USS Enterprise (CV-6)

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USS Enterprise, April 1939
USS Enterprise, April 1939
Overview
Shipyard

Newport News Shipbuilding
and Dry Dock Company ,
Virginia

Keel laying July 16, 1934
Launch October 3, 1936
1. Period of service flag
Commissioning May 12, 1938
Decommissioning February 17, 1947
Whereabouts Wrecked in 1960
Technical specifications
displacement

19,800 ts (20118 t) (standard)
25,500 ts (25909 t) (fully loaded)

length

247 m

width

33 m

Draft

6.7 m (standard)
8.5 m (fully loaded)

crew

1889 in peacetime
2919 in the Pacific War

drive
  • 4 Parsons steam turbines
  • 9 Babcock & Wilcox kettles
  • 120,000  hp (89 MW) on 4 drive shafts
speed

Continuous load: 32.5 kn
maximum speed: 33.65 kn

Range

10,400 nm at 15 kn,
7,900 nm at 20 kn

Armament
radar
  • CXAM-1 search radar
  • SC-2 search radar
  • SK search radar
  • Weapon target radar
Planes

96 pieces (max. 80-90 on board)

The USS Enterprise (CV-6) was a fleet carrier of the US Navy and the second ship of the Yorktown class . The carrier, the seventh ship to bear this name, entered service in 1938 as the sixth aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy. The Enterprise was the only one of the three ships in its class to see the end of World War II , but was then decommissioned in 1947 and finally scrapped from 1958 to 1960. It took part in almost all major naval battles and operations in the Pacific theater and was temporarily the only operational aircraft carrier of the US Navy in the entire Pacific region. To this day she is the most decorated ship in the history of the US Navy.

history

Construction and commissioning

The USS Enterprise was laid down on July 16, 1934. The launch took place on October 3, 1936 and the handover to the American Navy took place on May 12, 1938.

In fact, the USS Enterprise was the result of disarmament negotiations between the United States , Great Britain , the Japanese Empire, and France and Italy in 1921 . The agreement allowed the USA 135,000 tons for the entire aircraft carrier fleet. The first three carriers built, the Langley , the Lexington and the Saratoga were converted ships of other classes. The Ranger was the first porter that was planned as such.

When US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 the New Deal announced were in the defense budget and 40 million US dollars for two new aircraft carriers provided. The sister ship USS Yorktown was laid down on May 21, 1934, and the USS Enterprise two months later.

The maiden voyage took the USS Enterprise and the USS Yorktown to Rio de Janeiro in May 1938 . Rear Admiral William Halsey led the supreme command and Captain Newton H. White the first command of the USS Enterprise . But in November he was replaced by Captain Charles Alan Pownall , who brought the ship to the Pacific Fleet in 1939. In May 1940, the fleet was moved to Pearl Harbor to deter Japan .

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

On November 28, 1941, the Enterprise ran out to bring planes and pilots to Wake Island . She was supposed to be back in Pearl Harbor on December 6th, but an area of ​​bad weather resulted in her being over 200 miles west when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor .

For security reasons, Rear Admiral Halsey launched nine Rotten Dauntless dive bombers on the USS Enterprise on the morning of December 7th . The task of the 18 planes was to fan out in an easterly direction to clear the sea area in front of the aircraft carrier task force and then land directly on Ford Island , where the USS Enterprise was supposed to drop anchor.

The first of these planes reached the island around 8 a.m. local time, during the first wave of the Japanese attack. The approaching American planes were immediately attacked by Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero escort fighters. The Japanese got several kills, in which a total of eight Americans lost their lives. When an American dive bomber collided with a Japanese Aichi D3A dive bomber , the attackers also lost a machine. This was the only loss the USS Enterprise could inflict on the new enemy that day.

Beginning of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a little later the first Dauntless dive bombers of the USS Enterprise arrived
A Dauntless dive bomber being prepared for an attack on the Marshall Islands on February 1, 1942

A pilot succeeded in sending the following radio message to the carrier combat group 150 nautical miles away, which was then immediately put on alert:

"Pearl Harbor is under attack by the Japanese. This is no shit. "

- Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship.

Rear Admiral Halsey was subsequently the remaining Dauntless dive bomber, torpedo bomber of the type Douglas TBD Devastator and six Wildcat -Begleitjäger ascend to look after the Japanese attack Association. After an unsuccessful search for hours, the landing of a total of 24 bombers on the USS Enterprise began at dusk , while the six fighters were diverted to Pearl Habor. When flying over the port, officers of the battleship USS Pennsylvania misidentified the machines. After the anti-aircraft defense of the battleship opened fire, panic defensive fire immediately set in throughout the port. This self-fire killed another three American pilots.

After the fuel and provisions had been taken over in Pearl Harbor on December 8, the aircraft carrier ran out again. Two days later, a Dauntless dive bomber discovered the Japanese submarine I-70 , which he was able to sink despite fierce resistance.

Operations in the Pacific War

The Enterprise has participated in over a dozen different sorties in the Pacific War.

Wake Island

On December 20, 1941, the USS Enterprise ran as part of Task Force 8 under the leadership of Rear Admiral William Halsey from Pearl Harbor to take part in the Battle of Wake . The aircraft carrier was accompanied by the cruisers USS Chester , USS Northampton and USS Salt Lake City as well as the ships of the 11th ( USS Balch , USS Craven , USS Gridley , USS McCall and USS Maury ) and 12th ( USS Fanning , USS Dunlap , USS Benham , USS Ellet ) Destroyer Division.

