warship Archives - Page 8 of 18 - Destination's Journey

US Aircraft Carrier USS Franklin CV-13

USS Franklin CV-13 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia. May 4, 1944

US Aircraft Carrier USS Franklin CV-13

Laid down on 7 December 1942 and launched on 14 October 1943, USS Franklin CV-13 was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the US Navy. Commissioned into the navy on 31 January 1944 she then undertook a work-up phase before moving to the Pacific.

From the end of June 1944, Franklin took part in the Mariana and Palau Islands campaigns which lasted until early August. She then supported the Leyte Landings, where on the 15th of September, she was hit by a bomb on the after outboard corner of the deck edge elevator, killing three men and wounding 22.

On the morning of 24 October, in the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, her planes formed part of the waves that attacked the Japanese First Raiding Force (under Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita), helping to sink Musashi south of Luzon, damage Fusō and Yamashiro, and sink Wakaba. Franklin’s strike groups combined with those from the other carriers on 25 October in the Battle off Cape Engaño to damage Chiyoda (she would be sunk by American cruiser gunfire subsequently) and sink Zuihō.

On 30 October 1944, Franklin was struck by a Japanese kamikaze attack that hit the flight deck and crashed through to the gallery deck, killing 56 men and wounding 60. A second attacker missed Franklin with two bombs before flying into the stern of Belleau Wood. Repairs took until 2 February 1945.

While undertaking strikes against the Japanese mainland on 19 March 1945, Franklin was hit by two semi-armour piercing bombs dropped by a Yokosuka D4Y “Judy” dive bomber. One bomb struck the flight deck centerline, penetrating to the hangar deck, causing destruction and igniting fires through the second and third decks, and knocking out the combat information center and air plot. The second hit aft, tearing through two decks.

At the time, Franklin was preparing a raid an consequently numerous plane were fueled and armed on deck and in the hanger. This added significantly to the damage caused and the intensity of the fires. Casualty figures vary from 724 killed and 265 wounded to 807 killed and at least 487 wounded. This appears to be caused by the inclusion or not of passengers, civilians on board, air group casualties and marines.

USS Franklin was repaired in New York and returned to active duty after the war finished. She was placed in reserve on 17 February 1947. Due to the significant wartime damage, she was never reactivated or upgraded. While in reserve she was redesignated as an attack aircraft carrier CVA-13 on 1 October 1952, an antisubmarine warfare support carrier CVS-13 on 8 August 1953 and, ultimately, as an aircraft transport AVT-8 on 15 May 1959.

USS Franklin was sold for scrap on 27 July 1966.

USS Franklin CV-13 Under Construction

USS Franklin CV-13 in Service

USS Franklin (CV-13). Stern, looking forward. Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. 6 January 1944.

USS Franklin (CV-13) in the Elizabeth River, off Norfolk, Virginia, 21 February 1944 — USS Franklin (CV-13). Stern, looking forward. Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. 6 January 1944.

USS Franklin CV-13 Aircraft Operations

Pilots of VT-13 in their ready room aboard USS Franklin (CV-13), 24 October 1944, just before the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea

Grumman F6F-3 and-5 Hellcat and Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver CVG-13 on deck of USS Franklin (CV-13) in October 1944 — Pilots of VT-13 in their ready room aboard USS Franklin (CV-13), 24 October 1944, just before the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea

USS Franklin CV-13 at Leyte Gulf

A Japanese dive bomber (encircled) plunges downward USS Franklin (CV-13) the kamikaze that hit USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)

A Japanese kamikaze hits the flight deck of USS Franklin (CV-13), October 30, 1944. — A Japanese dive bomber (encircled) plunges downward USS Franklin (CV-13) the kamikaze that hit USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)

USS Franklin CV-13 Under Attack March 1945

March 19, 1945 USS Franklin CV-13 on fire after being bombed by Japanese aircraft off Honshu, Japan.

March 19, 1945 USS Franklin CV-13 after being bombed by Japanese aircraft off Honshu — March 19, 1945 USS Franklin CV-13 on fire after being bombed by Japanese aircraft off Honshu, Japan.

USS Franklin CV-13 in New York for Repair

April 1945 USS Franklin CV-13 approaching New York for repairs.

