"To Lieutenant TM Felt USN

This is how we did it on the USS YORKTOWN  
4 December 1943

J. J. Clark Capt. USN Commanding"

click here Read about the life of J.J. "Jocko" Clark

The Yorktown picture seen around the world, the famous "Flaming Kate", made from aft end of Yorktown's flight deck, late 1943, photographed by a Photographer Mate Chief Petty Officer.  Life Magazine featured this picture in full page color.

 Jap torpedo bomber explodes in air after direct hit by 5 inch shell from USS Yorktown as it attempted an unsuccessful attack on carrier, off Kwajalein.  One of the Japanese Kates was hit by a five inch shell as she passed over the Yorktown.  She burst into flames.  Chief Petty Officer Photographer's Mate Alfred N. Cooperman caught the flaming plane on film.  Two of the planes crashed into the sea in flames.  The last passed over the flight deck and was shot down as it made it attempt to escape.  If the planes had dropped their torpedoes the Yorktown would have been in great trouble, because there were armed and fueled planes on her flight deck.  Some sailors started to call the USS Yorktown "The Lucky Y"...nothing could have stopped the three planes that had already completed their runs from dropping their fish, but they didn't.  No one has ever discovered why they torpedoes were not dropped into the Yorktown.

Click here for the free previews of the Academy Award Winning Movie about
the USS Yorktown, "The Fighting Lady.

Said Commanding Officer J.J. Clark on the USS Yorktown,

"God Damn It! Jocko roared to his 120 officers and 2,500 enlisted men,
"If you can't run, walk.  If you can't walk, crawl. 
But get the job done. 
And if you can't get the job done...
get the hell off my ship.!"




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