US Navy

Over the side

uboat.net

Task Group 21.12 (USS Guadalcanal - flagship, accompanied by the DDs Alden, John D. Edwards, Whipple, and John D. Ford) departed Hampton Roads 5 January 1944 bound for the Cape Verde Islands. The veteran VC-13 squadron commanded by Lt. Cdr. Adrian H. Perry was aboard with 21 aircraft; 9 FM-1 Wildcats and 12 TBF-1c Avengers. Tenth Fleet had located a U-boat re-fueling area 500 miles west of the Azores and TG 21.12 headed for that location. Heavy seas were immediately encountered and at 2013 the evening of departure a lookout was washed overboard. Search operations were conducted but the man was never found. Flight operations were extremely difficult in the heavy weather and two Wildcats were so badly damaged they were put ashore in Bermuda three days later. The bad weather continued and on 10 January Lt.(jg) James Schoby's Avenger, attempting to land, bounced over the side of the pitching ship. Only the ball turret gunner was saved. Schoby had received the DFC for his part in the sinking of U-487 in July 1943. from:http://www.uboat.net/allies/ships/uss_guadalcanal-3.htm