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| USS Wasp (CV-7) entering Hampton Roads, VA, on 26 May 1942. USS Gleaves (DD-423) is in the background. |
A spread of six Type 95 torpedoes was fired at Wasp at about 14:44 from the tubes of the B1 Type submarine I-19. Wasp put over her rudder hard to starboard to avoid the salvo, but it was too late. Three torpedoes struck in quick succession about 14:45; one actually breached, left the water, and struck the ship slightly above the waterline. All hit in the vicinity of the ship's gasoline tanks and magazines. Two of the spread of torpedoes passed ahead of Wasp and were observed passing astern of Helena before O'Brien was hit by one at 14:51 while maneuvering to avoid the other. The sixth torpedo passed either astern or under Wasp, narrowly missed Lansdowne in Wasp's screen about 14:48, was seen by Mustin in North Carolina's screen about 14:50, and struck North Carolina about 14:52.
There was a rapid succession of explosions in the forward part of the ship. Aircraft on the flight and hangar decks were thrown about and dropped on the deck with such force that landing gears snapped. Aircraft suspended in the hangar overhead fell and landed upon those on the hangar deck; fires broke out in the hangar and below decks. Soon, the heat of the intense gasoline fires detonated the ready ammunition at the forward anti-aircraft guns on the starboard side, and fragments showered the forward part of the ship. The number two 1.1 in (28 mm) mount was blown overboard. (Source)
Part of the Navy's statement on the finding of USS Wasp -
“Wasp represented the U.S. Navy at the lowest point after the start of WWII. Her pilots and her aircrew, with their courage and sacrifice, were the ones that held the line against the Japanese when the Japanese had superior fighter aircraft, superior torpedo planes and better torpedoes,” said Rear Adm. (Ret.) Samuel Cox, director of the Naval History and Heritage Command. “The first year of the war, it was touch and go. Those who served at that time deserve the gratitude of our nation for holding the Japanese back.” (Source)
Something I had forgotten was that before the USS Wasp and her crew were sent to the Pacific Theater they had made two deliveries of vital aircraft, Spitfires, to the island of Malta when that island was being pounded daily by the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica. She played a large role in the survival of that island. After the first delivery, Sir Winston Churchill requested that USS Wasp be allowed to have "another good sting," President Roosevelt agreed and the second trip was made.
Never forget those who paid such a price for our freedom, to the USS Wasp and her crew, Fair Winds and Following Seas!
God Speed.
Lessons Learned from this save a lot of lives later in the war. But the price is always far too high.
ReplyDeletePeacetime complacency leads to that high price in the initial stages of a war.
DeleteDoes the Air Force have Lessons Learned as part of an After Action Report?
DeleteFor those who held the line in dark days, God Bless and God Speed.
ReplyDeleteAmen.
DeleteInteresting that the US Navy moved on from naming carriers after bees (Wasp, Hornet) and now names them after locusts (i.e. politicians).
ReplyDeleteGood one, a bear.
Deletea bear as usual, is far too kind. Comparing the crop of American politicians to locusts is to honor them with something undeserved. I think that leaches and parasites is more appropriate. And as to the naming of Navy ships - during the Obama regime, the names seemed to come from American communists and traitors not exclusively, but far too often. I wonder why that was?
DeleteLL hits closer to the mark.
DeleteGood call a bear!
ReplyDeleteThese were the stories I read when I was just a little bit. But I never knew they delivered Spits to Malta. Amazing...
I think we read the same stories.
DeleteThe Wasp looks more beat up than the Hornet, but some gear in the photos is in astonishing condition. The water cooling hoses to the 1.1 inch mount look great, and the paint on the prop tip of the Avenger looks as if it was done recently.
ReplyDeleteMy OCD would change the photo title of the anchor from "the" anchor, to "one of the anchors."
If you scroll down the photos you can clearly see two hawsepipes during construction, and another photo shows her anchored with two anchors.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/07.htm
The 98 year old is pretty spry and sounds like he has it together. Amazing.
