6-19-1944 "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" ...

[Mark Allen M]

Wiki: "The Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 19–20, 1944) was a decisive naval battle of World War II that eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands. The battle was the last of five major "carrier-versus-carrier" engagements between American and Japanese naval forces, and involved elements of the United States Navy's Fifth Fleet as well as ships and land-based aircraft from the Imperial Japanese Navy's Mobile Fleet and nearby island garrisons.

The aerial theater of the battle was nicknamed the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" by American aviators for the severely disproportional loss ratio inflicted upon Japanese aircraft by American pilots and anti-aircraft gunners. During a debriefing after the first two air battles a pilot from USS Lexington remarked "Why, hell, it was just like an old-time turkey shoot down home!" The outcome is generally attributed to American improvements in pilot and crew training and tactics, war technology (including the top-secret anti-aircraft proximity fuze), and ship and aircraft design. Although at the time the battle appeared to be a missed opportunity to destroy the Japanese fleet, the Imperial Japanese Navy had lost the bulk of its carrier air strength and would never recover. During the course of the battle, American submarines torpedoed and sank two of the largest Japanese fleet carriers taking part in the battle.

This was the largest carrier-to-carrier battle in history."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... ippine_Sea

"The battle started shortly after 1000 on 19 Jun with the first wave of 60 Japanese planes attacking the American fleet. 42 of them were shot down, scoring only one bomb hit on USS South Dakota. The second wave consisted of 128 planes, and 97 of them were lost without even making any significant damage to the American ships, although Warrant Officer Sakio Komatsu's name must be mentioned for his bravery: immediately after taking off from the Taiho, he saw a torpedo swimming straight for his home carrier. He dropped his plane and plunged into the ocean, intercepting the torpedo with his fighter. He sacrificed himself, and his carrier would be saved, for now. The third attack's 47 planes had a better casualty rate, losing only 7, but they did not make it through the American escort ships, let alone seeing the American carriers. By the time the fourth attack wave of 82 planes were sent, it was already almost 1400 in the afternoon, and 54 of them were shot down.

During the day of 19 June 1944, between Ozawa's attacks on the American fleet and the attacks on Guam and Rota, 429 Japanese planes were shot down. The Americans lost 29. This battle was commonly referred to among the US Navy men as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot". Many historians agree that this event marked the end of Japanese naval air power."

A good link below:
http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/gr ... -shoot.asp

A couple logbooks with June 19 entries.


Kevin Shortell's Grandfather XO of VF-8


Lieutenant (junior grade) Arthur Ray Hawkins of Fighting Squadron (VF) 31 during June 1944. Note his kills during the Marianas Turkey Shoot


Lieutenant (junior grade) Arthur Ray Hawkins (right) receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross on the flight deck of the light carrier Cabot (CVL 28)


Air action over Task Force 58 on June 19, 1944


Air action over Task Force 58 on June 19, 1944


VF-1 Top Hatter F6F-3 Fighter is launched from USS Yorktown to intercept enemy forces during the Marianas Turkey Shoot, 19 June 1944


F6F-3 Hellcat of Fighting Squadron (VF) 1 Hornet (CV 12) during the Battle of the Philippine Sea on June 19, 1944

[Mark Allen M]

This is a LIFE series covering Air Group 16 - USS Lexington (CV16) - June 1944. Photos : J.R. Eyerman - LIFE Collections.
I'd suggest these photos were take sometime right after the "Marianas Turkey Shoot". You will see a few photos of Lt. Alex Vraciu who downed six aircraft on June 19, 1944. All were Yokosuka D4Y "Judies".

Last edited by Mark Allen M on Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:48 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Mark Allen M]

[Mark Allen M]

Lt. Alex Vraciu for his actions at the First Battle of the Philippine Sea, Vraciu was nominated for the Medal of Honor. However, when the nomination reached the desk of Admiral George D. Murray, at Pacific Fleet Headquarters in Hawaii, it was downgraded to a Navy Cross. Vraciu ended the war as the United States Navy's fourth highest ranking ace. He subsequently became a test pilot and was instrumental in forming the post-war Naval Air Reserve program. Promoted to Commander, Vraciu led VF-51 from 1956 to 1958. Vraciu appeared in "The Zero Killer", a January 2007 episode of the History Channel's Dogfights series. Vraciu had declined all invitations to write an autobiography. He did cooperate with the Indiana Historical Society Press, however, which in March 2010 published an account of his life titled Fighter Pilot: The World War II Career of Alex Vraciu. Vraciu died on January 29, 2015 at the age of 96.

[Mark Allen M]

More photos from the LIFE series in the link below. If your not a 'facebooker' PM me and I'll give you my login and password if you like.
https://www.facebook.com/Radio.WW2/phot ... 8439811145

[AG pilot]

In the image of Hellcat 16, there are many "newly added" looking rivets. Is this a normal pattern, or has this aircraft been strengthened, or possibly repaired? Interesting.

[JFS61]

Interesting that by 1944 shooting down three Zeros in one day only got you a DFC.