Return to USS St Lo homepage.
About the ship and the crew.(CVE-63)
About the Aircraft and the Pilots (VC-65)
Survivors from VC-65
Killed in action from the VC-65
Awards earned by the VC-65
Brief history of the VC-65


St Lo's final day at the Battle off Samar
Collection of images previewed with thumbnails.
Related web sites and resources.

HISTORY 0F COMPOSITE SQUADRON 65 (VC-65)


Three thousand landings

 

June 11, 1944, VC-65 sailed with the USS Midway with the task force to take the Island of Saipan from Japanese control. D-day was June 15. VC-65's duties included flying US marine observers and artillery spotters from the Second and Fourth Marine Divisions and US Army observers from the Twenty-seventh Division.

The squadron suffered a few aircraft losses in landing mishaps and one TBM ran out of fuel in the landing pattern. This was in addition to combat losses of airmen and their aircraft. Fortunately, the operational losses in landing only meant the loss of the aircraft.

From June 20 through July 2, 1944, VC-65 lost three torpedo bombers and crews, (one pilot parachuted to safety). In addition, two other torpedo bombers were hit and damaged with one gunner and one radioman being injured. Also, one fighter pilot failed to return from his mission on June 17, in a combat patrol mission during the "Mariana Turkey Shoot."


Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]