The Bird Farm

by Philip Kaplan

  Prowler: Grumman EA-6 attack-early warning aircraft.

  Purple shirts: Deck crews responsible for refuelling of aircraft; also called “Grapes.”

  Qual: Pilot’s aircraft carrier qualification flights.

  Rack: Enlisted man’s bed; a three-high bunkbed.

  RAG: Replacement Air Group; see FRS.

  Ramp: The aft edge of the flight deck of a carrier.

  Ready Room: Briefing and lounge space for a squadron.

  Red shirts: Deck crews who handle ordnance, load bombs and ammunition; they also handle fire equipment.

  Rig for: Set up or prepare.

  RIO: Radar Intercept Officer; rides the back seat of F-4 Phantom, F-14 Tomcat, and F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft, performing navigation and weapons system functions.

  Roof: Slang for flight deck of a carrier.

  Rounddown: The ramp or aft end of the flight deck.

  SA: Situational awareness.

  SAR: Search and rescue.

  Scuttlebutt: Rumors.

  Seafire: Supermarine fighter aircraft.

  Sea Fury: Hawker fighter aircraft.

  Sea Hawk: Hawker fighter-bomber aircraft.

  Seahawk: Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter.

  Sea King: Westland/Sikorsky helicopter.

  Shuttle: Device on catapult which protrudes above the flight deck; the aircraft nose tow is attached to the shuttle prior to launch.

  Sick bay: Ship’s hospital.

  Silver suits: Personnel who handle crashes and fires.

  Skyhawk: Douglas A-4 attack aircraft.

  Skyraider: Douglas AD attack aircraft.

  Slider: A hamburger.

  SNJ: North American Aviation trainer aircraft.

  Sortie: One mission flight by one aircraft.

  Spool up: Running up the power of a jet engine.

  Squawk box: A ship’s intercom system.

  Starboard: The right-hand side of a ship.

  Strafe: To fire an aircraft’s guns at a surface target.

  Swordfish: Fairey multi-role biplane.

  TACAN: Measures bearing and distance between the carrier and an aircraft.

  Tail-end Charlie: The last aircraft in a formation.

  Tomcat: Grumman F-14 jet multi-role fighter aircraft.

  Torpecker: Torpedo bomber.

  Tracer: Visible fired ammunition.

  Trap: An arrested landing of an aircraft on a carrier flight deck.

  Triple A: Anti-aircraft artillery; also called ack-ack or flak.

  Turbo-Mentor: Beechcraft T-34 primary trainer aircraft.

  Val: Aichi D3A dive-bomber.

  VFR: Visual Flight Rules; operating procedures for use in good weather.

  Viking: Lockheed S3B ASW aircraft.

  VSTOL: Vertical Short Take-off and Landing.

  Vulture’s Row: Observation area located high on the island structure.

  Wave-off: Aborted landing approach; an order from the LSO to a pilot to abort his landing approach.

  White shirts: Deck crewmen responsible for inspecting at the catapult prior to launch.

  Wildcat: Grumman F4F fighter aircraft.

  XO: Executive Officer.

  Yellow shirt: Crewman who directs the movement of aircraft on the flight deck of a carrier.

  Zero-Sen: Mitsubishi A6M fighter aircraft.

