Reference Entry
FIRE AND SURVIVAL ABOARD USS FRANKLIN
As the naval war closed in on Japan, United States fast carrier task forces struck airfields, shipyards, and industrial targets across the home islands. On March 19th, 1945, the carrier USS Franklin was operating relatively close to the enemy coast, her flight deck crowded with fueled and armed aircraft being readied for another strike. A lone Japanese dive bomber slipped through the defenses and dropped bombs that penetrated into the hangar deck, touching off a chain of explosions and fires.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
Fire and survival aboard USS Franklin
As the naval war closed in on Japan, United States fast carrier task forces struck airfields, shipyards, and industrial targets across the home islands. On March 19th, 1945, the carrier USS Franklin was operating relatively close to the enemy coast, her flight deck crowded with fueled and armed aircraft being readied for another strike. A lone Japanese dive bomber slipped through the defenses and dropped bombs that penetrated into the hangar deck, touching off a chain of explosions and fires. The blasts and flames killed and wounded hundreds of sailors in moments, and at several points it seemed certain the ship would have to be abandoned. Instead, damage control parties and surviving crew members fought to contain the inferno, jettison ordnance, and restore enough power to keep Franklin afloat. Their efforts brought the shattered carrier home, a grim reminder of the risks of operating near enemy shores and a testament to shipboard training, discipline, and sacrifice.
Read the complete weekly DispatchTrackpads Source Register