The TF 8 was to be kept ready as a cover group in the area between the Midway Islands and the Johnston Atoll for the TF 11 ( USS Lexington ) and TF 14 ( USS Saratoga ), which had left a few days earlier . After the disaster of December 7th, Rear Admiral William S. Pye , who was temporarily appointed Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet , could not make up his mind to deploy the aircraft carrier groups in good time. On December 23rd, the same day the crew of Wake Island surrendered, all three combat groups received orders to return to Pearl Harbor.

Marshall Islands

The Kwajalein Atoll with the Roi-Namur airfield in the north and the mooring in the Kwajalein lagoon in the south
The burning Wotje Atoll after the attacks of the planes of the USS Enterprise and the bombardment by American cruisers

At the urging of the Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet (COMINCH) Ernest J. King , the newly appointed Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet (CinCPAC) Chester W. Nimitz ordered an attack by his aircraft carriers on Japanese airfields and military facilities on atolls in the Marshall Islands and Gilbert Islands .

On January 11th, the USS Enterprise ran under Task Force 8 in the direction of American Samoa . There she was supposed to meet with Task Force 17 , which had been formed around the sister ship, the USS Yorktown . The USS Yorktown, which was ordered from the Atlantic to the Pacific , was in a convoy to this area to drop 5,000 US Marines on Samoa .

During the journey to this area, the white paint on the walls and ceilings was painstakingly removed from all rooms of the USS Enterprise . This flammable paint had proven to be a death trap for many sailors on the battleships hit during the attack on Pearl Harbor. From January 18 to 25, the ship was north of Samoa to secure the landing of the 5,000 marines with its air force, before the two carrier combat groups set off in the direction of the Marshall and Gilbert Islands.

On the way to the target area, the ships of Task Force 8 picked up additional fuel from the tanker USS Platte . Due to delays, the USS Enterprise could not begin refueling until dark, which had never been attempted before in the history of the American Navy.

On the night of February 1, 1942, both aircraft carrier groups were already close to the target area. While the USS Yorktown was aimed at targets on the Gilbert Islands and could only achieve marginal results due to bad weather, the targets of the USS Enterprise were on the Kwajalein , Maloelap and Wotje Allies, which were part of the Marshall Islands.

The first of several waves of attack, consisting of 37 Dauntless dive bombers and 9 Devastator torpedo bombers, started before sunrise. The task of the dive bombers was to destroy an airfield near Roi-Namur in the north of the Kwajalein Atoll, while the torpedo bombers had to attack ships that were suspected to be south of the atoll. Since the planes had to travel around 150 miles to their destination and the destination could not be found immediately due to outdated maps, the surprise effect largely disappeared during the attack. The result was that Japanese Mitsubishi A5M fighter planes and the ground defense of the airfield were able to shoot down four of the attacking Dauntless dive bombers. Eight crew members lost their lives in the process. Despite these losses, some enemy aircraft on the ground, buildings and an ammunition depot were destroyed.

The Devastator torpedo bombers flew the first torpedo air strike in American military history over the lagoon of Kwajalein in the south of the atoll and sank a transport ship and damaged other ships, including the light cruiser Katori .

A group of six Wildcat fighters, also armed with bombs, had been assigned an airfield on Taroa Island (Maloelap Atoll) as a target. During take-off, one of the planes was lost due to a flight error, killing the pilot, Dave Criswell. Above the target, the Wildcats also encountered Mitsubishi A5M interceptors, one of which could be shot down. This meant not only the first aerial victory of an Enterprise machine in World War II, but also that of a US naval aviator since the beginning of the conflict with Japan. The bombs that the Wildcats dropped on the airfield also represented the first impacts of American aerial bombs on Japanese-occupied territory in this war.

The cruiser USS Salt Lake City shelling at Wotje Atoll

At the same time, there was also a bombardment of the Japanese facilities by the cruisers of the cover group of the USS Enterprise such as the USS Salt Lake City and the USS Northampton .

Instead of the planned hit-and-run enterprise, the day developed into a continuous mission lasting several hours, during which a total of 158 attacks were flown. At about 1:30 p.m. Rear Admiral Halsey ordered the entire combat group to withdraw. In the meantime, the Japanese had also made a counter-attack and attacked the cruiser USS Chester , which also belonged to the cover group of the USS Enterprise , with some Mitsubishi G3M bombers , killing eight sailors. The same Japanese combat group also attacked the USS Enterprise twice in the afternoon . On the first attempt, the Japanese lead machine was so badly damaged that the pilot decided to crash his plane onto the aircraft carrier with suicidal intent. The air defense of the USS Enterprise shot at the Japanese bomber from all barrels and thus played its part in ensuring that the attacker ultimately only missed the ship by a few meters. In the second attack, two Japanese aircraft managed to drop bombs on the aircraft carrier, but they missed it due to the turning maneuver initiated. One of the two machines was shot down by a Wildcat pilot while taking off.

Returning to Pearl Harbor on February 5, the USS Enterprise was greeted frenetically upon arrival in port. Admiral Halsey received the Navy Distinguished Service Medal from the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet (CinCPAC) Chester W. Nimitz for these initial successes of the USS Enterprise and its escort ships . The action received a lot of media attention and the public was finally able to present a hero with Halsey after the shock of Pearl Harbor.