  PICTURE CREDITS: Photos from the collection of the author are credited AC; photos by the author: PK; U.S. National Archives: NARA; U.S. Navy: USN; Tailhook Association: TA; Imperial War Museum: IWM; HMS Illustrious: ILLUS. P3 top-ILLUS, left-AC, right-AC, P5-ILLUS, P6-AC, P9-NARA, P10-ILLUS, P13 top-AC, bottom-IWM, P14-ILLUS, P16-NARA, P18-AC, P21-PK, P22-NARA, P24-PK, P26-NARA, P29-ILLUS, P30-AC, P31 top-AC, bottom-NARA, P32-ILLUS, P34-PK, P35-PK, P36-AC, P39 all-AC, P40-PK, P42-AC, P44-AC, P45 both-AC, P46-NARA, P48-AC, P49-NARA, P50-NARA, P51-PK, P52 top-NARA, bottom-USN, P53-USN, P54-NARA, P56-USN, P59-NARA, P61-NARA, P63-AC, P64-AC, P67-AC, P68-AC, P71-AC, P72-AC, P75-NARA, P76-AC, P77-AC, P78-NARA, P80-AC, P83-AC, P84-AC, P88-AC, P90-ILLUS, P92-AC, P94-ILLUS, P96-ILLUS, P97-ILLUS, P99-AC, P100-PK, P101-ILLUS, P103-AC, P104-AC, P106-PK, P108-PK, P109-PK, P110-NARA, P112-BILL HANNAN, P115-PK, P116-PK, P117 both-PK, P118-NARA, P120-PK, P123-PK, P124-PK, P127-courtesy of BRUCE PORTER, P128-USN, P130-PK, P131-PK, P132-PK, P134 both-PK, P135-PK, PP136-137 all-PK, P138 left-PK, right-AC, P140-USN, P143-USN, P145-PK, P146-AC, P149-PK, P150-PK, P151-AC, P152-NARA, P154-NARA, P156-AC, P157-AC, P159-PK, P160-ILLUS, P162-NARA, P164-AC, P167-AC, PP168-169-AC, P17-courtesy of Randy Cunningham, P173-AC, P174-ILLUS, P176-PK, P177-USN, P178-AC, P181-ILLUS, P182-AC, P183-AC, P185-ILLUS, P187-courtesy Nigel Ward, P188-AC, P191-ILLUS, P192-ILLUS, P194-ILLUS, P195-AC, P196-AC, P199-ILLUS, P200-ILLUS, P202-USN, P203-AC, P205-USN, P206-ILLUS, P208-courtesy Shannon Callahan, P209-AC, P210-ILLUS, P212-ILLUS, P214-PK, P217-ILLUS, P218-AC, P220-USN, P221-NARA, P222-PK, P224-AC, P226-USAF ACADEMY LIBRARY, P228-USAF ACADEMY LIBRARY, P230-AC, P232-ILLUS,

