29 JULY 1967 “FOREST” FIRE There were three major fires aboard US Navy aircraft carriers during the course of the Vietnam conflict. The first occurred on 26 October 1966, killing 44 sailors aboard ORISKANY (CVA-34) after a phosphorous parachute flare accidently Read More
4 JUNE 1942 THE SACRIFICE OF VT-8 Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) from HORNET (CV-8) flew an early version of the TBD Devastator. A three-seater, behind the pilot a navigator/radioman sat ahead of a rear-most gunner operating the only defensive weapon, a Read More
23-27 JANUARY 1929 FLEET PROBLEM IX Between the World Wars, US military planners began to imagine the Pacific as a direction from which a future enemy might emerge. They listed Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, Alaska, and the Panama Canal as potential Read More
4 JANUARY 1945 USS OMMANEY BAY The twin-engine Japanese medium bomber, converted into a flying bomb herself, dove toward USS OMMANEY BAY (CVE-79). To the American crew it was a complete surprise! Screened by the numerous small Philippine islands nearby, Ommaney’s Read More
21 FEBRUARY 1945 TWO CARRIERS IN HARM’S WAY As the third day of the battle for Iwo Jima began, the ships of Task Force 58 kept up their shore bombardment and their efforts against Japanese sea and air defenses. Indeed, on Read More