Even if the damage caused was not too great - the Japanese lost the transport ship Bordeaux Maru , several aircraft and had about 90 deaths, including for the first time an officer in the rank of admiral in Yatsushiro Sukeyoshi - the success of the USS Enterprise was important to them Morale of the Pacific Fleet. In addition, important findings for future operations could be gained from this attack company. The success was paid for with twelve fallen soldiers, all but one of the flight personnel.

Wake Island

Almost two months to the day after the Japanese conquered Wake Island, the USS Enterprise hit and run the atoll . The aircraft carrier left the port of Pearl Harbor on February 14, 1942 as part of Task Force 8 . This time she was accompanied by the cruisers USS Salt Lake City and USS Northampton as well as the destroyers USS Balch , USS Craven , USS Dunlap , USS Maury , USS Blue and USS Ralph Talbot and the tanker USS Sabine (AO-25) .

Ten days later, 36 Dauntless dive bombers took off in bad weather to attack the now Japanese island. The first loss occurred at the beginning of the attack, when the second aircraft launched crashed into the sea immediately after take-off and the gunner was killed while the pilot was rescued by an escort destroyer. The rest of the machines destroyed fuel depots and buildings of the occupiers on Wake Island. In addition, the island was attacked by the two cruisers and two destroyers of the task force with their on-board guns. The second loss of the day occurred when one of the attacking aircraft was shot down by the Japanese defenders.

Marcus Island

On March 4, the USS Enterprise carried out the next attack. This time the goal was the island of Minami-Torishima (Marcus Island), only about 1000 miles from Japan . Since counterattacks by the war opponent had to be expected so close to the Japanese mainland, the Tast Force 8 only consisted of the aircraft carrier and the two cruisers, while the slower destroyers remained in Pearl Habor.

The attack formation, consisting of 37 Dauntless dive bombers, started in the dark 145 miles from the target. The planes were guided to Marcus Island by means of radar. The Japanese defenders succeeded in shooting down a machine, the surviving crew was taken prisoner of war .

Returning to Pearl Harbor, the Wildcat squadron was converted to the F4F-4 variant . These new Wildcats had six instead of four 12.7 mm machine guns and folding wings . With this technical innovation, instead of 18, 27 fighters could now be accommodated on the USS Enterprise . The new aircraft variant was not necessarily popular with the Enterprise pilots because it was heavier than its predecessor while maintaining the same performance, which resulted in a loss of speed.

Doolittle Raid

Vice Admiral Halsey aboard the USS Enterprise during the Doolittle Raid in April 1942
The burning Japanese patrol boat Nitta Maru
The launch of the B-25 bombers from the USS Hornet

On April 8, the USS Enterprise left Pearl Harbor under the command of Vice Admiral Halsey as part of Task Force 16 . Together with the cruisers USS Salt Lake City and USS Northampton , four destroyers and a tanker, she was assigned to meet Task Force 18 north of Midway Island . This combat group, consisting of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet , two cruisers, four destroyers and a tanker, left the port of San Francisco on April 2 and was placed under Halsey's unit after the meeting. The USS Hornet was like the USS Enterprise , a ship of the Yorktown class, both sister ships met here for the first time.

The soldiers of the USS Enterprise were amazed to see 16 twin-engined North American B-25 "Mitchell" bombers lashed to the deck of the USS Hornet . Wild speculation made the rounds until Halsey finally announced over the on-board loudspeakers that these bombers were destined for an attack on Tokyo ( Doolittle Raid ). As contemporary witnesses describe, this announcement triggered an "emotional eruption" among the crew of the USS Enterprise . The task of the Enterprise in this mission was to take over the air protection of the entire unit, since the fighter planes of the USS Hornet were stowed under deck due to the special loading and could therefore not be used.

On April 18 - the eight destroyers and the two tankers had been released from the task force the day before - the radar officers of the USS Enterprise noticed a Japanese patrol boat, the Nitta Maru . The Japanese ship managed to send a radio message before it was sunk by the escort cruiser USS Nashville . Admiral Halsey then gave the following order to the USS Hornet , although the intention was actually to get closer to mainland Japan :

"Launch planes. To Col. Doolittle and his gallant command, good luck and God bless you. Halsey "

“Planes start. To Colonel Doolittle and his valiant command, good luck and God save you. Halsey "

Thousands of sailors on the USS Enterprise and the escort cruisers now watched the spectacular take-off of the twin-engine bombers and every time a bomber crew managed to launch their aircraft from the aircraft deck of the USS Hornet , frenetic cheers broke out among the sailors. After all 16 B-25 bombers had taken off safely and had started their flight towards mainland Japan, Halsey ordered the entire formation for an immediate accelerated retreat to Pearl Harbor. On the way, the ship's crews listened eagerly to the explanations of Radio Tokyo and thus heard the confusion that the attacks triggered in the Japanese capital. Another five enemy patrol boats were sunk by the retreating combat group during the day. One of the boats succeeded in shooting down a Dauntless dive bomber from the USS Enterprise , the crew of which was saved. The next day, the two aircraft carriers and the four cruisers met the destroyers and tankers that had stayed behind. Together they reached the port of Pearl Harbor safely despite the heavy seas. The crews of the task force were obliged to maintain secrecy and were not allowed to talk about their experiences on land.

