Righting the USS Oklahoma, Pearl Harbour, 29th of March 1943.

Salvage operation

One of the CA-71 USS Quincy heavy cruiser’s Kingfisher floatplane catapulted for a mission during the invasion of the Southern France (Operation Dragoon), 15 August 1944. Victor Sierra

The mission’s coming

USS Manila Bay (CVE-61) came under enemy air attack on June 23, 1944 east of Saipan. Two fighter-bombers attacked her from dead ahead, dropping four bombs which missed their target — note bombs splashing wide to port. Manila Bay was transporting 37 Army P-47 Thunderbolts from 73rd Fighter Squadron, 318th Fighter Group and, as a precautionary and rather unusual move which Admiral Spruance later characterized as "commendable initiative," four of them were launched to fly protective CAP until radar screens were clear of contacts. The Army fighters then flew to Saipan, their intended destination.(rudeerude)