VMF-512 Pilot and Corsair Nose Art

[338thRCT]

A picker friend gave me this copy of a photo which was identified as Lt R.E. Spjeldet USMCR and his Corsair "Hard Hearted Hanna". His scratchy,elderly handwriting states it was taken at Ulithi Atoll/Mog Mog Island.

[aznation]

Source: Newspapers.com

 

Publication: Palladium-Item

Location: Richmond, Indiana

Issue Date: Monday, July 16, 1945

Page: Page 5

 

JAPS FLOATING ANCHORAGE CAMOUFLAGED AS ISLAND HIT BY MARINE AIRMEN

 

ABOARD AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER; OFF SAKISHIMA--(Delayed)--It was a very pleasant little island with trees, soil and other vegetation, that Marine Maj. Blaine H. Baesler of Lake City, Minn., and his group of Corsair fighters, cruising off these islands adjacent to Japan, were flying over. Only hitch in the pleasant sylvan scene was that the whole mass was moving! Rubbing his eyes, the major looked again. Sure enough, the island was moving. Then it came to him, this was one of the Japs' floating anchorages, camouflaged to look like an island. Issuing orders to the other five planes in his group to follow him Baesler headed skyward. Seconds later he, followed by his wingmen Lts. Jack G. Moss of McCook, Nebr., and Leroy A. Seipp of San Antonio, Tex., plummeted down and blasted the "peaceful resort" that turned out to be a gathering of ships, with rockets and machine guns. They were followed by the other three planes manned by Maj. Elton Mueller of Santa Barbara, Calif., and his wingmen, Lts. Robert E. McCann of Bridgeport, Ohio, and Roland E. Spjeldet of Detroit. They added their blows to those already struck. Then Baesler's section made two more runs on the flaming, smoking shambles. Before returning to their carrier, the marine pilots ascertained that three Japanese vessels had gone to the Japanese equivalent of Davy Jones' locker and two others were left burning. And, oh yes, another Japanese "island" had been neutralized.

[aznation]

Source: Find-A-Grave