Battle in the Coral Sea

The USS Enterprise and USS Hornet were after the Doolittle Raid had returned to Pearl Harbor and refueled there and aufmunitioniert, the other two stationed in the Pacific aircraft carriers USS Lexington and USS Yorktown towards Coral Sea forwarded. The USS Enterprise also had the order to transfer an aircraft squadron to Efate .

In the Battle of the Coral Sea , in which the USS Lexington was sunk by the Japanese on May 8, 1942 and the USS Yorktown was damaged, the other two aircraft carriers could no longer intervene. Despite this, the USS Enterprise lost ten aircraft in accidents during this 19-day mission. On May 16, both aircraft carriers received a radio message from Admiral Nimitz requesting them to return to Pearl Harbor as soon as possible.

Midway

The reason for this accelerated retreat was the knowledge that American radio reconnaissance had gained from the evaluation and decryption of Japanese radio messages. Accordingly, the largest naval operation in military history to date was to be expected in the first week of June, the goal of which was the occupation of the Midway Islands and the course of which, as the Battle of Midway, led to a turning point in the Pacific War.

Task Force 16 , commanded by Admiral Halsey, with the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and USS Hornet , entered Pearl Harbor on May 26 to be accelerated to be refueled and ammunitioned. A day later the badly damaged USS Yorktown came back from the Coral Sea to be repaired in a record time of three days.

A change of command took place on the USS Enterprise . The commander of the cruisers of Task Force 16 , Raymond A. Spruance , came for the sick Admiral William F. Halsey and took over the command bridge of the aircraft carrier for the decisive battle that followed. On May 28, the USS Enterprise left port along with the USS Hornet and the ships of the cover group. The destination was a meeting point about 300 miles northeast of the Midway Islands. After the fast-repaired Yorktown arrived there with its Task Force 17 , all three aircraft carriers of the Yorktown-class were assembled with the aim of eliminating the Japanese opponents in a surprise attack.

Sinking of the Kaga and the Akagi
The USS Enterprise on June 4, 1942 at 7:25 a.m. after the Dauntless bombers took off and were now waiting for the fighters and torpedo bombers to take off
Eleven of 14 torpedo bombers on June 4th at around 7:30 a.m. shortly before take-off
The Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga , first sunk by the Dauntless of the USS Enterprise
The Akagi , the flagship of the Japanese fleet, was so badly damaged by an Enterprise dive bomber that it had to be abandoned

After the Japanese carried out a diversionary attack on the Aleutians on June 3, 1942, as predicted by American radio reconnaissance , the flight crews of the USS Enterprise were on high alert on June 4, the day of the planned invasion of the Midway Islands, from 3 a.m. and waited for a sighting report from the Japanese fleet. After this had finally arrived, the 33 Dauntless dive bombers of the VB-6 and VS-6 squadrons started at 7 a.m. Actually, the plan provided that they should carry out the attack on the Japanese aircraft carriers together with 14 Devastator torpedo bombers and ten Wildcat fighters. Since there were always delays when the aircraft took off, Admiral Spruance ordered the dive bombers to fly ahead alone after waiting 40 minutes, after they had already used up part of their fuel supply by flying the holding patterns.

These problems were typical of the course of the battle, which was characterized by the fact that the American attacks were very uncoordinated. Ultimately, however, it was precisely this confusion that made it easier to get the decisive hits.

The USS Enterprise fighter planes were given the task of escorting the outdated torpedo bombers. Due to a mistake on the part of the fighter pilots, they confused their own torpedo bombers with those of the USS Hornet during the flight . But since they lost sight of this, too, they finally returned to the USS Enterprise with nothing achieved. The torpedo bombers of both American aircraft carriers, which flew their attacks independently of one another at different times, now became easy targets for the Japanese defenders. The losses of the American squadrons were so devastating (ten out of 14 Enterprise devastators were shot down, the squadron of the USS Hornet was even completely destroyed by the Japanese) that a surviving crew member of the torpedo bomber squadron of the USS Enterprise threatened in the ready room of the fighter pilots, to avenge his dead comrades with his service pistol because they had not been escorted by the Wildcat fighters.

Meanwhile, the dive bombers of the USS Enterprise had still not found the Japanese fleet after an hour and a half because it had changed course since the first sighting. The union leader therefore decided to change course from southwest to northwest. Twenty minutes later he saw a Japanese destroyer below him returning to the main fleet after pursuing the American submarine USS Nautilus . The dive bombers changed direction a second time and followed the Japanese warship. A few minutes later, the huge Japanese fleet with the aircraft carriers Akagi , Kaga , Hiryū and Sōryū appeared on the horizon.

When the Enterprise dive bombers arrived over the enemy fleet at about 10:20 a.m., another attack by a squadron of American torpedo bombers happened to be underway. This was carried out by the aircraft of the USS Yorktown , which like their comrades from the other two aircraft carriers were shot down one after the other by the Japanese. For the Dauntless machines of the USS Enterprise , this had the advantage that all Japanese fighters and also the anti-aircraft defenses of the Japanese cruisers and destroyers were exclusively dedicated to the Yorktown torpedo bombers. The dive bombers of the USS Enterprise were not noticed by the Japanese until they were already in a dive on two of the four aircraft carriers.