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The author is grateful to the following for their kind help in the development of this book: Bill Barr, Malcolm Bates, George Blair, John Bolt, Jennifer Brattle, Eric Brown, Piers Burnett, James Cain, Shannon Callahan, Larry Cauble, Parnell Chapell, Bill Ciazza, M.S. Cochran, Ed Copeland, Jack Crascall, Robert Croman, Frank Cronin, Tracy Curtis-Taylor, Dale Dean, Claire Donegan, John Dunbar, Dewey Durnford, Robert Elder, Lynn Forshee, Mark Fox, Oz Freire, Frank Furbish, Richard K. Gallagher, George Gay, Tess Gay, Paul Gillcrist, Jack Glass, Hill Goodspeed, Stephen Grey, Mark Hanna, Bill Hannan, Thomas Harris, Susan Henson, Tony Holmes, Chris Hurst, Jan Jacobs, Benny L. James, Dave Jones, Hargita Kaplan, Margaret L. Kaplan, Neal B. Kaplan, Kelly Kinsella, Jack Kleiss, Craig Kodera, Thomas LaGrange, Casey Law, Alan J. Leahy, Jack Leaming, Elvin Lindsay, Bruce Lindsay, Paul Ludwig, Mike Machat, Richard H. May, John McCrarrie, Judith A. McCutcheon, Richard “Mac” McCutcheon, Rick McCutcheon, Dale McGhee, Hamilton McWhorter, Don McMillan, Neil Mercer, Steve Millikan, Nick Mongillo, Morris Montgomery, H.B. Moranville, Kevin Morris, Jeff Mulkey, Patrick J. Nichols, Steve Nichols, David B. Oates, Michael O’Leary, Merle Olmsted, Arnold W. Olson, Brian O’Rourke, Bruce Porter, Henry Sakaida, Doug Siegfried, Wayne Skaggs, David Smith, David Soper, Mark Stanhope, Danny Stembridge, John Strane, Nagel Sullivan, David Tarry, Hannah Tausz, Mark Thistlethwaite, Ed Toner, Stanley Vejtasa, Danny Vincent, Michelle Vorce, Alex Vraciu, Nick Walker, George Wallace, Nigel ‘Sharkey’ Ward, Sky Webb, Wilbur Webb, Pat Weiland, John Wellham, Wilbur West, Scott Whelpley, Andy Withers, Dennis Wrynn, Aaron Zizzo. My thanks to the following for the use of their previously published material: Airlife Publishing Ltd—excerpts from Wings of the Navy, by Captain Eric Brown, reprinted by permission of the author; Arms and Armour Press—excerpts from Kamikaze, by Raymond Lamont-Brown, reprinted by permission; Causley, Charles—for the use of his poem HMS Glory; Dell Division of Random House—excerpt from Air Warriors, by Douglas C. Waller; Fitz Roy, Olivia—for the use of her poem Fleet Fighter; Gay, Tess (Mrs George Gay)—excerpts from Sole Survivor, by Ensign George Gay, published by Midway Publishers and reprinted by permission of Tess Gay; Hutchinson Publishing Group—excerpt from War In A Stringbag, by Charles Lamb; Larteguy, Jean, and Blond, George—excerpts from Larteguy’s edited version of Blond’s description of a kamikaze attack, in Larteguy’s The Sun Goes Down; McGraw-Hill—excerpt from Daybreak For Our Carrier, by Lieutenant Max Miller; Naval Institute Press—excerpt from The Divine Wind, by Captain Rikihei Inoguichi and Commander Tadashi Nakajima, with Roger Pineau; Turner Publishing Company—excerpts from USS Enterprise (CV-6); Ward, Nigel—excerpts from Sea Harrier Over The Falklands, published by Orion, reprinted by permission of the author; Wedge, John—for the use of his poem Still No Letter.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bennett, Christopher, Supercarrier, Motorbooks International, 1996; Bowman, Martin W., Shades of Blue, Airlife Publishing Ltd, 1999; Brown, David, Kamikaze, Brompton Books Corp., 1990; Brown, Captain Eric, Wings of the Navy, Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1987; Burgess, Lieutenant Commander Richard R., The Naval Aviation Guide, Naval Institute Press, 1996; Caidin, Mar
