recoveries were completed at 19:18 twenty sorties had been flown.

May 21, : On the way to Adak. With the missions of the NASSAU and VC-21 had completed their duties in the unfriendly Aleutians and were ordered back to California and thence to the Western Pacific for further fame and glory. Carrier "A". as it had been called in official dispatches, was the first to launch aircraft over Alaskan waters ; was the first to launch aircraft over Alaskan waters ; and was the first to launch aircraft over Alaskan Waters ; and was the first CVE involved in amphibious landing. Wildcats had been launched on 76 missions, with 111 individual sorties.

May 22, : En route to San Diego, CA.

June 1, : Arrived at San Diego. Moored at Naval Air Station.

June 1 - 7, : Moored at Naval Air Station, San Diego.

June 7, : Underway for Alameda, CA.

June 8, : Arrived at Alameda, CA.

June 9 - 11, : Loaded 45 P-38's.

June 12, : Underway for Brisbane, Australia, ferrying aircraft. Operating under ComAirPac.

July 1, : Arrived at Brisbane, Australia. Moored.

July 2, : Unloaded aircraft.

July 3, : Underway for Noumea, New Caledonia.

July 6, : Arrived at Noumea. Anchored in Uemo Bay

July 7, : Loaded cargo and 4 DC-3's. Embarked Passengers.

July 8, : Underway for San Diego, CA.

July 9, : Set course for San Francisco, CA.

July 23, : Arrived at San Francisco. Proceed to Navy Yard. Mare Island. Moored. Unloaded aircraft., disembarked passengers.

July 23 - August 26, : Undergoing repairs and alterations at Navy Yard, Amre Island.

August 26, : Underway for San Diego, CA.

August 27, : Arrived San Diego. Moored at Naval Air Station.

September 1 - 3, : Conducted flight operations for training off San Diego.

September 4, : Returned to Naval Air Station, San Diego.

September 6 - 8, : Conducted flight operations for training off San Diego.

September 9, : Returned to Naval Air Station, San Diego.

September 13 - 15, : Conducted flight operations for training off San Diego.

September 16. : Returned to Naval Air Station, San Diego. Captain Austin K. Doyle, USN, was relieved as Commanding Officer, by Captain Stanley J Michael, USN, of Washington, D.C..

September 19 - 22, : Conducted flight operations for training off San Diego.

September 23, : Returned to Naval Air Station, San Diego.

September 23 - 25, : Loaded personnel and aircraft of MAG 31, including 35 SBD's and 36 F4F's.

September 26, : Underway on ferry mission to Samoa. Fiji Islands.

October 6, : Arrived at Samoa. Moored at Naval Air Station.

October 6 - 7, : Launched 26 F4U's and 35 SBD's Embarked for return trip.

October 8, : Underway for San Diego, CA.

October 19, : Arrived San Diego. Moored at Repair Base. Disembarked passengers.

October 19 - 23, : Moved to Naval Air Station. Embarked VMF-225 for passage. Loaded aircraft, including 14 SBD's, 4 JRB,s, 2 SBD's, 3 SB2C's, 10 TDC's, 5 SBU's, 1 GH, and 13 F4U's.

October 24, : Underway to Pearl Harbor, T.H.

October 30, : Arrived Pearl Harbor. Moored at Naval Air Station.Unloaded aircraft, disembarked passengers.

November 5 -6, : Conducted air operations in training area off Pearl Harbor.

November 7, : Returned to Naval Air Station, Pearl Harbor.

November 7 - 10, : Underway to Gilbert Islands ; operating under CTF 52, VF-1 aboard.

November 21 -25, : Conducted operations supporting the capture and occupation of Tarawa Island ; operating under CTF 53.

November 25. : Launched 22 F6F's which proceeded to Tarawa.

November 28, : En route to Pearl Harbor, operating under CTF 52.

December 5 - 7, : Loaded at Pearl Harbor. Moored at Naval Air Station.

December 8, : Underway for Makin Atoll, Gilbert Islands, ferrying aircraft.

December 14, : Arrived in vicinity of Makin. Catapulted all aircraft ; set course for Pearl Harbor.

December 20, : Arrived Pearl Harbor. Moored in X-ray area.

December 24, : Moved to Naval Air Station.

December 25 - 31, : Moved to Naval Air Station, Pearl Harbor. Ship's force conducted necessary repairs.