ModelMonkey wrote:
The photo is identified as USS Yorktown CV-10 taken on March 18, 1945 in the book "The Fighting Lady" by Clark G. Reynolds, page 253.
The author describes the event as a Japanese aerial bomb, dropped by a Yokosuka D4Y "Judy", that initially hit the starboard side of the signal bridge. The Judy was only 8 miles out when detected and the pilot was able to approach and drop the bomb under 1000 feet. The bomb passed through the deck taking out a squawk box, a hatch door and miscellaneous equipment and severing a ventilation duct, and left a 21" x 39" hole in the deck. The bomb probably had a delayed action fuse. There was considerable damage and many casualties as the bomb struck then continued its path downward.
Here's part of Reynold's narrative. Warning, it's pretty gruesome.
"Seamen First Elmer Jeckel and Powell Burnette were firing away with the Number 7 20mm battery as the bomb ricocheted off the incinerator smoke stack, slashing it and two steam pipes, then slammed through their splinter shield, leaving a 20" hole, and passing through both men. Jekell's body was cut in half at the waist. He started to scream but blacked out with the trunk of his torso hanging from the gun into which he was strapped. Barnette had both legs severed at the knees and he collapsed to the deck.
"The bomb, having been deflected slightly away from the hull, detonated about 15 feet above the water and 30 feet outboard of the hangar deck at the shopfitter's shack at Frame 121, having travelled about 150 feet from where it first struck the ship. The blast blew a hole in the side of the hull, demolishing the shopfitters shack, killing the sleeping Fred Weatherford there instantly, and sent shrapnel into the radar repair room just below the hangar killing aviation radar technician Ed Sherman.
"Another technician, Danny Carveth, had poked his head out of a porthole there just as the bomb ignited. The blast hit him full-face, bits of shrapnel digging into his face and eyes, and he was blown back, convulsed in searing agony. His shipmate Bob Lueck of the air group had both arms broken and his body peppered with shrapnel. A fire erupted in this space.
"The flying shrapnel penetrated other spaces, wounding more men, but none quite so ignominiously as a little Russian they called "Rubles" - Seaman First John Gryshewich - hit on the knee by shrapnel while sitting in the head taking a crap.
"The explosion occurred under the Number Seven quad 40mm mount and destroyed two of its guns. A foot-long five-and-a-half pound chuck of shrapnel struck Gunners Mate Bob Davis, fracturing his left arm, tore open his guts, and caused his intestines to spew out eight or nine feet away from his body. But they were not severed. Pat Patterson, with heads-up thinking, rushed over to the slight, blond-haired kid, carefully gathered up the intestines and piled them gently on top of the wound for the medicos to treat. Half of the piece of shrapnel stuck our of Davis' stomach."
The narrative goes on for two more pages describing further casualties by name in detail, an oil fire in the Number Five 5"/38 twin-gun mount, the 3rd deck fire which made the deck "too hot to walk on", and other significant damage. The narrative includes what Reynolds describes as a "devastated Marines' 20mm gallery at the after end of the island" detailing casualties there by name.
Reynolds states that the damage and fires were severe enough to require that 40mm magazines be flooded.
Reynolds reports that the Yokosuka D4Y "Judy" was shot down on its pull-out. Both Japanese crewman parachuted to the water. The pilot was rescued by a destroyer. The gunner was machinegunned in the water by "enraged black stewards mates in the 20s aft" and killed.
An interesting physical detail visible in the photo, look to the right and above the floater net basket. That's an F6F-3N or F6F-5N Hellcat night fighter's AN/APS-6 radar dome fit to the ship to provide radar coverage directly above the ship.
DAAAMN... that was intense...
Since l’m doing Coral Sea battle do u have infos concerning the fire that occured on May the 8th and if u have also any Informations concerning the position of the planes while the fire was estinguished ...thanks...and by the thank u all for your kind replies