The Enterprise pilots targeted the two carriers to the south, the Kaga and Akagi . The American federation leader made the mistake of rushing against the agreed tactics on the aircraft carrier closer. He should have left this to the rear of his formation, while his squadron should have attacked Akagi , the flagship of Vice Admiral Nagumo Chūichi , which is further north . This mistake now led to the fact that all other machines except for three aircraft fell on the closer aircraft carrier, the Kaga , and dealt it the fatal blow with a total of five hits, while the Akagi remained unmolested. However, the remaining three Dauntless of the USS Enterprise had flown lower due to a technical problem and were therefore able to observe the tactical mishap of their unit leader and react accordingly. They pounced on the Akagi and one of their bombs hit the aircraft carrier in the middle of the ship. Since the Japanese aircraft carriers were more vulnerable than their American counterparts for various technical reasons, this one hit was enough to damage the Akagi in such a way that it later had to be abandoned. The impacted bomb hit refueled and ammunitioned aircraft inside the ship and the resulting secondary explosions ultimately dealt the fatal blow to the flagship of the Japanese fleet.

While the Enterprise pilots were able to inflict fatal hits on the two carriers to the south, the dive bombers of the USS Yorktown , which arrived at the same time, managed to hit the Sōryū hard. Thus, the Japanese had lost three of their four aircraft carriers within a few minutes, only the Hiryū remained intact. Machines took off from her twice in the course of the day in order to strike back against the American porters. Both attacks targeted the USS Yorktown , which sank the next day after being hit by a Japanese submarine torpedo on June 6th. In order to prevent the three burning Japanese porters from falling into the hands of the Americans as spoils of war, they were sunk by their own destroyers on the night of June 4th to 5th.

For the surviving aircrews of the Dauntless bombers, returning to the USS Enterprise was a flight into the unknown. On the one hand, they had to withstand angry attacks by Japanese fighter pilots, on the other hand, many machines were running out of fuel. As a result, only 14 of the 32 aircraft that had taken off were returned to the aircraft carrier. However, 14 dive bombers from the USS Yorktown landed on the USS Enterprise , on which regular flight operations were only possible to a limited extent in phases after the hits received.

Sinking of the hiryu
The Hiryū on the morning of June 4, 1942, during an attack by land-based Boeing B-17s , which had no consequences
The burning Hiryū, abandoned by the Japanese on June 5, 1942

At 2:45 p.m., a search aircraft from the USS Yorktown spotted the Hiryu and her escort ships. As a result, a powerful combat group was put together on the USS Enterprise from the remains of the two own dive bomber squadrons VS-6 and VB-6 and the squadrons VS-5 and VB-3 landed from the USS Yorktown . Twenty-five Dauntless dive bombers and eight Wildcat fighters took off within twenty minutes.

After about forty minutes of flight, the American association discovered the Hiryu and her escort ships. The American union leader decided to split his force. With the ten machines of the Enterprise he attacked the aircraft carrier, while the 15 Dauntless of the USS Yorktown were assigned the battleship Haruna as a target. Pressed by the last Japanese fighters, the American dive bombers initially failed to hit the aircraft carrier, especially since the Hiryū was also able to dodge the bombs. Richard “Dick” Best, of all people, who had put the Akagi out of action with a single bomb that morning , finally landed the only hit of the Enterprise crews. The squadron leader of the fifteen Yorktown bombers, after observing his comrades' mistakes at the Hiryu , made the decision to also attack the aircraft carrier and not the Haruna with his aircraft . With four more hits, the Yorktown planes were able to incapacitate the last Japanese aircraft carrier. The Americans paid for this success by shooting down a Dauntless from the USS Enterprise and two from the USS Yorktown .

Attacks on June 5th and 6th, 1942
The burned-out Mikuma on June 6, 1942 after the dive bomber attack
The badly damaged mogami while taking in fuel

The next day, around noon, the Japanese fleet received the order to break off the attack on Midway. The ships then turned and changed their course to the west. The Task Force 16 moved its ships closer to Midway Islands approach and the combined battle group of Dauntless bombers of the USS Enterprise , which had previously sunk four aircraft carriers in the day, made that day a futile hunt for the Japanese destroyer Tanikaze . The agile warship not only managed the feat of avoiding all the bombs of the experienced American pilots, but also shot down one of the attackers.

On June 6th, the Enterprise pilots were able to post another success. The day before, the Japanese cruisers Mogami and Mikuma , both of which belonged to the fleet that accompanied the invasion forces for the Midway Islands, collided during an evasive maneuver. The makeshift warships were discovered on the morning of June 6th by an American search plane. From 9:30 a.m., 31 dive bombers from the USS Enterprise and 25 more from the USS Hornet attacked . The Mogami managed to escape badly damaged, but her sister ship Mikuma received several hits and went down during the day, killing over 600 sailors. Three Devastator torpedo bombers from the USS Enterprise also took part in this attack . They represented the remains of three squadrons whose planes had been shot down in rows on June 4 when they attacked Japanese aircraft carriers. Since the battered Japanese cruisers no longer had any air support, the bombers could unmolested that day drop their torpedoes, which also hit their target. This was the last use of this obsolete type of aircraft on the USS Enterprise .

