I found this an interesting report in a War Diary regarding the Corsair use in carrier aviation
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SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
That was an interesting read.
Wildcat
Major
Agreed. Thanks for posting!
Snautzer01
Honourably banned
- 42,434
- Mar 26, 2007
CVE-109/
SECRET
U. S. S. CAPE GLOUCESTER WAR DIARY MAY
30 May 1945
Nine (9) Avengers and seventeen (17) fighters flew from the ship to NAS, EWA, CAHU, T.H. 1500 Moored starboard side to Pier "Fox-13", NAS, PEARL HARBOR, T.H. Reported for duty to Commander Air Force, Pacific Fleet pursuant to Commander Western Sea Frontier dispatch of 15 May 1945.
Position:
0800
1200
2000
Latitude:
21-16-00 N.
Moored starboard side to Pier
Longitude: 157-29-00 W.
"
Fox 13", NAS, Pearl Harbor, T.H.
COMMENT
In the April War Diary a comment was added concerning efforts of personnel attached to the ship and of Goodyear Representatives to find measures to prevent the Corsair fuselages from wrinkling on hard landings. After reduc- ing the pressure in the main tires from 120 lbs to 90 lbs. and taking special care to keep the pressure in the main oleos constantly checked, wrinkled fuselages were cut from three severe cases and two slight ones out of 106 landings on the first cruise to one severe and three light cases out of 101 on the second cruise.
During May, 74 Corsair landings were made with planes to which the 10 lbs additional steel plating had been added forward of the cockpit. No wrinkles occurred. In evaluating the causes for the reduction of wrinkled fuselages from an alarming percentage, all the way down to zero, the Air Officer and Air Group Commander, on board, believe that the contributing factors are in the following order of importance:
1. Reduction of tire pressure from 120 lbs to 90 lbs, together with a constant check on the main oleos.
2. The high average ability of the pilots who reported aboard with a minimum of 350 hours of Corsair time and whose carrier technique rapidly improved from the moment they began their refresher qualif- ication landings.
3. The use of 40º flaps instead of full, coupled with a moderately fast low approach.
4. The addition of the 10 pounds of steel plate. The contribution of this factor is evaluated low because it is felt that strength- ening of one portion of the plane in this manner would simplt serve to shift the strain to some other part, and because it is further believed in any event that the first three factors are much more important.
JOHN W. HARRIS, Captain, U.S. Navy,
Commanding U.S.S. CAPE GLOUCESTER.
SECRET
U. S. S. CAPE GLOUCESTER WAR DIARY MAY
30 May 1945
Nine (9) Avengers and seventeen (17) fighters flew from the ship to NAS, EWA, CAHU, T.H. 1500 Moored starboard side to Pier "Fox-13", NAS, PEARL HARBOR, T.H. Reported for duty to Commander Air Force, Pacific Fleet pursuant to Commander Western Sea Frontier dispatch of 15 May 1945.
Position:
0800
1200
2000
Latitude:
21-16-00 N.
Moored starboard side to Pier
Longitude: 157-29-00 W.
"
Fox 13", NAS, Pearl Harbor, T.H.
COMMENT
In the April War Diary a comment was added concerning efforts of personnel attached to the ship and of Goodyear Representatives to find measures to prevent the Corsair fuselages from wrinkling on hard landings. After reduc- ing the pressure in the main tires from 120 lbs to 90 lbs. and taking special care to keep the pressure in the main oleos constantly checked, wrinkled fuselages were cut from three severe cases and two slight ones out of 106 landings on the first cruise to one severe and three light cases out of 101 on the second cruise.
During May, 74 Corsair landings were made with planes to which the 10 lbs additional steel plating had been added forward of the cockpit. No wrinkles occurred. In evaluating the causes for the reduction of wrinkled fuselages from an alarming percentage, all the way down to zero, the Air Officer and Air Group Commander, on board, believe that the contributing factors are in the following order of importance:
1. Reduction of tire pressure from 120 lbs to 90 lbs, together with a constant check on the main oleos.
2. The high average ability of the pilots who reported aboard with a minimum of 350 hours of Corsair time and whose carrier technique rapidly improved from the moment they began their refresher qualif- ication landings.
3. The use of 40º flaps instead of full, coupled with a moderately fast low approach.
4. The addition of the 10 pounds of steel plate. The contribution of this factor is evaluated low because it is felt that strength- ening of one portion of the plane in this manner would simplt serve to shift the strain to some other part, and because it is further believed in any event that the first three factors are much more important.
JOHN W. HARRIS, Captain, U.S. Navy,
Commanding U.S.S. CAPE GLOUCESTER.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
I looked up U.S.S. Cape Gloucester. I didn't pay much attention to CVEs beyond the "Taffys". When I read the article, I was surprised that this class was designed as a carrier from the keel up. Imagine if they had been there at Samar. Two five inch guns. They would've gotten Yamato, I betcha'!
GreenKnight121
Senior Airman
- 729
- Mar 16, 2014
The Commencement Bay class were basically purpose-built improved Sangamons - compared to the Casablanca class they were 20% higher tonnage, 45' longer hull, 27' longer flight deck, 10' wider hull, ~600'2 more hangar area (CB 216' x 70' vs C 260' x 56'), 8 more aircraft.
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Taking this from the direction of Corsairs, note that the U.S.S. Cape Gloucester was often involved with mine sweeping, a too often ignored, but crucial aspect of WWII, in ALL theaters, and not just in harbors. Even in the Pacific, the main sea routes are confined to small areas, with choke points, currents, and best routing all confining traffic to a small fraction of the ocean expanses.
We were the first American families into Japan in '46, and our transport full of dependents took the long, leisurely sea route up through Anchorage and the Aleutians, to avoid the massive threat of uncleared floating wartime mines.
We were the first American families into Japan in '46, and our transport full of dependents took the long, leisurely sea route up through Anchorage and the Aleutians, to avoid the massive threat of uncleared floating wartime mines.
The USN July / Aug operations based out of Okinawa were about more than covering minesweeping operations. There were also anti-shipping sweeps. This Wiki article has a brief summary of forces involved and operations undertaken.
en.m.wikipedia.org
The minesweeping operations were in preparation for the forthcoming Operation Olympic scheduled for 1 Nov 1945. A start to clearing the approaches to the landing beaches around southern Kyushu.
Had the war gone on, USN forces would have been joined by part of the BPF based around the battleship Anson & 11ACS (Indomitable, Colossus, Venerable & Vengeance). These were ready to leave Sydney on 15th Aug but were sent to Hong Kong, Shanghai etc instead.
USAAF / USN / USMC units on Okinawa were also active at this time, ranging out to Formosa, the Chinese coast, southern Japan and up to Korea.
Task Force 95 - Wikipedia
The minesweeping operations were in preparation for the forthcoming Operation Olympic scheduled for 1 Nov 1945. A start to clearing the approaches to the landing beaches around southern Kyushu.
Had the war gone on, USN forces would have been joined by part of the BPF based around the battleship Anson & 11ACS (Indomitable, Colossus, Venerable & Vengeance). These were ready to leave Sydney on 15th Aug but were sent to Hong Kong, Shanghai etc instead.
USAAF / USN / USMC units on Okinawa were also active at this time, ranging out to Formosa, the Chinese coast, southern Japan and up to Korea.
Escuadrilla Azul
Tech Sergeant
- 1,801
- Feb 27, 2020
Nose armour obviously played a part. I read somewhere that it played a big part in degrading flight qualities of high performance fighters.
