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WWII NAVY CROSS GROUP VB-13 USS FRANKLIN


KASTAUFFER
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I featured the flight jacket that came with this group last week, and am posting the rest of the group .

The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of WWII and, by some criteria, possibly the largest battle in US Naval history.

The USS Franklin and her Air Group were in the middle of it. Reports showed that all four enemy carriers were hit . This Navy Cross was awarded for a hit on one of the carriers. Pearl Harbor had been avenged.

During its combat tour in FRANKLIN, VB-13 flew on practically every type against every type of target. It supported three invasions and attacked the Japanese fleet. Squadron pilots assisted in sinking three enemy carriers, hit two battleships (one sank) probably sank a cruiser and sank numerous destroyers. They hit 25 merchant ships of which seven sank, three probably sank and two went down with the assistance from other squadrons. Losses were inflicted on a total of 50 enemy ships totaling 275,000 tons. One of the most decorated squadrons of the Pacific war, VB-13 airmen were awarded 22 Navy Crosses, a Silver Star, 25 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 149 Air Medals. During Bombing Squadron Thirteens tour of duty seven pilots and fourteen air crewmen were Killed in Action (KIA) It is also of interest to note that the squadron suffered no operational losses in training or while in combat.

 

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Here is the medal group still pinned to the old pad from the frame it was in. The wings are solid 10K and made by Hillborn and Hamburger. One of the Air Medals is a US Navy contract medal, the other a wrap brooch Army contract.

 

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reverse of the diving checklist that was rivetted into the cockpit of his Helldiver . Not sure what happened to " Plane # 9"

 

 

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His dogtag

 

 

 

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I did not get the original permanant citation for the Navy Cross with the group , but did get the ones for the 2 awards of the Air Medal

 

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Piece of wood with a nail in it marked with a pencil " USS Franklin " . It might be a piece fo the deck from the time she was damaged in October 1944.

 

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The scrapbook is one of the best I have ever seen related to WWII Naval Aviation. I have pictured most but not all of the pages. The best have been selected.

 

 

He was a Plank owner .

 

 

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he also stuck " fuselage" decals into his scrapbook. The first 2, are too large to have been used as squadron patch decals. The VF-13 decal is the right size to have been used on a squadron patch.

 

 

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This is the M-422A flight jacket he wore while serving with VB-13. The patch is a decal on leather. The leather is in great shape, the only real defects are tears in the lining and the cuffs are missing.

 

 

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