| Task
Group |
|
Operations |
Date |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
1945 |
| |
|
|
|
| (No TG Designation) |
|
Dep Norfolk, VA for
Mayport, FL (for carrier qualifications) |
24 Jul |
| |
|
Arrv St. John's Bar
Cut, Mayport, FL (to unload wrecks) |
27 Jul |
| |
|
Dep St. John's Bar Cut
(for carrier qualifications) |
28 Jul |
| |
|
Arrv St. John's Bar
Cut (to unload wrecks) |
30 Jul |
| |
|
Dep St. John's Bar Cut
(for carrier qualifications) |
31 Jul |
| |
|
Arrv St. John's Bar
Cut (to unload wrecks) later moved to Mayport |
3 Aug |
| |
|
Dep Mayport (for carrier
qualifications) |
8 Aug |
| |
|
Arrv St. John's Bar
Cut (to unload wrecks) |
12 Aug |
| |
|
Dep St. John's Bar Cut
(for carrier qualifications) |
12 Aug |
| |
|
Arrv Mayport (for replenisment) |
15 Aug |
| |
|
Dep Mayport (for carrier
qualifications) |
18 Aug |
| |
|
Arrv St. John's Bar
Cut later moved to Mayport (for replenishment) |
22 Aug |
| |
|
Dep Mayport for Norfolk |
26 Aug |
| |
|
Arrv Norfolk (for repairs
and alterations) |
28 Aug |
| |
|
Dep Norfolk for Pensacola,
FL (for carrier qualifications) |
12 Oct |
| |
|
Arrv Pensacola (for
PVST) |
24 Oct |
| |
|
Dep Dep Pensacola for
New Orleans, LA |
20 Nov |
| |
|
Arrv New Orleans (for
PVST) |
21 Nov |
| |
|
Dep New Orleans for
Pensacola |
24 Nov |
| |
|
Arrv Pensacola (for
general upkeep) |
25 Nov |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
1946 |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
Dep Pensacola, FL for
Norfolk, VA |
25 Jan |
| |
|
Arrv Norfolk (for decommissioning) |
29 Jan |
| |
|
Moored Norfolk |
09 Feb |
| |
|
Towed to Convoy Escort
Pier #22 |
05 Apr |
| |
| Units:
USS Guadalcanal, Escort Division 79 consisting of USS Carter, USS
Sutton, USS Niel A. Scott and USS Muir. USS Carter was detached
on 25 July to proceed independently to Mayport, FL. On 9 Aug Captain
S. S. Miller, USN relieved Captain B. C. McCaffree of Command of
USS Guadalcanal. |
| |
Note:
9 February was the last
day of flight operations from USS Guadalcanal
|
| |
| The
Stowaway |
| Aboard
the Aircraft Carrier Guadalcanal (CVE-60) doing anti-submarine patrol
over the Atlantic in the summer of 1945. |
| |
| He
was on the serving line in the mess hall. I don't even remember
if it was the only mess hall on the ship, but I assume it was. Anyway,
I guess he might have been a little jealous of the airdales - especially
the night fliers. I was one of the airdales, the crew members -
radiomen and gunners, who made up a somewhat elite group who perhaps
carried themselves with a certain air, not swaggering or arrogant,
but a sense of pride and esteem in the job we did. We had certain
"perks" such as air-conditioned sleeping quarters, and
being able to go eat at odd hours. It was natural that some good-natured
bantering took place between the ship's company on the chow line
and the airdales. It was also natural, when the exchanges grew a
little testy one day, that the "put up or shut up" ultimatum
came out. George Briggs of the Bronx, my radioman, and I invited
this particular sailor on the line to go with us on a night flight.
To our amazement he accepted and we were committed. |
| About
2000 that night, we loaded into the plane. Briggs had already stowed
an extra chest-pack parachute and a Mae West aboard. I crawled into
the turret and Briggs, with his slightly nervous passenger took
their places on the little seat in the bilge. In the meantime, our
pilot, Jim Nash, of Peoria, Illinois, oblivious to our extra passenger,
had started the engine, and in a few minutes was in place on the
catapult. As the launch officer twirled his flashlight, the TBM's
engine changed from a roar to a deep bellow that announced it was
ready for launching. The plane shook with the might of the engine
at full throttle. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the launch
officer's arm slash downward, and at that second, the plane leaped
forward as if it were alive and responding on its own. For a couple
of gut-wrenching seconds, we were subjected to tremendous acceleration,
and then as the force of the forward thrust dissipated and the plane's
engine took over, it felt as if we were about to stop in mid-air
and fall into the sea. As many times as I experienced a catapult
launch, I never got over that same feeling. I can only imagine what
our newfound "crew member" was feeling. |
| The
rest of the flight was relatively uneventful, with the usual search
routine. Of course, everything that goes up must come down, and
this applies to torpedo bombers in spades. The bad thing about a
carrier landing in a TBM is that the crew can not see the landing
signal officer (LSO) and help the pilot land this beast. Of course,
I'm sure the pilot is profoundly grateful to the designers for their
foresight. As the aircraft slides into position in the carrier wake,
the pilot turns the flying over to the LSO. His extended arms tell
the pilot to raise or lower the port or starboard wings, to keep
her steady, when to cut the throttle, or God forbid, to take a wave-off.
Then, with wheels and flaps down, the pilot jams the throttle full
forward and prays that his old Wright Whirlwind will respond once
more. |
| But
we are blessed with a perfect approach, and when I hear the roar
of the engine suddenly abate, I brace for the hook snagging the
arresting cable. The upsy-daisy of the back of the aircraft as the
cable stops the plane announces that we are not going into the barriers.
That makes me feel good. How our fourth member feels at this time
is unknown to me. |
| We
deplane, and no one seems to notice our passenger. We go our separate
ways, and I don't recall him saying "thanks" or "goodnight"
or "go to hell". But it did seem to me that we were a
little more civil to each other in the mess hall from then on. |
| ...Al Wheeler
AOM 2/c, VC-6 Squadron |
| |
 |
TBM
flys over wires and skips barriers, crashing into the island during
carrier qualifications, 21 August 1945
|
| |
|
TBM
crashes into the Island, 21 August 1945 |
| |
 |
Presidential
Unit Citation awarded for the capture of U-505 is hoisted aboard
Guadalcanal, 31 July 1945
|
| |
 |
Presidential
Unit Citation is awarded to the men of USS Guadalcanal, 1 October
1945 |
| |
 |
Officers
at party given by Retail Furnature Dealers of Pensacola, FL, 25
October 1945
|
| |
 |
Sailors
cleaning the USS Guadalcanal's hull in drydock, 15 December 1945 |