tin, Golden Wings, Bramhall House, 1960; Chant, Christopher, Warships of the 20th Century, Tiger Books International, 1996; Chesneau, Roger, Aircraft Carriers of the World-1914 to the Present, Arms and Armour Press, 1992; Chinnery, Philip, Desert Airforce, Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1989; Clancy, Tom, Carrier, Berkley Books, 1999; Congdon, Don, Combat WWII Pacific Theater of Operations, Arbor House, 1958; Costello, John, Love, Sex & War, Collins, 1985; Eliot-Morris, Samuel, The Two-Ocean War, Atlantic-Little Brown, 1963; Farmer, James H., Celluloid Wings, Tab Books, 1984; Garrison, Peter, and Hall, George, Carrier Aviation, Presidio Press, 1980; Goldstein, Donald M., Dillon, Katherine V., and Wenger, J. Michael, Pearl Harbor-The Way It Was, Brassey’s, 1995; Harrison, W.A., Swordfish Special, Ian Allen, 1977; Holder, Bill, and Wallace, Mike, F/A-18 Hornet A Photo Chronicle, Schiffer, 1997; Holmes, Tony, Combat Carriers, Motorbooks International, 1998; Holmes, Tony, Seventh Fleet Supercarriers, Osprey Publishing Ltd, 1987; Horsley, Lt Cdr Terence, Find, Fix and Strike, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1945; Humble, Richard. Aircraft Carriers, Michael Joseph Ltd, 1982; Ireland, Bernard, The Rise and Fall of the Aircraft Carrier, Marshall Cavendish, 1979; Isby, David C., Jane’s How to Fly and Fight in the F/A-18 Hornet, Harper Collins Publishers, 1997; Jackson, Robert, Air War Over Korea, Airlife Publishing Ltd, 1998; Johnsen, Frederick A., Douglas A-1 Skyraider, Schiffer, 1994; Johnston, Stanley, Queen of the Flattops, E.P. Dutton & Co., 1942; Johnstone-Bryden, Richard, HMS Ark Royal IV, Sutton Publishing Ltd, 1999; Keeney, Douglas, and Butler, William, No Easy Days, BKF, 1995; Kelly, Orr, Hornet, Airlife Publishing Ltd, 1990; Lake, Jon, Grumman F-14 Tomcat, Aerospace Publishing, 1998; Lamont-Brown, Raymond, Kamikaze, Arms and Armour Press, 1997; Lawson, Robert, and Tillman, Barrett, Carrier Airwar, Motorbooks International, 1996; Loomis, Robert D., Great American Fighter Pilots of World War II, Random House, 1961; Lowry, Thomas P., and Wellham, John W.G., The Attack on Taranto, Stackpole Books, 1995; McManners, Hugh, Top Guns, Network Books, 1996; Melhorn, Charles M., Two-Block Fox, Naval Institute Press, 1974; Mercer, Neil, The Sharp End, Airlife Publishing Ltd, 1995; Miller, Lt Max, Daybreak For Our Carrier, McGraw-Hill, 1944; Monbazet, Jean-Pierre, Super Carriers, Osprey Publishing Ltd, 1989; Musciano, Walter A., Warbirds of the Sea, Schiffer, 1994; O’Leary, Michael, United States Naval Fighters of World War II in Action, Blandford Press, 1980; Poolman, Kenneth, Escort Carrier 1941-1945, Ian Allen, 1972; Porter, Col. R. Bruce, with Hammel, Eric, Ace!, Pacifica Press, 1985; Preston, Antony, Aircraft Carriers, Bison Books Ltd, 1982; Reynolds, Clark G., The Fast Carriers, McGraw-Hill, 1968; Reynolds, Clark G., The Fighting Lady, Pictorial Histories Publishing, 1986; Ross, Al, The Escort Carrier Gambier Bay, Conway Maritime Press, 1993; Shores, Christopher, Air Aces, Bison Books Ltd, 1983; Silverston, Paul, US Navy 1945 to the Present, Arms and Armour Press, 1991; Smith, John T., The Linebacker Raids, Arms and Armour Press, 1998; Smithers, A.J., Taranto 1940, Leo Cooper, 1995; Spick, Mike, McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, Salamander Books Ltd, 1991; Steichen, Edward, U.S. Navy War Photographs Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay, Bonanza Books, 1956; Sweetman, Bill, Joint Strike Fighter, MBI Publishing Company, 1999; Taylor, Michael, Naval Air Power, Hamlyn Publishing, 1986; Watts, Anthony J., The Royal Navy, Arms and Armour, 1999; Weiland, Charles Patrick, Above & Beyond, Pacifica Press, 1997; Wellham, John, With Naval Wings, Spellmount, 1995; Wolff, Brian R., and Alexander, John, From The Sea, Reed International Books, 1997; Wragg, David, Carrier Combat, Sutton Publishing, 1997; Wragg, David, Wings Over The Sea, David & Charles, 1979; Wrynn, V. Dennis, Forge of Freedom, Motorbooks International, 1996.

