On February 1, 1942, Admiral Halsey had the crew of his flagship, the USS Enterprise, motivated and ready to fight. The 1 February 1942 carrier raids on the Marshall and Gilbert Islands were the first major offensive operations by the U.S. Navy in the Second World War, literally retaliation for Pearl Harbor. Ensign Carleton T. Fogg was pilot and RM3c Otis Lee Dennis was the radioman/gunner in bomber 6-S-11 (pictured above), a SBD Dauntless dive bomber, from VS-6 (the Enterprise).    ENS Fogg's aircraft was not operating properly at the time his Squadron was launched, so he was delayed. Repairs were made to a minor problem, and his aircraft 6-S-11, was then launched with the Torpedo Squadron (TBD Aircraft), and flew with them to the target area where he attacked with them at Kwajalein targets where intelligence had found significant enemy air and shipping activity. Before dawn, in accordance with Commander Aircraft, Battle Force's directive, the Kwajalein Attack Group (36 VSB) was launched plus six VF for Combat Patrol. Seventeen SBD's of Scouting Six had Roi, a small island at the northern tip of Kwajalein Atoll, as an objective. There was a landing field there and considerable fighter as well as AA machine gun opposition. Three planes were lost on the initial attack. The Air Group Commander and eighteen planes of Bombing Six reconnoitered Roi, but their primary objective was ship targets so they proceeded on south to Kwajalein Island at the southern tip of the atoll. About ten large ships, shore facilities and a radio station provided targets there. Nine TBD's, which were somewhat later in reaching the objective, also attacked Kwajalein. The SBD's each dropped one 500 lb. bomb and two 100 lb. bombs. The TBD's dropped three 500 pounders. Many direct hits and near hits were scored and the damage was great. One scout  (Fogg/Dennis)  that was delayed by engine trouble and departed from the ship with the TBD's was lost in the Kwajalein Island attack.    (from http://www.cv6.org:80/ship/logs/action19420201.htm) The bombers pounded the airfield - destroying an ammunition dump, two hangars, and a radio station - and swung back around to strafe the base and the parked planes on the ground. Enemy fighters and anti-aircraft fire claimed three  SBDs.  (see below) It appears Fogg and Dennis were shot down at low altitude offshore of Roi Namur at the north end of Kwajalein Atoll by anti-aircraft positions. They must have done something extraordinary.  Because of their gallant efforts, the US Navy honored both men with the naming of newly constructed Destroyer Escorts for WWII. USS Dennis DE 405 (Butler Class) USS Fogg DE 57 (Buckley Class)   A small excerpt from this report: The first missions were timed to reach their targets throughout the northern Marshall Islands simultaneously, just before 0700: the same time that Spruance's cruiser force was to commence bombardment of Wotje and Taroa. At 0430, Enterprise turned into the wind. Thirteen minutes later, six F4F Wildcats roared into the black night for Combat Air Patrol, followed immediately 36 Scouting Six and Bombing Six SBDs led by Enterprise Air Group commander CDR Howard L. Young. Just after 0500, a second strike of nine TBD Devastators from Torpedo Six, and an SBD delayed by engine trouble (Fogg/Dennis), rumbled down the Big E's flight deck. These 46 planes formed up in the dark - no easy task - and headed for Kwajalein Atoll, 155 miles away. At 0610, still nearly an hour before sunrise, twelve Fighting Six Wildcats were launched for Wotje and Taroa. One Wildcat pilot, ENS David W. Criswell, apparently became disoriented in the dark. His plane stalled shortly after takeoff and plunged into the sea. Criswell was never found. Considering the limited training given pilots in night operations before the war, it's remarkable there weren't further mishaps. On this first strike, each Devastator torpedo plane was armed with three 500 lb instantaneous-fused bombs - rather than the usual torpedo - while the Dauntlesses each lugged a single 500 lb bomb as well as two 200 lb bombs. The Wildcats carried two 100 lb bombs each. As the planes droned through the pre-dawn darkness, Spruance's cruisers closed range with Wotje and Taroa: Northampton and Salt Lake City would take Wotje, while Chester and several destroyers sidled up to Taroa. Shortly