Record of the battle

The Battle of Midway led to a shift in the balance of power in the Pacific War. The dive bombers of the USS Enterprise sank the aircraft carriers Akagi and Kaga and, in cooperation with the surviving pilots of the USS Yorktown, the carrier Hiryu and the cruiser Mikuma .

The USS Enterprise paid for these successes with the loss of 31 of its 78 aircraft. The individual seasons recorded the following losses:

  • VB-3 ( USS Yorktown dive bomber squadron ): 4 dead crew members
  • VB-6 ( USS Enterprise dive bomber squadron ): 12 dead crew members
  • VS-5 ( USS Yorktown dive bomber squadron ): 2 dead crew members
  • VS-6 ( USS Enterprise dive bomber squadron ): 12 dead crew members, 2 prisoners of war crew members
  • VT-6 (torpedo bomber squadron of the USS Enterprise ): 18 dead crew members

Almost all crew members died on June 4th in the attacks on the aircraft carriers. The two dead of VS-5 squadron were shot down in the unsuccessful hunt for the destroyer Tanikaze . Two men from VS-6 died in the attacks on the cruisers on June 6th.

The two prisoners-of-war crew members, who had to ditch their Dauntless on June 4, 1942, were picked up by the Japanese destroyer Makigumo . On June 15, the two Americans were tied weights to their legs and were thrown into the Pacific by Japanese sailors, where they drowned.

Guadalcanal

After a one-month overhaul phase, the USS Enterprise ran out to the South Pacific on July 16, 1942 to support the landings in the Solomon Islands with the TF 61 .

Eastern Solomon Islands

During the Battle of the Eastern Solomon Islands , the US Navy succeeded in sinking the light Japanese carrier Ryūjō . The Enterprise itself received three bomb hits, in which 77 sailors were killed and 91 wounded. However, she was able to return to Pearl Harbor on her own.

Santa Cruz Islands

After a break for repairs, it ran again to the South Pacific on October 16. There she took part in the battle of the Santa Cruz Islands , in which her sister ship USS Hornet was sunk. The Big E was now the only carrier in the US Pacific Fleet and had to call at Nouméa for emergency repairs after two bomb hits . When another Japanese advance forced the Enterprise to sail, repair teams from the USS Vestal and 75 men from Company B of the 3rd Construction Battalion were still on board, who were still busy with repairs.

Naval Battle of Guadalcanal

In the sea ​​battle of Guadalcanal , their carrier aircraft helped sink battleship Hiei on November 13, before returning to Noumea to complete repairs. These repairs were finished on December 4th.

Rennell Island

During the Battle of Rennell Island , the Enterprise's planes covered a mixed formation of cruisers and destroyers against Japanese torpedo bombers, with half of the attackers being shot down. Nevertheless, two torpedoes hit and sank the heavy cruiser USS Chicago .

For the next three months, the Enterprise's machines covered the US forces in the Solomon Islands.

On May 27, 1943, she returned to Pearl Harbor, where she was the first aircraft carrier to be awarded the Presidential Unit Citation by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.

Gilbert Islands

The Enterprise was able to return to service in mid-November 1943 . When the 27th Infantry Division landed on Makin Island (November 19-21), they supported the ground forces. On November 23, the Enterprise carried out a carrier-based night fighter mission in the Pacific for the first time when a group of three machines from the Enterprise fought off a night attack on Task Group 50.2. They returned to Pearl Harbor after an attack on Kwajalein on December 4th.

For the next operation, the Enterprise was assigned to the Fast Carrier Force. There were first attacks on the Marshall Islands, before the landing on Kwajalein from January 29 to February 3 was supported.

Truk Atoll

During Operation Hailstone , the important Japanese naval base Truk on the Caroline Islands was attacked on February 17th . The Enterprise was able to write history again with the first radar-based night attack from a US carrier: twelve torpedo bombers attacked the Japanese ships lying in the lagoon at night. Despite heavy defensive fire, only one machine could be shot down. With losses of over 200,000 GRT and severe damage to the facilities, this attack is also known as the Pearl Harbor of the Japanese.

Together with her escorts she was parked by the TF 58 to attack the seaplane base on the Jaluit -Atoll, after which she steamed to Maruito and Espiritu Santo . With the TG 36.1 she supported the landing on Emirau Island from March 19 to 25 with air cover and close air support. After returning to the TF 58, she conducted a series of attacks on Yap , Ulithi , Woleai and Palau before assisting the landing at Hollandia in New Guinea. Then there was another attack on Truk.

Saipan - Guam - Philippine Sea

In early June, almost parallel to the landing in Normandy on the other side of the world, who began marching to attack the Mariana Islands . On June 15, the battle for the Mariana Islands began with the Battle of Saipan .

The Japanese High Command had been planning since September 1943 to go back on the offensive and compensate for the superiority of the US fleet with a victorious battle. Due to the significant losses in the naval air force, the plan relied on land-based units. However, the Japanese expected the attack further south, which is why the focus of the air forces was not stationed on the Mariana Islands themselves. However, since successful landings on the Mariana Islands would threaten the mother country itself, the Japanese fleet was set on march. Due to the capabilities of the US radio reconnaissance and the precise reports from the submarines, the surprise effect was lost early. The next battle ( Battle of the Philippine Sea ) developed into the largest aircraft carrier battle in the world. The light, unarmored Japanese aircraft proved to be clearly inferior: in addition to three aircraft carriers, the Japanese lost around 600 aircraft. The Japanese naval aviators did not recover from this blow . The US Navy lost most of the approximately 120 aircraft in crash landings and ditching after the attack at dusk on June 19. A planned night mission by the experienced Enterprise pilots was then canceled, as the rescue of the aircraft crews who had been thrown into the ground had priority. The Enterprise was after this battle until July 5 before Saipan in use, before returning for a brief overhaul phase after Pearl Harbor.

