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.