USS Franklin (CV-13) arriving at New York City (USA) on 28 April 1945 — April 1945 USS Franklin CV-13 approaching New York for repairs.

USS Franklin CV-13 in Reserve

The two large ships at right on the near side of the peninsula are Alaska (CB-1) and Guam (CB-2). The next two ships astern are North Carolina (BB-55) and Washington (BB-56). Further astern are (from outboard to inboard) Fargo (CL-106), Albemarle (AV-5) and Wakefield (AP-21). The carriers Enterprise (CV-6) and Franklin (CV-13) are at the far left.

The decommissioned USS Franklin (AVT-8) being moved at Bayonne, New Jersey (USA), in 1964. — The two large ships at right on the near side of the peninsula are Alaska (CB-1) and Guam (CB-2). The next two ships astern are North Carolina (BB-55) and Washington (BB-56). Further astern are (from outboard to inboard) Fargo (CL-106), Albemarle (AV-5) and Wakefield (AP-21). The carriers Enterprise (CV-6) and Franklin (CV-13) are at the far left.

Japanese Battlecruiser Hiei

Japanese Battlecruiser Hiei

Laid down on the 4th of November 1911 and launched on the 21st of November 1912, Hiei was the second of the four-ship Kongō-class battlecruisers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her three sisters were Kongō, Kirishima and Haruna. Commissioned into the fleet on the 19th of April 1915, she saw no action during the First World War, although she undertook patrols off the Chinese coast.

From 1929, Hiei was converted into a gunnery training ship, so that she would not be scrapped under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. During the 1930s she also acted as a transport for Emperor Hirohito.

When the treaty was not renewed in 1937, she underwent a full-scale reconstruction. Her superstructure was completely rebuilt, her machinery upgraded, and launch catapults for floatplanes added. Now fast enough to accompany Japan’s aircraft carriers, she was reclassified as a fast battleship.

During the early stages of the Second World War, she escorted Japan’s aircraft carriers. Later she was deployed to the Solomon Islands during the Battle of Guadalcanal. She escorted Japanese carrier forces during the battles of the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz Islands, before sailing as part of a bombardment force under Admiral Kondō during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. In the early hours of 13 November 1942, Hiei engaged American cruisers and destroyers alongside her sister ship Kirishima. After inflicting heavy damage on American cruisers and destroyers, Hiei was crippled by shell hits from the heavy cruiser USS San Francisco that jammed her rudder. Subjected to a daylight air attack from the USS Enterprise, she was scuttled on the evening of 13 November 1942.

Hiei fitting out at Yokosuka, Japan — Hiei Yokosuka 1914

Japanese Battlecruiser Kirishima

Japanese Battlecruiser Kirishima

Laid down on the 17th of March 1912 and launched on the 1st of December 1913, Kirishima was the third of the four-ship Kongō-class battlecruisers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her three sisters were Kongō, Hiei and Haruna. Commissioned into the fleet on the 19th of April 1915, she saw no action during the First World War, although she undertook patrols off the Chinese coast.

In 1927 Kirishima underwent a reconstruction to transform her into a battleship. Additional armour was added and her speed increased. In 1934 a more extensive reconstruction was undertaken, with her superstructure completely rebuilt, aircraft facilities added and her machinery upgraded. She was redesignated a fast battleship and primarily used to escort Japan’s fast aircraft carriers.

During the Second World War, she provided support for the invasion of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and in the Indian Ocean raid of April 1942. During the Battle of Midway, she provided escort to Nagumo’s four carriers, before redeploying to the Solomon Islands during the Battle of Guadalcanal. She escorted Japanese carrier fleets during the battles of the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz Islands, before sailing as part of a bombardment force under Admiral Nobutake Kondō during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

On the evening of 13 November 1942, Kirishima engaged American cruisers and destroyers alongside her sister ship Hiei. On the night of 14/15 November, in one of only two battleship duels of the Pacific War, Kirishima attacked and damaged the American battleship USS South Dakota before being fatally crippled in turn by the battleship USS Washington. Kirishima capsized and sank in the early morning on 15 November 1942 in Ironbottom Sound taking 212 of her crew with her.