Gulf of Leyte

In preparation for the landing in the Philippines , the Enterprise attacked from October 10, 1944, together with other units of Task Force 38 airfields, coastal facilities and ships on Okinawa , Formosa and the Philippines itself. On October 17, 1944, the fight for the Philippines began with the landing on Leyte. Since the Japanese threatened to lose their resource-rich possessions in Indochina with the loss of the Philippines, they dispatched all remaining naval units to a coordinated attack on the US fleet. The Enterprise planes were involved in attacks on all three Japanese combat groups. The Japanese could only withdraw with heavy losses.

From December 24th, 1944, it had a fully night-time combat airborne squadron, making it the only carrier that had this capability, so its name was changed from CV to CV (N).

  • Tokyo attacks (February 1945)
  • Kyushu attacks (March 1945)

Okinawa

She supported operations near Okinawa from April 5 until she was hit by a kamikaze aviator on April 11 . She had to return to Ulithi Atoll for repairs by May 5th.

  • Launch preparations on the flight deck of the USS Enterprise (May 1944)

  • After the crash landing of a Grumman F6F Hellcat (November 1943)

  • The Enterprise off Saipan 1944

After the war

The USS Enterprise in June 1958 at the New York Naval Shipyard awaiting scrapping

After the repairs were finished, she took part in Operation Magic Carpet , during one of these missions she was visited by the First Lord of the British Admiralty, who awarded her the British Admiralty Pennant. She was the only ship outside of the Royal Navy to receive this prestigious award.

The decommissioning of the USS Enterprise took place on February 17, 1947. The ship was transferred to the reserve of the Atlantic Fleet . The name was now CVA-6 as a so-called attack carrier . In August 1953 she was assigned to the CVS-6 as an anti-submarine aircraft carrier .

The first efforts to preserve the Enterprise for posterity began as early as 1946 on the initiative of New York State . In 1949 it was proposed to exhibit the Enterprise in San Francisco on Treasure Island . Both projects failed because of the costs. An initiative by the veterans to preserve the Enterprise as a National Memorial was successful, but the necessary funds could not be raised.

On July 1, 1958, the USS Enterprise was sold for scrapping to the Kearny- based Lipsett Incorporated. When the aircraft carrier, which had previously been in the New York Naval Shipyard, was towed along the East River towards New Jersey , tens of thousands of New Yorkers stood in line to pay their final respects to the most successful ship in American war history.

Casualties and deployed air units

losses

During the period of deployment in the Pacific War, the Enterprise had a total of 374 deaths. Of these, the ship's crew accounted for 139 deaths, the others belonged to the stationed air units.

Twelve pilots or crew members of the aircraft were captured by the Japanese. Two of them were executed immediately after their capture. Another two were brought to Formosa and executed there shortly before the end of the war.

Airborne squadron

  • 0December 7, 1941 to March 10, 1942: Enterprise Air Group, Squadrons VF-6, VB-6, VS-6, VT-6
  • 0April 8, 1942 to April 26, 1942: Enterprise Air Group, Squadrons VF-6, VB-6, VB-3, VT-6
  • April 26, 1942 to April 30, 1942: Enterprise Air Group, Squadrons VF-6, VB-6, VS-6, VT-6
  • May 28, 1942 to June 13, 1942: Enterprise Air Group, Squadrons VF-6, VB-6, VS-6, VT-6
  • July 15, 1942 to August 25, 1942: Enterprise Air Group, Squadrons VF-6, VB-6, VS-5, VT-3
  • October 16, 1942 to May 10, 1943: Carrier Air Group 10, Squadrons VF-10, VB-10, VS-10 (renamed VB-20), VT-10
  • November 10, 1943 to December 9, 1943: Carrier Air Group 6, Squadrons VF-2, VB-6, VT-6
  • January 16, 1944 to July 25, 1944: Carrier Air Group 10, Squadrons VF-10, VB-10, VT-10, VF (N) -101
  • August 16, 1944 to November 23, 1944: Carrier Air Group 20, Squadrons VF-20, VB-20, VT-20, VF (N) -78
  • December 24, 1944 to May 31, 1945: Night Air Group 90, Squadrons VF (N) -90, VT (N) -90