before 0700, Gene Lindsey's torpedo planes broke off from the main body of Dauntlesses and headed for Kwajalein anchorage, some 44 miles south of Roi at the northern end of the atoll. "Brigham" Young's SBDs, meanwhile, grappled with darkness, low-lying fog, and decades-old maps, trying to identify Roi itself. At 0705, seven minutes after the strikes were scheduled to begin, and - more importantly - after the defenders on the ground had been alerted to their approach, they succeeded in finding their targets. In a steep, gliding run, LCDR Halstead L. Hopping led his division of six SBDs through increasing anti-aircraft fire, releasing his bombs over the enemy's airfield, where even as the attack began, fighters were scrambling into the air. As the lead plane, Hopping's SBD drew much of the defenders' fire and plunged into the sea after releasing its bomb.  Hopping and his gunner, RM 1/c Harold Thomas, were lost. Scouting Six continued the attack, with Earl Gallaher and C. E. Dickinson each leading six SBDs into the fray. The bombers pummeled the airfield - destroying an ammunition dump, two hangars, and a radio station - and swung back around to strafe the base and parked planes on the ground. Enemy fighters and anti-aircraft fire claimed three more SBDs,  but Enterprise's airmen put on a spirited defense and claimed three "Claudes" in exchange. With Roi in a shambles, seven marauding VS-6 SBDs - their big 500 lb bombs still slung under their bellies - made off for Kwajalein anchorage, where more substantial targets had been reported by Torpedo Six commander Gene Lindsey. Discovering several merchant ships, submarines, and the cruiser Katori in the anchorage, Lindsey had immediately called for more planes. Over Roi, Young picked up and repeated Lindsey's alert - "Targets suitable for heavy bombs at Kwajalein anchorage" - before detaching Bombing Six with the seven accompanying Scouting Six planes. Young's broadcast was heard aboard Enterprise, where the remaining nine VT-6 Devastators were armed with torpedoes and readied for launch. Lindsey's Devastators had surprised the anchorage, damaging several of the ships there while encountering only poorly-directed defensive fire. Bombing Six, led by LCDR William R. Hollingsworth, and the remaining planes of VS-6, followed up with a dive-bombing attack from 14,000 feet. On their departure, the transport Bordeaux Maru and subchaser Shonan Maru appeared to be sinking, a half dozen other ships were damaged, and 90 men including the area commander lay dead. Enterprise and Task Force 8 returned to Pearl Harbor on February 5, receiving a far different welcome than they'd been given in the wake of the December 7 attack. Daring and, more importantly, successful, the raid was the Navy's first significant victory in the Pacific War. Enterprise, her men, and the ships accompanying her were hailed as heroes upon their return, saluted by cheers from men on ships in the anchorage and personnel on shore. Carleton T. Fogg was promoted to LT(jg) right before this action, although reports still refer to him as Ensign. add/jvh

 

Source: William T. Barr  Noumea ID: barr-img-eb-1 Crewmen wheel bombs to planes on the Big E's flight deck, during the 1 February 1942 Marshall Islands Raid: the first U.S. offensive of the Pacific War. Source: William T. Barr   Noumea ID: barr-img-eb-2   An Enterprise CV-6 Dauntless SBD prepares for takeoff during the 1 February 1942 Marshall Islands Raid.

 

Name: Carleton T. Fogg State Registered: Hawaii      Death Date: 1 Feb 1942 Cemetery: Tablets of The Missing At Honolulu Memorial  Cemetery Burial Plot: Missing in Action or Buried at Sea  Cemetery City: Honolulu  Cemetery Country: Hawaii      WAR: World War II  Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart  Title: Lieutenant Junior Grade  Rank: Lieutenant Junior Grade  Service: U.S. Navy  Service ID: 0-079565  Division: United States Navy  Data Source: World War II Honor Roll      World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas about Carleton T Fogg Name: Carleton T Fogg Inducted From: Maine  Rank: Lieutenant Junior Grade  Combat Organization: United States Navy  Death Date: 1 Feb 1942 Monument: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States  Last Known Status: Missing  U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal Air Medal