  INDEX

  Abraham Lincoln, USS, 216

  ACLS, 151

  Ader, Clement, 4, 7

  Air Boss, 149, 154

  Akagi, 8, 55, 73, 78

  Albacore, USS, 60

  Andrews Sisters, 203

  Arizona, USS, 55, 78

  Arizona, USS Memorial, 52, 56

  Ark Royal, HMS, 6, 35, 38

  Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senate, 4

  Avenger, Grumman, TBF/TBM, 21, 75

  Baltimore, USS, 77

  Banshee, McDonnell, F2H, 28

  BARCAP, 170

  Barnes, USS, 62

  Baxter, Denver, 77

  Bataan, USS, 58

  Bearcat, Grumman, F8F, 27, 151, 152

  Belleau Wood, USS, 58

  Birmingham, USS, 4

  Biter, HMS, 20

  Blair, George, 77

  Blenheim, Bristol, 43

  Blond, George, 86

  Boatwright, J.T., 180

  Bolt, John, 69, 107

  Bomba, 43

  Bowker, Jack, 45

  Boxer, USS, 104

  Brattle, Jennifer, 34

  Brown, Eric, 18, 20, 23

  Buccaneer, BAE Blackburn, 28, 30

  Buckeye, North American, T-2, 21

  Bunker Hill, USS, 58, 60

  Bywater, Hector, 48

  B-17, Boeing, 69

  B-29, Boeing, 79, 85, 87, 114

  B-50, Boeing, 114

  Cabot, USS, 58

  CCA, 151

  CAP, 196, 197

  Cain, James, 102

  California, USS, 55, 78

  Callahan, Shannon, 123, 124, 130, 182, 208

  Camm, Sydney, 28

  Campbell, Dennis, 9, 12

  Canadian Car & Foundry, 20

  Catalina, Consolidated, PBY, 86

  CATCC, 147

  Caudle, Larry, 62

  Causley, Charles, 7

  Cavalla, USS, 60

  Cavour, 42

  Chapell, Parnell, 207

  Chitose, 58

  Chiyoda, 58, 60

  Cochran, M.S., 102

  COD, Grumman, 204, 218

  Colossus, HMS, 34

  Conrad, Joseph, 147

  Constellation, USS, 8, 158

  Copeland, Ed, 142

  Coral Sea, USS, 149, 150

  Corsair, Chance Vought, F4F, 20, 23, 25, 30, 35, 36, 102, 104, 107, 114, 151

  Corsair II, Ling, Temco, Vought, A-7, 162, 164

  Corpus Christi, NAS, 122

  Courageous, HMS, 8

  Cougar, Grumman, F9F-8, 28

  Cowles, W.S., 4

  Cowpens, USS, 58

  Croman, Robert, 18, 151, 152

  Crusader, Vought, F-8, 34, 164, 169, 222

  Cunningham, Andrew, 40, 43, 51

  Cunningham, Randy, 171

  Curtiss, Glenn, 4, 6

  Curtiss Pusher, 4

  CVN, 4

  Dauntless, Douglas, SBD, 18, 60, 151

  Dean, Dale, 125

  Devastator, Douglas, TBD, 72

  Dilbert Dunker, 131, 158

  Donegan, Claire, 138

  Driscoll, Willy, 170

  Duilio, 42

  Dunbar, John, 185

  Dunning, E.H., 7

  Duxford, 27

  Eagle, McDonnell Douglas, F-15, 215

  Eagle, HMS, 40, 43

  EA-6B, Northrop Grumman, Prowler, 130, 221

  Ellyson, T.G., 6

  Ely, Eugene, 4

  Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 87

  Enola Gay, 87

  Enterprise, USS, 48, 58, 60, 62, 69, 96, 102, 177, 180, 184, 185

  Essex, USS, 58, 77

  Etendard, Dassault Breguet, 34

  Ewa, 57

  Extra-Super Duralumin, 20

  800 Squadron, 28

  801 Squadron, 28, 186, 189

  802 Squadron, 28

  807 Squadron, 28

  809 Squadron, 28

  820 Squadron, 140

  Fairchild, 20

  Fat Man, 87

  Fighter Collection, 27

  Fishbed, Mikoyan-Gurevich, MiG-21, 215

  Fleet Air Arm, 8, 17, 28, 42, 43, 49

  Flora-Bama, 180

  Flying Legends, 27

  Ford Island, 51, 55, 78

  Forshee, Lynn, 174

  Fox, Mark, 215, 216

  Fuchida, Mitsuo, 55

  Furious, HMS, 7, 8

  Furbish, Frank, 8, 101, 152, 159, 180, 205, 209, 216

  Gaido, Peter, 145

&nbs
p; Gartland, Paul, 66

  Gay, George, 70-77

  Gillcrist, Paul, 164-172

  Gilbert, William, 7

  Glass, Jack, 60

  Glorious, HMS, 8

  Glory, HMS, 7, 28

  Glossary, Aircraft Carrier, 234

  Goodenough, Dick, 189

  Grahame, Kenneth, 13

  Great East Asia Co-Existence Sphere, 47, 78

  Grey, Stephen, 27

  Growler, Boeing, F/A-18G, 130

  Grumman, 20, 21, 23, 27, 28, 30, 38

  Haguro, 60

  Hale, J.W., 42

  Halsey, William, 87

  Hannan, Bill, 12, 184

  Harden, Bert, 152

  Harm, 36

  Harpoon, 36

  Harrier II, McDonnell Douglas, AV-8B, 228

  Harris, Tom, 89

  Haruna, 60

  Hawkeye, Grumman, E-2, 30, 221

  Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 180

  Hellcat, Grumman, F6F, 19, 21, 23, 58, 59, 60, 65, 67, 69

  Helldiver, Curtiss, SB2C, 18, 30

  Hickam, 57

  Hiryu, 78

  Hittokappu Bay, 55

  Hiyo, 58, 60

  Hornet, USS, 58, 69, 76

  Hornet, Boeing McDonnell Douglas, F/A-18, 38, 39, 122, 125, 126, 129, 148, 158, 159, 205, 215, 216, 218, 220, 221, 226

  Hosho, 6, 7

  Hubbard, Oliver, 62

  Huntington, Bob, 73, 74

  Hurrican, Hawker, 20

  Hurst, Chris, 95

  Illustrious, HMS (87), 40, 43, 45, 48

  Illustrious, HMS, 5, 14, 32, 90, 91, 95, 96, 97, 129, 140, 174, 179, 185, 192, 206, 207, 210, 217, 232

  ILS, 151

  IMFI, Mitsubishi, 6

  Inoguchi, Rikihey, 81

  Intrepid, USS, 87

  Intruder, Grumman, A-6, 36, 37, 125

  Invincible, HMS, 36, 188

  James, Benny, 177

  John F. Kennedy, USS, 215

  John C. Stennis, USS, 4, 34, 122, 125, 203, 207, 217, 220

  Joint Strike Fighter, 125

  Jordan, William, 6

  Judgement, Operation, 43

  Junyo, 58

  Jupiter, 6

  Kaga, 8, 73, 78

  Kaiten, 79

  Kamikaze, 69, 78-89

  Kearsarge, USS, 12, 183

  Kemp, N., 42

  Kingsville, NAS, 122

  Kinsella, Kelly, 216-221

  Kitjitsu, Susumu, 81

  Kitty Hawk, 6

  Kitty Hawk, USS, 30