Commanders

  • Captain Newton H. White, Jr. (May 12, 1938 - December 21, 1938)
  • Captain Charles A. Pownall (December 21, 1938 to March 21, 1941)
  • Captain George D. Murray (March 21, 1941 to June 30, 1942)
  • Captain Arthur C. Davis (June 30, 1942 to October 21, 1942)
  • Captain Osborne B. Hardison (October 21, 1942 to April 7, 1943)
  • Captain Carlos W. Wieber (April 7, 1943 to April 16, 1943)
  • Captain Samuel P. Ginder (April 16, 1943 - November 7, 1943) Repair in Pearl Harbor and remodeling in Bremerton
  • Captain Matthias B. Gardner (November 7, 1943 to July 10, 1944)
  • Commander Thomas J. Hamilton (July 10, 1944 - July 29, 1944) Repairs at Pearl Harbor
  • Captain Cato D. Glover (July 29, 1944 to December 14, 1944)
  • Captain Grover BH Hall (December 14, 1944 to September 25, 1945)
  • Captain William A. Rees (September 25, 1945 to February 20, 1946)
  • Captain Francis E. Bardwell (February 20, 1946 to June 10, 1946) berthed in Bayonne, New Jersey
  • Commander Conrad W. Craven (June 10, 1946 to January 31, 1947)
  • Commander Lewis F. Davis (January 31, 1947 - February 17, 1947) retired

Awards

Movie

The feature film Midway - For Freedom (2019) deals with the first six months of the Pacific War, mainly from the perspective of Richard Best , at the time a crew member of the USS Enterprise. The ship was represented for the film through digital special effects.

literature

  • Steven Ewing: USS Enterprise (CV-6). The Most Decorated Ship of World War II. A Pictorial History. Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, Missoula MT 1982, ISBN 0-933126-24-7 .
  • John B. Lundstrom: The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway. Naval Institut Press, Annapolis MD 1984, ISBN 1-59114-471-X .
  • Edward Peary Stafford: The Big E. The Story of the USS Enterprise. Random House, New York NY 1962 (Also: With an introduction by Paul Stillwell. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis MD 2002, ISBN 1-55750-998-0 ).
  • Stefan Terzibaschitsch : USS Enterprise aircraft carrier. (CV-6). The lonely queen of the Pacific. (= Marine international 2) Podzun-Pallas, Friedberg (Dorheim) 1982, ISBN 3-7909-0180-6 .
  • Stefan Terzibaschitsch: US Navy aircraft carrier. Volume 1: Fleet aircraft carriers. 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Bernard & Graefe, Koblenz 1986, ISBN 3-7637-5803-8 .

Web links

Commons : USS Enterprise (CV-6)  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 34.
  2. ^ A b USS Enterprise Casualties: December 7, 1941 - December 8, 1941 , website www.cv6.org, accessed April 20, 2016
  3. ↑ NavSource Online: Aircraft Carrier Photo Archive - USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) , website www.navsource.org, accessed April 19, 2016
  4. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, pp. 35–39.
  5. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 36.
  6. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. , Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, pp. 40–42.
  7. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, pp. 44–45.
  8. ^ Official website of the USS Enterprise CV-6
  9. ↑ a b c Chronicle of Naval Warfare - Wake , website www.wlb-stuttgart.de, accessed on April 20, 2016
  10. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. Publisher WW Norton & Company , New York 2012, pp 150-158.
  11. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 199.
  12. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 203.
  13. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 205.
  14. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 206.
  15. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 46.
  16. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, pp. 212-214.
  17. ^ A b Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, pp. 48, 49.
  18. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, pp. 216-219.
  19. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 221.
  20. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, pp. 50–52.
  21. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, pp. 227-228.
  22. ↑ atsushiro Sukeyoshi (1890–1942) , website pwencycl.kgbudge.com, accessed April 18, 2016
  23. ↑ USS Enterprise - Casualties: February 1, 1942 , website www.cv6.org, accessed April 21, 2016
  24. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, pp. 53, 54.
  25. ↑ USS Enterprise - Casualties: February 24, 1942. Website www.cv6.org, accessed April 22, 2016
  26. ^ A b Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, pp. 54, 55.
  27. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 55.
  28. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 285.
  29. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 282.
  30. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 286.
  31. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 56.
  32. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 288.
  33. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 57.
  34. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, pp. 291-293.
  35. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 296.
  36. ^ A b Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 59.
  37. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 298.
  38. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 387.
  39. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 60.
  40. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 388.
  41. ^ A b Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, pp. 383-390.
  42. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 393.
  43. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 396.
  44. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 392.
  45. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Publisher Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 67.
  46. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Simon & Schuster Verlag, New York 2012, p. 68.
  47. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 69.
  48. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, pp. 426, 427.
  49. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, pp. 428, 429.
  50. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Publisher Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 73.
  51. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, pp. 430-434.
  52. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 431.
  53. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, pp. 442-455.
  54. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Simon & Schuster Verlag, New York 2012, pp. 78–80.
  55. ↑ Battle of Midway - June 4–6, 1942 - ACTION REPORT (SERIAL 0133) , website www.cv6.org, accessed April 29, 2016
  56. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, pp. 453, 454.
  57. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, pp. 82, 83.
  58. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, p. 461.
  59. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 84.
  60. ^ Ian W. Toll: Pacific Crucible - War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942. WW Norton & Company, New York 2012, pp. 465, 466.
  61. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, pp. 85, 86.
  62. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Publisher Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 87.
  63. ↑ USS Enterprise - Casualties: June 4, 1942 - June 6, 1942 , website www.cv6.org, accessed May 1, 2016
  64. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Publisher Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 86.
  65. ^ Barrett Tillmann: Enterprise - America's fightingest ship. Verlag Simon & Schuster, New York 2012, p. 1.
  66. ↑ http://www.cv6.org/company/muster/casualty.asp
  67. ↑ http://www.cv6.org/company/pow.htm