World: Warrior's Ordeal

One of our ships was seriously damaged and is returning to port under her own power — Pacific Fleet Communique 305, March 21, 1945.

Last week the Navy let the rest of the story be told:

It was March 19. Fifty miles off the coast of Japan, Task Force 58 was launching an air assault against Shikoku and Kyushu when a Jap bomber dropped out of the low overcast, rocketed in over the bow of the 27,000-ton carrier Franklin ("Big Ben") and swept the length of her flight deck. Not until too late did antiaircraft crews get their guns on the raider. From...

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