The hymn produced the usual effect.
Very good post. Thank you.
Most civvies don't know how many anchors a ship has. Most have at least two.
Delete3 Long Lance hits would maul any target, let alone one packed so full of gasoline and bombs...
DeleteSuckers are huge, there's one in Annapolis at the Naval Academy.
DeleteThey’d occasionally maul the ship that carried them, too (Chōkai, Suzuya).
DeleteSo many good men died for an ungrateful many today. US history, and world history as well is not something worthy of learning today. the ignorance of the general population is extremely sad for me. Several generations have been taught only how bad our country is, not what good all those that came before them have done for the US and the world. Imagine the world today without the United States.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a world dominated by dictatorships.
DeleteHey AFSarge;
ReplyDeleteGood Post, you beat me to it, LOL. I remember that the U.S. Navy was in shock that all they had in the Pacific for a while was the battered Enterprise, all their other carriers have been sunk or torpedoed and was in the states for repair U.S.S. Saratoga. The guadalcanal campaign all 8 months of it tested the metal of both the Marines, Navy and the Army that was fighting it as they figured what really worked and what didn't when it came to the Japanese.
Guadalcanal was certainly a lesson. Paid in blood.
DeleteAt one time, between loss of aircrew, battle damage and lack of supplies, all we had at Guadalcanal were destroyers and PT boats, a few light cruisers and not much else.
DeleteTo paraphrase Wellington, "It was the nearest run thing you saw in your life."
We almost lost the Pacific. But we didn't. Wasp, Hornet, Lexington, all paid with their lives and their crews' blood. Saratoga kept smashing her head against the wall of the IJN and kept pulling herself back, bloody and smashed. Same with Enterprise.
For a good while there, no real good news ever came from the Pacific.
It was touch and go in the beginning.
DeleteLong-term there was never much doubt of US victory, not with the extent of industrial gap between 2 countries, but first year was fought on pre-war Navy , the one that was built on prescient Two-Ocean-Navy program... and that Navy paid heavy price in blood and steel...
DeleteBoth Midway and Guadalcanal were touch-and-go.
Had McClusky turned away without finding Kido Butai, or Mikawa stormed down the Guadalcanal shore to finish off transports at anchor (and sinking HMAS Australia in the process) all things could have been even more costly...
The war could have lasted a lot longer as well.
DeleteAs I was calling up your blog this morning, I was wondering if you had heard that the USS Wasp had been found. I should have known that you were on top of it.
ReplyDeleteAs usual,
Thanks for the post.
Paul L. Quandt
I saw some rumblings about this around the Internet, as I posted about the finding of USS Hornet, how could I not post about USS Wasp?
DeleteWell of course, you couldn't. ( Not post about her, that is. )
DeletePaul
Well, he could, and then we'd immediately dispatch emergency services to wherever he was/is/will be and drag him off to the brain doctors to find out what was wrong with him.
DeletePrescription would probably be some thing like: Patient needs to intake a liter of fermented hops solution, listen to Foo Fighters, play some Napoleonic wargame on the computer, be forced to work in the yard. Repeat as necessary. If not better, chain him to a post in a book store until he starts gibbering and sweating.
PLQ - :)
DeleteBeans - Good to know you fellers are watching out for this old Sarge.
DeleteYard work? I'll be good, I promise, don't make me do yard work.
My mental voice insisted on reading that as "Yaaaad work?"
DeleteHahaha!
DeleteNailed it, John.
it is interesting that so many CV in ww2 were lost to subs...
ReplyDeleteShinano, Taiho, Unryu, Ark Royal, Courageous, Eagle, Wasp, Yorktown (she would survive probably had I-168 not finished her off)
- and then another dozen or so CVE
The submarine was a very dangerous weapon in WWII. It's an even more dangerous weapon now.
DeleteDoesn't surprise me that they claimed so many carriers. It should be noted that Japanese doctrine was that submarines should go after warships.