A Yorktown crewmember remembers what it was like to have the Japanese try to kill you hours after the war was "over."
The war was over, the last airstrike was called off over Japan, radio silence was cancelled. As 12 planes from Air Group 88 were flying back to the Yorktown they flew over Atsugi Airfield in Japan. Suddenly 12 fliers were surprised by a large group of Japanese planes. These planes began firing at the Navy pilots. Before the Yorktown pilots could recover from the attack, four planes had been shot down. Within minutes, the remaining 8 Yorktown pilots downed 12 of the "enemy" and drove the rest away. The war was over; but below on Japanese soil lay the bodies of four Yorktown pilots...Lt. jg Joseph G. Sahloff, Ens. Eugene E. Mandeberg and Ens. Wright C. Hobbs, Jr.
The Yorktown would be the last ship to have her people fight in the war...
She had carried the war to the bitter end. Pacific Carrier ©1988 p. 254
Many memories come to my mind from being aboard the Yorktown. The Marshall-Gilbert Islands, the latter part of 1943, the seven hour air attacks with Jap flares flooding down to illuminate our position to the Jap bombers overhead, the sinking of the Carrier Liscombe Bay with the loss of 646 men, the big flight deck fire with Captain Jocko Clark bellowing out from the bridge, "Get that God Damned fire out before we lose the ship!"
"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." U.S.S. Yorktown. CPhoM. Photographers Mate Chief Petty Office Alfred N. Cooperman, December 4, 1943. 80-G-415001
The flaming Kate, December 4, 1943; the two horrible typhoons we went though; the kamikazes, especially around Okinawa; but the most vivid in my mind was the last day of the war.
It was about 1000 hours when we received word over the loudspeaker that the war was over. A short time later as our 4 C.A.Ps were returning to the ship from Tokyo they were jumped by many Jap fighters, resulting in the loss of all 4 pilots.
Then about 1300, out of the sun off the port bow, straight toward us through the formation of ships, came a kamikaze diving in with all our guns He was hit. Aflame and spinning he crashed into the sea just forward of us on the port bow. As he began to fall, I ran from amidships toward the bow and gazed upon the still burning wreckage some 300 feet away. As the ships bow quickly came closer, I began cursing him with every curse word I had ever known. And, as we were passing him with every breath.
Soon he was out of sight and I found myself standing all alone on the deck trembling and weeping; whether from thinking of the 4 pilots who were lost on the "Last Patrol", whether I was angry at being attacked some 3 or 4 hours after hostilities were supposed to have ceased, or whether it was the thought of dying after the war was "over."
I doubt I will ever know...But I will never forget that last day.
By Ben Gouillard, Div V.I.T. 1943-1945